How do I make an appointment with Haven Medical Centre?

Please note that an appointment is necessary for all visits to your GP. You should call the reception to organise an appointment.

How long are appointments?

Each appointment slot is 10 minutes and all doctors try their best to keep to this arrangement. If you require more time such as having a complex issue to discuss with the doctor, it may be necessary to make two appointments to cover your requirements. Please highlight this to our reception staff upon booking.

Can more than one person attend an appointment?

If more than one member of your family is coming to see the doctor at the same time, please make us aware and book each member for the allocated time.

What do I do in case of an emergency?

In the case of an emergency you will always be seen, however, it is best to phone the practice i possible so we can make arrangements for you to be seen without delay. If you have a sick child or need to be seen urgently, please make reception staff aware as we will do our very best to facilitate you even if the doctor’s sessions are booked up.

What do I do if I need to see a doctor outside of surgery opening hours?

Outside of surgery opening hours SouthDoc provide cover for urgent medical attention. Call SouthDoc on 0818 355 999

Where is SouthDoc located?

The SouthDoc centre is located in the Day Care Centre in the Castletownbere Hospital grounds. The building is to the right down the hill from the main hospital building.

P75 PK26

What if I need a doctor when the surgery is closed during the day?

The surgery is closed on Thursdays, during this time one of our own doctors is on call for patients requiring urgent medical attention. Please call the surgery to hear the number of the doctor on duty. When the surgery is closed for the lunchtime period, please call the surgery to hear the number of the doctor on duty.

What do I do to request a house call?

We do not routinely provide house calls, please contact the surgery to speak to a doctor to assess the requirement.

When is a house call appropriate?

Please remember that most problems are best dealt with in the surgery where we have a full range of equipment. It is practice policy for receptionists to ask if there is any possibility of the patient attending the surgery.

Can I call and speak to a doctor for advice?

If you need to speak to your GP, the receptionist on duty will take your message and contact details and your call will be returned as quickly as possible. We cannot specify a time for the doctor to ring you as this depends on the doctor’s daily workload – when very busy, it may take 24 – 48 hours before a routine (non-urgent) call is returned.

If the advice you require is of an urgent nature, please highlight this to the receptionist in order that you can speak to the doctor at the earliest opportunity.

How do I get test results?

For routine blood results please allow 10 days for the results to come to the surgery, if you are phoning for your results please do so after lunchtime from 2:30 pm.

For any abnormal blood results, you will be contacted by call or text to discuss or let you know if you need to arrange an appointment with the doctor.

Please ensure you have consented to contact by text.

For Xray, MRI or any other investigation results please check with reception if your results have come in and they will arrange a call with the doctor.

How do I get a referral for an investigation or procedure?

The majority of referrals require an appointment for assessment by the doctor, but it may not always be necessary, please inquire at reception

You may be asked to check the coverage of your health insurance provider if you are using your insurance, please ensure that we have your up-to-date health insurance details.

How do I get a repeat prescription?

It is important for you to phone us BEFORE your prescription runs out. We would ask you to give a minimum of 48 hours notice when requesting a repeat prescription.

Please note that in some instances your doctor may wish to see you before issuing a new prescription. This is in order to have up-to-date information on your physical well-being. You must be reviewed at least every 6 months whilst on long term drugs for legal reasons.

I have come out of hospital with a prescription, what do I with it?

If you have a medical card and get a hospital prescription, you are entitled to one week’s supply of medication from your pharmacy on production of the hospital script, once it is brought to the pharmacy on the day the hospital issue the prescription.

The following steps should be taken once you have the prescription:

• Before attending the pharmacy please arrange to have a copy of the prescription sent to the surgery either in person or by email

• If in person you will be given the original prescription back, you should take the original to the pharmacist

• Your doctor will write up the prescription from the photocopy and will send it electronically to your pharmacy of choice for you to collect the remainder of the medication owed to you.

What is Haven Medical Centre’s payment policy?

It is practice policy for all accounts to be settled at the time of consultation before leaving the surgery. To facilitate patients, we have a Visa/Laser machine and also accept payment by cash and cheque.

Can I get copies of previous receipts?

Receipts are issued at the time of payment - PLEASE RETAIN YOUR RECEIPTS - you will need these when claiming back under the MED 1 or any private insurance you may have.

Requesting copies of receipts may incur a fee.

Is everything covered by my medical card?

Not all services are covered by the medical card and doctor visit card, for items not covered please click here.

How does Haven Medical Centre deal with admin requests including letters and forms for completion?

There has been a substantial increase in the numbers of patients requesting a letter from their doctor for various services they require, whether they are of a medical nature or not. Requests for forms to be completed and certificates to be signed also take up a considerable amount of time.

Please give plenty of notice and do not leave it until the last minute if you have a request of this nature. We endeavour to have these requests completed within a week.

Please note that all patients may be charged for this facility as this is not usually covered under the medical card scheme.

How do I register at Haven Medical Centre?

We welcome any new patients who live within our practice area both private and Medical Card or Doctor Visit Card.

If you wish to register with the practice, please contact the surgery by phone and we will arrange for you to fill out the necessary forms either in person or sent out by email.

Once you have registered with the practice it may be necessary to arrange an appointment for a quick check up with the doctor especially if you are on any regular medications.

Data retention records

In general, medical records should be retained by practices for as long as is deemed necessary to provide treatment for the individual concerned or for the meeting of medicolegal and other professional requirements. At the very least, it is recommended that individual patient medical records be retained for a minimum of eight years from the date of last contact or for any period prescribed by law. (In the case of children’s records, the period of eight years begins from the time they reach the age of eighteen).

We follow the guidelines set by the HSE which suggest minimum retention periods as follows:

Patient Type Minimum Duration:

• General (Adult) 8 years after last contact

• Deceased patients 8 years after death

Children and young persons

Retain until the patient’s 25th birthday or 26th if young person was 17 at the conclusion of treatment, or 8 years after death. If the illness or death could have potential relevance to adult conditions or have genetic implications, the advice of clinicians should be sought as to whether to retain the records for a longer.

Mentally disordered persons (within the meaning of the Mental Health Acts 1945 to 2001)

20 years after the date of last contact between the patient/client/service user and any healthcare professional employed by the mental health provider, or 8 years after the death of the patient/ client/service user if sooner.

Maternity

25 years after the birth of the last child (all obstetric and midwifery records, including those of episodes of maternity care that end in stillbirth or where the child later dies)

Records/documents related to any litigation

As advised by the organisation’s legal advisor. All records to be reviewed. Normal review 10 years after the file is closed.

Death

2 years - Cause of, Certificate counterfoils

Suicide

10 years - notes of patients having committed suicide