Appointments

Consultations are by appointment and we offer both telephone and face to face appointments, please telephone the surgery to arrange. 

Appointments with a doctor are normally at ten-minute intervals.  If you have spent over ten minutes with the doctor and still have issues to discuss, the doctor may ask you to make another appointment.  This is to help address the lengthy delays that can be so frustrating for waiting patients.

The receptionist team will be happy to help with any queries that you may have about the range of services provided by the surgery and attached staff.

Receptionists are trained to ask relevant and sometimes personal questions, to elicit all the relevant information necessary to help you and to ensure you see the correct health professional for your needs. They are bound by the same code of practice as the Doctors and all matters will be dealt with in the strictest confidence. If you have a particular problem that you would prefer not to discuss at reception, please ask to discuss it in private.

You may be asked to send a photograph/s into the Practice if the problem you have is visible, so that the Doctor or Clinician is able to see it prior to your consultation.  

Photographs should be emailed to our clinical mailbox: TAY.gp13284clinical@nhs.scot

~~Please only send photographs if you have been asked to do so by the Practice~~

On-call appointments

We have a limited amount of "on-call" slots each afternoon with the duty doctor which are reserved for urgent on-the-day requests.   If you are given one of these "on-call" appointments,  please be aware that there is a possibility you may not be seen at your exact appointment time as the duty doctor may be dealing with other urgent matters i.e. home visits or emergency calls.

Patients are requested to use our Self Check-in Screen on arrival, details of which can be found on the above tab.

We encourage patients to attend the same doctor throughout the duration of a particular episode of care. 

Minor Illness / Nurse Prescriber Clinic

Our trained and highly experienced practice nurses run this clinic daily.  These appointments are offered to those patients who feel they need seen the same day.  They can deal with chest infections, upper respiratory tract infections, urine infections, skin infections, eczema, hay fever, back pain for example.  Please give the receptionist an idea of your symptoms so that they can give you an appointment with the appropriate person.

Treatment Rooms

The practice nurse team offer appointments Monday to Friday between the hours of 08:30 to 12:30 for blood tests, dressings, etc. Various clinics are usually run between the hours of 13:50 to 17:30.

Please indicate what the nurse appointment is for when booking, as some of the procedures require particular skills or additional time .

APPOINTMENT  WASTAGE

"Did not Attend" appointments in the week commencing Mon 2nd March 2020 totalled:

40 minutes of Doctors time and 85 minutes of Practice Nurse time

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else.

DNA Appointment Policy

Introduction

Approximately 120 appointments per month are 'Did Not Attend' (DNA), i.e. the patient does not turn up for the appointment and does not contact the surgery in advance to cancel/change their appointment.

The effect of these missed appointments are:

• An increase in the waiting time for appointments

• Frustration for both staff and patients

• A waste of resources

Policy

If a patient fails to attend a pre-booked appointment a 1^st DNA letter will be sent to the patient, advising them on how to cancel appointments in the future to reduce wasted clinician time.

If the patient fails to attend another (2^nd) appointment, a 2^nd DNA letter will be sent to the patient advising them that should they miss another appointment within the next four month period we will have no alternative but to ask them to find another practice in the area.

Interpreters

We have access to an interpretation and translation service for patients who do not speak English - please let us know if you need this service when booking an appointment. 

Telephone Advice

Sometimes you may simply want advice from the doctor or another member of the team.  They may not be immediately available and you may be asked to call back at a more convenient time. Please let the receptionist know about whom or what your call concerns, so that the relevant records are available for the call.

Video Consultations

Consultations are by appointment only, as arranged by the Doctor. 

Following a telephone triage consultation with the Doctor, rather than have you attend the surgery, you may be offered a video consultation. If this is the case, you will be given an appointment time and sent either a text or an email with the "link" to the website address to attend your Near Me video consultation appointment. 

Below is a short video about Near Me video consultations and also information on how to attend your appointment via video.

Clinical Photography at Lour Road Group Practice

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote consulting has become increasingly popular due to the need to reduce footfall in general practice and ensure adequate social distancing as per government guidance. It can also be more convenient for majority of our patients and we hope to continue to use clinical photography to assist consultations going into the future.

Clinical photography is a way to assist clinicians in remote consulting and is a safe way to practice when looking at rashes, for instance. Our administrative team or clinicians might ask you to send in photographs to our secure e-mail address to help aid in consultations. This photograph is then put into your medical records. The clinical photograph will help aid decision-making, and you will always be offered a face-to-face appointment if deemed necessary for further assessment. Your photograph may be used in the following ways:

• As part of your consultation to provide you with appropriate treatment and management
• Sent alongside an electronic advice request/referral to dermatology (skin specialists) for advice if we are concerned or unsure regarding atypical rashes, with your consent
• Training and education purposes for healthcare professionals

Intimate images

The General Medical Council and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland have clear guidance in place with regards to intimate images. An “intimate” image would normally be classified as the “bikini area” (breasts, genitalia, perineum) or an area of the body that the patient perceives as being intimate. Your level of comfort in sending in these photographs is paramount to us as we appreciate that face-to-face consultations with the offer of a chaperone to be present might be more appropriate in these situations.

