our Practice Leaflet

LEWISHAM MEDICAL CENTRE
308 Lee High Road
SE13 5PJ
Telephone - 0208 318 0190
Fax – 0208 318 1965
lewccg.g85023-general@nhs.net
www.lewishammedicalcentre.nhs.uk
Opening Times
Monday – Friday: 08.00 – 18.30
Thursday: 08.00 – 20.00
Saturday: 09.00 – 12.00
Out of hours emergency SELDOC
0208 693 9066
For health advice call NHS Choices on
111 (24 HOURS) www.nhs.uk
GP PARTNERS
PRACTICE NURSE
Dr. Sarah Hawxwell MBBS DCH DRCOG
DFFP MRCGP (F)
Ms Sian Thomas RGN
MANAGING PARTNER
HEALTH CARE ASSISTANTs
Mr Sunil Gupta FCA
Email: sunil@nhs.net
Ms Laura Geraghty Dipl in Nursing
Mr Gigin Paul BSc Nursing (India)
Salaried GPs
Dr Charlotte Bailey MBBS DFSRH nMRCGP
(F)
Dr Taj Singhrao BSC (hons) MB Bch MRCGP
DFSRH (F)
Dr Collette McAdam MRChB MRCGP (F)
Dr Catriona Brodie MRChB MRCGP (F)
Sessional GPs
Dr George Varughese MBBS
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New Registrations
Patients living in the catchment area & wishing to join the practice should apply at reception or register
on the website: http://www.lewishammedicalcentre.nhs.uk/.
If for any reasons we are unable to process your registration, you may contact the Practice Manager or
Lewisham health watch 02079987796. Details of other primary medical services in the area may also be
obtained through Lewisham health watch 02079987796.
Catchment Area
GP Preferences
Patients are given the choice to select which doctor they want to see (subject to availability) - please
inform reception at time of booking an appointment. Please bear in mind that not all doctors are present
on any given day.
GP Appointments
Appointment times are as follows:
Monday
08.30-12.00 - 15.30-18.00
Tuesday
08.30-12.00 - 15.30-18.00
Wednesday
08.30-12.00 - 15.30-18.00
Thursday
08.30-12.00 - 15.30-20.00
Friday
08.30-12.00 - 15.30-18.00
Saturday
09.00-12.00
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Consultations By Appointment Only
We are aiming to ensure that routine appointments are offered between 2 - 5 working days. If your
condition is urgent, please inform the reception staff. Patients seen urgently cannot be
guaranteed their choice of time or doctor. An urgent condition is one that cannot be reasonably expected
to wait until the next routine appointment. Please: Only one patient per appointment.
If you are unable to attend your appointment, please cancel by calling our dedicated cancellation line:
0208 318 7090. Repeated failure to attend appointments may result in removal from the practice list.
Even if you haven’t been to the surgery for over 3 years, you will be offered an appointment as usual
irrespective of your age.
Reception
The receptionists are available during opening hours 8am - 6.30 pm weekdays, till 8.00 PM on Thursday
and 9.00 – 12.30 pm Saturdays (phone lines are OFF on Saturdays and Thursday evenings after 6.30).
The role of our receptionists includes booking appointments, answering the telephone, checking in
patients, assisting the doctor/nurses with general administrative queries, and dealing with any queries
with patients. You also can contact Reception desk via email: lewccg.g85023-general@nhs.net
Home Visits
You may request a home visit if, in the opinion of the Doctor, your illness prevents you from travelling to
the surgery.
As home visits take considerably longer than surgery appointments, we ask you to come to the surgery
if you are mobile, allowing us to reserve visits for genuinely housebound and seriously ill patients.
Please call us as early in the daytime as possible.
Out of Hours
NHS 111 are available for medical advice www.nhs.uk (Tel: 111). The practice is a member of SELDOC
which is an out of hour co-operative of local GPs. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot
wait until the surgery re-opens, you should call
SELDOC to contact an out-of-hours doctor. SELDOC: 0208 693 9066.
