THIS SERVICE IS CURRENTLY UNDER REVIEW. FULL DETAILS OF THE SERVICE WILL BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY.

Out-of-hours times

NHS 111 the Out of Hours Service, is available when your Health Centre is closed i.e. Weekdays from 6.30 pm - 8.00 am, Weekends, 6.30 pm Friday - 8.00 am Monday

Do I really need to contact a doctor?

Please only use the out-of-hours service if your medical condition is such that you cannot possibly wait until the surgery opens again. The provision of an out-of-hours service costs local health authorities a lot of money and its resources are stretched by inappropriate use and patients who really need attention might have to wait longer.

NHS 111 - for urgent medical concerns

NHS 111 is much more than a helpline - if you're worried about an urgent medical concern, you can call 111 to speak to a fully trained adviser.

Depending on the situation, the NHS 111 team can connect you to a nurse, emergency dentist or even a GP, and can arrange face-to-face appointments if they think you need one.

NHS 111 advisers can also assess if you need an ambulance and send one immediately if necessary.

If you're worried about an urgent medical concern, call 111 and speak to a fully trained adviser. For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist.

Visit the NHS111 website for more information.

When to dial 999: Life-threatening emergencies

Call 999 in a medical emergency - when someone is seriously ill or injured and their life is at risk.

Medical emergencies can include:

• loss of consciousness
• an acute confused state
• fits that are not stopping
• persistent, severe chest pain
• breathing difficulties
• severe bleeding that cannot be stopped
• severe allergic reactions
• severe burns or scalds

Call 999 immediately if you or someone else is having a heart attack or stroke. Every second counts with these conditions.

Also call 999 if you think someone has had a major trauma. Major trauma is often the result of a serious road traffic accident, a stabbing, a shooting, a fall from height, or a serious head injury.

You can now book appointments online and save yourself a trip to the surgery. To use the service, you will first need to contact us at reception to obtain a username and password. Once you have these, click on the link above to log in to this website and book your appointment.

We offer a wide range of appointments with our expanding clinical team including General Practitioners, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, First Contact Physiotherapists, Mental Health Practitioners, Practice Nurses, Clinical Pharmacists, Nurse Associates, Health Care Assistants, Phlebotomist, GP Link Workers and Health and Wellbeing Coaches.

Speak to our Reception Team who can direct to the most appropriate service

We offer a mixture of telephone and face-to-face appointments either over the telephone or by attending the practice.

Our appointment system enables you to book:

• A routine appointment in advance.
• an 'on the day' appointment for a more urgent problem. 

We have a on call General Practitioner each morning and afternoon to deal with any urgent queries when our appointments are full.

If we have exceeded our capacity of available appointments, you will then be directed to 111. 

If you no longer need your appointment, please notify the surgery.

Please make sure you notify us if you change your address or telephone number.

Demand

Demand for access and appointments is at an all time high in General Practice.  Coquet Medical Group's registered patient list is now just under 12,000 patients.  

Staffing 

We have invested in new Practice staff to help with this additional demand over the last 6 months and our clinical staff moving forward include:

5 GP Partners

4 Salaried GPs

3 ANPs (including a Frailty ANP who covers our Care Home and Acute Home Visits)

5 Practice Nurses (1 currently on Maternity Leave)

1 Nurse Associate

1 Trainee Nurse Associate

5 Health Care Assistants

GP Contractual Changes

NHS England have released new contractual changes for 2023/24 in the form of our GP Contract. One aim with these changes is help ensure patients are seen in the right place, at the right time by the right person whilst focusing on patient safety.  Where possible an assessment of need will be conducted on the patients' first contact with their GP Practice, or the patient will be signposted to an appropriate service.

Also in the GP Contract is that all patients (unless consent not given or it is not suitable) are given prospective (future) medical records access via online services by the 31^st October 2023. 

