Appointments
Millcroft Medical Centre uses an appointment system. To make an appointment, please telephone 01270 275200, or call into the surgery,
You can also book online but you will need to register for this service first by supplying proof of identity. Please ask the Receptionist how to do this or view on our website under ‘Online Access’ for how to register.
At present we do not offer appointments on-line as all our appointment requests are triaged to make sure that they are directed to the correct clinician. This makes sure you are seen as quickly as possible, and by the most relevant clinician for your problem. Everyone’s way of working has had to change dramatically since Covid-19, and this includes general practice.
You may consult any of the doctors, but only one patient per appointment, please. Our clinicians do see patients ‘face to face’ in the surgery but you will be triaged first and a clinician will make this decision based on your problem. Instead of seeing a GP, it may be more suitable for you to see an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, who is a highly trained health professional who has had extra training, gained academic qualifications and has expert knowledge and skills in General Practice.
If you cannot keep an appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so that it can be given to someone else. Appointments can also be cancelled from your appointment reminder text message.
Each doctor books a morning surgery running from about 8.30am until 11am; afternoon appointments are between 3.00pm and 5.30pm. There are appointments until 7.20pm on Monday evenings, and appointments from 7.00am on Wednesdays and Thursdays. You can book up to 2 weeks in advance, but we also have appointments that are available within 2 days if you need to be seen quickly. If you need to be seen on the same day, the receptionist will ask for a very brief idea of the reason for your request so that we can find the most appropriate service for you. Although we aim to provide continuity of care, we cannot guarantee that you will always be able to see the doctor of your choice.
Extended Hours Appointments
South Cheshire and Vale Royal GPs are now offering extended hours appointments at selected practices which will be known as GP Hubs.
These appointments are available to any registered patients from any practice within the boundaries of South Cheshire and Vale Royal.
Please ask your Practice receptionist who can book you an appointment.
To find out more visit www.gpopenforyou.co.uk
Arriving for your appointment
When you arrive for your appointment, please book in at reception, either by telling the receptionist that you have arrived or by using the automated check in screen. If you do use the screen, remember to check that your details shown are correct and which waiting room you are asked to use, A or B.
Please sit in the waiting room and watch the electronic board. When it is your turn to be seen, there will be a “beep” and the display will tell you to which room you should go.
Flu Season 2021/22
This year, more than ever, it is important to keep yourself fit and well.
Millcroft Medical Centre is currently planning for this year’s flu season, and wants to reassure all our patients that we are working hard to ensure that we keep you safe when you come for your flu jab – ensuring no long queues, or crowded waiting rooms!
We will also be offering a wider range of appointment times, including weekends and evenings. The vaccines will be delivered from September we will be inviting eligible patients nearer the time.
If you wish to discuss any concerns about attending a flu clinic, please contact us and we will be happy to talk you through our plans.
Order a Repeat Prescription
It is not usually possible to obtain a prescription without seeing the doctor unless you have been given a computerised repeat prescription sheet. There are several ways to pre-order your repeat medication:-
- Post the tear-off slip to the surgery or drop it in at reception or in our outside letter-box.
- Via the internet on Patient Access or via the app NHS App on your mobile phone —please click here for information on how to register for this service.
- Via our new e-mail address dedicated to prescription ordering: scccg.millcroftprescriptions@nhs.net
- please note this e-mail address is for repeat prescription ordering only. Any other requests made to this e-mail address will not be dealt with.
We do not ordinarily accept telephone requests on the main surgery phone line to re-order items.
Repeat prescriptions will be sent to your nominated pharmacy two working days after they have been requested. This is the case even if they are being sent electronically. For example, if you make your request on Monday, the prescription will be at your pharmacy on Wednesday. Please allow time for your pharmacist to process your prescription. Please take note of our half-day closures for training – see News for dates.
Prescription charges from 1st April 2022 – £9.35 per item
Electronic Prescription Service
If you get regular prescriptions, the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) will save you time by avoiding unnecessary trips to your GP practice. EPS makes it possible for your prescriptions to be sent electronically to the pharmacy or dispenser of your choice.
Choosing a pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to process your EPS prescription is called nomination.
