Westgate Medical Practice
Charleston Drive,Dundee, DD2 4AD

Repeat prescriptions
Obtaining Test Results
Drug Problem Counselling
Pharmacy Adviser
Sources of Information
Disabled People
E-Mail
Suggestions and Complaints Box
Twinning/Health Centre in Malawi
Practice Boundary

We are Westgate Medical Practice, Westgate Health Centre, Charleston Drive, Dundee, DD2 4AD. We hold a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with Tayside NHS Board, Kings Cross Hospital, Clepington Rd, DUNDEE, DD3 8EA. Telephone 01382 818479. Details of this contract are available from the Practice Director, Mr S Riddell.

How to register with the practice

You will be asked to complete a registration form for each person registering with the practice. In addition, all patients will be asked to complete a health questionnaire and asked to attend for a health check with the Practice Nurse only if you are not taking any medication and with a GP and Practice Nurse if on medication.

Patient Right to Express Preference of Practitioner

Patients are registered with the Practice and not an individual GP. However, to ensure continuity of care, if you wish to be seen by a specific GP please inform the Reception staff of the GP and they will record this on your computer held record. However, not all the doctors in the practice provide all services and specific doctors may not be immediately available. The reception staff can advise you of the individual GP's special interests.

General Practice Registrar

The practice is involved in the training of new general practitioners. These doctors are referred to as Registrars, have completed their hospital training, spend one year in the practice, during which they participate in all aspects of our work.

Foundation Doctor

In line with our strong philosophy of medical education within the practice we are involved in supervising the Postgraduate education of Junior Doctors from Ninewells Hospital.

Periodically, a Foundation Doctor will work with us on a four-month attachment. The aim is to broaden their medical experience before they start specialty training - sometimes in General Practice.

They are fully qualified Doctors with over one years experience since graduation. As they are fairly new to the General Practice set up they will sometimes need to ask advice on cases from more experienced medical staff in the team. We would like to thank you in advance for your co-operation in helping train the GPs and Consultants of the future.

Use of video recorders

Recording consultation by video is an important part of training of General Practice Registrars. They are usually used within the practice between the partners and the GP Registrar for educational purposes. GP Registrars also produce video-taped consultations as part of their assessment as competent general practitioners.

Your full consent is required for such a recording to be made and likewise following such a consented consultation you will be invited once again to agree that it can be retained for teaching purposes.

Teaching/Training

Students

Medical students and Nursing students attend the practice from time to time. We hope that you will co-operate with us and help the students to learn about general practice. However, you will be informed of their presence in advance, and if you do not want them to be present at a consultation, your wishes will be respected. This will not affect your treatment in any way.

Opening and consulting hours

The practice is open from 8.00 am until 6.00pm Monday - Friday.

In addition to this the practice offers extended hours on a Monday evening from 1800 hours. This service is offered to patients whose work committments preclude them from attending during normal surgery hours. These appointments must be booked in advance.

Consulting hours

Routine appointments are available throughout each working day. Medical emergency consultations are available. You will be seen as soon as possible on that day. Please help the receptionists by telling them whether or not your problem is urgent. The surgery is open continuously from 8am-6pm.

If you have not been seen at the surgery for three years (or one year for those over 75) you can request a check up appointment with a Nurse or Doctor if you wish.

Routine consultations are booked by appointment via the receptionist. Appointments are normally at 10-minute intervals, and, where possible, should be arranged in advance with the doctor of your choice. If this is not possible you may be offered an appointment with any available doctor.

Please inform reception as soon as possible if you cannot keep your appointment so that we can offer it to someone else.

Home visits

Home visits are for patients who are unable to travel for medical reasons to be seen at the surgery. Home visits should be requested as soon after 8.00 a.m. if possible so the day may be planned efficiently. One of the nurses will contact you by telephone to assess priority. Our Practice Nurses are experienced in assessing requests for visits. This means that they will discuss with you any request for a visit to help identify the best way of managing your care.

Out of Hours

Between 6pm and 8am Mon-Fri, and 6pm Fri-8am Mon, and on Public Holidays or when training sessions have been organised, the surgery is closed. In order to obtain medical advice at these times, please call 08454 242424. A receptionist in the emergency call centre will answer your call. They will either:

1) Arrange for you to speak to a doctor or nurse
2) Invite you to attend the centre to be seen by the doctor.
3) Arrange a home visit if you are too ill to visit the centre.

Out of hours cover is now the responsibility of NHS Tayside Health Board.

Repeat prescriptions

Please ask at reception for a leaflet explaining how we deal with repeat prescription requests.

The Treatment Room is open from 8.00 am - 6.00pm Monday to Friday. An appointment system is operated. The service provided includes treatment of minor injuries, wound management, removal of stitches, ear syringing, cryotherapy (skin clinic), immunisation and foreign travel advice, Well person clinics 40 - 65 yrs, cervical screening, hypertension (high blood pressure) and management of chronic (long term) illness. We have many specialists practice nurses who are all part of our team, looking after patients with heart disease, diabetes, asthma and other long-term conditions. An appointment can be made with them directly via the reception staff. The reception staff may ask the nature of the appointment to ensure the correct amount of time is allocated for your appointment.

HEALTH CARE ASSISTANT (includes phlebotomy service)
One of our Health Care Assistants (HCA) is available from 08.30 am - 2.30 pm Monday -Friday. Their main roles are taking blood, performing ECGs, testing samples, doing routine blood pressure readings and giving basic lifestyle advice.

CLINICS LED BY OUR PRACTICE NURSES

ASTHMA -
Monday and Wednesday afternoons
Thursday morning
Specialist nurses are Sheilagh,Noranne and Ruth

DIABETES -
Tuesday and Thursdays
Specialist nurses are Sheilagh and Val.

WELL WOMAN
Mon, Wed, Fri am & Thur afternoon
Specialist nurses are Carol, Ruth, Noranne, Karen,

HEART DISEASE
Tuesdays and Thursdays
Specialist nurses are Val, Sheilagh and Karen

CRYOTHERAPY (wart clinic) -
Thur or Friday afternoon
Specialist nurses are Karen and Sheilagh

HYPERTENSION-
Mon, Wed, Fri am and Thur pm
(annual reviews only)
All nurses can do this.

TRAVEL
Mon and Friday afternoons
Specialist nurses Ruth, Carol, Karen.

COPD (Chronic lung disease)
Mon and Wed.
Specialist nurse is Doreen Briggs (part of a community team providing a service for general practice.)

If you cannot manage any of these times we will try and fit you in with the appropriately trained nurse whenever we can. Thank you for your assistance with this.

District Nurses - Telephone 647480
Our Nursing sisters are specially trained to work in the community with housebound patients. Their work covers all aspects of nursing care and provides invaluable support for patients and their carers, long term illness management and terminal care.

Health Visitors - Telephone 647477
The Health Visitors provide advice and support, particularly to expectant mothers, and families with children. They are closely involved with the child surveillance/screening services and childhood immunisations in the practice and other aspects of disease prevention and health promotion.

Health Visitor Clinics at Westgate Immunisations
Appointments for your child's routine imminsations are co-ordinated and sent to you directly from the Department of Child Health at Tayside Health Board. PLEASE NOTE THAT TO MINIMISE UPSET FOR YOUR CHILD AND TO ENSURE SAFE PRACTICE THESE APPOINTMENTS ARE FOR IMMUNISATIONS ONLY If you do not attend a further appointment willbe sent to you. If you are unable to attend for any reason, please let us know in advance. Missed appointments mean longer queues for everybody.

Well Baby Clinic
A member of the Health Visiting team is on hand every Wednesday from 2.00 pm - 4.00pm. Please phone for an appointment for these 10 minute slots which are available for child growth checks/minor queries/advice on health or development issues.

If your query is more complex or you would like more time to discuss something please phone and we weill arrange a separate appointment. If you feel your child is ill you should contact the GP.

Developmental Screenings
This clinic runs on a Thursday from 1.30 pm. Appointments will be sent to you. The clinics are run jointly by a member of the Health Visiting Team and Dr Lowe.

You will be treated with respect and as a partner in your care. Being a partner means you have responsibilities too. We will:
Ensure our patients have 24-hour access to medical advice.
Aim for you to have access to a suitably qualified medical professional within 48 hours of your initial contact during surgery hours, or in an urgent case, the same day.
Work in partnership with you to achieve the best medical care possible.
Involve you and listen to your opinions and views in all aspects of your medical care.
The prevention of disease, illness and injury is a primary concern. The medical staff will advise and inform you of the steps you can take to promote good health and a healthy lifestyle.
We would respectfully ask that you: Let us know if you intend to cancel an appointment or are running late.
Treat staff with courtesy and respect.
Inform the practice staff of any alterations in your circumstances, such as change of surname, address or telephone number. Please ensure that we have your correct telephone number, even if it's ex-directory.

Zero tolerance policy

This Practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive and aggressive comments, cursing and/or swearing, physical contact and aggressive gestures.
No abuse of staff is acceptable whether verbal or physical. All abuse will be reported to the Practice Director who will keep a log of all incidents.
All physical abuse of any of our staff by our patients is reported to the police. The patient will then be removed immediately from our list. If the Police are not informed, the health authority will inform the patients of the need to register with a new Doctor.

Removal of patients from our list

In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between the practice and the patient. If the breakdown is of such a serious nature, e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the team, or if the doctor feels that the doctor/patient relationship has been compromised, then steps may be taken to have the patient removed from the doctor’s list. Where possible, conciliation will always be the preferred route. You will be informed of the reason why you are being removed form the list.

All GP practices are contracted to provide "essential services", that is, basic treatment of ill people. We also provide the following "additional services":

Child health surveillance, together with the Health Visiting team.
Contraceptive services.
Maternity services in the antenatal and postnatal period, together with the midwives from Ninewells Hospital.
Routine immunisation of children, together with the Health Visiting team
Immunisation for adults in relation to travel. Not all travel immunisations are available on the NHS, please ask our practice nurse for details
Cervical smears
Freezing of warts and other small skin lesions

We also hold contracts with Tayside NHS Board to provide the following "enhanced services"

An annual flu immunisation programme to protect the elderly and at risk
Regular monitoring, by blood and urine tests, for patients on a range of drugs for arthritis and bowel problems
Annual comprehensive reviews for patients with heart disease
Annual comprehensive review for patients with diabetes; this includes appointments with the dietician and podiatrist.
A methadone substitution programme for patients with drug abuse problems.

Confidentiality

All members of the primary health care team in the course of their duties have access to your medical records. They all adhere to the highest standards of maintaining confidentiality. As our reception area is a little public, if you wish to discuss something of a confidential nature please mention it to one of the Receptionist who will make arrangements for you to have the necessary privacy.

Information sharing

The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services
To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent
When we have a legal duty to inform others e.g. in child protection cases

Anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care. If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Access to medical records.

Under the Access to Health Records Act (1998) patients are allowed to view their medical records. Copies of such records can also be requested, in writing, for which we make a charge. We hold patient information on computer and comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act.

Infrequently, the practice employs locum doctors. The qualifications of these doctors are fully scrutinised and the partners generally employ locums who have had an association with the Practice or are known to them.

In common with the majority of Dundee practices we are closed ten afternoons per year to participate in a protected learning programme for staff training and continuing professional development. The dates of closure are published in the newsletter and on notices. NHS 24 provides emergency cover when the building is closed.

A patient advisory group meets approximately three times a year. This group advises us on a wide range of topics relating to the organisation of the practice and services provided. If you would like more details, please speak to Mr S Riddell.

The practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. We will only release test results to the person to whom they relate until that person has given prior permission for the release of the results. If you have been asked to phone back for test results, please avoid our busy periods which are 8.00 am - 10.00 am. Where possible please try to phone after 2.00 pm for test results. Please also allow 3-4 days before telephoning for your results. If you are requested to hand in a sample can you please hand it in before 2.00pm.

Requests for appointments for are arranged after referral by your General Practitioner.

Kirsty Duncan

Pharmacist's role is to optimise the pharmaceutical care provided to the practice population. Also promote safe, rational and cost effective prescribing within the practice. Interests include epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and smoking cessation.

Leaflets and other written information about various illnesses and conditions are available on display and from the practice nurses. We have a wide range of leaflets produced by the Practice.

The consultation areas and certain facilities in West Gate Health Centre were designed with the welfare of disabled people in mind. There are no steps for wheelchair users to negotiate either inside or outside the building. However, if you require assistance please ask any of the staff. Patients requiring help accessing or exiting the building should inform Reception staff when making your appointment.

You can use e-mail to book appointments, request repeat prescriptions and ask clinical advice. To register to use this service please complete a registration form at reception'.

Prescription requests: westgateprescriptions.tayside@nhs.net
Appointment requests:westgate.tayside@nhs.net
Clinical advice requests:Tay-UHB.gp11171clinical@nhs.net

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. However, we're aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible. Simply contact the Practice Director to arrange to speak to him about your complaint. Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception. We are continually striving to improve our service. Any helpful suggestions would be much appreciated.

The practice has established a twinning arrangement with Zingwangwa Clinic, Blantyre in Malawi. We aim to provide direct and sustainable support. We are working with a respected local community leader known to us.

If you would like to find out more please ask at Reception.

A map showing the practice area is attached or can be viewed at the main reception.