Warning advice: Disclaimer
The following FAQs relate to common normal circumstances. During the current Coronavirus outbreak, some of these FAQ may not be applicable.
Can a GP visit my home to see me?
If you are too ill to attend the surgery and really need a home visit, please ring 0121 743 3003 before 11.00am. This helps in the planning of the visits and gives us a chance to ensure continuity of care. The on-call doctor may wish to talk to you and offer advice and, if the doctor feels a visit is necessary, they will authorise a home visit.
Visits are usually done between 1.00 and 4.00pm and we cannot guarantee which doctor will call.
How can I book an appointment?
You can book an appointment by using Online Services – please do not email or fax an appointment request. If you are unable to book online then call us on 0121 743 3003
Appointments can be booked 24 hours a day 7 days a week online or during surgery hours by telephone. To register for online appointments please fill out our online form or request access from the reception on your next visit.
How can I choose and book?
If you have been referred for a Choose and Book Appointment recently, you will need to book your own hospital appointment. You will have been sent the paperwork to do this within 2 weeks. Please contact the appointment centre details on section 2 on the enclosed paperwork and give details of both your reference number and password. You should then be able to arrange an appointment at your convenience at your chosen hospital.
Should you contact the e-referral service and there are no appointments available to book at your selected hospital, you will be put on that hospital waiting list for an appointment to be sent to you. It is the hospital’s responsibility to ensure you receive an appointment. Please be assured that you are on the hospital waiting list and will be sent an appointment in due course.
How can I track my e-referral (Choose and Book)?
If you have not heard from the hospital with an appointment, please contact the hospital directly quoting your reference number and password. Please see the direct telephone numbers for the hospitals as below as they manage their own waiting lists.
Birmingham Eye Hospital – 0121 507 6712
Birmingham Treatment Centre – 0121 507 4151
Birmingham Women’s Hospital – 0121 627 2786
Children’s Hospital – 0121 333 9700
Solihull/Heartlands – 0121 424 1234
Royal Orthopaedic Hospital – 0121 685 4186
Queen Elizabeth Hospital – 0121 371 7066
To track your e-Referral you will need the following details to log into the e-Referral website:
Your date of birth
Reference number – this will be on the first page of your letter
Password – this will be on the last page of your letter
Please make sure to update your mobile number.
How do I request a repeat prescription?
Requesting a repeat prescription is easy. Please sign up to GP online services and you’ll be able to use a website or app to order repeat prescriptions online. The service is free and available to everyone who is registered with a GP.
How much does my GP earn a year? (GP net earnings)
GP net earnings
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice. The average earning for GPs working at Garretts Green Lane Surgery in the last financial year was £67337 per year per GP.
How to provide feedback or complain?
Is your feedback positive or negative?
Positive Feedback: We really work hard to provide you with good quality healthcare services and we are human too. If you are happy with our services then please do tell us and tell others too.
Negative Feedback: If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let us know. We operate practice complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints. Our complaints system meets national criteria.
How to complain
The complaint should be made in writing addressed to the practice manager. This can be done either in a hand delivered letter or through our email generic email address which is nhsbsolccg.garrettsgreenlanesurgery@nhs.net
We will endeavour to acknowledge the complaint within 3-7 working days.
A response letter will be sent out pending investigations.
We aim to respond to a complaint within 28 days, but if this is not possible, we will update the complainant in our investigations.
If the complainant is dissatisfied with the response from the practice, they can contact the Local Government Ombudsman on 0300 061 0614, their address is 53-55 Butts Road, Coventry, CV1 3BH.
Alternatively, the complainant can contact an Independent Advocacy service such as:
Voice Ability on 03003031660, their website is www.voiceability.org
or they can contact birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk where they will find further details on how to complain.
Is my personal data safe? How do you process my personal data?
Garretts Green Lane Surgery takes the protection of our patient’s data and privacy very seriously. we have gone to great lengths to ensure we are fully compliant with GDPR legislation.
Read Our Privacy Policy
What is a list of useful numbers and links?
