The doctors are also available for telephone advice for things that might save you having to make an appointment. If you wish to do this it is best to ring reception before 11am and explain what it is you need so your doctor can decide if phoning you is the best way of dealing with the problem. Please leave a number where you can be contacted and you will be rung back the same day. If you make the request after 11am you will be rung in the next 24 hours. Please give the reception staff an idea of what it is about if at all possible. This is so that if a doctor decides on a course of action without phoning back this can be done. In such a case a member of staff will phone you back with the information.

HOME VISITS If you need a consultation but are too ill to come to surgery, a doctor will visit you at home. In emergencies this will be the doctor on call, but in less urgent cases you may request your own particular doctor.  House calls are made for cases where there is medical need. Patients are expected to visit the Keyworth Medical Practice for consultations if they are able to travel. The necessity for a home visit is at the discretion of the doctor and when there is doubt your doctor may ring you to discuss the problem before deciding  the most appropriate place for the consultation to take place. Non urgent visiting usually takes place between 11.30 am and 2.30 pm but times may vary slightly.

Medical examinations nowadays are more technical and often require a properly designed and equipped environment to take place in. Doctors are expected to put themselves in the best position to do a proper examination of the patient. This is another reason for rejecting a home visit request. It is for your benefit in the long run!

Practice Nurses

You can see the things that nurses can do for you below. Many of the things that you might think you need to see a doctor about can often be dealt with by a nurse. Indeed, for some things she going to be more experienced at dealing with the problem than a doctor. Two of our senior nurses (Liz Lewis is also trained to take responsibility for the triage of urgent cases so they are dealt with by the best person at the best time

Liz Lewis RGN RM (part-time Nurse Practitioner)
Liz is a Specialist Practitioner in General Practice. She came to Keyworth Medical Practice in 1993 as a practice nurse to do general practice nurse work and run our asthma clinic. She has subsequently developed our diabetes clinic and other services. She now also manages our practice nurse team. She also does teaching work and is a practice nurse lead for the Rushcliffe Primary Care Trust. Nicky Reast is a part time practice nurse. Sue Chester is a full time practice nurse

Health Care Assistants

Repeat prescriptions and checks for patients on hormone replacement therapy or contraceptive pills.
Dressings
Suture removal
Emergency contraception
Well man or well woman check. (If you think you are well and want to have some basic checks done as well as healthy lifestyle enquiries).
Child Immunisations
Vitamin B12 injections
Travel plans for getting the best health protection if you travel abroad. Please come 6 weeks before you travel . Contraceptive injections.
Flu vaccine
Over 75 health checks Patients over the age of 75 are invited to have a general check on their health every year. This can be arranged at home.  This is to check on health and general welfare and is particularly important for those living alone and have not seen a doctor or nurse in the previous year. 
Advice on all aspects of healthy living. Diet advice, help with stopping smoking etc.

How we make sure you get appropriate medical attention when you need it

Appointments
Most of our Routine appointments are set up many weeks in advance and if you ring for a routine appointment you will be offered one of them. In order to make a supply of routine appointments available at shorter notice, each doctor provides 3 to 4 extra appointments each day that are made available from 8am, 2 days before. We call these 48 hour appointments. The most effective way of securing such an appointment is to book online using our website.

We regard it as very important that you get seen as soon as you need to. If there is no appointment available that you feel is soon enough for you must say so. Our reception staff are not qualified to make medical judgments, but if you feel you need to be seen sooner, our reception staff will pass your details to the triage team (doctor or specially trained senior nurse in the building) who will ring you back and discuss your problem. They will then arrange for you to be seen appropriately. The triage team has access to doctor and nurse appointments that reception staff cannot use. This system cannot usually provide appointments for a particular doctor or nurse.

We are proud of our triage system, which this practice helped pioneer. Everyone gets seen according to their medical needs. So if you think you need to be seen more quickly than the available appointment you must tell us.

Whenever you are given advice by NEMS or a doctor sees you, the details are transferred electronically to the Keyworth Medical Practice so that we are fully aware the following morning.

