Appointments

GP Appointments

• Routine telephone and Face to Face appointments: bookable in advance by contacting reception during opening hours, please state if your prefer a telephone or Face to Face GP appointment.
• On-the-day urgent telephone and Face to Face appointments: If you feel you need to speak to or see a clinician the same day, please call reception in the morning (from 8:30am). Receptionists will then book you in for an on the day telephone or Face to Face appointment with a clinician. If your condition becomes serious whilst awaiting a call back, you MUST dial 999.
• Hub Appointments: additional appointments are available via the Hub service at neighbouring GP Practices in Cuckfield, Haywards Heath and Hurstpierpoint. These appointments will not be with our doctors at Ouse Valley but may mean that you can be seen sooner than our next routine appointment here. If you are happy to travel a little further to be seen sooner then please mention this whilst calling reception for an appointment.

We adhere to a "One Appointment, One Problem" ethos. We strive to deal with each medical problem to the highest standard and there will not be sufficient time to address all issues if patients attend with more than one problem, leading to fellow patients experiencing delays.

Nurse Appointments

Our practice nurses provide appointments for; annual disease reviews (including diabetes, asthma, COPD), pill checks, smear procedures, vaccinations, injections, ECGs, spirometry etc. These can be booked by ringing reception during our working hours. 

Cancellations

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give it to someone else.

Appointments – Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book an appointment in advance?

Yes there are doctors' telephone appointments that are pre-bookable in advance.  All nurse appointments are pre-bookable.

Can I speak to the doctor of my choice?

We will endeavour to book you with the doctor of your choice if telephone appointments are available.

What time do I ring the surgery for on the day telephone appointment?

Ideally first thing between 08:30 and 10:30.

When do I ring for a general enquiry?

Please ring after 11:00.

Why does the receptionist need to ask what is wrong with me?

Our reception staff are important members of the practice team and it has been agreed that they should ask patients certain questions to help make sure you receive the most appropriate medical care, from the most appropriate health professional, at the most appropriate time.

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:30.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Before a home visit is confirmed usually the GP will call you back first .  Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls.

You can also be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby or if you are newly registered with a GP and have a child under five years.

You do not require a doctor's fit note for any illness lasting 7 days or less.

If you're sick and off work for more than seven days, your employer will probably ask for a fit note as proof of your illness. Fit notes are also known as a ‘Statement of fitness for work’ or a ‘Med3 form’. Doctors issue fit notes to record the advice they have given about their fitness for work. 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. They are also used to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

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

Training Practice

Ouse Valley Practice has been involved in GP Training for many years. Training benefits patients by bringing a fresh outlook, significantly increasing the number of daily appointments available, and often resulting in high levels of patient satisfaction. Patient safety is paramount at all times and our GP trainees are supervised closely and undergo regular assessments both internally at the practice (reviewing video consultations with patient consent, real case-based discussions, direct observation of procedural skills) at their local weekly teaching program and through the Royal College of General Practitioners at the now mandatory MRCGP (membership) examination.

As a practice we are assessed by the Regional Educational Deanery at regular intervals to ensure we maintain high educational standards.  The GP Trainers in the practice are Dr Janet Hardingham and Dr Katie Briggs who are revalidated every 3 years, as well as being peer reviewed by local GP trainers regularly.

GP Speciality Training Registrars are in specialist training before becoming a General Practitioner.  They will have had experience of a variety of hospital posts, and have been qualified as a doctor for at least two years before coming into general practice.They are fully supervised by their trainer and you can expect to receive the same quality of service you would from your own GP.

Further details on GP Speciality Training Registrars

The GP Training program is 3 years in duration, with the first 2 years (ST1 & 2) in Hospital posts (a combination of General Medicine, A+E, Paediatrics, Obs & Gynae and Psychiatry, amongst others) but also incorporating two 4 month GP placements. The final year (ST3) is spent entirely in General Practice. It is at this stage that our Training GPs complete the MRCGP examination to gain accreditation to practice independently as a GP.

Video Consultations
There may be times when the Training Doctor will be videoing consultations for their learning. This is a powerful tool in developing effective communication skills when viewed by their trainer alongside the Training doctor and remains completely confidential. We will always ask you to sign your permission beforehand and then again after the consultation. You will be given the choice to decline this offer, and your decision will be fully respected and will in no way affect the care you are given.