List of useful links and phone numbers
QE Main switch – 0121 371 2000
QE Appointments – 0121 371 7070
QE Imagining Appointments – 012 1 371 4695
ROH Switch Appointments – 0121 685 4000, 0121 685 4186
Children’s main Appointments – 0121 333 9999, 0121 333 9700
Women – 0121 427 1377
Social services – 0121 303 1234
Birmingham Carer Hub – 0333 006 9711
Mon, Tues, Thurs & Fri: 8.45am-5.15pm Weds: 8.45am-7pm
Yewcroft / Quinton Carers Group – The Kenrick Centre Mill Farm Road
Monthly 2nd Wednesday of each month – Harborne 0300 304 5530 or Michelle Long 07392 319482
Longbridge Carers Group – Longbridge Health & Community Centre, 10 Park Way 0300 304 5530 or Michelle Long 07392 319482 Health & Wellbeing Carers Group Monthly 2nd Thursday of each month – Michelle Long 07392, 319482
Creative Support – 88 Bristol Road South Northfield
alt. Wednesdays 2-3pm – 0121 476 4349 Birmingham.hob@creativesupport.org.uk
Looking Forward – Term time only
(Parent and Carer Support Group) – 17 Victoria Road Harborne
Fortnightly, Thursdays 10-11:30 – info@cpmids.org.uk
National Autistic Society, Monday Thursday 10-4 Friday 9-3 – 0808 800 4104
National Dementia & Alzheimer’s Helpline – 0300 222 11 22
Ring and Ride – 0330 053 8135
Autism West Midlands – 0121 450 7582 / 0303 03 00 111
Silverline—Helpline for older people – 0800 4 70 80 90
Age UK – 0800 055 6112
Age Concern – 0121 362 3650
info@ageconcernbirmingham.org.uk
Citizens Advice – 0344 411 1444
National Debtline – 08088084000
CRUSE Bereavement Care – 0808 808 1677
Citizens Advice Bureau – 03444 111 444
MIND – 0300 123 3393
Dementia Awareness – 0121 466 6000
Samaritans – 0121 666 6644
Birmingham Healthy Minds – 0121 301 2525
What are the opening hours?
Monday 09:00 am – 18:30 pm
Tuesday 09:00 am – 18:30 pm
Wednesday 09:00 am – 18:30 pm
Thursday 09:00 am – 13:00 pm
Friday 09:00 am – 18:30 pm
What is our policy on zero tolerance?
Violence Policy
The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.
What NHS services are available to a patient?
NHS Services
In addition to GP consultations the Practice offers a comprehensive range of healthcare services and specialist clinics:
Adult Immunisations – are your vaccinations up to date? If not, make an appointment to see one of our Practice Nurses to have your routine vaccinations. Adult Vaccines available on the NHS
Ante-natal Care – the Doctors work closely with the midwives to deliver your ante-natal care. Please arrange an appointment with your Doctor if you are pregnant.
Child Health Surveillance 6 – 8 week developmental review -Appointments for consultations will be sent from the practice. These are undertaken by the GP.
Childhood immunisations – Appointments for your child’s immunisations will be sent to you direct from the child health team. It is important that you attend for these appointments as the vaccinations need to be given at specific times in your child’s development (8, 12, and 16 weeks). If you are unable to attend please let us know so that we can re-arrange in a timely fashion. Childrens Vaccination Schedule
Contraception and Sexual Health – a full range of contraceptive services are available – this includes fitting coils as well as hormonal methods e.g. the pill, injections and implants. These services are also available to residents who are not registered with the Practice.
Chronic Disease Reviews – We have changed the way we invite our patients with chronic diseases, so that hopefully it will make it easier to know when you will be invited and reduce the number of times we ask you to attend. By chronic disease, we mean Diabetes, Asthma, COPD, Stroke monitoring and Heart Disease. Instead of asking you to see the nurse about separate conditions, we will invite you to attend for a nurse appointment each year in the month of your birth for a review of any of these conditions. So, if you suffer from 2 of these conditions, the nurse will review both conditions at the same appointment. You are welcome to book appointments if you have any concerns at any other time and the nurse will arrange any follow up you may need before your next routine review. We hope this will make your review appointment procedure simpler and more effective.
