Appointments

When you register with Arrival Practice, all our patients receive a Health Assessment with the Health Care Assistant or Practice Nurse. This is so we can take your height, weight, smoking status, health history, etc. 

Appointments can be made face to face or over the telephone. Some appointments are available through online access.

We offer a selection of early morning appointments upon request.  

Please ensure that when you are booking the appointment you can be here on time. We cannot run the surgery efficiently if patients run late for appointments and this may result with you not being seen. 

Cancellations

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

Patients not attending appointments are wasteful to the practice and the other patients. By cancelling an appointment that you don't need you make it available for a patient that is unwell and does need to be seen. 

Home Visits

You will be expected to come to the practice unless the doctor agrees to visit you at home. The GP will only do this if they feel you are too unwell to get to the practice.

If you feel you need a home visit please ring for an appointment in the usual way and ask to speak to the doctor or nurse.

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.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.

Evidence that you are sick

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. 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.

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