Your Medical Records

EVERYONE WORKING FOR THE NHS HAS A LEGAL DUTY TO KEEP INFORMATION ABOUT YOU CONFIDENTIAL.

We ask you for information so we can provide proper medical care and treatment. We keep this information together with details of your care because it may be needed if we see you again. We may also use this information for other reasons, for example to help us protect the health of the public in general and to see that the NHS runs efficiently.

This information helps the NHS plan for the future, to train its staff, pay its bills and account for its actions. Information may also be needed to help educate tomorrow's clinical staff and to carry out medical and other health research for the benefit of everyone.

In exceptional circumstances, the law requires us to pass on specific information, for example where withholding information may put someone's life at risk.

When you are caring for other people, we may need to share with them some information about you, so that we can work together for your benefit.

We only ever pass on information about you if people have a genuine need for it in your and everyone's interests. Whenever we can we will remove details which identify you. The Law strictly controls the sharing of some types of very sensitive personal information. Anyone who receives information from us is also under a legal duty to keep it confidential.

If you want to access your medical records, please contact the surgery.

If you would like a copy of your medical record, there will be a charge for our copying costs. Please contact the surgery for more details on this.

Test Results

To get the results of a medical test please ring our test results line in the afternoon.

We will only give the results to you – not to anyone else ringing on your behalf unless we have your prior consent.

Most test results take several days to come back, but this varies. When you have your test, you will be given an indication of how long it will be before we expect to get your results.

Cervical smear tests

If you have had a cervical smear test, the Health Authority will post your results directly to you. This normally takes around 6 weeks.

Prescriptions

This practice is now able to offer the Electronic Prescription Service. If you nominate a pharmacy, your GP will send all future prescriptions electronically to your preferred pharmacy automatically.

If you would like to take advantage of this service and haven’t yet completed a nomination form, you should ask your preferred pharmacy to set your nomination.

You can still request in person and this will not affect the way that you order your request prescriptions. You have the right to cancel or change your nominated pharmacy at any time.

Benefits for you

• If you get a repeat prescription, you will not have to spend your time going to your GP practice each time to pick up your paper prescription. Instead your GP will send it automatically to the place you choose, with less chance of it getting lost.
• Nearly all pharmacies will be connected to the service, so you will be able to get your medicines from any pharmacy you choose – whether it’s near home, work or the shops.
• You may not have to wait as long for your prescription items, as often there will be time to get your repeat prescription items ready before you arrive. If any of the medicines on your prescription are out of stock when the pharmacist receives your prescription, they can be ordered in ready for you.
• What happens if I do not wish to use the service?
• Nothing- you will continue to get paper prescriptions as you do now.

More information

A full list of pharmacies who are offering electronic prescriptions is listed on NHS Choices Website. You will see ‘Electronic Prescription Service Available here’ next to the name of the pharmacy listed. More information about the Electronic Prescription Service is available from your local pharmacy, at the GP surgery or on-line at www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/eps

Home visits are provided for patients that are housebound or too ill to attend the surgery. Please telephone the Practice before 10.00am to request one, and do give the receptionist as much information as possible to enable the doctor to allocate priority to visits.

Remember that a clinical examination is best carried out at the surgery.

How Do I... Obtain A Home Visit?

Vaccinations

Baby Vaccinations

Vaccinating your child is a way of protecting them against serious disease.

Once a child has been immunised their bodies can fight those diseases if they come into contact with them. Using the NHS website you can creat a personal immunisation chart for your child.

Teenage Vaccinations

Teenagers who have been vaccinated when they were children will be offered booster injections – usually at school – to top up their protection. For example, the Td/IPV booster covers tetanus (T), diphtheria (d) and polio (IPV – inactivated polio vaccine). They may also be offered other vaccines for TB, meningitis and cervical cancer (girls age 12-18).

Adult Vaccinations

During your lifetime you should have:

• A total of 5 tenatus vaccinations, Full course of polio vaccinations.

In addition, depending on your situation you may benefit from the following free vaccinations

• Flu vaccination, Pneumococcal vaccination, Hepatitis B vaccination

Opening Times

Monday 8.30am - 6.30pm  

Tuesday 8.30am - 7.30pm

Closed on the third Tuesday of every month for staff training

Wednesday 8.30am - 6.30pm  

Thursday 8.30am - 1pm  

Friday 8.30am - 6.30pm

Saturday Closed    

Sunday Closed

The surgery is closed on all recognised bank holidays

Please note some of our doctors are involved in teaching and may be seconded to the Primary Care Trust to advise on specialist areas, for example dermatology, prescribing, education and research.

Minor Injuries

Minor injuries are dealt with by our practise nurse and if necessary a GP.

If you sustain a minor injury such as bruising, small burns or cuts, sprains, foreign bodies in the eye etc and would like assistance please phone Reception or come into the surgery.

Use this area to search for your nearest Vitality GP Outlet.

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Welcome to St. James Medical Centre

St James Medical Centre provides ground floor services and disabled access including disabled parking. The medical centre has a large car park for patients' use whilst visiting the surgery.

To find out more, please drop in and see us or phone for Information.

