DOCTORS

All general practitioners employed in the practice are members of a recognised medical defence organisation and registered on a primary care performers list (or equivalent).

All professionals working in the practice are covered by appropriate indemnity insurance.

PRACTICE STAFF

The doctors are assisted in their task of providing high quality medical care by 60 clinical and administrative staff. All staff employed on clinical duties maintain registration with their relevant professional body on the appropriate part(s) of its register. Descriptions of the varied roles of these professionals are shown below.

PRACTICE MANAGER

The practice manager, Mrs Gill Walsh, has overall responsibility for non-clinical matters and is here to ensure the smooth running of the practice. If you have a problem with the service you have received or any suggestions for improvements to the services we offer, please do not hesitate to contact her or our reception manager, Mrs Julie McVeigh.

PRACTICE NURSES

Our team of practice nurses is led by nurse manager Nancy Bell and, in addition to being willing to give advice, all are available by appointment from Monday to Friday. A full treatment room service is offered but not necessarily through all the hours that the surgery is open. Please check the treatment room opening times with reception.

The treatment room offers:

* Phlebotomy
* First aid to minor injuries.
* Dressing of wounds, suturing and removal of sutures.
* Immunisation (adult and separate baby immunisation clinic).
* Blood pressure checks.
* Hormone implants.
* Ear syringing.
* Routine injections (vitamins, hormones etc).
* ECG and other referrals from your doctor.
* Blood tests and other clinical tests (after seeing your doctor).
* General health advice.

Our nurses provide regular health promotion clinics, which include:

* Travel advice and vaccinations (including Yellow Fever).
* Asthma and COPD management advice.
* Diabetes management advice.
* Well-person routine health checks.
* Cervical cytology.
* Hypertension management advice.
* Cholesterol level tests.
* Alcohol consumption management.
* Diet and weight reduction.
* Hearing tests.
* Family planning.
* Coronary heart disease management.

RECEPTIONISTS

Our receptionists are here to help you obtain the best possible service from the practice. In order to do this, they sometimes need to judge the urgency of your request and may need to ask you a few questions.

Please rest assured that the rules of confidentiality apply equally to all practice staff. A brief explanation of your problem may enable them to suggest the right person for advice, or offer the most suitable appointment. Please help them to help you.

SECRETARIES (Tel: 0118 927 3415 / 927 3416 / 927 3417 between 8.00am - 5.00pm)

The secretaries act as personal assistants to the doctors.

Their duties include arranging hospital referral appointments and liaison between the hospital consultants and your doctor.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

We also employ a range of other staff who, despite not meeting patients directly, provide valuable support to the practice in maintaining a high standard of patient services. These staff include:

* Senior Admin Assistant Mrs Sandra Kingston (Tel: 0118 927 3400)
* Minor Surgery Unit Co-ordinator, Mrs Ann Williams (Tel: 0118 927 3420)
(Appointments and general enquiries for minor surgery only)
* Medical Records Auditor, Mrs Mary O’Hare

HEALTH VISITORS

A team of health visitors is based at the surgery. They are all qualified nurses who have taken further training to enable them to offer a specialised service promoting health and preventing ill health. Every family with children under five years registered with the practice has right of access to a health visitor.

They will visit you at home to talk in private, see you in clinics or at the surgery, advising on such issues as child care, local services, women’s health, family relationships, depression, healthy eating, your feelings towards a child, sexual questions, coping with pregnancy, adolescence, alcohol use/abuse, treating minor illnesses, coping with disability, bereavement support, stopping smoking, and much, much more.

They run regular Baby Health Advisory Clinics at Coronation Hall, Woodley each Thursday between 9.00am - 11.45am and for working parents only between 9.00 - 10.45am on the first Saturday of each month in the surgery. No appointment is necessary. The health visitors may be contacted on 0118 969 6093.

DISTRICT NURSES

A team of district nurses is based at the surgery and provides nursing care, support and advice to patients who are housebound. District nurses take referrals from GPs, hospitals, patients, carers and other agencies and can refer patients on to other agencies as necessary. The service is provided seven days a week from 8.30am - 4.00pm and the district nurses can be contacted on 0118 944 2803 Monday to Friday (answer-phone in use when nurses are not available). For evening and weekends and bank holidays contact WestCall on 0118 978 7811.

Our district nurses also provide the following service:

• Wound Clinic, weekly on Tuesday in our treatment room 12.30 - 4.00pm by appointment.

Appointments for this clinic are normally arranged by your district nurse following referral by a doctor or practice nurse.

MIDWIFE

A midwife is based at the surgery and, in conjunction with your doctor, provides antenatal care and postnatal visits. She and the health visitors hold “Preparation for Parenthood” classes.

Messages for the midwife may be passed through the secretaries' office on 0118 927 3415 / 927 3416 / 927 3417 between 8.00am - 5.00pm on weekdays.

Urgent midwifery advice may be obtained by telephoning the RBH maternity unit on 0118 987 7310.