DANBURY MEDICAL
CENTRE
The Partnership of:
Drs McAllister, Dollery, Plate, Crane, Hunt & Mrs L Hunt
DANBURY MEDICAL CENTRE
The Partnership of:
Drs McAllister, Dollery, Plate, Crane, Hunt & Mrs L Hunt
INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS
Eves Corner, Danbury, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 4QA
Tel: 01245 221777
Fax: 01245 221779
www.danburymedicalcentre.co.uk
Welcome
To Danbury Medical Centre
The Practice Team
Dr Patricia McAllister BM MRCGP DRCOG
Date of reg: July 1982
Grew up in Kent before training at Southampton University Medical School. Worked in Hull and Eastbourne
and moved to Danbury to join this practice as a Partner in 1986. She is one of the GP Trainers.
Dr McAllister’s usual working days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.
Dr Caroline Dollery MRCGP MB ChB MSc
Date of reg: July 1984
Originally from South Wales and trained in Edinburgh. Moved to Danbury when she became a GP. Special
interests include family medicine, cardiology and mental health.
Dr Dollery’s usual working days are Tuesday & Wednesday.
Dr Robert Plate Medical State Exam (equiv-PhD)
Date of reg: Nov 1996
Dr Plate is German and studied in Hanover, where he also did research at the University Hospital. His GP
vocational training was in Chelmsford with his registrar year at Lee House. After a year in Australia working
in oncology and psychiatry he returned to join the practice as a partner in 2002. He has a special interest in
palliative care and pain management.
Dr Plate’s usual working days are Monday & Wednesday.
Dr Sarah Crane MA MB BS DFFP DRCOG
Date of reg: Aug 2001
Graduated from King's College London and completed registrar training at Lee House. Special interests
include obstetrics, gynaecology, diabetes and psychiatry.
Dr Crane’s usual working days are Tuesday &Thursday.
Dr Nigel Hunt MB ChB MSc (GP) MSc (Med Ed) FRCGP DCH DRCOG DPD
Date of Reg: July 1982
Trained at Liverpool Medical School. Joined the practice as a Partner in 2005. One of the GP Trainers at the
practice and Associate Director for General Practice in the Eastern of England Deanery.
Dr Hunt’s usual working days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday.
Dr Kate Brock MBBS MRCP DRCOG MRCGP
Trained at King’s College London. Dr Bartlett’s special interests include care of the elderly.
Dr Brock’s usual working days are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Practice Nurses
Karen Simkins
Cathy Ekins
Sally MacRae
Jackie Hall
Edel Payne
Jo Fawkes
Nurse Practitioner Diploma
Practice Nurse
Practice Nurse
Practice Nurse
Practice Nurse
Healthcare Assistant
Business Partner
Lindsey Hunt qualified in Primary Health Care Management in 2001 at the University of London. She is a
Member of the Association of Managers in General Practice and the Institute of Healthcare Management.
She commenced as Practice Manager in 2001 and joined the partnership as Business Partner in January
2007.
Dispensary Consultant
Samantha Young
Community Nurses (District Nurses)
The community nurses attached to the practice offer nursing treatment to the housebound, those recently
discharged from hospital and support to carers. These visits are normally arranged by the hospital on
discharge or by the doctor in other circumstances.
Health Visitors
The health visitors may be contacted on telephone number 01245 318300 where a message may be left in
their absence.
Counsellors
Counselling services are available by referral from your doctor, for help and support with emotional
difficulties, bereavement or other life crises.
To Contact Us:
Tel: 01245 221777 – If you wish to book a future appointment please call after 10.00am.
In order to deal with your call effectively, please select from the following options:
Select 1 Select 2 Select 3 Select 4 Select 5 -
Appointments.
Dispensary queries - please call between12.30 - 2.00pm. Please note: 48 hours is
required for the issuing of repeat prescriptions.
Nurse advice - please call between 11.00am - 12 noon.
Results and transport requests - please call after 2.00pm.
Queries regarding referrals or insurance reports.
For anything else please hold for the operator.
Services Offered
Appointments
The surgery is open 8.00am - 6.30pm Monday to Friday and patients are seen by appointment.
Appointments run between 8.00am to 1.30pm and from 2.00pm to 6.00pm. The telephone is often busy
early in the morning, so if your call is routine please ring later in the day.
From 1st July 2015 Commuter Clinics will be open between the hours of 7.00am-8.00am Monday, 6.30pm8.00pm Monday and 7.00am-8.00am on Friday. These pre-bookable appointments are for patients not
easily able to access appointments during the working day.