Complaints  We have a complaints procedure. Any complaint about the conduct of any of the Keyworth Medical Practice staff (Not Community Trust staff) should be made, preferably in writing to the practice manager Mrs Michelle Broutta, but a telephone call is acceptable. If you put it in writing you will receive a written reply. If she cannot resolve the problem the matter will be referred to the senior partner (Dr Langridge). If you feel your problem is one that should not be dealt with by the practice you can write direct to:-  Nottinghamshire County Teaching PCT, Birch House, Southwell Road West, Mansfield, Notts NG21 0HJ.

Patient Participation Group

Keyworth Medical Practice has launched a Patient Participation Group to facilitate closer cooperation between Practice medical & nursing staff and the registered Patients.
The Group numbers 12 registered Patients all of whom are committed to supporting and helping develop the excellent, new Practice facilities for the benefit of Patients.
The Group will concern itself initially with three main areas and will seek the views of Patients and their Carers:
Communication
•  Providing a route for patient feedback to the Medical Practice, initially by the Patients' survey, and to publicise a response.
•  To provide good links between the Medical Practice and Patients.
Health Education
•  Focusing on the quality of life and living for all members of the public.
•  Promoting all aspects of self help towards improved bodily and mental health.
Community Care
•  Raising awareness of support networks available to those with specific needs.
•  Facilitating the provision of physical companionship and support to those who need and would like to have it.
THE GROUP SETS OUT TO BE THE PATIENTS' VOICE. To contact us please put a note addressed to ‘PPG' through the Medical Practice letterbox beside the main door, or email ppg@keyworthmedicalpractice.co.uk.

For instance. When your doctor refers you to a hospital specialist, he or she has to write a letter to that specialist with your personal and medical details. But it is not just the doctors concerned who see that information, it is also the secretary who types the letter, the clerk who files it in your records at the hospital, and the nurse who may be assisting the doctor that you see. The are also numerous others. And when the specialist sends a report back to us, that letter is seen by clerical staff at this Medical Practice who scan it into our computer system. That makes the information accessible by all the doctors and nurses and some others who work here.

Some time ago an NHS committee led by Dame Fiona Caldicott drew up recommendations on how the NHS should deal with patient identifiable information. The report is known as the Caldicott Report and one of the recommendations is that each NHS unit should have an identifiable person who is responsible for the policy on these issues. That person is known as the Caldicott Guardian and for the Keyworth Medical Practice it is Dr Langridge. For Community staff it is Jane Wilson, a Health Visitor at East Bridgford Health Centre.

Because this a new area for most people we would welcome feedback from you if you have questions or issues you have views about and want to make them known. You are welcome to email us by clicking on the following link. We will reply.  caldicottguardian@keyworthmedicalpractice.co.uk 

The district nurses are on duty from 8-30 am to 5.00 pm every day. During these hours they can be contacted at Keyworth Primary Care Centre (0115 8837000). An out of hours emergency service exists for evenings, nights, weekends and Bank Holidays ( 0115 9299338).

The District Nurses' role encompasses specialist knowledge in wound care, leg ulcer management, continence care, care of the terminally ill and those with complex needs.
The service is designed to promote the health and independence of housebound patients and their carers
For those who can travel, the District Nurses operate a specialist continence clinic at Keyworth Medical Practice, and a leg ulcer clinic at East Leake Health Centre. Referrals are made by your GP or the nursing team. For more information about district nurses see www.keyworthmedicalpractice.co.uk

Maternity care is usually alternated between the Doctor, local midwife and the hospital. Parent craft is offered locally through the midwife Nicky Such. If you become pregnant the normal procedure is to make an appointment with the midwife at 8 to 10 weeks at her booking clinic (Tuesday afternoon). You then follow the NICE (2003) antenatal care programme according to your needs.
Contact for midwife in office hours is 0115 8837000. Midwifery answering service out of office hours (5pm-9am, weekends and Bank Holidays) 0115 9299771.
24 hour Urgent Midwife Answering Service 07817107949

The doctors at this Medical Practice offer antenatal and postnatal care. They do not offer care for delivery at home.