Appointment System : 1^st April 2023

As a Practice we have done work ahead of the contract changes so that our appointment system from the 1^st April 2023 will move towards 80% of our GP and ANP appointments will be released on the day.  We would therefore encourage patients to ring on the day which they require an appointment to be booked in.  The other 20% of appointment slots will be used for follow up appointments for continuity of care.  This 80 : 20 appointment split is recommended by NHS England.

We will also be looking at creating some reserved on the day appointment slots within our Practice Nursing Team to help access their appointments.  

We would encourage all patients to contact the Practice via telephone to arrange any appointments and not to attend the Practice at 8:00am each morning.

Any requested for Home Visits should be submitted via telephone call before 10:30am each day.

8:00am is always our busiest time on our telephone system so you may experience waiting times when calling at this time.  If your call can wait until later in the day then this is advisable. We are reviewing staffing levels to ensure more staff are available to answer calls when we open at 8:00am.

We will be looking to you, our patients, and our local PPG (Patient Participation Group) to provide any suggestions you may have to help avoid this 8am rush for appointments.

A further survey and communication will be sent out soon.

Care Navigation

To comply with the signposting patients to appropriate services all of our Reception Staff are being trained in Care Navigation.  This means that when a patient contacts the Practice they will be asked to provide a brief description of why they are contacting the Practice.  This will ensure that patients who can access alternative services do so in the first instance; for example a Pharmacy or a Self-Referral Service.  The Practice will be updating our Social Media, Website and Waiting Rooms to help signpost our patients to alternative services where applicable. 

Part of Care Navigation is to also ensure that you get booked into the most appropriate clinician at the practice for your needs.  We have a large range of clinicians working out of Coquet Medical Group such as First Contact Physiotherapists, Frailty Nurse Practitioners, Mental Health Worker, Health and Wellbeing Coaches etc.  Our needs on the day may mean that you do not need to access a GP but an alternative clinician.

System Review and Updates

We are constantly reviewing and updating our practice systems including our appointments systems to ensure the most efficient system for patients whilst bearing in mind capacity and demand.  

We are also working with our neighbouring Practice through our Primary Care Network to help improve access to Primary Care Services.

We plan to start sharing our appointment and telephone figures regularly via our Patient Communications from April 2023.

You can now order your repeat prescriptions online and save yourself a trip to the surgery. To use the service, you will first need to contact us at reception to obtain a username and password. Once you have these, click on the link above to log in to this website and place your order.

We have a dedicated telephone line for ordering repeat medications. Please note the area code: 01670 570 162 

Open Monday - Friday 9:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00

Please have the names of the medication required with you when requesting repeat prescriptions and try to order a number of items each month rather than one each week. This avoids errors and saves time. TO AVOID WASTING MEDICINES, PLEASE ONLY ORDER THE ONES YOU NEED.

Please allow at least 3 working days for your prescription.

Help us to reduce the cost of prescriptions

In the year prior to June 2017, the NHS spent approximately £569 million on prescriptions for medicines for minor conditions, which could otherwise be purchased over the counter (OTC) from a pharmacy and/or other outlets such as petrol stations or supermarkets.

The costs to the NHS for many of the items used to treat minor conditions are often higher than the prices for which they can be purchased over the counter as there are hidden costs. For example, a pack of 12 anti-sickness tablets can be purchased for £2.18 from a pharmacy whereas the actual total cost for the NHS is over £35 when you include GP consultation and other administration costs.

Prescribing policy

Northumberland CCG is asking practices not to prescribe treatments for minor and self-limiting conditions if the treatment can be bought over the counter. Please help us by buying medication such as:

• Paracetamol for pain when used now and again rather than daily
• Ibuprofen when used for pain now and again rather than daily
• Antihistamines (Cetirizine and Loratadine) for mild to moderate hay fever
• Lubricant eye drops for dry eyes/sore tired eyes
• Antacids for indigestion and heartburn
• Haemorrhoid creams / ointments and suppositories

Online services can be used to book, check or cancel appointments with a clinician, order repeat prescriptions and see parts of your health record, including test results.

By 31^st October 2023 new entries in the GP records will be visible to all patients aged 16+ years and with an online account who have completed an application form to access records.