Two clinicians, working alongside each other, will treat all patients suffering an acute illness who require an
urgent appointment for the day. Telephone consultations will be offered as well as face to face contact. To
allow the emergency same day surgery to run efficiently, these appointments will be for 10 minutes only
and for one clinical problem per appointment. If patients require further advice on other matters then we
ask you to book another appointment with a GP.
All other GP appointments will be bookable up to 4 weeks in advance and we will attempt to offer patients
their GP of choice. Please be aware that most GPs are part time and therefore we cannot guarantee
availability.
Visits will continue to be offered at the GPs discretion.
Dr Patricia McAllister
Dr Caroline Dollery
MONDAY
TUESDAY
am
*
*
pm
*
am
WEDNESDAY
*
***
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
*
*
*
*
***
pm
Dr Robert Plate
Dr Sarah Crane
am
*
*
pm
*
*
am
*
*
*
am
*
*
**
*
pm
*
*
*
*
pm
Dr Nigel Hunt
Dr Mark Greenhalgh
Dr Sam Bhima
Dr Kate Brock
Dr Hamza Alao
Dr Uzma Ahmad
am
*
*
pm
*
*
am
*
*
*
pm
*
*
*
am
*
*
*
*
pm
*
*
*
*
am
*
*
*
*
*
pm
*
*
*
*
am
*
*
*
*
pm
*
*
*
*
*
* when a GP is in attendance and usually available for consultation
** subject to change
***Dr Dollery on secondment in 2014/15
Please note that the normal Out Of Hours (OOH) service for urgent medical attention outside of the core
Monday to Friday surgery hours of 8.00am to 6.30pm is accessible by telephoning 01245 221777.
What Sort Of Problems Can The Nurse Advise About Over The Telephone?
If you have a question about your medication or treatment or need health or travel advice, ask to speak to
the nurse. If you are unsure whether you need a doctor appointment, the nurse will be able to advise you.
When Should I Ask For A Nurse Practitioner Appointment?
A nurse practitioner can assess, diagnose and treat illness and prescribe medication. She can refer you for
tests or onto one of our own GPs as appropriate. You will find that the nurse practitioner is the person to
book with on the day if you have an acute illness.
The nurse practitioner clinics are available daily.
When Should I Ask For A Nurse Appointment?
Many of you know that the nurses at Danbury Medical Centre are a vital part of the team and provide a
wide range of services including:
• Minor injuries and skin dressings
• Overseas travel clinic and vaccinations
• Childhood vaccinations and health advice for parents of young children
• New patient screening
• Minor illness advice
In addition they provide routine care for a range of long-term health problems including:
• Asthma
• Diabetes
• Routine review of elderly
• High blood pressure
• Annual checks for angina and after a heart attack
Other Appointments
Appointments for the anticoagulation (INR) clinic, smoking cessation clinic, midwife, alcohol & drug abuse
service and mental health team are all booked in advance.
Help Us to Help You
Please bear in mind that the busiest time of the week is on Monday morning. If your problem is not urgent
it would be helpful if you would choose another time or day to telephone.
The telephones and reception desk may be busy when you call. Please be patient, we will help you as soon
as possible. If you are unable to keep your appointment please remember to let us know so that someone
else can be seen.
Out of Hours
Our telephones are switched to emergency cover services between 6.30pm and 8.00am. On weekdays
between the hours of 6.30pm and 8.00am, and all day and night at weekends and on bank holidays,
services are commissioned by NHS England. The provider of out-of-hours care is named Primecare.
In an emergency, out of telephone hours, please telephone the surgery number where your emergency call
will be diverted.
Please remember that in the event of an acute accident or emergency, you should dial 999.
Repeat Prescriptions
Repeat prescription requests should be left in the box provided in the entrance lobby. If you choose you
can also access the Danbury Medical Centre website - please include your full name, address and date of
birth.
Please allow the surgery at least two working days via email (www.danburymedicalcentre.co.uk) or in
person, to process your repeat prescriptions. The surgery is able to dispense medicines to patients who live
more than one mile from a pharmacy.
Dispensary
The dispensary is open:
Monday to Friday
8.00am to 6.30pm
The dispensary can be contacted by telephone Monday to Friday between 12.30 - 2.00pm.
Test Results
Patients are responsible for finding out results of their x-rays, blood tests and urine/stool samples. Please
telephone for your results after 2.00pm. Any specimens to be tested by the hospital must be brought to
the surgery before 10.30am to ensure they are in time for the collection service from Broomfield Pathology
or delivered in person to St Peter's Hospital.
Contraceptive Services
We offer full contraceptive services and advice at our surgery. In addition to normal nurse sessions, where
you can make an appointment, or just drop in to see one of our trained practice nurses, we can also
provide emergency contraception and contraceptive services to non-patients.