Antenatal care is shared generally between hospital, midwife and doctor. Doctors see antenatal patients in their regular surgeries. The midwife's routine clinics are held on Tuesday mornings

Jane qualified as a nurse in 1986 and worked on medicine, surgery, vascular, haematology and ear, nose and throat departments at Leicester Royal Infirmary.  She obtained her nursing studies degree in 1992 and her health visiting degree in 1996.  Since then she has worked as a health visitor at Keyworth and has also undertaken the practice teacher course.  Jane is a mentor and facilitator to HV degree students during their 10 months degree course.  Finally Jane is also a registered nurse prescriber.   

On Wednesday afternoons there is a post-natal group for new mothers and their babies.  Invitations are sent to all new mothers by the health visitor inviting them to attend a 5-7 week post-natal group.  Subjects include, play, weaning, sleep management, safety, baby massage, minor ailments in babies etc. 

Nicky Such and Jane Dingley do antenatal classes on Wednesday afternoons.

The health visitors can be phoned on weekdays for advice on (0115) 8837000 If they are unavailable a message will be taken (until 4-30pm) and they will phone back when they return to the office.
Parents can also ring NHS direct for advice on 08454647

This service is provided by Nottingham Community Trust. Referral to a chiropodist has to be done through your doctor in the first instance, but if you are under treatment you can arrange your next appointment with the Keyworth Primary Care Centre Manager. She is at the ground floor reception in the Primary Care Centre. Alternatively you can ring the clerk  for an appointment on 8837000 .

 If you are prescribed regular medicines, your Doctor may sanction a repeat facility. This enables you to obtain further prescriptions by handing the prescription counterfoil in at our dispensary in main reception , or by posting it to us, or by telephoning 9373141 between 2.00 pm and 4.00 pm. Requests can be posted in the outside mailbox, or in the red box on the ground floor

Please read the counterfoil instructions if you are handing or posting it in.  Each item you require must be marked with a tick in the box next to the drug.  If nothing is marked we assume nothing is required. If you are on regular medication that is not listed on the counterfoil, you must discuss this with your doctor. A phone call may suffice.

Please allow at least TWO working days for the processing of your prescription request, after which, it can be collected from 3pm, or it will be posted back to you if you enclose a stamped, addressed envelope. If you request, all your prescriptions can be delivered to the Co-op chemist in Keyworth or Keyworth Pharmacy. You can also hand the counterfoil in at either local Pharmacy, but it will take THREE working days. 

We think the best way is to send your request to the chemist and collect the medication from there 3 working days later, (You will have to sign a form at the Pharmacy to get started) or to use the email system.

The above does not apply to patients who live outside Keyworth. Such patients usually made arrangements for the Keyworth Medical Practice to dispense their medication when they registered.

Ordering repeat prescriptions on line

Repeat prescriptions can be ordered on line through our website using the secure SystmOnline facility. You first need to obtain a username and password from reception. You can also make appointments and change registration details such as your address or phone number using SystmOnline. An easy to follow instruction leaflet is available at reception.

Dispensing

Those patients living in the villages outside Keyworth can choose, when they register, to have their prescriptions dispensed at the Medical Practice. The dispensary is open daily from 8.30 am to 1.00 pm and 2pm to 6-30pm Monday to Friday. We can also dispense for any patient who is registered temporarily with us even if their address is in Keyworth.
Our dispensers are NVQ qualified and the practice participates in the PCT Dispensing Service Quality Scheme

Generic prescribing policy

 Drugs have a trade name and a generic name. The trade name is a brand name and so there can be several trade names for a single drug if several manufacturers make it. Doctors are expected to prescribe drugs by their generic name because branded drugs like other branded products tend to be more expensive. We believe in this policy at Keyworth Medical Practice. But fortunately, unlike most branded and unbranded products, drugs have to meet a quality standard to ensure there is no difference in their effectiveness . Confusion can arise if you are used to getting your drug in a branded form and then find you are dispensed the product of a different manufacturer. THE DRUG DISPENSED will be exactly the same. Only the name will be different and maybe the physical appearance of the tablet or capsule. PLEASE REMEMBER that NHS doctors are expected to prescribe generically as this saves millions of pounds that can be spent on other things. AND that the pharmacist is obliged to dispense what is on the prescription. THEREFORE the responsibility is that of your doctor, not the pharmacist. If you have a problem with a generic product you must discuss it with your doctor. But we cannot change you to a branded product without a good medical reason, as it is part of NHS policy to reduce costs by generic prescribing.

