Swanley Medical Practice

Appointments

If you are booking an appointment for an on-going health problem please book the same GP that you have previously seen to ensure continuity of care.

We aim to see people within 48 hours when urgent. Our Advanced Nurse Specialist Team and Physician Associate Team have a large number of urgent appointments available in addition to the GP appointments.

Please complete an online eConsult to request an appointment.

The receptionists will try to ensure you see the appropriate person and in order to do this they may ask the nature of the problem. If the problem is of a sensitive nature and you do not want to tell the receptionist please let them know it is personal.

If your problem is urgent a doctor may telephone you first to assess the speed with which you need to be seen as there are a number of emergency slots reserved for 'on the day' use only.

It is also possible to book appointments with all doctors in advance. Please bear in mind that Mondays and Fridays are our busiest days. If your appointment is routine you can book up to a month in advance.

If you think your visit to the doctor will take more than 10 minutes please ask the receptionist to book you a double appointment.

Cancellations

If for any reason you cannot attend your appointment please cancel it as soon as possible so that we can offer the slot to another patient.

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:30 if you require a home visit and provide as much information as you can. The doctor may also telephone prior to visiting to ensure the appropriate course of action is taken.

Home visits are normally made between surgeries, please inform reception if you feel your problem cannot wait that long as you may need to go to hospital.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

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)

Chaperones

Certain investigations and treatments require a health professional to undertake intimate examinations of a patient. The role of a chaperone is to protect the interests of the patient and also the examining professional, maintaining a climate of trust and honesty.

Please ask at reception for our information leaflet.