FAQ’s

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to order all of my medicines every time I order a repeat prescription?

No. there may be some items that you do not require every month eg painkillers that you take “when needed”. We advise that you only order medicines that you need, to prevent stock-piling and avoid medicine wastage, as this is hugely costly for the NHS

What do I do if I need a doctor and the surgery is closed?

There is always a doctor available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. You can either telephone your surgery to listen to the automated message, or you can telephone 111.

How long do I need to fast for before a “fasting” blood test?

We usually suggest 10 hours. A rule of thumb is to have nothing to eat or drink (except water) from midnight the night before a blood test (most people are not eating at this time of night anyway!), although we do encourage you to drink a glass of water before any blood test as it can make taking the sample easier.

How long will it take until my blood test results are available?

Routine blood tests take between 3-5 days, but some may take longer. Please telephone after 11am to request any results.

Why do surgeries run late?

Each GP appointment is 15 minutes long. However, some patients attend with very complex or multiple problems, some of which are deemed too serious to be postponed to another day. Additionally, if a patient needs admitting to hospital, this can also cause delays, as the GP liaises with the hospital, which usually involves waiting for several telephone calls, whilst monitoring the condition of the patient. Our nursing team also experience delays in their clinics for many reasons, sometimes GP’s ask for blood tests or ECG’s to be performed urgently, a patient could faint during a procedure, or the nurse may need to seek advice from a GP immediately, regarding a patients health or test result. Children or distressed patients may be seen earlier to avoid further distress.

Why can’t you tell me my 16year old’s/husband’s/wife’s/elderly parent’s test results?

All staff working in the NHS has a legal duty to keep your medical records confidential in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) 2018. Therefore, we are unable to disclose any medical information to a third party regarding a patient over the age of 16 without their prior permission. This may seem unfair to you as the person who arranges and drives them to all their appointments, but under no circumstances can we assume that consent to release medical information or test results has been given without written authorisation from the patient.