Mount Chambers Surgery
Mount Chambers Surgery
92 Coggeshall Road
Braintree
Essex, CM7 9BY
Telephone: 01376 553415
01376 552451
Fax:
Dispensary: 01376 553320
Website
www.MountChambersSurgery.co.uk
When the surgery is closed call 01376 553415
Welcome to Mount Chambers Surgery
Website
This doctors' practice is within the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust. We have four full-time
partners and four part-time partners working from Mount Chambers, off Coggeshall Road close
to the Town Centre.
The surgery has been fully refurbished with parking and easy access for wheelchairs. The car
park is preferably for the elderly and disabled, but not exclusively for their use.
At Mount Chambers Surgery we aim to treat our patients promptly, courteously and in complete
confidence. This website is intended to show you how the practice works. We hope you find it
useful.
28 September 2012
FLU CLINIC
Flu clinics are starting on 6th October 2012.
Please book your appts.from Monday 1st.
If you click on Flu Vaccinations on the right hand side, this will give you all the information you
need.
Opening Hours
The practice is open from 8am to 6.30 pm Monday - Friday.
Surgery Times
By appointment, Monday to Friday,
08.10am-11.00am and 15.10pm -18.00pm
Times vary for each doctor.
We also have an early morning surgery one day a week, normally a Wednesday7am-8am. and a
late surgery on Thursdays 6.30pm-7.30pm.
To make an appointment please call 01376 553415 between 08.00 and 12.30 or 13.30 and 18.30.
You can also book some appointments online.
Phone lines are closed except for emergency calls between 12.30 and 1.30.
When We Are Closed
When you telephone the surgery your call will be transferred to the Out of Hours service. You
will speak to a trained operator and you will be offered an appointment at the Emergency Centre
or a telephone consultation with the doctor on call. It is far easier for the doctor to see a patient at
the Emergency Centre which will be fully equipped, like your own doctor's consulting room and
offers patients comfortable surroundings.
If, for whatever reason you cannot come to the Emergency Centre, the operator will get the
doctor on call to call you back. He/she will then speak to you direct. Our aim is to provide an
improved service for patients, where treatment of the highest standard can be practiced.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an
emergency.
Appointments
How To See Your Doctor
We ask that you try to make an appointment in advance whenever possible. Please remember to
make a separate appointment for each person seen. Emergency appointments are available for
urgent problems. Patients will suffer if the system is abused. If you cannot keep an appointment
please let us know.
Booking Appointments
When you contact the surgery to arrange an appointment, you will be offered an appointment to
see a doctor the same day while appointments are still available. If an urgent appointment is
needed on the day and all the appointments are booked you will be asked to come to the surgery
and wait until a doctor becomes available to see you. We cannot guarantee that you will see the
doctor of your choice, but we will try to accommodate you wherever possible.
We will have some pre-bookable appointments for each surgery for those of you who need to
plan ahead. The advanced booking period will be six weeks.
The routine management of checking contraception, asthma, high blood pressure and diabetes
will be streamlined. You may find that these appointments will be held with our practice nurses
or heathcare assistant.
Sometimes the doctor will be called out of the surgery to visit a patient urgently. In such
circumstances, his/her patients will be seen as soon as possible, either on his return or by another
doctor. Patients with non-urgent problems may prefer to book on another day. Your
understanding at such times is appreciated.
Doctors Jackson, Ghosh, Ukil, and Nissanthan's rooms are upstairs. If you are unable to manage
the stairs, please tell the receptionist on arrival and you will be seen downstairs.
We now hold some surgeries between 7am - 8am, and 6.30-8pm to help you to fit in your visit to
the surgery outside working hours. Please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment. We
also run surgeries on alternate Saturdays. Please note that these surgeries are for booked routine
appointments only and the dispensary will not be open during these times. For urgent care please
contact the Out of Hours service by telephoning the surgery number
Guidelines for a Doctor to Visit
A GP can see approximately four patients in the surgery in the time he can see one patient on a
home visit. In most cases visits are not medically necessary, and patients do not come to harm by
being brought to the surgery. If you think a visit is necessary it is worthwhile discussing this with
your doctor on the telephone.
GP Visit Recommended
GP Home Visiting makes clinical sense and is the best way of giving a medical opinion in cases
involving:
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the terminally ill
the truly bed-bound patient for whom travel to the surgery by car would cause
deterioration in their medical condition or unacceptable discomfort.
GP Visit may be useful
After initial assessment over the telephone a seriously ill patient may be helped by a GP's
attendance to prepare them to travel to hospital - that is, where a GP's other commitments do not
prevent him/her from arriving before an ambulance.
