Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No, we are closed on Bank Holidays. However, if you need medical advice or attention during this time you can:

Visit your pharmacy – Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaint. Visit NHS Choices to find a pharmacy open near you.

Call NHS 111 – If you need urgent medical advice but your condition is not life threatening. NHS 111 Is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobiles.

A&E or 999 – for a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and/or severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped.

No our reception is open over lunchtime.

Please ring after 14:00 for test results.

Your results cannot be given to another person due to confidentiality reasons, unless you have already requested this and it is recorded in your notes. 01606 861120.

Most tests take approximately 2 working days to return, with specialised tests taking longer. X-ray and scan results are usually received by the practice 7-10 days after the test was performed. It is your responsibility to telephone for results, as we process large numbers of tests each day and are unable to telephone individual results.

The practice offers a range of options for making practice appointments for the doctor or nurse. They can be made by:

Telephone 01606 861120

Call in at reception

Book with NHS App

Download the NHS App, or open the NHS website in a web browser, to set up and log in to your NHS account.

To Cancel an Appointment

To cancel an appointment within 24 hours please call the above number 01606 861120.

Appointment Information

We have a wide range of appointment times available for both doctors and practice nurses.

Seeing the doctor may not always be necessary. Please check the practice team and their roles to see who can deal with your questions best.

Appointments can be booked up to 3 months in advance. Many problems concerning advice can be dealt with over the phone and it may be more convenient for the doctor or nurse to telephone you. If you think this is appropriate please advise reception staff when you call. It might not be your usual GP who will contact you.

We will always deal with urgent requests that day. If surgeries are already fully booked, and you do not feel that your problem will wait until the next available routine appointment, the receptionist will arrange for a doctor or nurse to telephone you to discuss the most appropriate way of managing your request.

If you need an appointment with a nurse, please inform the receptionist of the type of appointment required, (e.g. blood test, ear syringing, cervical smear, travel vaccine, dressing, blood pressure monitoring, new patient medical etc.) so that adequate time can be made available.

GP appointments are routinely set at 10 minutes and nurse appointments at 15 minutes. If you feel you need more time please mention this to the receptionist when making the appointment.

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).

How to place an order for a repeat prescription:

• Completing the repeat prescription slip provided with your medication.
• Online Via NHS App
• Providing a legible hand-written list of the items (including dosage, frequency of administration and quantity).

Both the above can be hand-delivered:

• Using the post box in the surgery
• Using the external post box outside of normal surgery hours

Alternatively the completed prescription or hand-written list can be:

• Posted to Wharton Primary Healthcare Ctr, Crook Lane, Wharton, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 3GY. Please remember to include a stamped addressed envelope if you require your paper prescription posted back to you.

Please allow 48 hours from ordering your repeat prescription to picking up the medication.

Occasionally the doctor may request that you book an appointment to discuss your prescription request.

All patients receiving repeat prescriptions will need to be reviewed by a doctor at least annually for monitoring and review of their medication.

If you live within the practice boundaries (if you are unsure our team will be happy to help) you can register at the practice.

You can either register by visiting our practice and speaking to one of our reception team who will help you complete a form or by downloading the form beforehand and taking it to our reception team.

More information can be found on our ‘New Patient registration’ page.

If you have a new address or phone number then please contact our reception team who will be able to update your details on our system.

Most adults in England have to pay prescription charges.

Some items are always free, including contraceptives and medicines prescribed for hospital inpatients.

The current prescription charge is £9.35 per item.

A prescription prepayment certificate (PPC) could save you money on NHS prescription costs:

• a 3-month PPC costs £30.25
• a 12-month PPC is £108.10

Find out how to save money with a PPC

There’s no need to book in to see a GP, you can book in to see the midwife. Our receptionist will be able to assist you with this.

The CQC (Care Quality Commission) is the organisation making sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and encourage care services to improve.

Before a care provider can carry out any of the activities that regulated by the CQC, they must register and satisfy them that they will be able to meet a number of legal requirements. Activities regulated includes the treatment, care and support provided by hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, ambulance services, care homes and home-care agencies.

For more information about the CQC, you can visit their website.

The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’. Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive the most appropriate medical care from the most appropriate health professional at the most appropriate time.

The receptionists are asked to collect brief information from patients to help:

• doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
• ensure patients receive the appropriate level of care
• direct patients to see the nurse or other health professionals rather than a doctor where appropriate.

Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules:

• Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.
• The practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with it accordingly.
• You can ask to speak to the receptionist in private, away from the reception desk.
• However, if you feel your issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is, then this will be respected.