Welcome to the Prince of Wales Group Practice

The Prince of Wales Group Practice

87-89 Prince of Wales Road London NW5 3NT

Tel: 0207 267 0067 (5 Lines) Fax: 0207 485 8211 www.princeofwalesgrouppractice.nhs.uk

SURGERY TIMES & APPOINTMENTS

Reception Opening Times are:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:45 am to 6:30 pm Friday 8:45 am to 6:00 pm

Lunch time closing Monday 1:00 - 2:00 Thursdays 1:00 - 2:30

Doctors’ Appointment Times

Morning Afternoon Evening Late evening* Monday 9:00 to 12:10 3:50 to 6:20 6:30 – 7:00 Tuesday 9:00 to 12:10 2:00 to 4:40 3:50 to 6:20 6:30 – 7:00 Wednesday 9:00 to 12:10 2:50 to 5:30 3:50 to 6:20 6:30 – 7:00 Thursday 9:00 to 12:10 2:50 to 5:30 3:50 to 6:20 6:30 – 7:00 Friday 9:00 to 12:10 2:50 to 6:00

*Late appointments are primarily for patients that work and cannot get time off work to see their GP during normal working hours. The practice will still close at 6:30 on Mondays-Thursdays and ONLY patients with an appointment to see a doctor between 6:30 – 7 O0 will be let in by our receptionist.

2 Our Staff

Dr Nigel Ashworth Dr Judith Sender MBBS DA DRCOG FPCert DC Derm MBChB DFFP DRCOG MRCGP MRCGP Registered: Birmingham 1999 Registered: London 1984 Dr Louise Pealing Dr Sarah Palmer MA Hons Cantab MBBS MSc MRCP MBBS DFFP MRCGP MRCGP Registered: London 1991 Registered: London 2003

Dr Ruairidh Taylor Dr Kingshuk Pal MBChB MRCGP DCH DRCOG DFFP BA Hons (Oxon) BM BCh MRCGP Registered: Edinburgh 1995 DRCOG Registered: Oxford 2003 Dr Richard Walthew MBBCh DRCOG DFFP MRCGP DGM Registered: Wales 1992 Practice Nurses Claire Holland Dr Tamalyn Postgate Registered Nurse ENB 1999 MA Hons Cantab MB BS DRCOG DFFP MRCGP Julie Singleton Registered: London 2000 Registered Nurse UKCC 1988

Dr Dominique Florin Rachael Fletcher MA MB BS MD MRCGP MFPHM Registered Nurse NMC 2002 Registered: London 1987 Health Care Assistant Dr Alison Buchanan Zuzanna Kwaitkowska MBBS BSc DA DRCOG MRCGP Registered: London 1983 Practice Manager Philip Thompson

Deputy Practice/Reception Manager Peppy Begueria

3 Welcome!

We aim to treat all our patients promptly, courteously and in complete confidence. This leaflet is for both existing patients and those considering registering with us. It tells you about our services, how to access them and some general information about how our practice operates

If you would like to register with us, please complete one of our registration forms that are available at reception. You will be registering with the practice rather than the individual GP.

Alternatively you can download our registration form from our website: www.princeofwalesgrouppractice.nhs.uk .

Before we can register you we will need to see proof of your address, your NHS number and details of your previous doctor. If you are new to the UK and have not previously been registered with the NHS we will also need details of your status as a resident here.

Making An Appointment When you are registered we will ask you to make an appointment for a New Patient Health Check to enable us to gather from you important information about your health and medical history. This will help us the first time you need to see a doctor.

Routine Appointments Routine appointments to see a doctor or nurse, normally several days in advance can be made by telephoning Reception on 020 7267 0067. Please try to ring after 10 am unless you need an appointment for that day. Appointments are booked with a specific doctor at intervals of 10 minutes. Every effort is made to keep to these times. However, we are sure you will understand that there will be occasions when the doctor you are seeing overruns. Please make a separate appointment if more than one member of the family is to be seen.