This means you’ll no longer have to collect a paper repeat prescription from your GP practice – queuing to pick up your prescription from reception. Instead, you can go straight to the nominated pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor to pick up your medicines or medical appliances. If you order your repeat prescription on-line or via e-mail, this will mean you can order your medication without calling into the GP practice at all.
Because your pharmacist has already received your electronic prescription, they may be able to prepare your items in advance, so you just have to collect it with no extra wait. However, this depends on the capacity of pharmacists on the day, and may not be possible all the time. Some pharmacists now text the patient to say their prescription is now ready.
All our prescriptions will now be processed electronically wherever possible, so please nominate a pharmacy next time you call into your surgery so you can start using this service immediately.
Electronic prescriptions help save the NHS money. Read more about EPS on the NHS website.
Making a blood test appointment
At the present time Covid-19 has forced the blood testing service to change the way you make a blood test appointment. As this service is run by the Phlebotomists we have no control over the changes, but they are made with patients best interest.
This page will keep you up to date on how to make a blood test appointment and any changes that are made regarding this service.
Updated 20th July 2020 – To make a blood test appointment:
We would like to apologise for any delays experienced when
arranging a blood test. To help with demand, please see below
options of how to book an appointment:
- Speak to your GP – many GPs are now booking their own
patients for blood tests at their surgery - E-mail the phlebotomy department with your name and contact number, on one of the following email addresses:
blood.tests@mcht.nhs.uk for appointments not needed in the next two days.
VIN.bloodtests@mcht.nhs.uk for appointments at Victoria Infirmary, Northwich.
phlebotomy.clinic@mcht.nhs.uk for urgent appointments needed in the next two days.
From 4th August 2020
The above system will change. From Tuesday 4th August you will phone Millcroft Medical Centre who will make your blood appointment directly.
Mental Health
The Wellbeing Hub
The Wellbeing Hub combines IAPT and Gateway services to support patients with common mental health problems in the community and acts as a resource for GPs and other community services. It is also a single point of access into secondary care mental health services.
Using a stepped care approach, the team provide assessment and treatment which can include guided self-help, group work, individual therapy and signposting. The team will also refer on to other appropriate services as required. This includes secondary care/specialist mental health services, community services and third sector services.
http://webstore.cwp.nhs.uk/iapt/WellbeingHubleaflet.pdf
Self help guides as promoted by Gateway Services
On abuse, alcohol and you, anxiety, bereavement, controlling anger, depression and low mood, domestic violence, eating disorders, food for thought, health anxiety, hearing voices, OCD, panic, PTS, postnatal depression, self harm, shyness and social anxiety, sleeping problems, stress
YouinMind
Find local mental health support in your area
Military Veterans
Improving psychological wellbeing, increasing social networks and supporting long term recovery of veterans.
www.gmw.nhs.uk/military-veterans-services
New Leaf and New Leaf Mental Health Support
Carers
Are you a carer?
Carers provide substantial, unpaid support to someone who needs extra help to manage day-to-day life. They may not live in the same house, and they do not have to be related to the person they look after.
Caring for someone covers lots of different things, like helping with washing, dressing, or eating, taking someone to regular appointments or even just being there for them.
You cannot care for someone else if you don’t care for yourself!
There are many professional support groups for carers, friends, or their family, who can give support or information or even just a shoulder to lean on. Most carers are happy to look after their relations or friends but sometimes need extra help or support to continue their caring role.
Am I a ‘young carer’?
You are a young carer if you are under 18 years old and help to look after a relative with a disability. Caring can take any form, you may do extra jobs around the house, maybe even cook tea, help someone get dressed, give emotional support to the person you care for, and to the rest of your family. If you generally hold more responsibility for the wellbeing of a family member than would normally be expected of you, then you ARE a young carer.
Sometimes, just venting to your friends about anything tough at home can be a MASSIVE help. They’ll want to listen to you, comfort you and help you in any way that they can, even if it’s just the smallest conversation. Relaxing and watching TV is always a good form of self-care aswell!
Print off a Carers Emergency Cards. In the event of an accident or illness, this will inform someone what to do, if you are a carer.
Useful Websites for Carers
Cheshire East Live Well Young Hub (for young and adult carers)
Live Well:– a website dedicated to health, social and community services
Don’t struggle in silence – there is help available.