Disabled patients should find it very easy to access everything in our surgery and our helpful staff are always on hand to offer any assistance required.

At St. James Medical Centre you'll find:

• Disabled parking bays.
• Single level floor plan.
• Wide doors.
• Disabled Washroom facilities.
• Baby changing facilities.

How Do I… Contact The Practice?

You can contact the practice by telephone, post, fax or in person at any time during normal opening hours to book appointments or inform us of changes to your details. We do not accept repeat prescription requests via the telephone.

Phone lines open at 8.30am each day but can be very busy; we would therefore ask that for routine appointments and enquiries you call after 10.00am.

Out Of Hours

If you are suddenly taken ill outside the practice opening hours, please call the practice on 0345 245 0767 and you will be transferred to the out-of-hours provider:

Primecare: 0845 603 1761

Your details will be taken for a doctor or nurse to call you back to advise you.

Depending on the nature of the illness, you may be asked to attend a centre near to you, for treatment.

This number can be obtained by calling the practice number at any time outside opening hours.

Have a pen and paper ready and a message on the answering machine will give you instructions on how to contact a doctor.

Complaints Procedure

The partners and staff at St. James Medical Centre recognise that occasionally, everyone makes mistakes - this includes us. Although we always try to provide the kind of service our patients would like to receive, we appreciate that it is not always possible.

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the practitioners or any members of staff in this practice, please ask for a complaints form from reception and the operations manager will deal with this.

We will endeavour to resolve problems as soon as possible.

Zero Tolerance

The practice supports 'Zero Tolerance' and any patient behaving in an inappropriate, abusive, violent or intimidating way towards practice staff, community staff or other patients, will be removed from the practice list. This removal will be effective immediately where a member of staff or patient has felt threatened.

Notification of removal will be issued in writing except in cases where it is felt that by doing so the practice would be endangering itself.

Complaints form is HERE

Complaints Leaflet is HERE

3rd Party consent form is HERE

Clinics

Blood Tests (Phlebotomy) - by referral and appointment only.

Blood Pressure - by referral and appointment only.

Smear Tests - by appointment only.

Family Planning - by appointment only. For emergency contraception please request a rapid access or urgent appointment with a doctor (stating the requirement), or speak to the pharmacist. For out of hours, contact the Brook Advisory Service on 0121 643 4822. Please note we do not provide a pregnancy testing service.

Contraception - By Appointment on Tuesdays.

Childhood Immunisations - held each Thursday between 9.30 and 11.30pm by pre-arranged appointment only.

Asthma - by appointment only.

Community Health Worker (Counselling) - by referral and appointment only.

Diabetes - by appointment only.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) - by appointment only.

Anti-coagulant Clinic - by appointment only.

Minor Surgery - by referral and appointment only.

Travel Vaccinations - by appointment only. Please note: Vaccinations can take up to a month before they are effective - plan ahead!

Practice Area

We welcome new patients from the surrounding areas. If you live outside of our current boundaries, please ask our receptionists before registering.

We are currently recruiting patients to our Patient Representation Group.

If you would like to become a member of this vital group and help steer the surgery,please contact the surgery in person, or use the message window on our Contacts page.

The aim of our PRG group will be to improve communication between the Medical Centre and patients, to ensure the services on offer truly meet the needs of all patients.

You do not have to commit to any meetings. We only request that you are able to help drive the surgery forward and help us make changes for the better of all patients.

Our 2013 PRG report

Our 2012 PRG report

Notes form Previous PRG meetings:

25th February 2013

13th November 2013

PRG - Patient Representation Group

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How Do I.… Register With The Practice?

All patients applying to register with the practice must provide evidence of entitlement to NHS treatment.

Where a prospective patient is entitled to receive NHS care, a registration form must be completed.

You can download a GMS1 form                             OR you can complete online  HERE.

You will be asked to complete a short health questionnaire when you apply online or arrive at the surgery.

You are required to book a registration medical appointment either by telephoning the practice you are registered to or by attending the practice. On the day of your registration medical you will need to bring an early morning urine sample.

If you wish to be registered at a Vitality practice please provide the following :-

• Complete and sign the purple GMS1 application form

• Complete the medical questionnaire and the patient profile

• If female provide a copy of your latest cervical smear test

• If registering a child, we will need a copy of the vaccinations page of the child’s Red Book at your first visit.

• Copies of a UK passport or photo driving licence or valid NHS medical card

Additionally, if you are NOT a British citizen you must provide :-

• A copy of your valid national passport and evidence of your right to remain in the UK

• Proof that you have been in the UK for 6 months or over (utility bill addressed to you and older than 6 months) or that you have the right to remain.

• Proof of address (e.g. letter from Home Office addressed to you)

• Proof of full time work or full time education

If you are an ASYLUM SEEKER you must provide :-

• An HC2 form

• Your identity card provided by the Home Office

When you have completed ALL of the above please make an appointment for a Registration Medical. If you bring the originals of the above documents we will make the photocopies.

If any of the above has not been done you will NOT be allowed to register and any treatment can only be given as a private paying patient. If you CANNOT SPEAK ENGLISH please bring someone with you who can TRANSLATE.