Appointments
Doctors and Nurse appointments are available between the hours of 9a.m. to 5 pm. ( last appointment is 4.45 pm) Lunchtime appointments are available and occasionally the doctors will see a patient before 9.00 am by appointment
Consultations are by appointment only for the patient for whom they are made. Please do not bring a second person to your appointment in the hope that they will be seen. Your allocated appointment time is for you benefit and your doctor needs to concentrate on you.
Appointments are offered on first availability basis. Same day appointments are neither guaranteed nor always available.
A preferred doctor is not always available. If you are acutely unwell, we would ask that your see the first available doctor.
Each consultation whether brief or long must be recorded on a patients file by the GP and may require additional works done in the patient’s absence.
If you are accommodated as a medical emergency, please note your appointment may be brief and relevant only to your immediate complaint.
This practice tries to see all patients as soon as possible. If there are no appointments available, reception does operate a “cancellation list” and patients are offered these as they arise. IN THIS REGARD, IF YOU CANNOT KEEP AN APPOINTMENT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LET US KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN OFFER YOUR APPOINTMENT TO ANOTHER PATIENT. IF YOU ARE ON A CANCELLATION LIST, PLEASE ENSURE YOU PROVIDE A TELEPHONE NUMBER THAT YOU WILL ANSWER . RECEPTION WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST IF THE CALL IS UNANSWERED.
Routine Appointments usually run on time but acutely ill patients or medical emergencies do arise and in this regard, if your own appointment is delayed, we can only ask that you wait or arrange an appointment for another day if you cannot.
If you have a number of matters to discuss over and above a routine appointment or you require a procedure, you must indicate this when making the appointment so that adequate appointment time may be booked out. Please note there may be an extra charge for a double appointment.
House calls – these may not always be practicable so you might request same as early as possible in the day. Please leave your telephone number where you will be available to take a call from the Doctor who will make the arrangement with you directly.
Emergencies – If someone presents acutely unwell in reception , appointments will be delayed until that patient is stabilised and an ambulance arrives, if necessary. In this regards, if your appointment was “routine”, It may be cancelled and the next available appointment offered.
Precedent chaperone policy for a GP practice
King’s Island Medical Centre is committed to providing all patients with a safe, comfortable environment. If you would like a chaperone present during your consultation, please advise the Receptionist when booking your appointment.
You may also ask for a chaperone on arrival for an appointment, although the practice cannot guarantee a chaperone being available at short notice. If this is the case your examination will be cancelled.”
SERVICES and CHARGES
- The price list for consultations and various services and treatments is available on reception or the website. Please click here to view.
- If you are the holder of a valid in date medical card, please note that not all items are covered by your card for example. Please check on reception or the website.
- Receipts are issued and available for each payment.
- If you are having difficulty paying for a procedure etc. please let us know on reception and we can arrange a payment plan for you.
- If your medical card has been cancelled or gone out of date, you have to pay for your consultations and medicines. Application or a reference number for your application or entitlement to same is NOT sufficient to cover the cost of attending with the GP. We are happy to assist in making applicaito for your medical card if you are having any difficutly doing so.
- U 60 and Over 70 year old patients are entitled to a Doctor Visit card as a right so please make sure you apply for same.
- If you have medical insurance, please check with our insurer whether any procedures you can avail of at the surgery are covered by your policy if done by your GP. Some insurers do not cover your costs.
- Please check on revenue.ie for your med 1 forms. www.revenue.ie/forms/med1.pdf
BLOOD TESTS
Blood tests are done before 12.00 pm Monday to Thursday. If you require bloods on a Friday you will have to arrange to bring them to the Laboratory in UHL before 2.p.m. sharp as the doors close.
Note re “Sick Certs”
If you or your child require a note for work or school to confirm same, you will have to attend the surgery on the first or second day of illness. Certificate will not be issued to advise “ we were informed….” . Please discuss with your employer or school whether they in fact expect that you would attend a doctor for a minor illness, where a doctor’s visit is not really required. Most employers do not require a “sick “ note for the first 3 days. Most schools will accept a parent’s note explaining a child’s illness. “Sick Cert” are €15.00.