Examples of such situations are:
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myocardial infarction (heart attack)
severe shortness of breath
severe haemorrhage (bleeding).
It is understood that if a GP is about to embark on a booked surgery of twenty-five patients and
is told that one of his/her patients is suffering from symptoms suggesting a heart attack, the
sensible approach may well be to call an emergency paramedical ambulance rather than
attending.
GP visit is not usual
In most of these cases, to visit would not be an appropriate use of the GPs time.
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Common symptoms, such as childhood fevers, cold, cough, earache, headache,
diarrhoea/vomiting and most cases of abdominal pain. These patients are usually well
enough to travel by car. It is not necessarily harmful to take a child with a fever outside.
These children may not be fit to travel by bus or to walk, but car transport is available
from friends, relatives or taxis. It is not a doctors job to arrange such transport.
Adults with common problems, such as cough, sore throat, influenza, back pain and
abdominal pain are also easily transportable by car to a doctors premises.
Common problems in the elderly, such as, poor mobility, joint pain and general malaise,
would best be treated by a consultation at a doctors premises. The exception to this would
be the truly bed-bound patient. If in doubt ask to speak to the doctor.
If you need a home visit please ring before 10.00am. You should have received a copy of the
NEHA booklet 'Before you Phone the Doctor', which is very instructive.
Practice Nurses
They are normally present at all surgery times. Appointments must be booked. They may be able
to deal with your problems and save you waiting to see a doctor. For example the following can
be dealt with by the nurses:
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Cervical Smears
BP Checks & Weighing
Holiday Vaccinations
Children's Immunisations
Ear Syringing
Stitch Removal
Dressings & Bandages
New Patient Checks
Health Education Advice
Routine injections e.g. B12, Gold, etc
Contraceptive Advice
To make an appointment for the practice nurse and HCA, please ring the surgery number. The
nurses are also available to give advice over the telephone.
Blood Tests
Specimens for the laboratory should be dropped off at the collection points at St. Michael's
Hospital.The results are then sent back to the surgery.
The opening times for blood tests are 09.00 - 15.00 Monday to Friday.
No appointments are necessary for most blood tests, but an appointment is needed for full
coagulation tests.
Please phone: 01376 558533.
Please telephone the surgery for your results.
REQUESTING REPEAT MEDICATION & PRESCRIPTIONS
Good, safe medical practice means that patients should request repeat prescriptions in writing
and to give patients more options to do this, the following systems can be used. IN ALL CASES
YOU WILL NEED TO ALLOW 48 WORKING HOURS FOR COLLECTION OF
MEDICATION AND PRESCRIPTIONS.
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Call into the surgery with a written request or the order form attached to the right hand
side of your prescription appropriately ticked.
Send a written request or order form in the post (enclose a stamped addressed envelope if
you wish to have the prescription sent back to you).
Fax your request to us on 01376 556978
Follow the link on this page to the online form
When you fax or use the form on this page we will need your name and address and computer
number if known, full details of medication needed i.e. name and strength of medication.
Please do not call reception with medication queries. The telephone line to the dispensary will be
open from 1Oam - 11 am 2pm - 3pm Monday to Friday, as we do appreciate that some elderly
and housebound patients will be unable to request their prescriptions other than by telephone. To
assist them the telephone line 01376 553320 will be open during the above hours. We are trying
to make the system safer and more accessible for you and we need your help and co-operation to
make this work. If you have any constructive comments to make please put them in writing to
the practice manager. We are able to supply medication to patients living in certain areas. These
tend to be the villages around Braintree. If you live in the surrounding villages, after seeing the
doctor, our dispensary will be able to give you your medication.
Please allow 48 hours, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays, for your request to be processed.
Any problems please telephone the surgery.
Clinics & Services
Clinics and Services
Immunisation Clinics for Babies
These are held each Tuesday morning. If you have any questions or anxieties about vaccinating
your children, please discuss it with your doctor.
General Immunisation
We offer a travel health service, including Yellow Fever for which we are a registered centre.
Please contact the surgery for all Immunisation advice.
Child Health Surveillance
Regular developmental checks for the under fives are carried out by Drs Jackson & Merritt or a
Health Visitor.
Cervical Smears
Cervical smears are offered to all women who are sexually active and are carried out by the
doctors or nurse. When you receive notification from us that your smear is due, please ring and
make an appointment. Smears are not routinely done during surgery time. Please tell the
receptionist that you wish to make an appointment for a smear test.Most women who have had
hysterectomies do not require a smear - please discuss with your doctor. You will be notified of
the result of your smear which can take up to 8 weeks. When you receive the result, you may be
asked to see the doctor. This is usually nothing to worry about and is usually just to discuss
minor changes on your smear.