Nearest Walk in Centre
Waldron Health Centre
Amersham Vale
London
SE14 6LD
Tel: 020 3049 2370
Opening time: 8.00 am – 8.00 pm every day including weekends.
Repeat Prescriptions
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Repeat Prescriptions can be ordered online at http://www.lewishammedicalcentre.nhs.uk/
Repeat prescriptions have to be authorised by your doctor.
Please allow us 48 working hours from receiving the request.
We are unable to accept requests over the phone. Written requests only. Prescriptions can be
returned if a stamped, addressed envelope is provided.
• If you require a prescription urgently, please let the receptionist know and we will do our best to
arrange this for you.
• From time to time with your prescription you may receive a request to see the doctor or the nurse.
This is because medicines require regular reviews to ensure their greatest benefit and safety.
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• Your prescription can be sent to your nominated pharmacy electronically (except controlled drugs). For
information on this service , please contact your pharmacist or surgery reception team
Test Results
• Blood results can take 1 to 14 days depending upon their nature, whilst x-ray and scan results can
take between 7 to 14 days to arrive after the test.
• You can obtain your results by calling the surgery after 11.30 am. If the result is abnormal you may be
advised to discuss it with your doctor.
• Receptionists are not authorised to provide explanations of test results to patients.
• The results of cervical smear tests will be sent to you in writing and are available in 2-3 weeks.
• Please note that for reasons of confidentiality we are unable to discuss any medical details with
anyone other than the patient concerned, unless we have express permission from the patient.
Community Nurses
NHS Lewisham’s team of district nurses are attached to the practice and look after housebound patients
and those who have recently been discharged from hospital. They can be contacted on 020 3049 3000.
You can also contact the surgery and leave a message at the reception desk.
We also have a team of Community Midwives attached to the Practice. Their session is held every
Wednesday morning. Please contact reception if you need more information.
Help and more information on local services can be found by contacting Lewisham CCG or
Lewisham Healthcare NHS trust
The Lewisham Healthcare NHS Trust
University Hospital Lewisham
Lewisham High Street
London
Greater London
SE13 6LH
Telephone: 020 8333 3000
NHS Lewisham
Cantilever House
Eltham Road
London SE12 8RN
Tel: 0207 206 3223
Telephone: 020 3049 3333
Useful Telephone Numbers
• South East London Doctors On Call (SELDOC): 0208 693 9066
• NHS DIRECT (www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk): 111
• Lewisham health watch: 02079987796
• University Hospital Lewisham: 0208 333 3000
Services (all clinics by appointments only)
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Post natal checks
Cervical smears
Sexual health
Contraception
Smoking cessation
Spirometry
Well person clinic
Diabetic/asthma reviews
Travel vaccines
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Antenatal clinic (Mondays)
Baby clinic
Dietetics service
Ear irrigation
Phlebotomy
For private letters / reports, please contact reception
It is important that your children are fully vaccinated. Please make an appointment for child
immunisations with Practice Nurse.
Access For The Disabled
There is disabled access into the health centre. All medical rooms are situated on the ground floor. If
any assistance is required please ask at reception and a member of staff will be happy to help.
Car Parking
There is pay and display parking in Manor Park, Old Road, Dacre Park and other adjoining streets.
Please do not obstruct the doctor’s parking bay.
Public Transport
Lewisham DLR and over-ground railway station is 15 minutes walk away. Bus number 321, 178 and 261
all stop near to the health centre.
Chaperones
During your appointment with a doctor or nurse, you are welcome to ask for a chaperone. This will
usually be one of the nursing team, however if a nurse is unavailable another staff member can
chaperone with your agreement
Change of Address / Telephone Number
In order to maintain accurate records we ask you to tell us of any change in your name, address,
telephone number, etc. We hope that you do not move too far away, as we would like to continue to
provide care for you. If you move outside the practice area, however, we will ask you to find another
practice.