Same Day (Urgent) Appointments For consultations that cannot wait for a routine appointment, we will make every effort to give you an appointment on the same day. You will not necessarily see the doctor of your choice. If all the appointments for the day are gone by the time your try to book, the receptionist will ask you to give brief details of your problem and will pass the message to one of our doctors who will assess whether to see you as an emergency or if you need to book a subsequent routine appointment.

These appointments should not be used for repeat certificates, repeat prescriptions, referrals, long standing medical problems, or for anything non- medical such as the signing of passport application forms. 4 Text Reminders (Free of Charge) If you have a mobile phone please make sure you let reception have your number. We send a text message to remind you of your booked appointment. The facility allows you to cancel your appointment if you no longer need it.

Cancelling Appointments If you cannot keep your appointment for whatever reason, please ring to cancel it as this frees up the time for someone else. Continued failure to cancel your appointment may result in your removal from this practice. We lose between 15 -20 appointments every week because people fail to keep their appointments and do not inform us in advance.

Making An Appointment Online On our website, you can also book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and update your contact information (see details about our website in this leaflet).

Ask at reception for your pin and registration instructions then register your details online to start using this service.

Home Visits If you are housebound or too ill to get to the surgery please ask for a home visit. If you think you need a visit please telephone between 10:00 and 10:30 am. A doctor will assess your need for a home visit. Please do not ask for a home visit unless you really cannot get to the surgery. Our doctors typically see four patients in the practice in the time it takes them to do a single home visit.

Patients With Reduced Mobility All our doctors are based in consulting rooms on the first and second floor. If you are unable to climb stairs please let the receptionist know when you make your appointment so that you can be seen in our ground floor treatment room. The surgery has wheelchair access to the ground floor and has a disabled toilet.

Interpreters We are able to arrange interpreters for patients who do not speak English well or who rely on sign language. Please let the receptionist know if you need this service when you are making an appointment.

5 Out Of Hours (Evenings, weekends and public holidays),

If you need urgent medical attention that cannot wait until the surgery is next open, please contact the new NHS 111 Service in the first instance by dialling 1-1-1 (calls to this number are free from landlines and mobiles). Depending on the nature of the assistance you need they may refer you to our Out Of Hours service, HARMONI. Harmoni has doctors on call who will see you at their premises in camden and will do home visits if you need to be seen and cannot travel.

In an Emergency you still dial 999.

Please use this service out of hours rather than going to the Accident and Emergency at a hospital unless it is a genuine emergency

Telephone Advice If you think a doctor or nurse may be able to help you over the telephone rather than coming to the Surgery please leave your telephone number and brief details of the reason for your call with the receptionist and someone will call as soon as possible, depending on the urgency. If it is urgent please make this clear to the receptionist and you will be called the same day.

Repeat Prescriptions Repeat prescription forms are issued for prescribed drugs which you require on a regular basis. Please read the right side of the prescription for details of when reviews are due.

. Hand the Repeat Slip attached to your last prescription to the receptionist, put it in the Repeat Prescriptions box at Reception, or post it to us - with a stamped addressed envelope if you would like . You can also fax us a request. If you have lost your repeat slip please ask a receptionist to print you another one. . The best way to order your repeat medication is to complete the right hand side of the form, ticking the items that you require. If you require items that are not on your repeat list, or you are requesting items too soon, the request will need to be referred to the doctor. The doctor may wish to discuss your request by telephone and/or ask you to make an appointment to come in. Please allow for this possible delay in fulfilling your request. . You can also order repeat prescriptions via your pharmacy, and/or have the prescriptions collected for you by your pharmacy to save you coming to the Surgery. You can discuss the ordering service with your pharmacist and you can have prescriptions collected by your pharmacy if you let us know when you put in your repeat request.

6 . Repeat prescriptions will be ready for collection after 4pm 2 working days (48 hours) after you have made the request, so please plan ahead. . We do not accept requests for prescriptions over the telephone. . Online repeat requests can be made via our website – see the section in this leaflet about the website. . Hospital prescriptions: These must be taken to the hospital pharmacy to be dispensed. On the rare occasion that this is not possible, the request has to be referred to the doctor here which will cause a 48 hour delay.