We advise all women who are sexually active to have a smear. Please contact the surgery to
make an appointment.
Family Planning
For flexibility we prefer to carry out family planning during normal surgery times and any of the
doctors will be happy to discuss the different types of contraception with you. We run a clinic on
Friday afternoon/evening by appointment for coil insertion.
Asthma Clinic
We aim to see all our asthmatic patients about twice a year. If you are asthmatic, please ring and
make an appointment.
Diabetic Clinic
We hold a Diabetic Clinic each Thursday from 3.30pm - 5.30pm and this is run by Drs Merritt
and Ghosh together with our practice nurse. By seeing our diabetic patients regularly, we aim to
improve their control and reduce complications that diabetics can develop in later life. If you are
diabetic and have not been seen at the clinic, please ring and make an appointment.
Maternity Services
You are able to self refer to St. Michaels Hospital Braintree.
Minor Surgery
All of the doctors undertake minor surgery, by appointment only. Problems suitable for minor
surgery include the removal of cysts, moles and other small growths.
Non-NHS Services
Medical and Private Reports/Letters/Passports
If you require a special examination or report for insurance, employment or other reason, these
are done by special arrangement with your doctor and should be arranged by contacting
reception. Fees charged are at the rates recommended by the British Medical Association and
VAT will be payable on some reports.
Certificates for your Employers
Under SSP regulations you can certify yourself sick for the first 7 days of illness without seeing
a doctor, by using form SC2 available at reception. Some employers may, however, insist on a
private certificate. As these are outside the NHS terms and conditions of service, the practice has
a policy not to issue these.
Travel Immunisations
Travel Immunisations
If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to make an appointment with
the practice nurse to discuss your travel arrangements. This will include which countries and
areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required. There is
further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below
Europe & Russia
North America
(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/europe-(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/northrussia.aspx)
america.aspx)
Central America
South America
(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/central(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/southamerica.aspx)
america.aspx)
Carribean
Africa
(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/caribbean.aspx) (www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/africa.aspx
Middle East
Central Asia
(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/middle(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/asiaeast.aspx)
(central).aspx)
Australasia and Pacific
East Asia (www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/asia(www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/destinations/australasia
(central).aspx)
-pacific.aspx)
It is important to make this initial appointment as early as possible - at least 6 weeks before you
travel - as a second appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the
vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your second
appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.
Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and
above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in
the services provided by the NHS.
Travel Health Questionnaire
To help us offer the appropriate advice, please fill out the online form before coming to see the
nurse.
Travel Questionnaire
Registration
Practice Area
Confidentiality
Confidentiality
The practice complies with Data Protection and Access to Medical Records legislation.
Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:
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To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital
services.
To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your
consent.
When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient
information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and
Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.
If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us
know.
Reception and administration staff require access to your medical records in order to do their
jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.
Freedom of Information
The ICO has published a new Model Publication Scheme that all public authorities are required
to adopt by 1st January 2009.
Model Publication Scheme - further information
(www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/freedom_of_information/introductory/freedom_of_in
formation_factsheet.pdf)
Complaints
Difficulties with the Medical Services or
Complaints/Comments
While we try very hard to make our practice work for our patients, there are liable to be times
when some patients may feel we could improve matters. Should you encounter any problems
with our services then we would be pleased to hear any constructive suggestions as to how they
might be improved. If you feel you have a specific complaint about anything within the practice
it would be appreciated if this could be brought to the attention of the practice manager, in
writing, who will then look into the matter on your behalf and try to resolve it to your
satisfaction.
PLEASE NOTE
As a practice we will not tolerate verbal or physical abuse to our staff or doctors. .
PALS
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service)
The NHS employs over a million staff in thousands of locations. It is a large and complex
organisation providing a broad range of services. It is not surprising that sometimes you or a
loved one may feel bewildered or concerned when using the NHS. And this can be at times when
you are feeling at your most vulnerable and anxious.
So, what should you do if you want on the spot help when using the health service? The NHS
expects all members of staff to listen and respond to you to the best of their ability. But
sometimes, you may wish to talk to someone employed especially to help you. The Patient
Advice and Liaison Service, known as PALS, has been introduced to ensure that the NHS listens
to patients, their relatives, carers and friends, and answers their questions and resolves their
concerns as quickly as possible.
PALS also helps the NHS to improve services by listening to what matters to patients and their
loved ones and making changes, when appropriate.
What does PALS do?