Cervical Smear Screening
In line with health authority policy, we recommend a smear every 3 years from age 25 until 50, and then 5
yearly until aged 65, unless greater frequency is advised. To ensure maximum accuracy, if you still have
periods, it is advisable not to have the smear test taken during a period, before or after one. It is best to
have a smear taken between 10 and 14 days from the first day of bleeding. Call us at the beginning of your
period to enable us to secure an appointment for the appropriate days.
Minor Surgery
Some simple minor surgery procedures are performed in normal surgery times by arrangement with the
GP.
Medical Examinations
Medicals for special purposes, for example pre-employment, fitness to travel and insurance, may be
arranged by appointment. A fee will be payable. A list of fees is displayed at reception.
Travel Immunisations and Vaccinations
Please make an appointment at least eight weeks in advance of your travel to ensure adequate cover. A
charge will be made for vaccinations not covered by the NHS. Please go to the website (www.fit for
travel.nhs.uk), to ascertain what vaccinations are required for your destination or visit their website
www.masta.org. Our practice is a recognised Yellow Fever vaccination centre (a charge is made for this
vaccination). Please keep your record of immunisation safe.
Flu Vaccinations/Pneumococcal Vaccinations
Flu vaccinations are available from October each year for those at risk, including patients over 65 years of
age, diabetics, severe asthmatics and those suffering with chronic heart or lung conditions and renal
problems. Appointments must be booked through the reception team.
Other Information
Registration
Patients are registered with the practice, not with an individual GP. Your medical card will be issued in the
name of one of the GP Partners. However, you can at any time express a preference for a practitioner, for
either all of your medical needs or on a
case-by-case basis. This preference will be recorded in your
medical notes. Whilst the practice will always try to comply with your requests on all occasions, it may not
always be possible.
The Partnership of Drs McAllister, Dollery, Plate, Crane, Hunt & Hunt is a full equal partnership with no
restriction or limitations. The partnership is contracted to the NHS to provide general medical services to
patients registered with our practice and temporary residents within our practice boundary (as agreed with
the NHS). We also provide immediately necessary treatment for any person not registered with the
practice who has a medical emergency within our practice boundary. All patients registering at our surgery
will be asked to complete a new patient questionnaire. Children under five years of age will be assessed by
our health visitors, which will enable you to discuss any questions regarding your child's health,
immunisations, development or behaviour.
Named GP
From April 2105 GP surgeries are required to provide all patients with a named GP who will have
overall responsibility for the care and support that the Practice provides to them. Having a
named GP does not prevent you from seeing your usual GP or any other GP in the Practice.
Training Practice
Danbury Medical Centre participates in the further training of doctors who are experienced in hospital
medicine and wish to make their career in general practice. We also facilitate the training of medical
students, nurses, administrative staff and work experience students. Occasionally we wish to video
consultations but only with the patient's consent. Confidentiality is respected for patients of all ages and all
our staff are bound by the same strict code of confidentiality that is observed by the doctors. As a training
practice we are subject to an inspection every three years. Part of the process is an inspection of medical
records for quality, not content. If a patient objects they must let the practice know and these notes will be
withdrawn.
Parking
Limited car parking is available for patients visiting the surgery. A bay is allocated for disabled drivers and
two bays allocated for doctors on call. Please respect the use of these.
Disabled Access
Patient services are provided at ground level. If you need assistance, please speak to the receptionist.
Sickness Certificates
Doctors are not obliged to issue ‘sick notes’ for periods of absence from work of less than seven days,
including weekends. After three days of absence you should obtain a self certificate from your employer or
from the practice. If your employers insist on a ‘private certificate’ then either they or you must be
prepared to pay a fee for this service. An up-to-date list of fees is displayed in the reception area.
Home Visits
Patients who are too ill to come to the surgery can be visited in their own homes. House calls are, however,
very time consuming so we ask you to come to the surgery whenever possible. If you do not have a car
available, perhaps a neighbour can help. There is no danger (and often many advantages) in bringing a
feverish child to the surgery. Whenever possible, please make requests for visits before 11.00am. Home
visits are at the doctor's discretion.
Violent Patients - Zero Tolerance
The NHS operates a Zero Tolerance Policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right
to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients
and other persons.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear
for a person's safety. In this situation we are obliged to notify the patient in writing of their removal from
the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and circumstances leading to it.
The PCT is then responsible for providing further medical care for such patients.