OUR CLINICS

Baby Clinic/Child Health We have Baby Clinic every Tuesday afternoon between 1:30 – 3:30pm when you can see the Health Visitor without an appointment – you can just come into the Surgery at this time and wait to be seen.

You may also be able to see the Practice Nurse and/or a GP offering advice, immunisations, 6-8 week checks and post natal checks on the same day, depending on their availability. Otherwise the Health Visitor may advise you make an appointment to see them on another day.

Coronary Heart Disease By appointment Dr Taylor/Dr Palmer This is a dedicated clinic run once a month and appointments are booked by the doctor.

Diabetic By appointment

Asthma/Lung Disease(COPD) By appointment Nurse Julie Singleton/Rachael Fletcher/Claire Holland There are 2 dedicated clinics a month.

Family Planning Provided by all the doctors and nurses in the practice in surgery times. Women on the contraceptive pill need a 6 monthly check with the practice nurse. Women on HRT need an annual HRT check with the practice nurse Women need to remember to make an appointment for these checks before running out of medication. The nurse will issue repeat prescriptions once the checks have been completed.

7 Coil insertion and cap fitting by special appointment in the WELL WOMAN clinic

Well Woman Oral contraception, Coil fittings, Contraceptive implant fitting, Diaphragm fitting, Menopause problems, Screening for sexually transmitted infections. Appointments are made only after first speaking to the doctor. Dr Postgate/Dr Sender These are held on alternative Thursday mornings 9:00 – 12:00.

Alcohol Advisor An alcohol advisor attends the practice every Wednesday afternoon. If you are concerned about your drinking please discuss this with a doctor or our Health Care Assistant who can refer you. You can also refer yourself (please ask at reception for details).

Drug Counsellor We operate a shared care programme and we have counsellor who comes to the surgery from and organisation called Response every Friday morning

Family Therapy Please discuss with your GP if you would like to be referred for this.

Mental Health Worker Every Tuesday morning and Thursday afternoon. Please ask your GP for details.

CBT Counsellor Every Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Please ask your GP for details

Practice Nurses Our highly qualified nurses deal with a range of conditions and health concerns which include:

. Blood Pressure checks . Asthma & Diabetic checks . Contraceptive checks . Cervical smears . Blood Tests . Travel vaccinations . Children’s Immunisations . Dressings . Ear syringing . Stitch removal . Health Promotion . Smoking advice

8 Health Care Assistant

 New Patient Health Checks  Blood Tests for all the patients  Smoking cessation

Travel Vaccinations If you are planning a trip abroad and need travel vaccinations you need to book an appointment with the practice nurse 6-8 weeks before you are travelling, if possible.

It is too late to have travel vaccines less than 2 weeks before your holiday as the vaccines will not have taken effect.

We offer a limited number of appointments each week for travel vaccinations, so book early. If we do not have any available appointments before your holiday you can still go to a local travel clinic (see below), although this will cost more.

We are able to provide a number of vaccinations free on the NHS, but we have to charge for some of the more specialised travel vaccinations which are not funded by the NHS.

To make a travel appointment, please fill out the form that is available at reception or on our website with details of where and when you are travelling. The practice nurse will then decide which vaccines you will require. Our reception team will then contact you to let you know if you will have to pay for any of these vaccines. If you are happy to pay, the receptionist will book you in to see the nurse. If there is a charge please bring this money in cash on the day of your appointment and give it to the reception staff.

Cost Of Vaccines Typhoid free Yellow fever £50 Tetanus free Meningitis ACWY £45 Polio free Hepatitis B £35 Hepatitis A free Rabies £45 Diphtheria free (or £130 for a course of 3)

Anti-malarial medication is not free and is available from most pharmacies.

Vaccines for Tick Borne Encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis have to be referred to a specialist travel clinic.

If you do not bring any payments in cash on the day of your appointment we will not be able to give your vaccinations.

9 Local Travel Clinics

Royal Free Hospital British Airways Travel Clinic Pond Street 213 Piccadilly London NW3 London W1

Tel: 0207 830 2885 Tel: 0845 600 2236

District Nurses The Camden District and Community Nurse team provide nursing care at home mainly for the elderly and housebound.