More information can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/gps/using-online-services/

Accessing your GP-held records via the NHS app or NHS website

As your GP practice, we have been asked to provide you with, no later than 31 October 2023, access to your full medical record going forward via the NHS app (and NHS website) if you have a suitable NHS login.

Your GP medical record contains consultation notes based on conversations between you, your GP and their team: medicines prescribed to you; all test results including hospital investigations; allergies; vaccines; and your medical conditions along with documents that may have been sent from local hospitals, clinics or other agencies, eg the police. There is likely to be sensitive and personal information within your medical record.

We are supportive of providing you with access to your record, but we wish to do this safely and make you aware that this is happening so that you can opt out, if you so wish. You may wish to speak with us first to understand what it is that you will see, and the risks which may be involved in having such confidential data either on your smartphone with the NHS app installed or online if other people might have access to that information through your devices. If you are in a difficult or pressured relationship for example, you may prefer your records to remain accessible only to those treating you, with them not appearing on your smartphone or online. Government has been clear that if a patient does not wish to have access, then we do not have to provide it. This is one reason why we have asked if you wish to opt out, or have it switched off for the time being.

For those who would like access, we are happy to explain the different levels you might like. Everyone can have access to their medication history and allergies, for example, and will be able to order their repeat prescriptions. It’s also possible to request access to what we call your ‘coded record’ where you can see a list of medical problems and results. You can also request access to the ‘full’ record where you will be able to see everything, including the notes which have been written by doctors, nurses and others involved in your care, at the GP surgery, and elsewhere.

It’s important to remember that these documents may, at times, contain information that could be upsetting, especially if they contain news of a serious condition. It can also be a cause for worry seeing results online when it isn’t clear what the results might mean, and no one is available to ask, as can be the case during the evening or at weekends, for example. 

Sometimes people with a mental health condition might prefer not to see documents that remind them of difficult times in their life. Letters from mental health teams sometimes go into detail about past events, and great care would be needed in deciding whether you would want to see these letters. It is possible for individual items to be hidden at your request and your GP would be happy to talk about any concerns you may have.

Great care is also needed in case private details might cause harm at home, should people in a difficult or pressured relationship be forced to show their medical record to an abusive partner. Anyone in such a position should make this clear to us at the practice, so we can take steps to keep you safe. This might mean removing access through the NHS app for the time being, or through a careful process where we hide sensitive things. We would talk this through with you.

Requesting access – what do I need to do?

The easiest way to get access is to create an NHS login through the NHS app. Although you can also access your GP records via the internet on a computer, the first bit is easiest if done through a smartphone. If you don’t have one, you may have a family member or friend you trust who can help you. You can also ask your practice receptionist, but you’ll need some proof of who you are, eg a passport, driving licence or household bill.

If you use the NHS app, you’ll have to set up an account using a unique e-mail address and then ‘authenticate’ yourself to the NHS system to prove you are who you say you are. This will involve confirming your name, date of birth and contact details. The NHS login has several levels of authentication and to gain access to your records you’ll need the highest level of authentication. This generally involves you recording a short video of yourself to prove you are a real person as well as uploading a copy of a suitable identification document. Your GP practice can bypass this step if you are struggling, but we’d ask you to try to sign up to the NHS app yourself.

Once you have suitably authenticated yourself to the NHS app and created your NHS login you can approach your practice and ask for access, being mindful of the risks associated with access and the importance of not sharing passwords or having them stored in your smartphone if you think other people might want to see them without your permission. If you have any concerns, you should explain these to your GP practice team who can guide you.

Your GP practice will have a form they will ask you to complete, with your NHS login (this will be the email address you used to sign up) and then you will have a chat about access and your agreement and understanding will be requested. Once you are happy to get online access, your request will be passed to the clinical team to review. It may be that the practice wishes to contact you to discuss your request if there are any concerns raised so that access can be given safely. We’re not sure how many people will ask for access all at once so there may be a wait, but we will do our best to get you online access as soon as we can.

Click here to download the form to request access.

