VILLAGE SURGERY
Amenbury Lane Harpenden
All enquiries 01582 712021
Appointments 01582 763951
Out of Hours: 111
Marford Road Wheathampstead
All enquiries 01582 833446
Appointments 01582 832258
Out of Hours 111
www.thevillagesurgeries.co.uk
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Welcome
Our Practice has had a long established tradition of providing high quality medical care in
Harpenden, Wheathampstead and the surrounding area since before the National Health
Service came into being. By endeavouring to provide a caring and personal service whilst
keeping abreast of the latest medical developments, it is our intention that this tradition
continues.
If you have any suggestions please contact either
Sylvia Foster, Practice Manager or
Anita Mixides Deputy Practice Manager
PRACTICE MANAGER
Mrs Sylvia Foster
General practice is always changing and it is the role of the manager to co-ordinate and
organise the practice. Mrs Sylvia Foster is here to ensure that the practice runs smoothly.
She will help you with any administrative problems and is pleased to receive any suggestions
you may have about improving the services available.
Website
www.thevillagesurgeries.co.uk
Twitter
DEPUTY PRACTICE MANAGER
Anita Mixides manages the Wheathampstead Surgery and assists Sylvia. Anita is also
responsible for dealing with any patient complaints, the IT and telephone systems.
PRACTICE NURSING TEAM
Mrs Jackie Kent – Practice Nurse
Mrs Deborah Gray – Practice Nurse
Mrs Charlotte Sharman- Practice Nurse
Kelly Wingfield - Healthcare Assistant
@tvs_GP
If you are interested in joining our Patient Group please
complete the form on the website.
Health and Safety - Infection Control
RECEPTIONISTS, MEDICAL SECRETARIES & ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Julie Dowding Head of Reception Harpenden
We have four medical secretaries and sixteen receptionists over the two sites.
We also have a registration manager and contracts manager.
Our team of receptionists are here to help you make appointments to see the Doctors and
Nurses. They also help you with other questions you may have about our services. If they
cannot answer a query they will find someone else who can or phone you back
Our patients health and safety is most important
If you believe you could be suffering from an infectious
disease – please inform reception – we can then isolate you in
a separate waiting area
DISTRICT NURSES
This team is able to offer care and support to those patients with serious illnesses or
disability, within their own homes. At the request of the doctor they can visit and assess
patients.
COMMUNITY MIDWIFE
The Midwife shares responsibility for your antenatal care with your doctor and the hospital.
She arranges antenatal visits and preparation for parenthood classes. Clinics are held both
surgeries – please ring reception to make an appointment.
HEALTH VISITORS
There is no Health Visitor at the surgery but the Health Visitor for the catchment area can be
reached on 01582 715675
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Doctors
Advice and Support
St Albans Borough Council
01727 866100
St Albans City Hospital
01727 866122
Hemel Hempstead Hospital
01442 213141
Watford General Hospital
01923 266366
Social Services
0300 123 4044
Relate
01727 858126
Citizens Advice
01582 769387
National Childbirth Trust
0844 243 6153
Terence Higgins Trust
0808 802 1221
Cruse (Bereavement)
01582 491781
Age UK
01727 856741
Youth Talk
01727 829439
Victim Support
01707 280580
Hertfordshire NHS
01707 390855
Charter House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City
Herts AL8 6JL
Dr P Austen O'Hare
(M)
MB ChB, MSc, DRCOG, FRSA
Dr Deborah Gilham
(F)
MB BS, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr Robert Walker
(M)
MB BCh, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr S David Ingram
(M)
MB ChB, DRCOG, MRCGP
Dr Tania Goodwin
(F)
MB ChB, MRCGP
Dr Katherine
Solomons (F)
BM DCH DRCOG MRCGP
Dr Preetesh Modi
(M)
MB BS BSc MRCGP DRCOG
Dr Suma Grandhi (F)
MBBS BSc DRCOG
Dr Sheetal Purohit(F)
MBChB MRCGP DRCOG DFSRH
Dr Mary Harding
(F)
MA MB BChir 1989 Cambridge MRCGP
(GP Assistant)
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HELP US TO HELP YOU
Please read this section carefully and follow the guidelines given if you can – it will help you
to get the service you expect.
