Deans & Eliburn Medical Practice
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HOW DO I...
Register As A Patient?

If you live within the practice catchment area you can register with the practice. In the past you will have registered with a GP in a practice. As we are a non-limited partnership you will be registered with the practice, not with an individual GP. This does not prevent you seeing the GP of your choice when you visit the practice. To simplify the registration process (and cut down on form filling) it would be advisable to bring your yellow NHS Medical Card. The reception staff will explain the registration process if required.

HOW DO I...
Make An Appointment?

1.

'On the day' Booking
The practice has a majority of appointments available for booking on the day with a number of GPs available, Separate appointments must be made for each individual wishing to attend.

2.

Advance Booking
The practice has a limited number of appointments that can be booked up to two weeks in advance. These should be used when you need to book time off work, when a GP requests to see you non-urgently or gives you a review date. Also if you have a non-urgent requirement to see a GP. Separate appointments must be made for each individual wishing to attend.

3.

Telephone Booking
For the convenience of patients who work outside the Livingston area, and those with difficulty attending the practice or even patients with minor problems that can be dealt with over the phone, the practice has a daily telephone service where a doctor will phone you between 11.00am and 1.00pm. Phoning the surgery with your name and contact number before 11.00am enables you to access this service.

4.

Early Morning Appointments
The practice has introduced a daily early morning surgery which runs from 7.00 to 8.00am. Appointments for these surgeries are limited and must be pre-booked. Unfortunately these surgeries are not for named GP, therefore you will see whichever GP is available on that day. Failure to attend a pre-booked early morning surgery will result in the facility being withdrawn from that patient.

The practice will endeavour to give you a suitable appointment with the GP of your choice. This might not always be possible and if that is the case than an explanation will be given.

If you require an appointment please contact reception, not the secretarial staff as you will only be asked to call back. Remember: many problems can be dealt with without face-to-face contact. If you think it might be possible for your problem to be dealt with by phone, then please ask for a telephone appointment.

Booking In

It is important that you book in at reception when attending the surgery for any appointment. If you do not book in, the GP will not call you for your appointment.

The practice uses an automatic booking-in service to prevent a build-up of queues at the front desk.

Wasted Appointments

Each week a number of appointments are wasted due to patients not attending. Please do let us know if you cannot attend an appointment or have to cancel for any reason. This enables us to free that appointment for another patient who may need to see a doctor urgently. To cancel, please telephone: 0844 477 3144 and select option 2. This facility is for cancelling appointments only, not for rescheduling.

Emergency Appointments

In addition to the appointments mentioned earlier, the practice has a limited number of emergency appointments. These are for patients with an urgent medical requirement to see a GP. (They are not for repeat prescriptions or to issue sick lines.)

Your Co-operation Is Appreciated

If you have any comments to make about the appointment service, please ask to speak to the office manager, Karen McGregor, who will be happy to discuss them with you.

HOW DO I...
Obtain A Home Visit?

If you are too ill or frail to attend the surgery, please contact the surgery before 10.00am if possible. The receptionist will ask you for a few details to allow the doctor to assess the urgency of the case. Requests received after 10.00am for a home visit should be for emergencies only and each case will be decided on its merits. Non-urgent cases will have to wait until the next day. Remember, the doctor can see five patients in the surgery in the time it takes to do one house call. Also, the surgery is better equipped than the doctor's bag. In some cases the doctor will telephone before the visit to assess the urgency of the request. Home visits are only made at the doctor's discretion.

Emergencies

Telephone: 0844 477 3144 (select option 6) 24 hours.

Out Of Surgery Hours, Weekends And Holidays

All out-of-hours calls are now dealt with by NHS 24. They provide cover from:

6.00pm - 8.00am Monday to Friday
6.00pm Friday - 8.00am Monday
and certain public holidays.

Patients should contact NHS 24 for genuine emergencies only which cannot wait until the normal surgery hours by calling 08454 242424 or online at www.nhs24.com

HOW DO I...
Obtain Clinical Results?

Clinical results can be obtained without attending the practice. If you phone the practice on 0844 477 3144 (Select option 4) between 3.00 and 5.00pm Monday to Friday, the staff will advise you of either the result or the requirement for an appointment. If you are advised that you require an appointment, it does not necessarily mean that you are seriously ill, only that the doctor would like to discuss the result personally.