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 Information
Address:
The Villages Medical Centre
Send Barns Lane
Send
Woking, Surrey
GU23 7BP
Telephone: 01483 226330
Fax: 01483 225253
Opening Hours
Mondays to Fridays 8am to 6.30pm
Extended Hours
We offer GP appointments in extended hours on:
Mondays from 6.30pm to 8.15pm
Tuesdays from 7.30am
Fridays from 6.30pm to 8pm
Where to go for NHS care Outside Surgery Opening Times
If you need urgent health advice, it is really important to make the right choice about where to go.
NHS111
If you have an urgent medical problem which cannot wait until the Surgery re-opens, please dial 111 to access the NHS111 service. Calls to the NHS111 service from landlines and mobile phones are free of charge and the service is available 24 hours perday, 365 days per year to respond to people's healthcare needs.
Pharmacist
Many common illnesses can be treated at home. Ask your pharmacist for advice on the best medicines and treatments for minor ailments. To find your local pharmacy and its opening times (many are open late into the evening), see www.nhs.uk
GP Services
If you have a less urgent illness or injury you should make an appointment with your GP. Knowing that to do when your GP surgery is closed is particularly important. When the surgery is closed and you have an urgent medical problem that can’t wait until the surgery reopens, please call the GP “Out of Hours” services on 0300 130 1305. They will give you a call back and either give you advice or arrange to see you.
Walk-in Centre
If you have a minor injury, the nurse-led Walk-in Centre at Woking is open Monday to Friday 7am to 7.30pm and Saturday and Sunday 9am to 7pm. (Last patients are seen 30 minutes before the stated closing time). You don’t need an appointment. Their hours may vary over Bank Holiday periods, so telephone 01483 846209 to confirm. Please note they are not able to treat children under 2 years of age.
A&E
If you are seriously ill or badly injured, you should go straight to A&E or call 999. Please only use these services if you really need them as using A&E and ambulance services inappropriately may prevent them from helping critically ill patients who urgently need their help.
Norovis (Winter Vomiting Bug)
Norovirus is the most common cause of stomach upsets in England and Wales. The main symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Whilst these are unpleasant, they are not usually dangerous and normally last no more than a couple of days. Most people can manage their symptoms at home, however babies under one year old and the elderly are more at risk of dehydration.
How it spreads
Norovirus is high infectious, and commonly spreads through hand to hand contact, or by touching surfaces which have germs on them. That's why it is important to wash your hands regularly.
Treatment
Encourage plenty of fluids to replace those lost by vomiting and diarrhoea. This will help to prevent dehydration. In infants, it is important that breastfeeding and mild feeds continue. For older children and adults, water is best. Avoid fruit juices and sugary drinks like cola, as these can make diarrhoea worse.
Try to eat as normally as ppssible, Be guided by your appetite: plain foods like bread and rice are a good place to start. Soup is also good as it provides nutrition and fluid. For children and adults most at risk of dehydration, oral rehydration drinks (available from pharmacies) may be advised. Speak to your pharmacist for further advice.
Prevention
The best way to prevent the spread of norovirus is thorough hand washing after each visit to the lavatory. Use soap and warm water to kill any bugs and germs. Disinfect any surfaces that could be contaminated with the virus. These can include lavatories, bathroom surfaces and door handles. Don't share towels or flannels and con't prepare food for others.
Can I go to school or work if I have Norovirus?
Stay at home to avoid passing on the infection to others, and stay off school or work for 48 hours after the last episode of diarrhoea or vomiting. During this time you do not necessarily have to visit your GP and risk passing on the infection to vulnerable patients as at this stage, the GP will only advise the same treatment as above. If your symptoms last for more than a few days, make a telephone appointment with a GP for further advice. The GP will ask you to come to the Surgery if necessary. nec nec
Registering as a Patient
We have an open list and welcome requests for registration from patients who are living in the area or who have moved in the area. The Practice does not discrimate on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation or appearance, disability or medical condition.
To register, please bring along your medical card and two forms of identification, such as your Passport, driving licence or council tax bill. Do not worry if you have mislain your medical card as we can give you a simple form to complete. We will also ask you to complete a new patient questionnaire. We offer new patient checks to all new patients within 6 months of registration to cover height, weight and blood pressure. Please ask for an appointment with the Senior Healthcare Assistant.
Telephone
The phones are open from 8.00am to 6.30pm. We will endeavour to answer the telephone in a timely fashion, but in busy periods you may have to wait to get a line into the surgery. Please ring for your test results after 2pm.
Access to Medical Records
The practice is registered and complies with the Data Protection Act 1998. Any request for access to notes by a patient, representative or third party will be dealt with in accodrance with the Act. Please contact the Practice Manager for further information.
Care and Treatment
We will provide you with the most appropriate care and treatment, given by individuals who are suitably qualified. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. Please do ask questions if you are unsure about anything.
Carer's Register
A Carer is someone who looks after someone who is unable to manage by themselves due to illness, disability or frailty. We have a register of patients who are Carers or Cared For. If you provide or receive regular care for a relative, friend or neighbour, please let us know. We have an excellent Carers' Information Pack which you can pick up from the Surgery. We try to give Carers and Cared For patients as much flexibility in making appointments as possible. Useful websites are www.carersnet.org.uk and www.carers.org
We will be holding another Carers Awareness Event in mid-April 2013 where you can pop in to see Karen from Carers' Support Guildford for advice and help.
Surrey County Council launched Surrey Information Point in 2011 (website address: www.surreyinformationpoint.org.uk)
There is a section on the website dedicated to information and services specifically to support Carers, with useful up-to-date information on organisations and services that can offer support, as well as providing relevant website links and factsheets. Topics include money and finance, looking after your health and information around carers breaks, as a few examples. They also aim to help people to stay living independently in their own homes for longer.
Change of address
Please let the Receptionists know if you change telephone number, name or address. You may need to register with a Doctor in your new area if you move outside our Practice boundary.
Confidentiality
We respect your right to privacy and will keep all your health information confidential and secure. We need to maintain accurate, fair and up-to-date medical records about your health and treatment so that you can be given the best possible care.
Complaints Procedure
Had a good experience? NHS staff always value compliments. If you've had a good experience, or received a better service than expected, please tell us! Or, if something has gone wrong, we believe you should receive an apology. You deserve to know what happened, have your questions answered and know what's being done as a result.
We welcome comments and suggestions to improve our service and take complaints very seriously. If you have a complaint or concern about the treatment or service provided by the Practice, please contact the Practice Manager who will investigate the matter promptly. No-one will be discrimated against because they have made a complaint. We feel it it much more important that we hear when things haven't gone well and learn from it so please tell us.
The Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) can also talk you through what to do if you have a problem or think you might want to make a complaint. They will listen to what you have to say and will try to resolve any problems quickly. If they can't help you, they will be a friendly ear and they will point you in the right direction. You can contact PALS on 01372 201759.
Complaints can also be made to NHS Surrey:
The Complaints Manager
Guildford & Waverley Clinical Commissioning Group
Crossweys House
28-30 High Street
Guildford GU1 3EL
Telephone: 01483 243493
Consultations
You can request a consultation if you are aged 16-75 years and registered with the Practice but have not attended for a consultation in 3 years.
Confidentiality
Everyone working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep information about you condifential and our guiding princople is that we are holding your records in strict confidence. This includes being registered at the Practice or having visited the Surgery to see a GP or Nurse.
We will only ever pass on information about you if others involved in your case have a genuine need for it. We will not disclose your information to third parties without your permission unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as when the healor safety of others is at risk or where the law requires information to be passed on. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal obligation to keep it confidential.
If it is considered to be in the patient’s interest, we may disclosed information to other health care professionals, but this would not be done without GP permission.
Consent
Most procedures in the practice do not require your written consent. However, written consent is required for some procedures, for instance minor surgery and baby immunisation programme when you will be asked to give consent. More information about consent is available in the Surgery.
Data Protection Act
We need to hold personal information about you on our computer system and in paper records to help us to look after your health needs, and you doctor is responsible for their accuracy and safe-keeping. Please help to keep your record up-to-date by informating us any changes to your circumstances.
Doctors and staff in the practice have access to your medical records to enable them to do their jobs. From time to time information may be shared with others involved in your case if it is necessary. Anyone with access to your medical record is properly trained in confidentiality issues and is governed by both a legal and contractual duty to keep your details private.
All information about you is held securely and appropriate safeguards are in place to prevent accidental loss. In some circumstances we may be required by law to release your details to statutory or other offical bodies, for example if a court order is presented, or in the case of public health issues. In other circumstances you may be required to give written consent before information is released, for example for medical reports for insurance, solicitors, etc.
To ensure your privacy, we will not disclose information over the telephone or fax unless we are sure that we are talking to you. Information will not be disclosed to family, friends or spouses unless we have prior written consent, and we do not leave messages with others.
Disabled Patients
The Villages Medical Centre is well designed, with suitable access and facilities to accommodate disabled patients.
Domestic Violence
The term "domestic violence" or domestic abuse is used to describe any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between adults, who is/has been a family member or living at a family home. This may be psychological, physical (including throwing objects), sexual, emotional (includes verbal threats, controlling behaviour) or financial. Nowadays, abuse can also happen on mobile phones, on the internet and social networking sites.
Anyone can be a victim of domestic violence. Children, even pets, can be affected. People with mental illness are more likely to be victims of violence. It is not uncommon for victims of domestic abuse to take a long time to recognise what is happening. Even when they do, it can feel extremely difficult to take any action about it. Speaking to someone whom you can trust or professional help can help you in this process.
Contact telephone numbers:
Victim Support: Gives free and confidential help. 0845 30 30 900
Respect: UK membership association for domestic violence perpetrator programmes and associated support
services. Helpline for perpetrators. 0808 802 4040 (free from landlines and most mobiles)
Childline: Free, confidential helpline dedicated to children and young people. 0800 1111
NSPCC: Provides support and advice to adults who are concerned about the safety or welfare of child.