If you require a continuation of a sick certificate, please contact reception . The doctor will review your file and advise accordingly as to the completion of same.
If you are in employment and will be out for over 6 days and availing of social welfare payments, please discuss with your doctor the completion of an MC1 during your consultation as these will not be issued retrospectively.
If you are going to be out for a number of weeks, please advise reception. MC2 certs can be collected each week after 2.pm. Please note that you will be called for review by the GP as appropriate and you will need to see the GP when returning to work if you require a final certificate or fitness to return to work Certificate.
Medical certificates
In general, work related Medical Certificates from a GP will only provide a confirmation that a patient is unfit for work with an indication of when the patient will be fit to resume work. Where it is considered necessary to provide additional information we will discuss that with the patient. However, Social Welfare Certificates of Incapacity for work must include the medical reason the patient is unfit to work
NOTE RE TEST RESULTS
Please telephon the Surgery on the Friday between 12 00 and 1.pm for blood test results .
Ultrasound and Xray results Please check with the hospital where you had the tests done as to when they will be faxing, emailing or posting your results to your GP . Please then contact us to check they have been received by us so that we can make sure the doctors have time to review them.
Please note hospitals do not automatically forward result of tests ordered in and carried out in the hospital or by your consultant to your gp. Sometimes these have to be requested. If you are waiting on such results please check with the hospital.
Results are downloaded each morning. Please ensure that you follow up with us for your results on a Friday .
Complaints
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.
However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, let us know so that we can deal with it and resolve it , if it is within our control and ability. You can email us or telephone reception to let us know so that we can deal with your concerns appropriately.
Anonymous Complaints
In the interest of fairness we cannot investigate anonymous complaints.
Vexatious Complaints
If following investigation a complaint is found to be frivolous or vexatious, we will not pursue the complaint any further. If a complaint is found to be vexatious or malicious, there will be no record of the complaint in the file of the staff member / service about which the complaint was made. Before the complaint is deemed vexatious the member of staff who receives it must bring it to the attention of the designated person in the Practice.
Procedure
Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and this may be the approach you try first. Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily. In any event, this should be within 12 months of the incident. Set out as clearly as you can what the problem is or was. If you are a patient here you can complain about your own care but it is not possible to complain about someone else’s treatment unless you have their written authority.
You can email us or Post or hand same in to the Practice Manager, King’s Island Medical Centre , Island Road, Limerick. We will acknowledge same on receipt and review it and contact you within 10 days of receipt.
When the investigations are complete your complaint will be determined and a final response sent to you. If your complaint is still not resolved to your satisfaction, there are several external options where you may bring your complaint:
HSE
Email:
Website: www.hse.ie
Infoline: 1850-24-1850
Address: Oak House, Millenium Park, Naas, Co. Kildare.
OMBUDSMAN FOR CHILDREN
Email:
Website: www.oco.ie
Infoline: 1800 20 20 40
Address: Millenium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1.
MEDICAL COUNCIL
Email:
Website: www.medicalcouncil.ie
Tel: 01 4983100
Address: Kingram House, Kingram Place, Dublin 2
AN BORD ALTRANAIS
Email:
Website: www.nursingboard.ie
Tel: 01 6398500
Address: 18-20 Carysfort Avenue, Blackrock, County Dublin
~ REMEMBER ~
Your opinion matters to us and your feedback is welcome and helpful.
Patient Doctor Relationship breakdown
This practice considers aggressive behaviour to be any personal, abusive or threatening comments, bad language, physical contact and aggressive gestures. We operate a "zero tolerance policy" with respect to the protection of all staff. This means that no abuse of doctors or staff is acceptable whether verbal or physical and any patient will be removed from the patient register with immediate effect.