Practice Staff The Practice Manager, Philip Thompson and Assistant Practice Manager, Peppy Begueria, will be able to help you with any administrative problems you may have with the way the practice runs.

We have a very helpful team of receptionists here to help you. They answer the phones, deal with enquiries and take repeat prescriptions. Their job is very demanding so please be patient

Our Practice Website. Our website can be a great way of getting information about the practice, Local services and also very useful for many things. You can book appointments online (see reception for your access pin and details), order repeat prescriptions and update your contact information.

Our website contains information regarding clinics and also forms you may normally come into the surgery to get such as Travel clinic forms, registration forms etc.

You will see all the Patient participation group information on the website including minutes/ details of the last meetings held and all of the practice newsletters.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Access To Medical Records

All our patient records are kept on computer. We can assure patients of complete confidentiality at all times. The Data Protection Act protects your rights by ensuring that no one has access to your records without your consent.

10 The following people may access your records in the course of providing your care: General Practitioners, Practice Nurses, Practice Staff, District Nurses, Health Visitors and other professionals involved in your care.

You have a right to see your medical records, subject to the limitations of the Data Protection Act 1998. Should you wish to see your records please write to the Practice Manager who will arrange a mutually convenient time for you to come in to the surgery to read them. The cost of this service is £10 plus an administration and photocopying fee which varies according to the size of your record.

Summary Care Records A Summary Care Record is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicine you have had. This information is made available to any healthcare staff who need to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed. If you wish you can opt out of making this information available.

“Chaperone” Policy If you need a physical examination your doctor will ask if you would like someone else to be present. This is quite routine and entirely optional.

Patient Comments and Complaints Comments on any aspect of the practice will be welcomed. There is a Suggestion Box in reception where you can leave your comments and suggestions.

We always try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel this has not happened. Information is available at reception which explains our in-house complaints procedure, drawn up to respond to patient grievances. Our practice is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. All complaints must be in writing and if you wish to make a complaint please ask a receptionist for the procedure and complaint form.

In the majority of cases, concerns can be resolved quite easily. If you prefer, you can phone or write to the Patient Support Service, Freepost RSSE-SHET- UJTL, NHS North Central London PALS & Complaints, 5th Floor Stephenson House 67-87 Hampstead Road London NW1 2PL. Tel: 020 3317 3003; Email: [email protected] ; or Fax : 020 7813 8739

If you are not satisfied with the way we have dealt with your complaint, you can also contact the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, Millbank Tower, Millbank London SW1P 4QP. Tel: 0345 015 4033; Email: [email protected] ; or Fax: 0300 061 4000

11 Sick Notes Please note that your GP will not issue an NHS sickness certificate for periods of less than 7 days. Your employer may provide their own self certificate form, please check with them.

Test Results Your doctor or nurse may arrange for you have some tests, eg blood tests. We will contact you when we receive the results if any further action is needed. If you want to ask about the results please ring only between 2.30 and 3.30 and select the option for Results on our telephone system.

HEALTH PROMOTION

We encourage all our patients to share the responsibility for their health, both in preventing disease and in treating existing diseases. A healthy lifestyle can prevent many serious diseases. Please feel free to ask for advice.

Selected individuals receive reminders for health checks and screening examinations. These include child immunisations, smear tests, mammograms and flu vaccinations. People with long term conditions such as diabetes receive reminders for tests on their blood, eyes and feet. Some procedures are carried out by the practice while others are arranged by Camden Primary Care Trust.

Confidential registers of people who need these procedures are maintained on computer and audited by Camden PCT. They are used to plan and deliver services and also send invitations and results to patients on behalf of general practitioners.

Alcohol One unit equals half a pint of beer, 1 measure of spirits or 1 glass of wine. The recommended upper limits (per week) are 21 units for men and 14 for women.

Blood Pressure High blood pressure can increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Reducing blood pressure can reduce these risks. All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years.

Sexual Health For advice on safer sex and free condoms please see any doctor or practice nurse. The emergency pill (morning after pill) can be taken up to 72 hours afterwards although you should try to contact the surgery as soon as possible.