HOW TO SEE YOUR DOCTOR
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT to see him/her by telephoning or visiting the surgery Monday to
Friday between 8.00am – 6.30pm
Patients can also make appointments on line or by using the automated telephone booking
service. Please ask at reception for details.
Commuter Surgeries – we now offer early morning and evening appointments. Please ask at
reception when booking an appointment.
NOTE:
You will normally see your own doctor unless he/she is away. Please remember to call and
cancel your appointment if you no longer need it or if you need to rearrange it.
Tell us as soon as you can if you cannot keep your appointment.
For certain appointments we are able to text appointment reminders to patients who
have informed the Practice of their mobile number. If you do not wish to receive a text
reminder please inform the surgery.
We have a Do Not Attend policy – patients will be contacted if they fail to attend for
certain appointments. Please ask at reception if you wish to have a copy of the policy
Training Practice
We have an active commitment to medical education and, to this end, we
have attached to the practice fully qualified doctors, known as registrars,
who usually have behind them several years of hospital experience but are
preparing for their own work in general practice.
They work closely with the partners in surgery as well as in emergency oncall work. Appointments may be offered for you to see our registrars who
also take part in the emergency on-call rota. Video recording of
consultations is occasionally used in training, but this is never without your
entire approval and intimate examinations are never recorded.
Very occasionally we have medical students and nurses attached to us as
part of their undergraduate training.
Please keep your telephone call brief and avoid calling during peak morning time for nonurgent matters.
We ask that you treat the Doctors, nurses and practice staff with courtesy and respect. We
operate a zero-tolerance policy and anyone who is violent or abusive will be asked to leave
the premises and may be removed permanently from the Doctor’s list.
EMERGENCIES
IN A DIRE LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, DIAL 999 FOR AN AMBULANCE.
In the case of other emergencies outside normal surgery hours, either call the surgery
number on 01582 712011 and you will be given instructions on how to contact a duty doctor
or alternatively call the Out of Hours Service on 111. You will speak to a trained healthcare
professional.
HOME VISITS
Please telephone before 10am if possible. A home visit should only be requested if
absolutely necessary – if you are extremely ill, disabled or frail. The surgery has much better
facilities and a Doctor can see many patients in the time it takes for 1 visit.
TEST RESULTS
You may not always need to see your doctor for the results of your tests. If you are asked to
phone, please explain to the receptionist the nature of the test and the result you need.
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CONFIDENTIALITY & PRIVACY
REPEAT PRESCIPTIONS
All our staff have signed a contract to maintain your confidentiality. There is no need to give
them your medical details but it is helpful if you can indicate the reason for your appointment
or the amount of time you need.
If you would prefer to speak to a receptionist in private, please ask and you will be taken to a
place away from the reception desk.
Please respect other patient’s privacy by not standing too close behind them at the reception
desk.
Patients on regular medication may require a repeat prescription. Patients can request
repeat medications on line. Please ask at reception for details. Your prescription should be
ready within 2 full working days from receipt of the request. If you wish your prescription to
be sent to a particular chemist, please advise us in writing or if you wish it to be posted to
you, please enclose a stamped addressed envelope.
We do not take telephone requests for repeat prescriptions.
FIT to Work Certificate
CHAPERONE
If you require a chaperone, please ask at reception
You do not need an NHS sick certificate until you have been off work for one week. You will
usually need to see your doctor to obtain one after this.
CONSENT
NON-NHS WORK
If you wish to see the practice’s consent policy – please ask at reception
Disabled access is via the front entrance. Harpenden Surgery has a lift.
We can provide a range of non-NHS services for which we charge a fee. These services
include examinations for employers, solicitors, insurance companies, PSV, HGV and elderly
driving licenses.
Please note, a charge is usually made for completing passport applications, holiday
cancellation forms and insurance certificates. Enquire with your GP for further details.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER
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DISABLED ACCESS
Please inform us immediately if you move, your phone number changes or if you change your
name. If you live outside the practice area then you must register with another doctor.