Helpline: 0808 800 5000
Samaritans: 24 hour service offering confidential emotional support to anyone who is in crisis.
Helpline: 08457 909090
Freedom of Information Act
The Villages Medical Centre conforms to the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. We have produced a publication scheme in accordance with the Act. A copy of the Act is available on the Freedom of Information website: www.foi.nhs.uk
Home Visits
Home visits are for patients who are too ill to come to the Surgery.
Patients with a rash or temperature may still come to the Surgery and may be seen more quickly this way. If you feel you may be infectious, please inform the receptionist who will arrange for you to wait in a separate room.
When possible, please make requests for home visits before 11am if possible, giving the patient’s name, address, telephone number and a summary of the medical problem.
Out of Hours
Out of hours cover is provided by Thamesdoc, a deputising service covering the Guildford and Waverley area, telephone number: Please note: the Thamesdoc number is now 0300 130 1305.
This new number means that you will only be charged at local tariff regardless of how you are contacting them, ie on your mobile.
Thamesdoc are on call from 6.30pm to 8am Monday to Friday and also cover weekends and Public Holidays. Thamesdoc provides telephone advice, surgeries and home visits for those who are too unwell to wait for the Surgery’s normal opening times.
If you need advice, you can also telephone NHS Direct, a nurse led service: 0845 4647.
Patient Participation Group (PPG)
The VMC has an established PPG who meet regularly to provide feedback from patients. Please nagivate to their dedicated page on this website for details.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities
We aim to treat all our patients courteously and efficiently at all times. We ask that our patients treat our staff in a similar way. It is the patient's responsibility to keep appointments, or cancel them, give us information about past illness and treatments and to keep us informed of any change of name, address or telephone number.
Repeat Prescriptions
Please request your repeat prescriptions in plenty of time. Repeat prescriptions can be ordered and collected without seeing a Doctor. All requests must be made in writing or by ticking the repeat re-order forms issued with the previous prescription. For reasons of safety, we cannot take requests for repeat prescriptions over the phone as it can lead to mistakes, but you are welcome to fax your request if it is more convenient. You can order your repeat prescriptions through this website, but you need to have come into the Practice to register that you would like to use this facility first.
Please allow up to 72 hours before calling for your prescription
You can indicate on the repeat prescription form if you would prefer to collect your prescription from either Boots Chemist in Send, or Lloyds Pharmacy in Ripley. If you would like us to post it to you, please enclose a stamped, addressed envelope.
Results
Patients are asked to telephone for their results after 2pm as the phone lines are very busy first thing in the morning. Please allow 5 working days for the result to come through.
Safeguarding Children
For urgent concerns telephone 999
During office hours 0300 200 1006
Outside office hours 01483 517898
Safeguarding Adults
For urgent concerns 999
During office hours 01483 517898
Surrey County Council Adult
Social Helpline 0300 200 1005
Send Help
Send Help is available to anyone, young or old, living in the Send area. They offer help with transport to the Surgery for medical appointments, filling in forms and collecting prescriptions. Please ring 01483 225255 beetween 10am and 12 noon on any weekday. Please try to give them as much notice as possible, but a minimum of 24 hours.
Surrey County Council
Surrey County Council launched Surrey Information Point (SIP)in 2011 in partnership with NHS Surrey and Social Information on Disability (SID) as a tool for providing universal information and advice to Surrey residents.
SIP is an online directory of information, which offers a universal, single point of access to a directory of services, activities and facilities to support adults in Surrey to live independently. Topics covered within the directory include benefit entitlement, help at home, health conditions, leisure information, transport, work and volunteering and many more.
There is also a section of the website dedicated to information and services specifically to support carers, with useful up-to-date information on organisations and services that can offer support, as well as providing relevant website links and factsheets. Topics include money and finance, looking after your health and information around carers breaks, as a few examples.
The website address is: www.surreyinformationpoint.org.uk
Ripley Good Neighbours
Ripley Good Neighbours is run by volunteers who aim to offer any support that a good neighbour might offer to cover help with transport to a local hospital or health centre, or help with collecting prescriptions, shopping or small DIY jobs. Contact them by telephoning 01483 210007 between 10am and 12 noon on any weekday. Please try and give them as much notice as possible, preferably 48 hours but a minimum of 24 hours. Help is free but if you can make a donation to cover transport costs it would be appreciated.
Teaching Practice
The Villages Medical Centre is a teaching practice. We sometimes have hospital doctors who have a four month placement with us to gain experience of General Practice, and we also sometimes have final year medical students from St George's Hospital. You may be offered an appointment to see one of these doctors. If you would prefer not to see them, please let our receptionist know.
Violent or abusive behaviour
We take very seriously any threatening, abusive or violent behaviour against any of our staff. If a patient is abusive or violent, they will receive a warning to stop the behaviour or risk being removed from our patient list.
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