12 Smoking Smoking is a major cause of cancer and heart disease and is the single largest preventable cause of ill health in this country. Practice nurse offers smoking cessation advise. If you would like advice and help to give up please ask.

Young People Adolescence is a time of great emotional and physical changes and can be a time of stress and family tensions. Any young person can consult any of the doctors in strict confidence about any personal, emotional or sexual problem.

MINOR AILMENTS

The Minor Ailments Scheme offers an alternative to a GP consultation for the treatment of many common minor ailments. To access this scheme you just need a ‘passport’ issued from the Surgery to take to your local pharmacy. Please ask a receptionist for this.

The scheme allows participating pharmacies to supply certain medications to patients referred from this surgery.

Conditions that can be treated under the scheme:

Athlete’s foot; Constipation; Cough; Cystitis; Diarrhoea; Dyspepsia/indigestion; Earache; Fever; Hay Fever/Allergic Rhinitis; Head lice; Insect bites and stings; Minor burns and lacerations; Mouth Ulcers; Sore throat; Sprains/Strains; Teething; Threadworm; Vaginal Candidiasis; Verruca; Viral URTI; Warts.

Self Help For Minor Ailments

When taking medicine always read the instructions and do not exceed the recommended dose. Head Lice Contrary to popular belief head lice Back Pain prefer clean hair and are therefore not Back pain will usually respond to a few a sign of poor personal hygiene. You days rest and paracetamol taken to can buy a medicated lotion from the relieve the pain and any inflammation. chemist without a prescription. If symptoms persist for more than a few Another effective treatment is to use a days consult your doctor. thick hair conditioner after hair washing, and comb it thoroughly through the hair with a nit comb – this will remove most of the eggs. Repeat after each hair washing until head is clear. 13 Coughs, Colds & Flu Antibiotics do not cure coughs, colds or Sore Throats flu, which are usually caused by a virus. Most sore throats are caused by a viral Treatment should consist of rest, plenty illness and do not require antibiotics. of liquids (but avoid alcohol) and They should settle within 3-4 days by paracetamol if you have a headache or gargling with soluble aspirin for adults are feverish. or paracetamol for children. If the sore throat persists, or is accompanied Diarrhoea and Vomiting in Adults by high fever or swelling of the tonsils, It is very important to keep drinking consult your doctor. enough fluids to avoid dehydration. Take frequent drinks of clear fluid. Do not prepare food for others. If Temperatures in Children symptoms persist for more than a few To bring down the temperature, cool days, or if you have recently returned the body by removing high clothing from abroad, consult your doctor. and sponge with luke warm water. Give the appropriate dose of Diarrhoea and Vomiting in Babies paracetamol and consult your doctor if and Young Children symptoms persist. It is important to avoid dehydration in babies. Give the baby frequent sips of clear fluids and stop all solids. As the diarrhoea settles gradually restart milk and solids. If the diarrhoea persists for more than 24 hours consult your doctor.

14 Useful Telephone Numbers

LOCAL CHEMISTS PRINCE OF WALES GROUP PRACTICE ROWLAND PHARMACY BOOTS 23 Malden Road, NW5 2UY 196 Kentish Town Road, NW5 2AE Tel: 020 7485 1251 Tel: 020 7485 4974 Monday – Friday 9.00 - 6.30 Monday - Friday 9.00 – 6.30 Saturday 9.00 - 5.30 Saturday 9.00 - 5.30

LATE NIGHT CHEMISTS: WARMAN-FREED 8 30 am -12 midnight 365 days per year 45 Golders Green Road, NW11 8EL BLISS 9.00 am - 10.00 pm Tel: 020 8455 4351 50 Willesden Lane, NW6 7SX Tel: 020 7624 8000

LOCAL CASUALTY DEPTS:

Royal Free Hospital: Tel: 020 7794 0500 University College London: Tel: 0845 155 5000 Whittington Hospital: Tel: 020 7272 3070