NHS App

The NHS App is a new way for patients to connect to the surgery and other NHS services. For example, you can:

• Order repeat prescriptions
• Get health advice
• Securely view your GP health record
• Review and register your organ donation decision
• Choose how the NHS uses your data

Download it FREE from the Apple Store (Apple device) or the Google Play Store (Android device)

When you register in the app, there will be a series of checks to confirm your identity. You WILL NOT have to go into your surgery to register if you have a passport or photo card driving licence.

The process to set up your NHS login is explained in the following video:

You can read more and access the NHS login help centre at NHS login.

You can choose to log in using fingerprint recognition, facial recognition or username and password of your choice.

You can now also access NHS App services from the browser on your desktop or laptop computer.

Click here to download the Do more with the NHS App Leaflet.

Click here to download the NHS App Quick start Guide Leaflet

31st May 1pm - 3pm 

Supporting Families Project

Support Line available to all - Call 0191 477 4545 or 0330 174 3174

Welcome to Safe Space Alnwick

Red Flag Symptoms

Having any of these symptoms does not automatically mean you have cancer. In fact, most people with these symptoms will not have cancer. This page cannot list all possible cancer symptoms. Therefore if you are unsure or concerned that you might have cancer, please contact us.

Links provided all point to official NHS.UK advice for your information only. If you are unsure, please contact us.

• Black, sticky, tarry poo - Bowel Cancer
• Blood in poo, stool, motion - Bowel Cancer
• Blood in urine, wee, pee - Bladder Cancer or Kidney Cancer
• Bony pain, persistent, affecting sleep - Multiple myeloma or Prostate Cancer
• Breast lump, women/men - Breast Cancer
• Bruising or bleeding, unexplained - Blood cancer
• Change in bowel habit, loose motions, night-time opening of bowels - Bowel Cancer 
• Cough, persistent, more than 3-4 weeks - Lung cancer 
• Coughing up blood - Lung cancer 
• Difficulty swallowing - Throat cancer or Gullet cancer 
• Headaches, progressive, persistent - Brain tumour 
• Hoarseness, persistent - Throat cancer 
• Jaundice (yellow skin) - Pancreatic cancer 
• Loss of appetite - Bowel Cancer 
• Lumps, new, where there shouldn't be, e.g., abdomen, armpit, breast, groin, limb, neck, testicle - Many possible causes 
• Mole on skin, changing, bleeding, enlarging - Melanoma 
• Nipple or skin changes, rash, discharge, retracted nipple - Breast Cancer 
• Rectal bleeding, persistent - Bowel Cancer 
• Sweating, night-time, persistent - Blood cancer
• Swollen abdomen, bloating - Bowel Cancer or Ovarian cancer 
• Ulcer or white/red patches, mouth, penis, vulva, persistent - Mouth cancer, Penile cancer or Vulval cancer 
• Urine infection in men - Bladder Cancer or Kidney Cancer 
• Vaginal bleeding, unexpected or after menopause - Cervical cancer, Vaginal cancer, or Womb cancer 
• Weight loss, unintentional - Bowel Cancer 
• Worsening intellect and brain function - Brain tumour 

These general links might also be helpful:

• NHS Website - Cancer
• Cancer Research UK
• Macmillan Cancer Support

Do you have a baby or young child? Or are you a young person?

There is a new website and App which has been launched to improve the health and wellbeing of babies, children and young people throughout North East and North Cumbria.

Click here to visit the website. 

Or download the App from App Store or Google Play today!

This is a brilliant resource to use for advice, support and information.

Please click here to download information on mental health support for veterans provided by the Veterans' Mental Health Transition, Intervention and Liaison Service. 

Please click here for for the latest information for referrers. 

The ICS has funded access to premium version of the smokefree app for any smoker in the North East and North Cumbria wanting to stop smoking.

The app has a number of key features:

• Automated self-help
• Digital stop smoking programme (daily missions & Chat bot)
• One-to-one support from stop smoking experts available 24/7

The free access to the premium Smokefree app can be gained by going directly to the Get Me Smoke Free website. 