Holiday/ Routine Vaccinations – are your tetanus and polio vaccinations up to date? If not, make an appointment to see the Nurse to have a booster dose. Holiday vaccinations are just as important- ask for details at reception
Health Promotion – the Practice firmly believes that good health can be maintained by adopting a healthy lifestyle. Advice and encouragement are available for all our patient
Minor Surgery – these clinics are held on some Fridays by appointment. In these clinics minor lumps and bumps, skin tags, verrucas and warts may be removed. Please see your Doctor for further details.
Smoking Cessation – we have a comprehensive programme of help if you want to stop smoking. This involves initial support to set a quit date, prescription of medication to help you to stop smoking and follow up advice to help you keep well when not smoking. Please book an appointment with reception if you want help to quit.
Travel Vaccinations – if you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with one of our Practice Nurses at least two months before your planned travel. This allows time to plan and complete a course of any necessary injections and sign post you to other specialist clinics.
What Non-NHS services are available to a patient?
Non-NHS Services
The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions such as prescription charges. The NHS does not employ GPs but has a contract with them to provide NHS general medical services for their patients. Sometimes, however, GPs are asked to provides additional services, which fall outside their contract with the NHS, and in these circumstances, they are entitled to make a reasonable charge for providing them. It is up to the individual practice to decide how much to charge, although the BMA produces lists of suggested fees for the Doctors to use as a guideline.
When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, the doctor needs to check the patient’s entire medical record to ensure that they are providing accurate information. GPs will not be able to complete forms overnight, so please ensure that you give them reasonable notice. Not all documents need a signature by a doctor. For example, you could ask another person in a position of trust, who may be willing to sign a passport application free of charge. (Teacher, Accountant, etc).
If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask the receptionist if bringing them as a ‘job lot’ can reduce the price. You can also complete the form to the best of your ability in pencil, so the doctor just has to quickly verify your entries against the information held by the practice.
What is covered by the NHS and what is not?
Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:
Certain travel vaccinations
Private medical insurance reports
Holiday cancellation claim forms
Referral for private care forms
Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient
The fees charged are based on the British Medical Association (BMA) suggested scales and our reception staff will be happy to advise you about them along with appointment availability.
We aim to complete all reports within 2 weeks from the date of receipt. If the report does not form part of the NHS services a charge may apply. Where possible, we base our fees in line with the British Medical Associate (BMA) Guidance.
IMPORTANT: Contact reception about any requests you may have. Do not book an appointment with the Doctor to discuss a medical report or letter.
What should I do if I need to see a doctor urgently?
Please telephone us an explain you need to see a Doctor urgently – The receptionist will ask you for a brief description of the problem and will offer you a sameday appointment to see a Doctor. If you call after 11am, the Receptionist will pass on the nature of your problem to the Doctor, who will either request you come to the surgery or they will telephone you to discuss the problem.
What’s your Slavery statement?
Modern Slavery Statement
Our Health Partnership – Modern Slavery Statement
Section 54 of the UK Modern Slavery Act (2015) requires commercial organisations operating in the UK with an annual turnover in excess of £36m to produce a ‘slavery and human trafficking statement for each financial year of the organisation’.
Organisational Structure and Business
Our Health Partnership is one of the UK’s biggest GP partnerships. It brings together 52 surgeries in the Midlands and Shropshire. By using our shared expertise to tackle the challenges of GP practice today, we can keep local surgeries thriving and provide the excellent care that our patients need now and into the future.
Our approach to slavery and human trafficking
We are committed to tackling modern slavery within every part of our business and its supply chains. Our Anti-slavery statement, in combination with the establishment of effective policies, demonstrates our commitment to the issue of modern slavery and ensures that appropriate and coordinated action is taken throughout the business.
Due diligence
We have taken action to understand and address the risks of modern slavery within our operations, including:
• The development of robust processes around whistleblowing, grievance, disciplinary and bullying and harassment policies, to provide both staff and patients with assurance that modern slavery concerns will be raised and dealt with appropriately
• Staff training and increasing awareness of modern slavery, on how to spot signs and raise complaints within the organisation, and monitoring the delivery of this training to staff
• Putting in place Strict standards for conduct in the workplace, mirroring the NHS code of conduct, as referenced within our staff handbook and code of conduct policy
• Ensuring inappropriate employment practices are avoided by adhering to our Illegal Working Prevention, DBS, and Recruitment policies, to ensure identity checks, DBS, qualifications and references are in place
• Continued development of policies around safeguarding.
