Appointments

Appointments can be made by telephoning the practice or by visiting reception. Consultations are held in Newport and Tayport each weekday morning and afternoon by appointment. Doctors work within a flexible rota and not all doctors work every day. Both surgery premises are open from 8am - 6pm each weekday. Your house call / urgent apppointment request may be triaged by a doctor to ascertain how best to deal with your request.

2/3 of appointments are pre bookable up to 4 weeks in advance. 1/3 of appointments are bookable on the day from 8am and these appointments are for urgent problems.

Patients who genuinely need to be seen urgently on the day will always be seen but if your problem is not urgent you will be offered an appointment at a later time. Appointments are available with the practice nurse from 8.00am - 5.00pm during the week.

It can be hard to predict the demand for each site every day so it may mean that you will be offered an appointment at the surgery that is not your nearest. If you are able to attend either surgery this will help us greatly in providing the quickest access for you.

When you call to make an appointment you will be offered the next available routine appointment with either your chosen Doctor or the next available Doctor. You should only request an appointment for the same day that you call if your problem is urgent or cannot wait until the next available routine appointment.

Routine appointments are offered up to four weeks in advance and these can be pre booked at any time. Patients who have a set day off work and would like an appointment on that particular day can easily book this appointment ahead.

Pre booked evening appointments are available alternating weekly between Newport and Tayport for both doctors and practice nurses. We believe that this provides the practice with a system that suits patients.

You are able to have continuity of care, appointments to suit you and be able to be seen when you need to be seen. If you cannot get an appointment to suit it is not appropriate to ask to speak with the practice nurse to try and get one.

All emergencies and house call requests are dealt with by a doctor.

Please make a separate appointment for each person requiring to be seen. Doctor can only see one patient in the allocated appointment time.

Patients not seen within the last three years may ask for a consultation with a GP. Patients aged 75 and over who have not been seen by a GP within the last twelve months may ask for a consultation. Patients may consult with a doctor of their choice.  

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Telephone Consultations

These are appropriate for either new problems or more chronic illness where your question can be answered without having to take time off your work.

Suitable problems might be advice about medication, requests for reports, finding out about hospital results / letters, or advice on how to treat simple ailments such as colds, coughs, chicken pox etc.

Please do not use this service for serious health problems or complex issues requiring more than a couple of minutes brief discussion. Please request one if appropriate.

Practice Nurse Practitioner

She can deal with ear infections, sore throats, chest infections, skin rashes, urine infections, thrush, hay fever, morning after pill, contraception queries and prescriptions, minor injuries, constipation, burns, wounds, haemorrhoids, diarrhoea / vomiting.

You may be offered an appointment withour Nurse Practitioneras an alternative to doctor. She is able to prescribe medication and review medication. Please see the leaflet attached.

 Download Our Nurse Practitioner Leaflet

Home Visits

If possible please try to telephone reception before 10:00 if you require a home visit.

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.

You can 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.

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)

Disabled Access

Newport Surgery has parking spaces for the disabled and automatic doors.  Tayport Surgery has a parking space for the disabled and automatic doors.  On both sites all patient services are provided at ground floor level.

National Health Hearing Aid Batteries

Are now available in the practice. Please ask at reception. P13 and P675 only. Please contact Ninewells Hospital Department for any other type required.

Interpreting Service

The practice has a list of Interpreters with the Fife Community Interpreting Service. Patients requiring the services of an interpreter should contact the practice directly.