It is also accepted that sometimes the patient/ doctor dynamic irretrievably breaks down. Where the practice feels this has happened , if it is found that on consultation with all staff members that there has been, for example,
- repetitive disruptive behaviour on the part of the patient
- frequent disregard for practice policies and procedures or inconveniencing of those patients who don’t behave like that
- Extreme rudeness to staff, especially profane language.
- Threats to any member of our clinical or office staff.
- Illegal requests. This includes anything from requests for backdated work excuses to requests that you bill services or write prescriptions using a name other than the patient’s so that insurance will cover it.
- Persistent refusal to take clinical advice and insist on a course of action that is not medical safe e.g Failing to comply with prescription dosages of controlled drugs
Then , all circumstances being taken into account, the patient will be asked to find another practice within 3 months and will be only seen in cases of acute or emergency illness pending transfer to another practice. In the case of Medical Card Holders, the HSE will be contacted and advised of the situation and requested to transfer the patient.
For the avoidance of doubt, it is accepted that we all have the occasional “off day” especially when patients are sick, it is understandable that they sometimes have short fuses, but this doesn’t give them license to browbeat your staff.
Confidentiality
Your medical records are held in the strictest confidence. The practice is computerised and registered under the Data Protection Act. It is practice and legal requirement that all staff maintain confidentiality of patient's records.
If you do consent to the sharing of your medical records with your legal advisors, insurers or other third parties, please note that all information on your file is shared. It cannot be edited or matters omitted unless same identifies the information of a third party. Please note that such reports must be factual, accurate and not misleading. Please make sure you fully understands the scope and purpose of the report and that the we cannot omit relevant information. If you wish to see a report before it is released, please advise.
The practice is has adopted the ICGP code of behaviour for the GDPR
TELEHONE CALLS
Doctors and nurses can only return phone calls when they are free.
Please ensure you leave a telephone number you can answer, in the event that your call cannot be taken when you telephone as they will usually return a call as soon as they are free to do so.
They will take a call if there is a medical emergency , from a pharmacist or hospital consultant regarding a patient, where possible.
Referral letters
Some referrals are done online. You can confirm on reception as to when these were done. You can contact OPD enquires 2/3 weeks after referral done to ascertain where you are on the waiting list of the speciality you were referred to or your consultant’s secretary as appropriate.
It is practice policy that patients post their own referral letters as you will know when you posted same and can follow up if you do not hear back within a reasonable time.
Waiting lists in every discipline can vary between 6 months to 2 years. The hospital triage all referrals and ultimately decide how a patient is graded clinically, which will dictate placement on an urgent or routine list in the hospital system.
Forms and Paperwork
Completion of forms will be done within 48 hours of being handed in.
Some forms will attract a charge and are not covered by a medical card or consultation fee for non- medical card holders. Eg. Fostering forms, insurance forms where the policy does not cover same.
Attendance with the Doctor is often required for some Department of Social Protection etc forms. Please leave your form in with your telephone number and reception will check and confirm with you.
Contacts notes
We do not email test results or answer medical queries by email as it is not considerate secure under the GDPR.
If you require urgent medical attention you need to telephone us 061 311811
Emails are only checked once a day
Telephone
Our tel line is 061 311811. If reception is not answering the phone it is because they are on another call or dealing with patients at the window. Please bear with us. They will answer you as soon a humanly possible. Lines open at 9 and close at 5.30. There is no facility for leaving messages. The Out of Hours for emergencies service opens at 5.30 til 9.00
Fax 061 313837
Comments
We are interested always in improving the practice and any constructive comments are more than welcome. In that context, please feel free to contact any of the principals or our practice manager
Lastly, the Surgery is a separate business to the HSE offices in the Primary Care Centre . If you are looking for a public health nurse, chiropodist, podiatrist, physiotherapist, counsellor or general information regarding HSE services please telephone 061 483020. There is no facility to put your through from the Surgery to the HSE.