Phone Consultations
We are being encouraged by NHS England to provide telephone consultations.
We feel that it is really difficult for a patient to judge what conditions can be dealt with via a phone-call consultation. It’s difficult for us to know sometimes! And what we really want to do is avoid wasting appointments which will happen if phone call consultations frequently result in follow up face-to-face GP appointments.
We welcome the concept of telephone consultations as a good way of communicating with patients who might work a long way away, or relatives of the frail elderly who have a concern about their mum or dad. Therefore, through Nurse Triage, Care Co-ordination and the “What happens next doc?” system we will provide telephone call consultations and hopefully we will be putting them to the best use.
Submit a Urine Sample
Usually your GP or Nurse will have given you a form (either a computer generated form or a Millcroft form) to accompany the sample, or a Doctor or Nurse will have arranged for you to collect a pot and form from the Reception Desk B. Please ask the Receptionist at Desk B for the form and pot.
All samples put into the sample box must be accompanied by either
- A computer-generated form
(with sticky labels for you to attach to the pot)
- The GP or Nurse generated Millcroft form
(you will need to write your name and DOB and date of collection on the pot if the Nurse or GP has not already done this) OR
- A (yellow) form that you have completed-located at the Reception Desk B (to the left and by the wall-waiting room area side) next to the sample collection box.
(you will need to write your name and DOB and date of collection on the pot)
There are bags alongside the form for the sample and the form to go in.
Any sample not named/DOB, not in a bag, not in a suitable container, and not accompanied by a form cannot be processed.
It is essential that we have your contact details in case of a positive result
If you know that the intention was for the sample to be sent off to the lab (usually to exclude infection if you have recurrent urine infections) please ask the Receptionist at Reception B to generate a formal form for you on the computer.
If this is not possible for any reason, make it clear on the yellow form that you have completed that the sample is to be SENT TO THE LAB TO EXCLUDE A URINE INFECTION. The sample should be in a red top pot to exclude a urine infection and a white/silver topped pot for all other samples.
If you have brought the urine sample in a white pot but it is to be sent away to exclude infection, please transfer the contents into a red pot in the public conveniences located by the lifts. The red pots are supposed to have bits in the bottom. Do not discard these.
Urine samples for hypertension/CKD and diabetic patients are to test for protein. This should be the first sample of the day and should be in a white or silver pot.
Cancel an Appointment
Those who attend the surgery will know that we display how many people failed to attend their appointment in the preceding month, and people are often horrified at the numbers of DNA’s (Did Not Attend).
If you know that you cannot attend an appointment please cancel it as soon as possible. If patients cancel appointments 20 minutes before they are due to be seen we can’t always fill them so they are “lost”.
If you have to cancel an early morning slot please try to avoid cancelling the appointment the night before (after 6pm) or in the morning of the appointment (before 8am). We cannot fill these slots because the surgery is closed. These “lost” appointments are equivalent to not attending in terms of provision of appointments.
This is an especially important for long term condition slots and Nexplanon insertion appointments. 30 minutes of doctor/nurse time are lost for each of these type of appointment and 20 minutes of GP time for a baby check DNA.
- The NHS belongs to all of us – help us to keep it working smoothly by turning up for appointments
- Every time you see a GP it costs the NHS £43, on average, for a 12-minute consultation
- A visit to Accident and Emergency costs £112
- Did you know that an outpatient appointment costs £115?
Please cancel appointments you cannot attend.
Change Your Contact Details
Please ensure that the practice is kept informed of any change in address or telephone number as soon as possible. If you are expecting an appointment at the hospital, please make sure that you let the hospital know of your new contact details too.
We send out appointment reminders to our patients so please make sure your mobile number is up to date on our records and let us know if you change your number.
When emergencies happen, we may need to cancel your appointment at short notice. If we have your correct mobile number on our records, we can contact you quickly to let you know this, and save you a wasted journey to the practice.
Please be aware that, if you move to an address outside our practice area, you will be asked to register with a practice closer to your home. If you are in doubt, ask about this before you move.
Click here to print off our ‘Change of Address Form’. Please complete a separate form for anyone over 16 years of age who is also changing their address.