OTHER USEFUL NUMBERS: Community Health Council 020 7530 5255 Sexual Health & National Aids Helpline 0800 567123 Alcohol Advisory Service 0800 140 4824 Alcoholics Anonymous 020 7833 0022 Bereavement Counselling (Cruse) 0844 477 9400 Brandon Centre (Young people counselling) 020 7267 4792 (ages 12-25) British Pregnancy Advisory Service 0845 7304030 Camden Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and 020 8788 5720 (Daytime) Transgender Forum 0800 328 2509 (Harassment Hotline) Childline 0800 1111 Camden Citizens Advice Bureau 0300 330 0646 Emergency Dentist - UCH (Sat/Sun morning) 020 7380 9857 Gospel Oak Family Planning Centre 020 3317 3800 London Marriage Guidance 020 7637 5363 Margaret Pyke Family Planning Centre 020 3317 3737 Mind in Camden 020 7911 0822 Narcotics Anonymous (Drug Addiction) 020 7730 0009 Rape Crisis Centre (Counselling) 020 8572 0100 Samaritans 0845 7909090 Saneline - (help coping with mental illness) 0845 7678000 Shelter - (for housing emergencies) 0808 8004444 Victim Support Line (Violence) 15 0845 303 0900 FEES FOR NON-NHS SERVICES

price £ CERTIFICATES AND FORMS Private sick note 15.00 Passport form/photograph 20.00 Driving licence photograph 20.00 Freedom from infection certificate 15.00 Provident Association claim form (eg BUPA/PPP) 20.00 School fees insurance claim form 30.00 Sickness/accident insurance benefit claim form 20.00

MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS AND REPORTS Fee for medical consultation - private patient - according to time taken 120.00 (1/2 Hour) Pre-employment medicals, LGV, PCV, taxi driver, elderly driver fitness 80.00 certificate, fitness for sports, fitness to attend school. Seat belt exemption.

Medical Report, no examination (eg for insurance), subject to time taken 120.00 but based on (1/2 Hour)our)

ACCESS TO RECORDS UNDER DATA PROTECTION ACT Computerised records (+ photocopies10p per sheet) 10.00 Manual records or combination of manual/computer 10.00 Records (+ photocopies 10p per sheet)

TRAVEL ABROAD Private prescription for drugs required solely for purpose of travel abroad 10.00

Vaccination certificate 10.00 Holiday cancellation certificate 20.00 Fitness to travel certificate 20.00

OTHER FORMS Eg Occupational health, depending on length of form 25 - 50.00

VACCINATIONS Yellow fever 50.00 Meningitis ACWY 45.00 Meningitis Menveo (Under 5s: £45) 60.00 Hepatitis B 35.00 Rabies: each dose 45.00 course of 3 130.00

16 Rights and Responsibilities

Respect for Privacy, Dignity and Religious and Cultural Beliefs

 You will be treated politely by our staff at all times  We respect your privacy during consultations and treatment  All information about you is treated as confidential  We respect your religious and cultural beliefs  We will always seek your permission in involving you with research and/or medical students  We will show no discrimination to our patients on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion, sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition and will treat everyone as an individual

Staying Healthy

 We will endeavour to help you to achieve the best state of health possible  We will offer advice and seek to inform you of the steps you can take to promote good health and to avoid illness  We will offer appropriate services to promote health, such as Child Health Surveillance and Adult Health Checks Your Treatment  We will involve you as much as possible in the making of decisions around your treatment. You should be given a clear explanation of your illness and its treatment, alternative treatments and the likely outcome  We will provide co-ordinated and appropriate care for people with chronic illness Information about the Surgery  We will keep you informed of our services and any developments through our practice booklet, notice boards in the waiting room and verbally

How you can help us

 Please treat all surgery staff with courtesy at all times; they are often working in very busy stressful situations  Do not ask for information about anyone other than yourself  Do ask if there is anything you don’t understand

Patients’ rights to General Medical Services:  Patients have the rights to:  be registered with a practice  choose their usual doctor  be offered a health check on joining the practice  receive emergency care at any time from the practice  receive appropriate drugs and medicines  be referred for specialist or second opinion if they and the GP agrees  have the right to view their medical records, subject to the Acts and to know that those working for the NHS are under legal obligation to keep the contents confidential