CONTACTING THE SURGERY

To contact the surgery at any time, or for assistance in an emergency, please telephone 0844 815 1384 and select the appropriate option for your needs.

Home Visits/ Emergencies
If you are too ill to attend the Surgery, or genuinely housebound, please try to telephone before 10.00 a.m to enable the Doctor to plan their visits. Please attend the Surgery whenever possible.

Emergencies will be dealt with immediately by the duty Doctor. Please stress that the call is "an emergency".

OUT OF HOURS

NHS Direct
This is a 24 hour nurse-led helpline providing confidential health care advice and information on:

• What to do if you are feeling ill
• Health concerns for you and your family
• Local Health Services
• Self-help and support organisations
• Call 0845 4647 or visit the NHS website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk

Speaking to the Doctor
If you wish to speak to your Doctor on the telephone, it will normally be possible to do this by arrangement with the Receptionist. It would be helpful, in assessing the urgency of the call and also ensuring that the Doctor has the relevant information available, if you could indicate to the Receptionist the nature of your call when you ring. However, sometimes interruptions during surgery can be upsetting both for the Doctor and the patients they are seeing. For this reason, the Receptionists are asked not to disturb consultations with non-urgent telephone calls. A more convenient time for you to ring will be suggested.

Ringing for Results
When ringing for results, you are requested to telephone between the hours of 2- 5 pm. For reasons of confidentiality, test results will usually only be given to the patient concerned.

General Enquiries
You can call the Surgery on 0844 815 1384 if you have any general enquiries, or you can email us.

Comments/ Complaints
We aim to provide a high standard of health care, which closely reflects the needs of our patients. However if you are dissatisfied with the service you receive from any member of the Practice team, please address your complaint to the Practice Manager. She will ensure that your grievance is investigated promptly, with an appropriate response issued within two weeks. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint she will assist you in obtaining further help from the Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust.

We would welcome any suggestions you may have that would enhance the efficiency of the practice or would improve the patient experience. However, we undertake a patient satisfaction survey every year from which we use your comments and suggestions to improve our services.

Minster Medical Practice is contracted to provide Personal Medical Services to Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust. A full spectrum of services provided by Personal Medical Services can be obtained directly from:

Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust
Cross O’Cliff
Bracebridge Heath
Lincoln
LN4 2HN

Tel: 01522 513355

Violence and Aggression

The Partners at Minster Medical Practice re-affirm their commitment to do everything possible to protect staff, patients and visitors from unacceptable behaviour and their zero tolerance of any incident that causes hurt, alarm, damage or distress. Appropriate action will be taken by the Practice which may involve removal from the Practice list and/ or involvement of the Police.