***Please note downloading directly from the app store will not give you access to the premium version.

Periods of sickness < 7 days

You do not need a Sick Note if you are off sick for seven calendar days or less, because you can self-certify your leave for this time. Click here to download a self-certification template which you can use to inform your employer of your situation.

Periods of sickness > 7 days

A sick note must be signed by a doctor, but you do not always need to see a GP in person to get one.

It depends on:

• why you're off work sick
• whether a GP needs to assess you face to face
• if you have been in hospital

If you need a sick note/MED3, contact the practice. Our receptionists will book a phone consultation in the first instance.

How do I get my test results?

The doctor or nurse will tell you when your results are expected to be available.

 If you have a blood test or a specimen sample taken, then the majority of these results are available within 7 days.

If you have online access, you will be able to view your own results once they have been filed by a clinician, if you wish to get online access, please speak to a member of our Reception Team.

Some clinicians may text you following your results being received.

If you have not heard about your results within 7 days, please contact our Reception Team. Our reception staff are only able to give out information documented on the result by a clinician. They are unable to advise you what a test may mean or give advice on any medical issues relating to the test result. 

Other investigations such as X-ray or hospital test results often take a little longer than 7 days, so please allow at least two weeks before contacting us for your results.

Urine Samples

We will only accept urine specimens at reception which has been requested by a clinician at Coquet Medical Group.

A vaccine to prevent shingles, a common, painful skin disease is available on the NHS to people in their 70s.

Are you a carer? We hold a register for carers on our practice computer system.

All UK residents have the right within the NHS to be registered with a doctor. We are pleased to register anyone who lives within the practice area.

Please visit the surgery and talk to our receptionists. It would be a great help if you could bring with you your up-to-date medical card. If you cannot find it, do not despair. Simply see our receptionist and ensure you know the following details:

• Full name, including previous names
• Date and place of birth
• Last address
• New address and post code
• Last name and address of your previous Doctor
• NHS number - if not known (it is not the same as your National Insurance number) enquire from your previous doctor before attending to register.

Please note you must provide the name of your previous doctor. If you do not know, or cannot remember, please contact your previous surgery for the necessary information. We need this information to be able to register you with our practice.

To register as a new patient, you need to complete two forms for each person wishing to register and return them to the surgery once completed. To save you time, you can download both forms here.

Our catchment area is displayed below. New patients can check with reception to see if they fall within our area.

We are committed to providing the best possible care for our patients. To support this aim we have created a Patient Participation Group (PPG) within the Practice that consults with patient volunteers who have elected to join our Patient Reference Group (PRG). 

Please click here to download our PPG Terms of Reference. 

If you wish to join the CMG Patient Group and are happy for us to contact you occasionally by email, please complete our Online Form

If you wish to join the CMG Patient Group and are happy for us to contact you occasionally by email, please complete our Online Form

Download the minutes of our latest Patient Participation Group Meeting:

• June 2023
• April 2023
• January 2023
• October 2022
• July 2022
• March 2022
• October 2021

Dr Alison Oxby - Partner

MBBS MRCGP DFFP LOCIUT FinDoc - Registered 1989 at London University

Dr Oxby has been a partner in the Practice since 2004. She is based at Broomhill Health Centre. She has extensive experience in contraception and women's health issues. She is the Practice lead on contraception, HRT and sexual health issues within the Practice and holds weekly sexual health clinics. She is currently the Practice prescribing lead working closely with the Practice Medicines Manager.

