Practice Polices2020-02-26T13:29:38+00:00

PRACTICE POLICIES

Results

If you have had blood tests or other laboratory samples taken at this Surgery, these will be sent to the laboratory at Roscommon Hospital or Galway University Hospital by a special courier service that leaves the Surgery every day at 12 noon. The following information outlines the practices policy in relation to laboratory tests.

Blood Tests, Urine Samples, Swabs, Xray/Scan Results

  • We will add the results to your computerised file on their return

  • As a routine practice, you are expected to ring the surgery for your results 2 weeks after the sample was taken unless you have been advised by the nurse or doctor to contact the surgery sooner

  • In some cases, your lab result may be required more urgently. The Doctor/Nurse will inform you when to ring for this urgent result

  • We request you to ring for these between 12.30p.m. – 1.00 p.m. Mon –Fri
  • Receptionists are not authorised to give results or deal with these queries.
  • Very often, results outside the normal range are insignificant and not dangerous. Patients asked to discuss results with the Doctor should make an appointment and should not worry unduly
  • We will not routinely contact you to inform you of a normal result. The emphasis is on the patient to contact the surgery after 2 weeks if they haven’t heard from the nurse/Doctor.
  • Sometimes blood results get lost and delayed at the lab. This is out of our control. Tests may need to be repeated, you will be advised in this case.

Patients are advised to ring Westdoc 1850 365 000 for medical problems arising between 6pm – 8am Monday – Friday and from 6pm Friday – 8am Monday at the weekend and for bank holidays.

Working Hours

MONDAY 9am – 5pm
TUESDAY 9am – 5pm
WEDNESDAY 9am – 5pm
THURSDAY 9am – 5pm
FRIDAY 9am – 5pm

Please note: We are closed for lunch 1pm – 2pm.

Phone Calls

  • The receptionist is dealing with two incoming phone lines continually.
  • If she is dealing with another call when you ring you may be put on hold.
  • The phone may be busy in the period between 9 and 10am and 2 and 3pm. If it is engaged, please ring shortly afterwards as we aim not to have lines blocked for long periods.
  • Callers are asked not to ring for general information during the first hour in the morning.
  • Callers are asked to keep their queries direct and to the point to facilitate other patients.
  • Callers are asked to keep queries brief.
  • Receptionists are experienced in dealing with distressed and elderly patients and will respect difficulties they may have with information.
  • The reception is staffed during all working hours.
  • Receptionists are instructed not to deal with confrontational issues with patients on the phone. Such issues will be passed on to the practice manager to address.

Calls to Nurse

The nurse will take calls for blood results between 12.30 and 1pm Monday to Friday. The nurse will endeavour to return your call at her earliest opportunity. It may be the afternoon.

Calls to Doctor

Calls to Doctor are not advised. If you wish to discuss something with the Doctor, you need to make an appointment.

If you require a routine prescription, and if the doctor has indicated that you don’t need to be reviewed, you should be able to anticipate the need for your prescription well in advance of your running out of medicines. Please give the doctor a minimum of 24 hours’ notice when ordering a repeat prescription.

All patient prescriptions and medications are contained on our computer database. Between one and two hours are spent per day by surgery staff taking requests for repeat scripts, updating the computer information, checking and printing the scripts, before a final review and signing by the Doctor. In view of the considerable workload and demand on the practice, we must prioritise our tasks. It is generally not possible therefore to issue repeat prescriptions on demand.

If you have neglected to request a repeat prescription and you have run out of your regular medication, and if you use a regular pharmacist, he/she should be able to supply you with some of your routine medication in anticipation of your getting your regular prescription re-issued. Prescriptions once completed will be left at reception for collection. Prescription will only be posted if you have provided us with a stamped addresses envelope.

Due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced in May 2018, we are no longer advised to fax prescriptions. Also, prescriptions can only be collected by a pre-nominated/authorised person.

We would strongly urge you not to leave it too late to request a routine prescription.

To register with the Family Care Practice you will need to provide the Surgery with your contact details. This can be done by phone or calling into the surgery. The initial consultation is with the Doctor and Practice Nurse to facilitate the recording of Medical History. Arrangements will be made to acquire past medical notes from a previous GP to be forward to the surgery, along with any current prescriptions. This process is required for both private and medical card patients.

Any changes to your address or contact details must be made known to reception staff.

Useful local contacts

We are very pleased that the Family Care Practice has been successfully approved  by the Ballinasloe Specialist GP Training Scheme as a GP Training Practice.

GP Registrars will work with us for their final years of training.

Registrars’ are  fully qualified doctors with several years of hospital training and experience.

Patients find their fresh, enthusiastic approach adds to the healthcare we provide in general practice.

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