The Patient Reference Group
All registered patients are welcome to join our online Patient Reference Group. The key roles
of the group are:

Create and improve two-way information between patients, the Practice and the





community it serves
Provide an avenue for patients’ input in the way facilities and services are planned
Provide constructive two-way feedback on patients’ needs, concerns and interests
Collect patient opinions and experiences to help the practice evaluate services
To communicate to the practice community information about the practice
If you would like to be part of a constructive forum who give feedback on issues and
changes that happen at the surgery
The Patient Involvement Group
The Patient Involvement Group (PIG) is a registered charity based in Danbury, whose aim is to improve the
healthcare of people residing in Danbury and surrounding villages by helping to provide facilities,
information and equipment not normally available through the NHS. For further information please
contact Tony Williams, Chairman in writing c/o Danbury Medical Centre or Wyncroft Surgery.
Complaints and Suggestions
We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice. However, we
are aware that things can sometimes go wrong and, understandably, this may result in a patient feeling
that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as
quickly, and as amicably, as possible.
Simply put your complaint in writing to Lindsey Hunt, the Business Partner and she will set all the necessary
wheels in motion.
Further written information is available on the complaints procedure from reception.
In a more positive vein, we are continually striving to improve our service, so any helpful suggestions would
be much appreciated.
Patient Rights and Responsibilities
You have a right to expect a high standard of medical care from our practice and we will try at all times to
provide the very best care possible within the resources available.
In order to assist us in this we require that you take full responsibility for ensuring that you do not abuse
the service. It is your responsibility to ensure that you keep appointments and follow the medical advice
given. Occasionally a practice/patient relationship breaks down completely. In this situation the patient
may choose to register with a different practice. The practice also has the right to remove that patient
from their list. This would generally only follow a warning that had failed to remedy the situation and we
would normally give the patient a specific reason for the removal.
Freedom of Information – Publication Scheme
The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act was passed on 30 November 2000. It gives a general right of access
to all types of recorded information held by public authorities, with full access granted in January 2005. The
Act sets out exemptions to that right and places certain obligations on public authorities.
FOI replaced the Open Government Code of Practice, which had been in operation since 1994.
Data Protection And FOI – How Do The Two Interact?
The Data Protection Act 1998 came into force on 1 March 2000. It provides living individuals with a right of
access to personal information held about them. The right applies to all information held in computerised
form and also to non-computerised information held in filing systems structured so that specific
information about particular individuals can be readily retrieved.
Individuals already have the right to access information about themselves (personal data), which is held on
computer and in some paper files under the Data Protection Act 1998.
The right also applies to those archives that meet these criteria. However, the right is subject to
exemptions, which could determine whether or not information is provided. Requests will be dealt with on
a case by case basis.
The Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act are the responsibility of the Lord Chancellor’s
Department, a few of its strategic objectives being:
•
•
•
•
To improve people’s knowledge and understanding of their rights and responsibilities
Seeking to encourage an increase in openness in the public sector
Monitoring the Code of Practice on access to government information
Developing a data protection policy which properly balances personal information privacy with
the need for public and private organisations to process personal information
The Data Protection Act does not give third parties rights of access to personal information for research
purposes.
The FOI Act does not give individuals access to their personal information, though if a request is made, the
Data Protection Act gives the individual this right. If the individual chooses to make this information public
it could be used alongside non-personal information gained by the public under the terms of the FOI Act.
Useful Telephone Numbers
Action for family carers
Age UK/Essex
Braintree Community Hospital
BT Customer Services
Chelmsford Hospice (Farleigh)
Citizens Advice Bureau- Chelmsford
Citizens Advice Bureau- Maldon
DIAL – Disabled information advice line
Drug & Alcohol Team (Changes)
East of England Strategic Health Authority
Essex Young People’s Drug & Alcohol Service
Family Health Services
Mid Essex Hospitals Broomfield, St..Michael’s & C&E.
Mid Essex Hospitals (Broomfield Appointments)
Mid Essex Hospitals (St. Peter’s Hospital)
Open Road - Chelmsford
Open Road (Drug & Alcohol Support) Essex
NHS Direct
Red Cross Society (Equipment loan) Chelmsford
Red Cross Society (Equipment loan) Maldon
Samaritans
Sexual Health /Gum Clinic
Social Services
01621 851640
01245 346106
01376 555900
150
01245 457300
08449 938664
01621 841195
01268 294400
01245 318580
01223 597500
01245 493311
0113 3071500
01245 443673
01245 513900
01621 725323
01245 284772
08444 991323
0845 46 47
01245 280283
01621 855277
08457 90 90 90
01245 315901
0845 6037630
NHS England
NHS England, Swift House, Hedgerows Business Park, Colchester Road, Springfield, Chelmsford CM2 5PF
Telephone: 01245 398770