In particular, PALS will:
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Provide you with information about the NHS and help you with any other health-related
enquiry
Help resolve concerns or problems when you are using the NHS
Provide information about the NHS complaints procedure and how to get independent
help if you decide you may want to make a complaint
Provide you with information and help introduce you to agencies and support groups
outside the NHS
Inform you about how you can get more involved in your own healthcare and the NHS
locally
Improve the NHS by listening to your concerns, suggestions and experiences and
ensuring that people who design and manage services are aware of the issues you raise
Provide an early warning system for NHS Trusts and monitoring bodies by identifying
problems or gaps in services and reporting them.
Find out more
If you would like more information about PALS, the functions it is intended to provide and the
standards it should strive to achieve , follow this link (www.pals.nhs.uk) .
Your Personal Health Info
There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The
Summary Care Record is meant to help emergency doctors and nurses help you when you
contact them when the surgery is closed. Initially, it will contain just your medications and
allergies.
Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the ‘Summary Care Record’ –
SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from
hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.
Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS
databases.
As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When you speak to an
emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to
your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be
asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record,
unless you are medically unable to do so.
On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish
to keep your information at the level of this practice. Connecting for Health (CfH), the
government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders
that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their
information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.
For existing patients it is different in that it is assumed that you want your record uploaded
to the Central NHS Computer System unless you actively opt out.
For further information visit the Connecting for Health Website
(www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/scr)
If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete a form and bring it along
to the surgery.
Download the opt out form >>>>
(www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/systemsandservices/scr/staff/aboutscr/comms/pip/
optout.pdf)
Access
Interpreting Service
The practice has access to a telephone and face to face interpreting service. Please ask the
receptionist for details.
Hearing Loop
The practice has a hearing loop. If you would like to use this facility please enquire at reception
when making your appointment.
Specialist & Hospital Care
If a GP would like you to be referred to the hospital for further investigation, then they will offer
you choice as to which hospital you would like to attend.
They will give you a booking reference number for you to contact the hospital to arrange an
appointment. Alternatively, you may be asked to collect the booking reference after two or three
days.
Useful Numbers
NHS Direct - 0845 46 47
Broomfield Hospital and St John's Hospital - 0844 8220002
Colchester University Hospital - 01206 747474
Breast Unit - 01245 51 3405
Police (Braintree) - 01376 551 31 2
Ambulance (non urgent transport) - 01245 443344
The Gables - 01376 555700
Health Authority Witham - 01 376 3021 00
Social Services - 01376 555400
DSS - 01376 557200
Post Office - 0345 223344
Sorting Office - 01376 347992
Childline - 0800 1 1 1 1
Crimestoppers - 0800 5551 1 1
Samaritans - 0345 909090 / 01245 357357
Relate - 01245 258680
Drug Watch - 01245 493311
Community Alcohol Service - 01245 51 3387
Blood Transfusion Service - 0345 711 711
Braintree District Council - 0 376 552525
Rape Line - 01245 492123
Women's Aid Federation National Helpline (Domestic Violence) - 0117 963 3542
BACUP - 0800 181199
CRUSE - 0181 3327227
Special Clinics - 01206 834459 / 01245 513086
Crossroads - 01376 320572
PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) - 01245 459459
Staff Details
Doctors
Dr N B Pereira
MBBS DRCOG (1969)
Dr M Jackson
MBBCH MRCGP (1982)
Dr S K
Summers
BSC MBBS DRCOG DFFP (1989)
Dr J Merritt
MBBS, MRCP(Paeds), DCH, MRCGP.
Dr M
Akomolafe
MBBS DRCOG DFFP (1994)
Dr S Ghosh
MBBS DNB DGO MRCOG MRCGP (1982)
Dr Ranajit Ukil MBBS, FIAGP, MRCP(UK), MRCP(london), DFSRH,
PGCMedED, MRCGP.
Dr T
Nissanthan
MRCGP , MRCS , MBBS.
Nurses
We have three specially trained practice nurses and a healthcare assistant(HCA).
Reception
Our receptionists have been specially trained to help the doctors help you. We ask
them to enquire from you the nature of your problem in order that you may be given
the most appropriate help. Anything you tell them is treated in the strictest
confidence.
Community Nurses
Our attached District Nurses are mainly involved in nursing in the home. If you
need the District Nurse to visit you after you are discharged from hospital, this will
normally by arranged by the hospital. In all other circumstances, if you feel a nurse
is needed, please contact the receptionists.
Health Visitors
We have two health visitors attached to the practice and they are in regular contact
with your doctor. They can offer advice on many aspects of health care for all ages.
They can be contacted on Braintree 555700.
Dispensers