CAR PARKING
There is no facility for patient parking at Harpenden Surgery.
Patients can park in the sports centre car park – there is a charge
There is a free public car park at Wheathampstead.
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SERVICES
NEW PATIENTS
New patients can request to register with the Practice if they live within the practice area. You
can download new patient registration forms from the website www.thevillagesurgeries.co.uk
All patients are asked to provide photo ID and proof of address.
The practice does not discriminate on the grounds of race, gender, social class, age, religion,
sexual orientation, appearance, disability or medical condition.
CERVICAL SMEARS
All women are offered a smear every 3 years routinely between 25-49 years of age, and
every 5 years between the ages of 50-64. Our nurses have received special training for this
purpose. If you have not had a smear in the last 3/5 years, please make an appointment with
the Nurse. Women who have had a hysterectomy do not need this test.
FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC
All the doctors and nurses provide contraceptive advice as appropriate within their normal
appointments. Some GPs also insert coils and implants.
CHILD HEALTH IMMUNISATIONS
COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We always try to provide the best possible service but there may be times when you feel that
this has not happened. The following explains our in-house complaints procedure. Our
procedure is not able to deal with questions of legal liability or compensation. We hope you
would use it to allow us to look into and, if necessary, quickly correct any problems that you
have identified, or mistakes that have been made. If you use this procedure it will not affect
your right to complain to NHS England – 01707 390855
Please note that we have to respect our duty of confidentiality to patients and a patient’s
consent will be necessary if a complaint is not made by the patient in person. If you wish to
make a complaint, we would request that you speak to the Deputy practice Manager, Anita
Mixides, who will try to resolve the issue either by telephone or meeting with you to discuss
the issue. Full details of your complaint will be taken and a decision made on how best to
undertake the investigation. We believe it is important to deal with complaints swiftly and will
respond to your complaint within a given time limit. We will try to address your concerns,
provide you with and explanation and discuss any actions that may be necessary.
Please ask for a copy of our complaints policy/leaflet.
SUGGESTIONS / COMMENTS
We encourage all childhood immunisations to be done in the surgery. Reminders will be sent
to you from the Child Health Department.
We welcome your suggestions / comments – please put in writing and leave at reception.
TRAVEL IMMUNISATIONS & OTHER INJECTIONS
ACCESS TO HEALTH RECORDS
The practice is a Yellow Fever vaccination centre and offers a full range of injections and
advice for travel. Please contact the surgery at least 6 weeks before travelling as some
injections consist of courses of 3 individual jabs. There are charges for some travel
vaccinations.
Patients have a right to health information about themselves, but it is governed by the Data
Protection Act 1988. Any request for access to health records must be made in writing to the
Practice Manager.
At the beginning of October each year we have a campaign of influenza vaccination aimed
primarily at those aged 65 and over, or within the at risk categories.
CHRONIC DISEASE MANAGEMENT
All patients with chronic disease such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, asthma, chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease and hypertension are encouraged to see our practice nurses
for their review appointments, monitoring and supervision of treatment.
Care Data
How information about you helps us to provide better care; Information sharing
and Care.Data – what you need to know
Confidential information from your medical records can be used by the NHS to
improve the services offered so we can provide the best possible care for
everyone
MINOR SURGERY
The Doctors offer a number of small procedures that can be carried out at the surgery
Including injections and some excisions.
PRIMARY CARE TRUST
SMOKING CESSATION
The Surgery is part of the 27 practices that form the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning
Group.
A regular smoker’s chance of getting lung cancer is 40 times that of a non-smoker.
The chance of dying from coronary heart disease is more than doubled in smokers and
tripled in heavy smokers.
The risk goes up 8-fold in smokers with other risk factors such as high blood pressure and
diabetes. The surgery runs a stop smoking clinic on a Wednesday afternoon.
Ask for advice about giving up smoking from you GP, practice nurse or pharmacist who is
aimed to advise you on smoking cessation.
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