Services - Southgates Medical Centre

New Patients

Please phone 01553 819477 to check if you are in our practice area.

You will be asked to call in to collect a registration form, information pack and to make an appointment to attend for a blood presure check if aged over 45. Alternatively click here to pre-register online. We are currently taking new patients on to our list.

We are a PMS practice which means you do not need to register with a 'named' GP. You are free to see any GP that you wish.

Patients requiring a GP who are unable to gain voluntary registration with a local GP should contact;

NHS Norfolk
Services to Primary Care
Elliot House
130 Ber Street
Norwich
NR1 3TZ
01603 697300

Home Visits

We would appreciate it if you could make every effort to get to the surgery, as we can see four or five patients here in the time it takes for one home visit.

If you really are too ill to come to the surgery, please telephone before 10.30 am so that the doctors can plan their journeys. If someone telephones on your behalf, please make sure they know your full name, address and some idea of your symptoms, so that the doctor can assess the urgency of your call.

Out-of-hours

Emergency out of hours service is available online at NHSDirect

Emergency out of hours advice for genuine emergencies ring 01603 488488

The service is provided by the East of England Ambulance NHS Trust. You should ring 01603 488488. This service begins at 6.30 each evening and includes all weekends and bank holidays. A doctor will ring you back to discuss the urgency of your condition and advise on the appropriate course of action. Routine matters such as repeat prescriptions and simple self-manageable conditions will not be treated.

Please remember although Southgates is open alternate Saturdays for routine appointments you will not be able to collect prescriptions.

Patients' Records

Are held both manually and on the practice computer system. All records kept are entirely confidential. Please inform us promptly of any change in circumstances, such as change of name, address or telephone number.

Access to Medical Records

Under the "Access to Health Records Under the Data Protection Act 1998" you are entitled to have access to your records. We will ask you to make an appointment with one of the administration staff who will then ask you to complete a consent form and allow you access to the records in his/her presence. You may ask for photocopies of any record in your file for which a nominal charge will be made. A fee is charged for access to records, plus copying charges - please ring for a quote.

We follow strict guidelines on confidentiality and will seek your consent, if asked to share your information with a third party before any disclosure, except for information provided to DWP.

Sick Notes

A sick note is not required until the 7th day of sickness. It may be necessary for you to book a Doctors appointment or it may be possible to talk to the Doctor by telephone. It is important that we have a current telephone number for you.

If a repeat certificate is required please complete a form at reception, this will take approximately 48 hours for the doctor to complete. If your employer requires a sickness certificate before the 7th day of sickness, the doctor can issue a private certificate for which a charge will be made.

Insurance Forms

A charge is made for completing insurance forms, current pricing is on display in reception. We ask that you allow five working days for the completion of forms. At busy times the wait may be longer.

Violence and Aggression

Along with other practices in Norfolk, we adopt a zero tolerance policy on violence or abuse against any member of our practice team.

Test Results

If you require the result of a test or report please telephone after 11.00 am when we will have received most results from the hospital for that day. Please remember that only the patients themselves will be given results. These results are normally available after 3 working days.

If you need to speak to a Doctor

Please leave your telephone number and message with the receptionist. They will arrange for a doctor to ring you at a convenient time.

Non English Speaking Patients

If you do not speak English we can provide interpreter facilities for most languages either by phone translation or by having a qualified interpreter present at your consultation. We have permanent Russian and Lithuanian interpreters on site as part of our support team. This service is free.