Appointments at The Community Practice

Our appointments are through a triage system. We have done it this way prior to the pandemic and we feel it is the best way to get as many patients as possible spoken to the same day. We found it worked well throughout the pandemic too.

You can call to be added to the triage from Monday to Friday between 8.00am & 9.00am for same day telephone consultations. The GP's have asked the care navigators to take some information from you so that we can signpost you to most appropriate clinician or service. We do aim to call our patients back the same day but this is not always possible. The clinicians make 2 attempts to contact a patient if both attempts are unsuccessful then you will need to re-book the following on the triage list.

WEEKENDS:

Medical treatment may also be obtained on Saturdays and Sundays which can be booked in advance via The Community Practice or by calling one of the locations below.

PLEASE NOTE - THIS IS NOT A WALK-IN SERVICE - Neither does it take the place of the 111 service.

GPHA clinic, Suite 3, 351 London Road, Hadleigh, SS7 2BT. Tel: 01268 206408

This does not take the place of the 111 service.

Did not attend

From 1st January 2022 to 31st December 2022 a total of 779 patients did not attend their appointment. It is very important to cancel if you can not attend.

Cancellations

By phone - please contact as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else

Home Visits

Whilst we encourage our patients to come to the surgery, where we have the proper equipment and facilities available, we do appreciate this is not always possible. In this respect, if you do need a home visit, you can help us by calling reception before 10:00am.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed. Please bear this in mind and be prepared to provide suitable details to enable the doctor to schedule house calls

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.

**To request a follow on medical certificate please request this using e-Consult on the main page**

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).

Patient information

Opening times: 10.00am to 7.30pm, Monday to Sunday

Closed: - 6.30pm last Thursday of the month. Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Please note that there is limited waiting within the unit, and you will be asked to either wait outside or in your vehicle once booking in.
To keep you, other patients, and staff safe we continue to require you to wear a mask when attending MIU.

The minor injuries unit provides a comprehensive nurse-led service for people who have a range of minor injuries as defined below: 

• Minor head injuries with no loss of consciousness.
• Uncomplicated fractures between shoulder to fingers and knee to toes
• Minor burns and scalds. All airway/inhalation burns must attend A&E
• Eye infections, foreign bodies in eyes, abrasions of cornea.
• Retained foreign body such as fishhook.
• Bites and stings (with no associated anaphylaxis).
• Sprains and strains.
• Animal and human bites.
• Foreign bodies, ear, nose & throat
• Chest injury without difficulty in breathing
• Facial injuries.
• Firework injuries
• Mouth injuries
• Neck injuries
• Minor road collisions
• Closure of laceration wounds by suturing, stapling, gluing or steristrip
• Progesterone Only Emergency Contraception (POEC)

Following your attendance at MIU a referral to other services such as your GP surgery can be made for ongoing treatment or support if required.
Please attend A&E if you have a:

• wound with glass/metal/foreign body in child under 7
• wound with glass/metal/foreign body which presents outside x-ray hours (see below for x-ray)
• wound with arterial bleed
• airway/inhalation burns

Please seek emergency treatment by ringing 999 or attending A&E if you have: 

• acute abdominal, chest or back pain
• head injury with loss of consciousness
• major chest injury
• difficulty in breathing
• complicated fractures
• acute psychiatric episode
• diabetic or epileptic emergencies.

Please seek help from your own GP or 111 for Minor illnesses such as:

• Cough, sore throat.
• Pain for an existing condition
• Dressing changes for existing wounds.
• In growing toenails
• Gout

List is not exhaustive.

X-ray

Following clinical assessment, if indicated an x-ray can be carried out on site Monday to Friday until 4.00 pm.

X-rays can be carried out for injuries between the shoulder and fingers and the knee to the toes only.

X-ray at MIU is not available for children under seven years of age due to the complexity of interpreting results.

Patient information

Opening times: 10.00am to 7.30pm, Monday to Sunday

Closed: - 6.30pm last Thursday of the month. Closed Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Please note that there is limited waiting within the unit, and you will be asked to either wait outside or in your vehicle once booking in.
To keep you, other patients, and staff safe we continue to require you to wear a mask when attending MIU.

Address:

Orsett Hospital
Rowley Road
Orsett
Grays
Essex
RM16 3EU
Tel: 0300 300 1527