How do I see a doctor or nurse?

What if I feel I need to be seen urgently?

How do I ask for my repeat prescription?

Are there any charges?

What if I am traveling abroad?

What do I need to register or change my address?

What if I have a complaint?

Where can I download a copy of the practice booklet?

What does Winyates Health Centre being a research practice involve?

Where can I leave feedback or make suggestions?

How much will it cost me to call the surgery on the 0844 number?

Telephone Triage
We have an excellent team of nurses happy to give you telephone advice about most of your health problems. They will be able to give you self-help tips and also make you appointments to see a doctor urgently if necessary.

Due to an increase in demand we are receiving many comments about the difficulties in getting through on the telephone - why not try these alternatives.......

• If you have to use the telephone: Avoid the busy periods like Monday Morning.
• Order through this website by completing the form in the prescriptions area.
• Order by fax - 01527 517969 (remember to include your personal details and the medication you require).
• Order in person by posting your re-order slip in the box provided.

Emergencies
Telephone 08444 773803 at any time and press option 1. If the health centre is closed a recorded message will give you a number to contact the doctor on call, be ready with a pen and paper to note down the alternative number.

The telephone number for help out-of-hours is: 0845 609 0669

You will be advised by a nurse or doctor from the Primary Care Centre adjacent to the A&E department at the Alexandra Hospital after normal working hours. Patients are expected to arrange their own transport to the centre if an emergency consultation is needed. Please only call at night if it is really necessary.

• Call NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for free health advice and information 24 hours a day. Or log on to www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

• In addition, the NHS Direct self-help guide ‘Not Feeling Well?’ is available at the back of all new Thompson Local Telephone Directories, distributed in England from April 2004.

• Accident and Emergency ring 999

Home Visits
Are for patients too ill to attend surgery. Please make your request before 11:30am. The receptionist will take full details and ask you to speak to a doctor to decide the suitability and urgency of a visit.

Confidentiality
All staff are bound by strict rules to preserve the confidentiality of your medical records at all times. For this reason we can only give your test results and other information to you personally unless we have your prior consent to pass it to another person. The staff are instructed to follow this rule at all times without exception. We respect your right to privacy and keep all your health information confidential and secure. It is important that the NHS keeps accurate and up-to-date records about your health and treatment so that those treating you can give you the best possible advice and care. This information is only available to those involved in your care and you should never be asked for personal medical information by anyone not involved in your care.

Private Fees
Certain services that we provide are not covered by the NHS and we have to make a charge. These include certain medical examinations e.g. for fitness to drive, HGV & PSG license applications and the signing of certain forms such as insurance claims. If a charge is payable, you will be told beforehand.

Results of tests
Blood, urine and x-ray test results have to be checked by the doctor. The doctor may ask you to make an appointment for the results or ask you to inquire about the results by telephone about one week later. Please telephone the surgery after 2 pm for the results of the tests.

Travel Plans
Those traveling overseas should consult the nurse about three months before their trip as vaccinations for some countries need early planning. It takes very little time to find out about maintaining health during foreign travel. 

Addresses
If you wish to register with the practice you will need to provide personal ID (i.e driving license or passport), along with some evidence that contains your name and address that you will be living at. We will also need to know your NHS number. You can find this on your medical card (FP4), a hospital referral letter or by telephoning your current practice to ask for it.
If you are already registered with the practice and wish to change your address, you will need to provide evidence of your new address before we are able to update your records. 

Chaperones
We want you to feel safe, secure and comfortable in the way we provide health care. We want you to know that your privacy is respected.
Any patient is welcome to have someone else with them during an examination or consultation, if they wish. This chaperone can be someone who comes in with you from your family or a friend. You might want to have a member of the health centre staff as a chaperone and if you do then it is easier to organise if you can let the receptionist know in advance. If you do not know in advance then we will try to arrange a chaperone during the consultation, but we might need to rearrange the appointment instead.
The doctor or nurse might ask for a chaperone to be present in certain consultations or examinations in accordance with best medical practice.
If you would like to see a copy of the Chaperone Policy or have any questions or comments please contact the reception or the Practice Manager.

Complaints
We aim to give a friendly and professional service to all patients. However if you have any concerns about any aspect of our service, please let us know.
Speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with - the practice manager or reception staff will be happy to help.

In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily. However, if you feel we have not dealt with the issues you have raised as you would wish, you can write to the Complaints Manager at Redditch and Bromsgrove PCT. The PCT also operates a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) which can often help resolve any problems before they become formal complaints.
To speak to PALS officer, ring: 01562 488062

Winyates Health Centre: A Research Practice
Winyates Health Centre has signed up to be a research active practice. This means that for 1 day a week a Primary Care Research Network Nurse (part of the NHS National Institute for Health Research) will be working with our GPs on research projects that the Partners believe will benefit our patients. The Partners would like to assure all patients usual care will not be affected whether or not they participate in research.

Patients may be invited to take part in studies and consent will be sought from the patient who meets the criteria for any given study. Patients are not obliged to take part in any study and if you wish to be excluded from any future research please notify the Practice Manager in writing and you will be excluded from all studies.

Patient confidentiality is important and will be assured.

Further information regarding patient involvement is available at www.crncc.nihr.ac.uk

Winyates Surveys:
We welcome your thoughts and suggestions to help us offer the best service possible. Let us know what you think of the service you currently receive by taking the short survey here. We will be adding more surveys to the website in the future so please keep an eye out for new ones as they appear.

Telephone calls to Winyates:
Our 0844 number is a lo-call rate number. Calls to us on a standard rate BT landline cost no more than calling equivalent geographical numbers. Calls are charged at 4.032* pence per minute (*correct as of May 2011).

 In response to the growing misconception that the use of 084 numbers within the NHS is not allowed the following details the actual position.
The Department of Health (DH) has not banned the use of 084 numbers in the NHS. At the initial consultation and subsequently in parliamentary written answers, DH's repeated stated position is that "NHS organisations remain free to use non-geographical number ranges such as 084, providing that patients are not charged more than the equivalent cost of calling a geographical number to do so."

The British Medical Council (BMA) has made it clear the mechanism whereby surgeries should demonstrate compliance. The BMA states,
"GP practices should obtain written confirmation from their phone service suppliers that the charge for a call to their number is no more expensive than making an equivalent local call. The DH has been assured by the main phone service supplier, NEG (Network Europe Group), that this is the case." NEG are the provider of our surgery line.

Our 084 number is a lo-call rate number. Calls to us on a standard rate BT landline cost no more than the cost of calling equivalent geographical numbers. If you have chosen to use a different provider or have chosen to sign up to a call package from BT other than their standard rate then the price you are charged for calling an 084 may not be treated as a lo-call rate. In which case you would need to contact your telephone provider to discuss why they are charging you more for a lo-call rate number.

From BT's pricing website:
"If you are a customer for one of BT's call discount packages, you may find that the discount you receive for calling a Specialised Number is lower than for geographical calls or that the call is excluded from the discount scheme."

back to top