Michelle James - Lead Practice Nurse

Fiona Smith - Practice Nurse

Robyn Sykes - Practice Nurse

Katie Elliott - Practice Nurse

Jo Thompson - Practice Nurse

Lynsey Terry - Nurse Associate

Kym Stewart - Lead Health Care Assistant

Lucy Wintrip - Health Care Assistant

Julie Wingfield - Health Care Assistant

Maria Carroll - Trainee Nurse Associate

Nikita McMullen - Health Care Assistant

In post since 5th December 2022

Coleen Common - Health Care Assistant

Lisa Scott - Practice Manager

Rebecca Curtis - Assistant Practice Manager

Lorraine Conroy - Medicines Manager

Carla Robertson - Assets & Project Manager

Lauren Tailford - Practice Assistant

Secretary Team

Gemma Dunn - Team Lead

Rebecca Dewson

Dawn Farrell

Administration team

Ann Marie Heatley - Long Term Condition Administrator / IIF Care Coordinator

Linda Harding - Long Term Condition Administrator

Lesley Griffiths - Long Term Condition Administrator / IIF Care Coordinator

Caitlin Holmes - IIF Care Coordinator and Secretary

Jennifer Marshall - Clinical Secretary

Gayle Modral-Walker - Summariser

Denise Rowell - Admin Assistant District Nursing/Podiatry/Health Visiting

Reception Team

Marie Morrison - Reception Manager

Jane Black

Denise McLay

Christine Shanks - Reception team and Secretary

Tracy Taylor-Jones

Dawn Wade

Sarah McDermott

Laura Green

Sophia Lillico

Kelly Stewart

Rachael Tench

Angie Jessiman

NHS England require that the net earnings of doctors engaged in the practice is publicised, and the required disclosure is shown below. However it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time doctors spend working in the practice, and should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings, nor to make any comparison with any other practice.

All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (e.g. average pay) for GPs working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.

The average pay for GPs working in this practice in the last full financial year was £85,499 before Tax and National insurance. This is for six full time GPs, three part time GPs.

Download the latest edition of our Practice Newsletter:

• December 2022 (Page 1) & (Page 2)
• April 2022

It is a contractual requirement that all GP Practices undertake the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT).

The FFT is a feedback tool, that helps us to improve our services.

Would you recommend us? Tell us what you think about our service by completing our FFT.

Click here to download the Friends and Family Test Results for the period December 2022 to March 2023.

All members of the Primary Health Care Team must adhere to a strict policy on confidentiality and are specifically trained in confidentiality issues. Breach of confidentiality could result in dismissal.

As a training practice medical records may be viewed by other professionals who are involved with your care, under strict confidential agreements. If you object to this, you must inform us so that your notes may be marked.

Patients can request to discuss sensitive issues with a receptionist in private.

We comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) to keep your medical records private and secure. 

Click here to download our Practice GDPR Privacy Notice.

In 2018, the national data opt-out was introduced, enabling patients to opt out from the use of their data for research or planning purposes, in line with the recommendations of the National Data Guardian in her Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs.

Patients can view or change their national data opt-out choice at any time by using the online service at www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters or by clicking on "Your Health" in the NHS App, and selecting "Choose if data from your health records is shared for research and planning".

More information is available from the NHS Digital website.

How the NHS and care services use your information

Whenever you use a health or care service, such as attending Accident & Emergency or using Community Care services, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment.

The information collected about you when you use these services can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your individual care, for instance to help with:

• improving the quality and standards of care provided
• research into the development of new treatments
• preventing illness and diseases
• monitoring safety
• planning services

This may only take place when there is a clear legal basis to use this information. All these uses help to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations. Confidential patient information about your health and care is only used like this where allowed by law.

Most of the time, anonymised data is used for research and planning so that you cannot be identified in which case your confidential patient information isn’t needed.

You have a choice about whether you want your confidential patient information to be used in this way. If you are happy with this use of information you do not need to do anything. If you do choose to opt out your confidential patient information will still be used to support your individual care.

To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. On this web page you will:

• See what is meant by confidential patient information
• Find examples of when confidential patient information is used for individual care and examples of when it is used for purposes beyond individual care
• Find out more about the benefits of sharing data
• Understand more about who uses the data
• Find out how your data is protected
• Be able to access the system to view, set or change your opt-out setting
• Find the contact telephone number if you want to know any more or to set/change your opt-out by phone
• See the situations where the opt-out will not apply

You can also find out more about how patient information is used at:

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/ (which covers health and care research); and

https://understandingpatientdata.org.uk/what-you-need-know (which covers how and why patient information is used, the safeguards and how decisions are made)

You can change your mind about your choice at any time.

