ACCESS TO YOUR GP

There is a national recruitment crisis of GPs. We are trying to manage our access by signposting patients to the most appropriate person so that GP appointments are for those who really need to see a GP.

Whilst we offer same day/next day service, we are asking our patients only to make an appointment if they really need to be consulted by a GP.  Some minor queries can be dealt with by contacting one of our receptionists who are always happy to sort out these minor queries without using up GP appointments.

Help us to maintain our access for those patients who need it.

Getting help for you and your family

We operate a same/next day telephone and when needed, a face to face consulting service, to make it easier and quicker for our patients to get help from the team at Trinity Medical Centre.

Please note we always aim to provide a same day appointment service but sometimes due to staff sickness, holiday or unexpected extra patient demand, we are not always able to meet this.

The surgery opens every day at 8:30am.  Please try to ring as early as possible for an appointment.

Your call will be taken by a healthcare navigator who has been trained by the GP to ask some simple questions first so that they can signpost you to the right person for your problem.  This may be a pharmacist as they are now trained to deal with minor problem.

There are just three steps

1. You phone the surgery 

All our GPs are qualified to help but if you want a particular GP please call on the day they are working and we will try to book you in but it may not always be possible and you may have to see a different GP.

2. The GP calls you back

The GP will aim to call you back as near to your appointment time as possible.  Please note sometimes surgeries can run late, therefore your telephone call may be delayed. You must remain by the telephone number you have given and the call may be from an unidentified number.

3. You may be offered an appointment to see one of our GPs following your telephone consultation, if needed

If you need to be seen, the GP will book you a face to face appointment, generally the same day but sometimes the following day.

Continuity of Care

We encourage patients to see the same GP for ongoing problems. 

Dr Pattekar

Dr Mannikar

Dr Chakraborty

Dr Rashmi

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult or chaperone from the surgery

If you need to cancel your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible, so that we can offer this to another patient.

Continuity of Care

We encourage patients to see the same GP for ongoing problems.  Please try to telephone for your appointment on the day the GP works. Ensure that you ring the surgery before 5pm on the day you wish to be seen

Dr Pattekar works

• 8 sessions per week

Dr Mannikar works

• 7 sessions per week

Dr Chakraborty works

•  7 sessions per week

Dr Rashmi works

•  6 sessions per week

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult or chaperone from the surgery

If you need to cancel your appointment, please let us know so that we offer this to another patient

Home Visits

Ideally, all patients should be seen in the surgery, where we have access to facilities. Should you need to see a doctor quickly and are able to come to the surgery, an urgent appointment will be arranged. However, should you be housebound or too ill to attend the surgery, a home visit may be requested by telephoning the surgery before 10:00.

The receptionist will need to ask your name, address and telephone number along with  brief details of the problem. The GP will then contact you to discuss your problem and you may be referred to the Acute Care Team.  Patients can contact the Acute Care Team direct on  07909975364  Please ask for a home visit only if it is really necessary. Lack of transport or looking after other children is not a valid reason.

Pharmacy First

for further information go direct to the website to find your nearest pharmacy  http://www.southtynesideccg.nhs.uk/thinkpharmacyfirst

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

Your employer can ask you to confirm that you've been ill.You can do this by filling in a form yourself when you return to work. This is called self-certification.

If you're sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will probably ask for proof of your illness. Most employers ask for a fit note from your GP.

However, this will also depend on your employer's company policy on sick leave (or sickness absence). This policy should tell you how many days you can be off sick before you need to provide proof of illness or a fit note.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced).