Grovelands Medical Centre

Grovelands Medical Centre
701 Oxford Road, Reading RG30 1HG
Tel: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Practice Handbook

Welcome

Welcome to Grovelands Medical Centre – traditional general practice at its best. We aim to ensure that you find our services to be caring, helpful and efficient.

We opened at our current location in 1990, as a purpose-built medical centre, but the practice was established since the beginning of the NHS. We have a long history of providing family medicine, and place great emphasis on being ‘child-friendly’.
We are constantly innovating, so we remain at the forefront of modern, effective primary care. We register our patients with a particular GP, to optimise the continuity of care that is the foundation of NHS general practice, although you can of course, be seen by other doctors at the practice if needed. Your care is shared with our extensive team of nurses and other professionals.
We look forward to you joining our community.
Telephone Numbers

During opening hours, please call 0118 958 2525, and listen to the options.

0118 958 2525 All calls to the surgery

0118 952 3633 Fax (Please do not use for urgent messages.)

0330 100 4292 MASTA Travel Clinic
Reception Is Open:

Monday to Friday 8:00 am – 6.30 pm

Saturdays by appointment only
Surgery consultation times vary, but there is usually at least one surgery running from 8:00 am – 11:30 am and from 2:10 pm – 6:30 pm, Monday to Friday.
In a medical emergency, dial 0118 958 2525 and follow the options. If the emergency is immediate and life-threatening, call 999.

Out-of-Hours Services

Out-of-hours services are for urgent medical problems that occur between 6:30 pm to 8 am on weekdays, all weekends, Bank Holidays and public holidays. During these hours there will be no staff on duty at the surgery. Please call the surgery number on 0118 958 2525 (phone number on same line) and listen for the recorded message for the telephone number or call 111 (NHS non-emergency line) or 999 during an emergency

Suggestions and Complaints

We continuously strive to improve our services to patients, and welcome any suggestions or comments that help us in this goal. Similarly, if you have any complaints, please write to the practice manager and you will receive a prompt reply.

Practice Area

We accept patients from West Reading, Tilehurst and Purley. Please ask reception for details.

Parking

Car parking is available at the rear of the surgery, via Constitution Road and Craig Avenue. Spaces are very limited, and we would ask you to avoid blocking the staff parking area, to enable doctors and nurses to reach their patients without delay. There is one dedicated disabled bay for badge holders only. Parking in the surrounding roads should be used in accordance with the relevant restrictions.

Buses

There are frequent bus services, and the bus stop (from town centre) is right outside the surgery and at the Pond House (going into town). Reading Buses website has a convenient journey planner at http://www.reading-buses.co.uk/

Additional Sources of Information

Minor health questions or problems can often be dealt with by your local pharmacist.

Useful Telephone Numbers

Royal Berkshire Hospital 0118 322 5111

Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 769555

Citizens’ Advice Bureau 0118 959 8059

Florey Unit (sexually-transmitted diseases) 0118 322 7202

PALS – Patient Advice & Liaison Service 0118 982 2829

Reading Social Services & Housing 0118 955 3600

Reading Borough Council 0118 937 3737

Thames Valley Police 0845 8 505 505

Samaritans 0118 926 6333

Victim Support – Reading & District 01344 411411

Reading D.A.I.S. (Drugs & Alcohol Intervention Service) 0118 956 7441

Reading User Forum (relatives/carers for D.A.I.S.) 07708 757 416

Relate – relationships counselling 0118 987 6161

Cruse – bereavement care 0118 958 8133

FIT – young widows support group (contact Cruse)

No.5 – young peoples’ counselling 0118 901 5668

Rape and Sexual Abuse Counselling 0118 930 3523

MASTA Travel Clinic

This private service provides up-to-date advice for travellers going abroad. We stock a full range of vaccines, whatever your destination. We have items for sale including mosquito nets, water purifiers, and insect repellents. Patients registered at our practice can obtain free advice, as well as some NHS-funded vaccines. Non NHS vaccines are chargeable.

The MASTA Travel Clinic is run by our practice nurses. To make an appointment, please call

0330 100 4292.

Surgery Website

Our website address is www.grovelandsmedicalcentre.co.uk

Research

The practice is a member of the Medical Research Council General Practice Framework. If the practice takes part in a research study we may pass some of your details held on our clinical database to the Medical Research Council. If we do, the information will remain strictly confidential and only be used to choose a sample of patients whom we would then contact to ask whether they would consider helping with the research. If we contacted you, you would be free to decline involvement in the study, without your medical care being affected.

Tests and Results

Please attend tests for blood, urine, etc in the mornings. Most results are available by phoning receptionists (not doctors) after a week, between 10:00am – 1:00pm.

Donations

Sometimes people wish to donate or leave money to the practice. This fund is used to buy items of equipment for the benefit of patients of the surgery. If you wish to make a donation, please contact the practice manager.

Non NHS Services

Certain medical examinations and certificates are not covered by the NHS and require payment of a fee. These include insurance claim forms, private certificates. These forms and examinations are not dealt with during normal surgery. Details of times and fees are available from the receptionists.

Change of Contact Details

Please let us know straight away if you change your address, phone number or name. If your new address is outside our catchment area, you will be asked to register with a practice in your new area.

Our Team
The Doctors
Partners Languages

Dr Deborah Riley MA BM BCh MRCGP

Dr Ignacio Escamilla LMS MRCGP Spanish

Dr Monica Mathur BSC MBBCH MRCGP Urdu, Hindi

Dr Dona Renuka Camelia Dias MBBS MRCP DRCOG DFFP MRCGP Sinhala

Dr Sung-Hwa Kang MBBS

Dr Irina Tucker MD DFFP MRCGP Russian

Dr Karen Ireland

Dr Andrea Mount BSc MBchB MRCGP
GP Associates

Dr Anna Stevens

Our Doctors are also supported by locum Doctors.
Nurses

Lin Murphy

Jean Maycock

Jackie Casbolt

Aideen Gorman

Jessica Lawton

Phlebotomist

Tracy Poynton

Health Care Assisstant

Rachel Taylor

Management

Chris Maude MBA FCMI Practice Manager

Pam Barrett Assistant Practice Manager
The Nurses and Management staff are supported buy our Patient Services Team

How to See Your Doctor

Please telephone or visit reception. We like you to see your own doctor whenever possible, but if you feel your problem is an immediate emergency you may not be able to choose the doctor you see.

Please be prepared to give the receptionist some details of the problem, so they can arrange suitable help promptly.
If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible, to avoid wasted time for the doctors and other patients.
Appointments – Booking and Cancelling

You can book, cancel or re-book appointments, and request repeat prescriptions via the web. Please register at: www.grovelands.admin.co.uk

We lose the equivalent of 71 GP days per year by patients not cancelling unwanted appointments. We would much prefer to offer more choices of appointments by re-using those appointments. You can cancel by text ‘cancel, your name, date of appointment’ to 07522 294416. You can also call the surgery on 0118 958 2525 to cancel – a voicemail takes messages evenings and weekends.
Practice Services
Treatment Room

Our nurses can help you with immunisations, dressings, ear syringing, removal of stitches, minor casualties and general health advice.

Phlebotomist

Our phlebotomist can take blood samples after referral by a doctor or nurse.

District Nurses

Provide nursing care for patients who are housebound and cannot attend the surgery. They can be contacted via reception.

Children’s Immunisations

Held at clinics on Wednesday afternoons.

Child Health Checks

The health visitors and doctors run a joint programme of regular developmental assessments for children under 5.

New Patients

New patients are requested to fill in a questionnaire about their health when applying to register with us. Please note that your medical records may take some weeks to be transferred from your previous practice.

Giving Up Smoking

Our practice nurses provide advice and practical support for anyone wanting to give up smoking.

Influenza Vaccinations

We run ‘flu vaccination campaigns every autumn for the elderly and those in certain ‘at risk’ groups.

Asthma Care

Our practice nurses provide education and regular follow-ups for patients with asthma.

Diabetic Clinic

Diabetic patients are invited to this clinic to see a nurse, GP and dietician.

Counselling

Our practice counsellor offers a short-term counselling service for people with difficulties such as depression, loss, bereavement, relationship problems (after a referral by the doctor).

Administration Team

Our team of receptionists, secretaries and administration staff are here to assist you with your enquiries.

Repeat Prescriptions

You can request online (https://grovelands-medical-centre.appointments-online.co.uk), by e-mail – [e-mail], letter, fax, or on a hand-written form at the surgery. Please note we need a minimum of two working days notice to process your request. Prescription requests cannot be taken over the telephone because of the possibility of errors occurring.

A number of local pharmacies have an arrangement to collect your prescriptions from the surgery, so you can save a trip. Please enquire at your local pharmacy for details.
Statement of Fitness for Work (Fit Note)

No doctors’ certificate is normally necessary for the first 3 days of illness. For sickness absence of between 4 and 7 days you should complete a self-certificate form (SC1) available from either a post office or your employer. You only need a doctors’ certificate after 7 days absence from work.