Noticeboard



We have taken steps to reduce risk of Coronavirus by reverting to telephone triage. This is to protect the most vulnerable of our patients as well as the staff.  When you ring us, our staff will ask you some questions to determine your condition.   Some of these questions may include if you have a temperature or a cough. These questions will help us to determine the best action to take but also helps protect our staff and other vulnerable patients.

Please DO NOT ATTEND THE SURGERY without a prior appointment.

When you do attend for either a GP or nurse appointment, we are also asking that once you have advised of your arrival you then return to your car and you will be called in.   We have closed our waiting room, again in an effort to control the virus.

We would also advise that for the present time we are no longer completing private reports, HGV medicals, life insurance forms etc., and would suggest that you may wish to attend a private clinic for these.

Reminder - we have online ordering for your repeat medicines which is our preferred way for you to order - please ask at reception for your first time unique log in so you can bypass the phone system.

When the Surgery is closed, please contact the GP Out of hours for the Southern Trust area which is 028 3839 9201. For our patients living in the South Eastern Trust Area your number is 028 9260 2204

Reminder to all patients: Please allow 72hrs (that's three full working days ) for repeat prescriptions to be issued.

We want to empower our patients to enable them to care for themselves and their loved ones for minor ailments. The Self Care forum website is designed for patients to access information on managing their symptoms themselves and advising when to seek medical help.

WEBSITE: http://www.selfcareforum.org/ or scroll down for some more information on specific ailments

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Here are links to some common ailments:

1 Sore throat how to treat your sore throat

2 Cough in adults how to manage your cough

3 Sinus infections how to manage a sinus infection yourself

4 Earache how to manage earache symptoms

5 Fever in children how to assess a child with a temperature

Appointment system

For the time being, due to the Coronavirus threat, we are presently operating a GP Phone Triage System. We are doing this in an effort to protect you, our patients. This continues to be monitored on a day to day basis.  

Our trained reception staff adhere to a strict confidentiality policy. If you feel that your problem is of an urgent nature please tell reception staff to help ensure safe and effective care and please give as much detail as you can to facilitate this including giving an up to date contact number.

We operate a modified appointments system based on need rather than convenience.

Ballyward surgery, like all GP surgeries in the UK, is under extreme pressure for appointments. Therefore we ask that you choose wisely according to need.

Consider if the nurse can help with your query, or you can leave a message with our trained reception staff to leave a message for the GP.

GPs are extremely busy people, looking after long term sick and palliative patients, writing referrals, doing child health clinics, actioning hospital letters, speaking to specialists ,checking blood results and writing and checking prescriptions. Not to mention House visits and Practice Meetings!

Lots of small things take up our time meaning we have less time for the things we really want to do - treating our patients. So we are asking for you to CHOOSE WISELY when contacting the GP and consider if you can initiate SELF CARE for your minor ailments so the GP can spend more time with the more vulnerable and really sick patients.

 

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. We always aim to give the best care to our patients and our appointments are a valuable resource which must be used responsibly.