Practice Policy Around Behaviour
It is our policy to be helpful and polite to all our patients, regardless of age, ethnic origin, disability,
gender or sexual orientation. We would expect the same courtesy from our patients. Discriminatory,
unsocial, threatening, violent, or abusive behaviour towards staff & other patients will not be tolerated.
The practice will take action in these circumstances. This may involve the police and/or result in the
removal of the patient from our practice list.
Access To Patient Information
Information will not be disclosed to third parties without your written consent unless there are
exceptional circumstances or the information is to be provided in an anonymous, encrypted or
aggregated form (e.g. for research or statistical analysis). Your information may be used by the practice
for management, audit and research purposes.
We may also have share information with the following main organisations for your benefit:
• Strategic health authorities
• NHS trusts (hospitals, CCG)
• Ambulance services
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The practice takes confidentiality very seriously and maintains strict controls over access to information.
This information is covered under the Data Protection Act. Please contact the practice manager if you
have any concerns over the management of your confidential information.
Freedom of Information Act 2000
The surgery has produced a publication in accordance with the FOI. If you have a request for any
information in line with the Act please contact the practice manager.
Complaints & Comments
We try to provide you with the best service possible, but realise that on occasion you may feel this has
not happened. If you have any problems relating to your care, these can be dealt by the practice
manager, Mr. Sunil Gupta (sunil@nhs.net), as quickly and fairly as possible. Your complaint will be
acknowledged within 3 working days. If you do not wish the practice to investigate your complaint you
may contact NHS England:
Complaints Department
NHS England
England.contactus@nhs.net
03003112233
If you have a comment or complaint about any other local health service please contact NHS Lewisham
Clinical Commissioning Group, via the South London Commissioning Support Unit
at SLCSU.complaints@nhs.net or telephone 0800 456 1517
There is a separate leaflet available for patients entitled “Making a Complaint”. Please ask at reception.
Equality and Diversity
Lewisham Medical centre is committed to eliminating discrimination and encouraging diversity amongst
our workforce, and in relation to our patients and service users.
We believe in fairness, equity and above all value diversity in all dealings, both as provider of health
services and employers of the people .
The Practice aims to provide accessible services, delivered in a way that respects the needs of each
individual and does not exclude anyone.
By demonstrating these beliefs the Practice ensures that it develops a healthcare workforce that is
diverse, non-discriminatory and appropriate to deliver high quality healthcare.
The practice and its staff will not discriminate on grounds of gender, marital status, race, ethnic origin,
colour, nationality, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion or age.
For more information on our Equality and diversity policy , please contact a member of staff
Patient Responsibilities
• Inform us when you move home or change your name, so that our records are correct and up to
date.
• Be on time for your appointments and check in with the receptionist.
• Let us know if you need to cancel your appointment (0208 318 7090).
• Make separate appointments for each member of the family that needs to be seen.
• Call for a home visit before 11.00 am. Only genuinely housebound patients please.
• Read the practice leaflets and other information we give you. They are there to help you use our
services. Please ask if you do not understand them, and we can then make them easier to read.
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Patient Participation Group
What is the patient participation group?
The ‘PPG’ is a group of patients who meet regularly with the practice management and clinical staff to
enhance the practice by representing the patients’ views of the services and by suggesting possible
improvements.
What does it involve?
PPG meetings are held at the surgery approximately every 12 weeks. The purpose of the meetings is to
discuss issues affecting your practice and the NHS as a whole, and also to help the surgery deliver the best
service it possibly can. If you cannot attend meetings, then you can ensure your views are heard by being
part of our “virtual” PPG group and using email.
What else does the PPG do?
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Help distribute patient survey forms to patients in the surgery (once a year).*
Help with organising patient health evenings.*
Occasionally attend locality PPG seminars.*
Assist in producing the surgery newsletter.*
*All the above are not obligatory but even the smallest input is of great value.
Who can become a member?
Anyone who is a patient registered at the practice can become member of the PPG. If you are interested, or
require further information, please contact the reception team on 0208 318 0190.
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