HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TELEPHONE ADVICE?

If you require a telephone consultation, please telephone the surgery and you will either be given a time to ring back or the doctor will ring you back when they are free. Please appreciate that it is not always possible to interrupt the doctor for non-urgent matters if they are seeing a patient. Please appreciate that it is not always possible to interrupt the doctor for non-urgent matters if he / she is seeing a patient.

HOW DO I...
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT?

All patients are seen by appointment. To arrange an appointment please telephone Deal 373444 or call in at the surgery between 8.30am and our closing time. Our telephone system has an automatic answering service with a list of extensions. You should press 1 on your telephone for appointments or hold to speak to the receptionist. We are developing a system to allow patients to make their appointments on-line. Please make a separate appointment for each person who wishes to see a doctor. If you require urgent medical attention, please let the receptionist know, so that a special arrangement can be made. If you are unable to keep your appointment please let us know as soon as possible.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN A HOME VISIT?

If you are TOO ILL or PHYSICALLY UNABLE to get to the surgery and need a home visit please phone between 8.30 - 10.00am (including weekends). If you are not sure whether you need a visit please discuss with the receptionist or doctor. Our receptionists are trained to ask for information regarding the visit in order to determine its urgency. Please appreciate that it is not always possible to interrupt the doctor for non-urgent matters. Visits are shared out between the doctors and it is not usually possible to specify a doctor for an acute visit. Please remember that a home visit is not your right and, as per government guidelines, the doctor decides when and where a patient should be seen after assessing the clinical condition of the patient. Most home visits are usually reserved for terminally ill, housebound or very sick patients. Should home visits be required out of hours, these are arranged by the out-of-hours service and are the responsibility of the local Primary Care Trust.

HOW DO I...
OBTAIN TEST RESULTS?

Tests And Investigations

Blood samples are usually taken by the phlebotomist at Deal Hospital, Monday to Friday. This service is run by appointment and you should telephone Deal Hospital between 9.00am and 5.00pm on 865400 for an appointment. Urine or any other samples for the laboratory can be left in the tray at the hospital before 2.30pm. Most x-rays and scans are done in Deal by appointment, but special x-rays and scans are usually performed at either Buckland Hospital, Dover, the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, or the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital, Margate. Routine ECGs are also done at Deal Hospital twice weekly by appointment if your doctor requests it.

Results

Please allow a week for most tests. Smears take about a month and you will be contacted with the result. The test result department is open at present between 2.00 - 4.30pm. The automatic choice list on the telephone includes an option for dialling this department direct. If you are uncertain about a test please ask the doctor or nurse when the test is requested, about the procedure and how to get the result.