Will I be charged for Non-NHS services?
Fees for Non-NHS services from October 2020
Please note all private work must be paid in full in advance of any work being carried out
Currently, cash only payments are available
Doctor’s Report/Certificate/Form with No Exam
Private prescription – £20.00
GP Letter- this will be a statement of fact, not opinion – £20.00
PIP support letter (This is not required to see information leaflet
on the website, PIP will write to us if required). If the letter is
completed – the charge applicable to patient – £30.00
Sickness/accident benefit claim form – £50.00
Vaccinations
Rabies – £50
Hep B Single Vaccine Travel – £35
Men AWCY – £65
Meningitis B –(Bexsero) private pts not registered. Per dose – £110
Yellow Fever – £55
Re-issue of yellow fever certificate – £20
Occ Health Vaccinations
Hep B Occupational Heath Course
( Lab charge direct to employer / patient) – £120.50
Adoption / Fostering
Child Medical AME – £100
Adoption / Fostering assessment form – £80
Adoption / Fostering update report – £50
Fitness to travel – £30.00
Passport application **Please see gov.uk for guidance this
does not need to be GP – £50.00
Driving license – £40.00
HGV (30mins) – £100
TAXI (30 mins) – £100
Proforma report, or Extract from records, No examination
(20 mins) (insurance) – £80
Ofsted Report – £105
Detailed Written report, no examination – (30 mins) – £120
Comprehensive report and examination (45 mins) – £100
Holiday cancellation form – £50.00
Insurance claim form – £50.00
Insurance proposal forms –no exam – £104.00
Employment report – £125.00
Ofsted Health Report – £91.00
Firearms letter/report – £80.00
*While the above is a guide pricing if the time taken exceeds that predicted for the service there may be an increase in charge this will be communicated before work carried out.
Medical Examinations and Reports
Fee for medical consultation (private patient per hour) – £250.00
Detailed written report **with exam (30 minutes) – £125.00
Comprehensive exam and report (45 minutes) – £187.50
Other Requests
The cost of other requests not listed will be based on time:
One hour – £250.00
30 minutes – £125.00
15 minutes – £62.50
Other Charges
Patient access to their medical records:
Copy of full records**
Computer printout only**
**A data subject access request form will need to
be completed, signed & ID seen before we are able – £0.00
to complete these requests
Medical records copies for Solicitors**
**Charges will apply if repeat requests are made – £0.00
Lasting Power Of Attorney – £125.00
Boxing medicals – £50
Which items should not be routinely prescribed in primary care?
Earlier in the year NHS England and NHS Clinical Commissioners also published guidance on ‘Items which should not be routinely prescribed in primary care’ and subsequently the Birmingham and Solihull CCG policy was produced. Medicines included in the policy are:
Co-proxamol
Dosulepin
Glucosamine and chondroitin
Herbal treatments
Homeopathy
Immediate release fentanyl
Lidocaine plasters
Liothyronine
Lutein and antioxidants
Once daily Tadalafil
Omega-3 fatty acid compounds
Perindopril arginine
Prolonged release doxazosin
Rubifacients (excluding topical NSAIDs)
Targinact – Oxycodone and naloxone combination
Tramacet – paracetamol and tramadol combination
Trimipramine
Vaccines administered exclusively for the purposes of travel (see list in policy)
NHS England Guidance:https://www.england.nhs.uk/medicines/conditions-for-which-over-the-counter-items-should-not-routinely-be-prescribed/
Birmingham and Solihull CCG policy: https://nhs.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=fc496e37a02fff5979483df7e&id=50f4e99283&e=261acd4ccf
Will there be someone else during intimate examinations?
Chaperone Policy
It is the policy of this practice to respect the privacy, dignity, religious and cultural beliefs of our patients.
If you feel you would like a chaperone to be present during a physical examination by a doctor or any other health professional you may be consulting at the surgery (or if you prefer to be examined by a doctor or health professional of the same sex as yourself) please let us know and we will do our best to comply with your wishes.
