Frequently asked questions

We have tried to answer some of the most frequent questions we are asked by patients about organisational issues. We are happy to add further questions, so please let us know if there are other important issues you think we should cover on this page. Click on the question to jump to the answer.

Questions

You wish to register with the practice

You need an appointment

You need a home visit

You need medical advice and the surgery is closed

You have an enquiry and need to speak to a member of staff

You need a repeat prescription

You require emergency contraception

You are a carer

You are unhappy with your medication

You have a comment (either positive or negative) on our services

You are living in the area temporarily and you are not registered with a local doctor

A death occurs in the family

You are a patient from overseas

You need advice or help on how to stop smoking

You require an interpreter

You are awaiting a laboratory result

Health patient check

Answers

You wish to register with the practice

Please ask for an application form from reception. You will need to bring two documents confirming your name and address. You will also be asked to complete a data sheet, briefly outlining your medical history. You will then need to see a doctor or the nurse for a new patient check. Please bring a specimen of urine with you in a clean container for this appointment. It will also help us to register you if you can bring your old NHS card with you. Our list occasionally becomes full,  so we do not take on new patients all year around.

You need an appointment

Surgeries are run on an appointment system and you may consult any of the doctors who work in the practice. To maintain continuity of care, it is advisable to consult the same doctor wherever possible. Children under 14 years should be accompanied by an adult. If more than one member of your family wishes to be seen by the doctor, please make a separate appointment for each of them. Please remember to keep your appointment. If you cannot do so, please let us know as soon as possible. Failure to do so may prevent someone else from seeing a doctor. If you arrive over 10 minutes late for your appointment you may be asked to re-book.

You need a home visit

Wherever possible we will encourage you to come to the surgery, where we can offer more comprehensive care. If you do need a home visit, telephone 020-7411-6866 before 10 a.m.. Please be prepared to give some details about the reason for the home visit (this will enable your enquiry to be dealt with more efficiently). Please aim to telephone before 10.00 a.m.

You need medical advice and the surgery is closed

If you need urgent advice, a doctor is always "on call". You can also call NHS Direct on 0845-4647. The practice telephone operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When the surgery is closed, a recorded message will give the number of the emergency service (SELDOC). This is currently 020-8693-9066. This service offers telephone advice and where appropriate you may be required to attend the emergency medical centre in Dulwich. Genuinely urgent cases, which cannot wait until the morning, will be offered a home visit. 

You have an enquiry and need to speak to a member of staff

Please ring the surgery between 12 noon and 1.00 p.m. and 2.00 - 3.30 p.m. unless the enquiry is urgent.

You need a repeat prescription

Requests for repeat prescriptions should be made in writing (by letter or fax) or in person, but not by telephone. Please allow at least 24 hours' notice before collecting prescriptions or else enclose a stamped addressed envelope. We are also able to take repeat prescription requests by email. If you have recently joined the practice and require a repeat prescription for regular medication, please make an appointment to see the doctor so that they can be made aware of your needs and a medication review undertaken if necessary. It is important that we keep your medication under review. Please let us know if your medication is changed, for example by a hospital specialist, or if you suffer any side-effects from your medication. Many drugs also require you to have regular blood tests to monitor your progress, ensure that you are on the correct dose, and are not suffering any side-effects. If you are asked to have a blood test, help us to help you by ensuring that you have the blood test done.

You require emergency contraception

All requests for emergency contraception will be dealt with in strictest medical confidence including requests from those aged under 16 years. Family planning clinics are also available at the centre at, but you may also see the doctor or nurse on an emergency basis. You will be offered a choice of methods where this is possible. You may also attend casualty to be treated if you wish. The earlier you attend, the better the chance of successful treatment. You do not need an appointment to obtain emergency contraception and should attend the next available surgery.

You are a carer

Please make us aware if you are looking after someone who is ill or disabled, so that we can ensure that your needs are taken account of. A carers' support group runs at the centre - ask the district nurse for details.

You are unhappy with your medication

Please come to discuss the matter with your doctor before simply discarding any medicines.

You have a comment (either positive or negative) on our services

Comments can be made immediately to any member of the practice. If you wish, you may ask to speak to the practice manager who will try to make himself available as quickly as possible. You may also write to the practice manager and expect a written response. Should you wish to take the matter further, contact the Lambeth Primary Care Trust.

You are living in the area temporarily and you are not registered with a local doctor

The temporary resident system allows patients who are away from their usual address to see a doctor other than their normal doctor. This may include visiting family members who fall ill or people who are living temporarily in our practice area. We are happy to see temporary residents, who can make an appointment in the same way as our local patients.

A death occurs in the family

If a death occurs in the family, what you need to do depends on the circumstances of the death.

If the death occurred at home:

• Telephone the doctor, who will visit to confirm death has taken place.
• The doctor will issue a certificate of cause of death or tell you where and when it can be collected.
• Tell the doctor (if you can) whether the deceased is for cremation or burial.
• Contact the funeral director who will visit and take the deceased into his care.

When death occurs in hospital:

• Contact the funeral director as soon as you can to inform them that their services will be required.
• Telephone the hospital administrator or the hospital ward to arrange collection of the certificate of cause of death. This will be issued by one of the hospital doctors who looked after your relative.
• Tell the administrator (if you can) whether the deceased is for cremation or burial.

When death is sudden or a result of an accident:

• If at home, telephone the doctor who will confirm that death has taken place.
• The doctor will contact the coroner's office.
• A police officer will need to contact the funeral director. You will be asked if you have a preference for a particular funeral director; if not, the duty one will be called. Please remember the duty funeral director is acting for the coroner at this time, the final choice of funeral director is yours.
• Contact the funeral director of your choice as soon as you can for further advice. The deceased can not be buried or cremated until a death certificate has been issued either by the coroner or by the doctor (with the coroner's permission).

What to do next:

• Make an appointment to take the certificate of cause of death to the Registrar's Office at 361 Brixton Road, London SW9 7DA. Telephone: 0171-926-9420 or 9428, or for the area in which the death took place. Also, take the deceased's medical (NHS) card if available.
• The registrar will register the death and issue you with a certificate, benefits agency form, and a green form. After collecting the green form from the registrar, take it along to the funeral director or telephone for a home visit; they will take over complete responsibility for arranging the funeral.
• Following a death reported to the coroner, contact the funeral director as soon as possible - do not wait for a certificate to be issued. The coroner will arrange for the death certificate to be issued when his/her investigations are complete. 

You are a patient from overseas

We are happy to see patients from overseas. Patients who live in the one of the countries in the European Union may be eligible for free treatment on the NHS if they have the necessary documentation. Britain also has a reciprocal agreement with Australia to provide medical care. Patients from other parts of the world such as the USA and Canada are welcome to see us. We make a small charge for our services and will issue a receipt to enable you to claim back the costs from insurance companies. You will also have to pay for any drugs you are prescribed - but many drugs in the UK are substantially cheaper than in the USA.

You need advice or help on how to stop smoking

Please ask for an appointment in the nurse-run smoking cessation clinic if you need advice or help on how to stop smoking.

You require an interpreter

Please ask a receptionist to book an interpreter who speaks your language. Your appointment time may be limited by the availability of this service.

You are awaiting a laboratory result

You will normally be told when to phone the surgery for the results of blood and urine tests. Results which are normal will usually be given to you over the telephone by the receptionists, and we would ask you to phone between 12 noon and 1.00 p.m. and from 3.00 - 3.30 p.m. where possible. Depending on the result, you may be asked to make an appointment to see a doctor or you will be contacted by telephone or letter.

Health patient check

Health patient checks are done with the health care assistant not with doctors.