Intimate images of a young person under the age of 16, hold particular challenges due to laws in place for child safeguarding. We would strongly recommend not sending in photographs of intimate areas for children. We would advise you to get in touch with us so we can discuss the issue and see if a face-to-face assessment is appropriate.

Photographs

You may be asked to send a photograph/s into the Practice if the problem you have is visible, so that the Doctor or Clinician is able to see it prior to your consultation.  

Photographs should be emailed to our clinical mailbox: TAY.gp13284clinical@nhs.scot

~~Please only send photographs if you have been asked to do so by the Practice~~

Self Check-in Screen

Please try our new Self Check-in system to report that you have arrived for your appointment.  It is located at the left hand reception desk.

Simply start the process by touching the “on-screen buttons”

• BEGIN
• MALE or FEMALE
• BIRTHDAY MONTH
• BIRTHDAY DATE ( buttons 1 to 31 )

The screen will then display your appointment booking details:  the doctor or nurses name, the room number where you will be seen and if they are running to schedule.

Please acknowledge the details by pressing the ‘OK’ button .

(You may also be asked to confirm your telephone contact details)

Electronic Patient Call System

After you have checked-in for your appointment and when the doctor or nurse is ready for you, the plasma TV system “bleeps” and your NAME and the Clinician’s ROOM NUMBER then displays at the bottom of the Patient Information Screen.

Patient Information Screen

The plasma television displays a continual stream of general patient information such as: -

• Practice clinics (e.g. flu immunisations)
• Prescription ordering methods
• Surgery closures for Public Holidays
• Health Promotion Information etc

Home Visits

Our doctors typically see four or five patients in the practice in the time it takes to do a single home visit.  For this reason, we ask our patients to come to the practice if at all possible. We will visit you at home only if your condition means you cannot travel to the practice by any means.

Please phone before 10:30 to arrange a visit and let us know if your condition is urgent.  The reception team are trained to ask pertinent questions regarding your symptoms.  All information is treated as confidential and helps the doctor assess the urgency of each call.  The doctor may telephone you to assess your problem in more detail and to assess if a house visit is the most appropriate place for you to be seen.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)

Training  Practice

The surgery is accredited as a training practice for doctors.   In order to be approved, it must meet quality standards and we hope this is reflected in the care our patients receive.  For training purposes, you may be asked to allow a medical student or GP Registrar to be involved in your consultation or for your consultation to be video recorded.  We hope that you will support the training of our future doctors but, of course you are free to refuse.

Medical Research

The practice is actively involved in a number of research projects conducted by Dundee University, Ninewells Hospital and occasionally other institutions such as the Medical Research Council (MRC). We vet these projects very carefully to ensure they are safe and worthwhile studies. All have been passed by the Tayside Committee on Medical Ethics.

It is your choice whether to join or decline any study. Your decision will not influence the care you receive from us in any way.

Lour Road Group Practice participation in research

Photographs

You may be asked to send a photograph/s into the Practice if the problem you have is visible, so that the Doctor or Clinician is able to see it prior to your consultation.  

Photographs should be emailed to our clinical mailbox: TAY.gp13284clinical@nhs.scot

~~Please only send photographs if you have been asked to do so by the Practice~~

Clinical Photography at Lour Road Group Practice
 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, remote consulting has become increasingly popular due to the need to reduce footfall in general practice and ensure adequate social distancing as per government guidance. It can also be more convenient for majority of our patients and we hope to continue to use clinical photography to assist consultations going into the future.

Clinical photography is a way to assist clinicians in remote consulting and is a safe way to practice when looking at rashes, for instance. Our administrative team or clinicians might ask you to send in photographs to our secure e-mail address to help aid in consultations. This photograph is then put into your medical records. The clinical photograph will help aid decision-making, and you will always be offered a face-to-face appointment if deemed necessary for further assessment. Your photograph may be used in the following ways:

• As part of your consultation to provide you with appropriate treatment and management

• Sent alongside an electronic advice request/referral to dermatology (skin specialists) for advice if we are concerned or unsure regarding atypical rashes, with your consent

• Training and education purposes for healthcare professionals

Intimate images

The General Medical Council and the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland have clear guidance in place with regards to intimate images. An “intimate” image would normally be classified as the “bikini area” (breasts, genitalia, perineum) or an area of the body that the patient perceives as being intimate. Your level of comfort in sending in these photographs is paramount to us as we appreciate that face-to-face consultations with the offer of a chaperone to be present might be more appropriate in these situations.

Intimate images of a young person under the age of 16, hold particular challenges due to laws in place for child safeguarding. We would strongly recommend not sending in photographs of intimate areas for children. We would advise you to get in touch with us so we can discuss the issue and see if a face-to-face assessment is appropriate.