Hearing Aid Services

A hearing aid repairs service is held every Monday from 2pm to 5pm. By appointment only. To make an appointment please ring 0115 9194488.

Cervical smears are taken in Practice Nurse Clinics . Smears are advised for all women aged 25 to 50 every three years, and then 5 yearly until 64. Women in this age group are automatically notified that they are due for a smear. This is because all women need a smear unless told otherwise by a doctor. Patients should ring Keyworth Medical Practice if they are registered and book an appointment as soon as they become aware they need a smear. The smear result is notified by post also. The result is either normal, abnormal or technically inadequate. If normal you will be told when the next one is due, and it is up to patients to ensure they arrange it when due. If the result is technically unsuitable you will have to return for another. (many smears are technically unsuitable because of the high standard required before a smear can be reported as normal). If the result is abnormal then another smear is requires after an interval of 3 to 12 months. An abnormal smear does not mean cancer. It means there are slight changes in the cells which might become cancerous. If repeated tests show the same abnormal changes these cells are removed by laser before they can become a problem. This is why the screening programme is so important and why it works so well to prevent deaths from cervical cancer. More information about the NHS Cancer Screening Programme is available at www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk 

Female nurses do the smear test. They will also give advice on contraception, ntra-uterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs), diaphragms (sometimes called caps) and pills etc . We encourage patients to consider long acting hormonal contraceptives such as the injection, intrauterine device and implants.

For contraceptive advice and prescriptions generally, all the doctors and nurses are able to do this during a normal surgery or nurse clinic. If you need just a routine check and pill prescription the best way is simply to book an appointment with a nurse. We normally issue a prescription for a 6 month supply at a time.

 This is run by a specially trained asthma/COPD nurses. We in principal follow the asthma/COPD management guidelines of the British Thoracic Society. There are approximately 300 patients under regular supervision. we advise on the proper monitoring and management of asthma/COPD and how to get the best out of the prescribed  treatments.  We also makes sure inhalers are being used correctly and that peak flow meters for measuring wheeziness are provided and used to their best advantage. If treatment needs changing the nurses able to do this. Patients may be referred by a doctor to the asthma/COPD clinic or patients may request an appointment for the clinic without having seen a doctor first. Anyone who is on regular asthma/COPD medication needs a regular check at the clinic.  

This provides supervision, advice and monitoring of blood sugar levels, kidney function, cholesterol levels, diet and many other things for patients with diabetes who are not under hospital care.  This is usually non-insulin dependent diabetics.  The aim is to prevent complications of this condition.  New patients are booked into the clinic and thereafter sent for every 6 to 12 months or according to need. Currently there are approximately 400 patients receiving regular supervision at this clinic.

Free NHS Health Check for 40 to 74 year olds

This NHS wide initiative is intended to help people reduce their risks of getting these common diseases. The main risk factors are, being overweight, lack of exercise,smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. This programme is for people who are not already suffering from such problems. If you are, you will already have received the necessary checks, advice and supervision. Patients who who have not had this free check will be invited for it once every 5 years. The process of invitation has already started at Keyworth Medical Practice. If you feel you would benefit from such a check and do not wish to await an invitation, please contact reception. At this check, which will usually be done by one of our nurses or health care assistants, we will ask details of your family medical history and medication you take regularly. We will also record your height, weight, age, sex and ethnicity. We will take a blood pressure reading and take a sample of blood for cholesterol testing. We will discuss relevant risk factors with you and how you can reduce any risks. As a result of this check it may be necessary to do further tests, and it may be necessary to take treatments or medications as a result.

Website

We are putting more and more information and functionality into our website and we strongly recommend it for up to date information. www.keyworthmedicalpractice.co.uk