Appointments

Please telephone the surgery as soon as possible to make an appointment for the Doctor or Nurse. The same number is used for both branches; to contact Plumstead branch choose option 1 and Option 2 for Welling.  Our appointment system consists of Pre-bookable appointments, On the day appointments and telephone consultations. 

We also have the benefit of the new HUBS - The Hub appointments are bookable by our Reception Staff and 111 - The Hub appointments are Mon - Fri 4pm to 8pm which is beneficial for working people and weekends Sat & Sun 8am - 8pm.  The Hub is run by local GP's (including our GP's)

The Hubs are located at

Thamesmead, 4-5 Thames Reach, Thamesmead SE28 0NY. 

Eltham Community Hospital, 30 Passey Place, Eltham, SE9 5DQ

Remember: the receptionists are here to help you and cannot be held responsible for surgeries running late. If you cannot make your appointment, please ring the surgery as soon as possible to cancel, as we can then offer the appointment to another patient.

For Walk-in Clinics, no appointment necessary, patients seen on a first- come, first-serve basis, however there is a limit on the number of patients that can be seen during these sessions.

Our 'Walk In Clinics' on a Wed and Fri at our Plumstead Surgery and on a Fri at our Welling Surgery are subject to doctor availability and therefore cannot be guaranteed.

We suggest you telephone the surgery the day before to check availability of the 'Walk In Clinics' to avoid disappointment on the day.

Practice Nurse

We have a qualified nurse who holds surgeries for most ailments. She also runs a daily morning telephone advice service and regular chronic disease management sessions such as diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Make an appointment to see the nurse for the following:

Cervical smears, child and adult immunisations, Health promotion e.g.  weight reduction, asthma, diabetes , heart disease/stroke prevention, blood pressure checks, and Over 75 health checks.

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. Unexplained missed appointments are not tolerated and too many  DNA's could lead to removal from the list.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 11:00. If you call after 11:00 the doctor may not be able to visit you until the following day.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice, the doctor will always telephone patients prior to making a home visit. 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. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

You can also 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)