Data being used or shared for purposes beyond individual care does not include your data being shared with insurance companies or used for marketing purposes and data would only be used in this way with your specific agreement.

Both Health Centres provide access for disabled patients, having ramps at the main entrances, automatic front doors, lowered reception desks and disabled toilets. We have moving signs call boards and a tannoy system to aid patients who have impaired hearing and/or vision. If you encounter any difficulties when visiting us please do not hesitate to ask any member of staff for help.

Interpreting services can be arranged for patients if necessary. If you feel you need this service, please ask the receptionist for details when making you appointment.

Equality and Diversity

Coquet Medical Group expects all staff. patients and visitors to be treated fairly with equal consideration and respect.

All staff, patients and visitors have a responsibility to ensure that no one is disadvantaged due to their gender, colour, age, ethnic or national origin, nationality, disability, religious or political beliefs and sexual orientation.

Discrimination on unlawful or unfair grounds will not be tolerated.

All staff are given equality and diversity training.

Infection prevention and control

All staff adhere to our Infection Prevention and Control Policy and attend annual staff training to help eliminate infections. Patients are requested to help by using the hand gel dispensers at the main entrances when entering and leaving the premises. If you have any suggestions or comments regarding our infection prevention and control you may leave these in our suggestions box.

Chaperone policy

All patients have the right to be accompanied by a person of their choice when attending for an intimate examination. Your doctor or nurse may suggest that a chaperone be present during an intimate examination. An appropriately trained chaperone can be provided by the Practice if requested.

How to Make a Complaint

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please do so AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, ideally within a matter of a few days. This will enable us to establish what happened more easily.

If doing that is not possible, your complaint should be submitted within 12 months of the incident that caused the problem; or within 12 months of discovering you have a problem.

Our Complaints Procedure can be downloaded here (This document is also available from reception).

You should address your complaint in writing to the Practice Manager.

You can also download a leaflet which explains how to complain or give feedback about NHS services.

What we will do

We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days and aim to have fully investigated within 10 working days of the date it was received. If we expect it to take longer we will explain the reason for the delay and tell you when we expect to finish. Once the investigation is completed we will be in a position to offer an explanation in writing or convene a meeting.

When we look into your complaint we aim to:

1. Find out what happened and what went wrong.
2. Make it possible for you to discuss the problem with those concerned, if you would like this.
3. Make sure you receive an apology, where this is appropriate.
4. Identify what we can do to prevent the problem occurring again.

Complaining on behalf of someone else

We keep strictly to the rules of medical confidentiality. If you are not the patient, but are complaining on their behalf, you must have their permission to do so. An authority signed by the person concerned will be needed, unless they are incapable (because of illness or infirmity) of providing this.

People who can help you with your complaint

Free confidential and independent support is available from:
Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
Freepost: RLTC-SGHH-EGXT
North of Tyne PALS
The Old Stables
Grey's Yard
Morpeth NE61 1QD

Tel: 0800 032 0202

Healthwatch Northumberland

If you feel you cannot raise your complaint with us you may wish to contact Healthwatch Northumberland:
Independent Complaints Advocacy Northumberland
Adapt North East
Burn Lane
Hexham NE46 3HN

Tel: 03332 408468
healthwatchnorthumberland.co.uk

Taking it further

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome you may refer the matter to:
The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman
Millbank Tower
Millbank
London SW1P 4QP

Tel: 0345 0154033
ombudsman.org.uk

Amble Health Centre

Percy Drive
Amble
Morpeth
NE65 0HD

Telephone: 01670 760 229 (Reception HUB)

Dedicated Prescription Line: 01670 570 162

Out of Hours Telephone: 111

Broomhill Health Centre - Reception HUB

Hadstone Road
South Broomhill
Morpeth
NE65 9SF

Telephone: 01670 760229

Dedicated Prescription Line: 01670 570 162

Out of Hours Telephone: 111