How Much Does it Cost? Following recent changes to NHS funding arrangements, each attendance at A&E is now individually charged to the North Manchester Clinical Commissioning Board and ultimately to the patient’s general practice. Each attendance at A&E is charged at a standard rate. For more complex cases a higher charge is levied. Costs of admission or outpatient follow up are added to these costs. So, a person attending A&E with ‘flu, a sore throat, diarrhoea or an insect bite costs a minimum of £57 FLORENCE HOUSE SURGERY PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET A&E DEPARTMENTS AND WHEN TO USE THEM Money spent on non-essential A&E attendance means less money to spend on other services or developing new ones. What Alternatives are there to Attending A&E? Florence House Surgery provides appointments between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday; we offer extended hours between 07:30 to 19:30 on Tuesdays, please contact the surgery for an appointment We offer a large number of same day appointments for urgent problems. When we are closed during the evenings, weekends and bank holidays, there is an Out of Hours Service for urgent medical problems which cannot wait we are open, please phone Out of Hours Doctor – 0161 336 5958 Pharmacies can offer excellent advice and treatments for minor illness and injuries. The Minor ailments scheme is free to access and those patients that do not pay for their medication get the recommended treatment free of charge. Patients that pay for their prescriptions will pay the usual charge or the retail price whichever is the cheaper. You DO NOT need a referral to use this service just attend a participating pharmacy. There are walk in centres at Ashton and Manchester City Centre which are both open from 08:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday Ashton Walk in Centre 0161 342 7000 City Centre Walk in Centre (2nd floor Boots) 0161 839 6227 FLORENCE HOUSE SURGERY CONTACT DETAILS 0161 370 2133 OUT OF HOURS (when the surgery is closed) 0161 336 5958 Accident and Emergency Departments and When to Use Them This leaflet has been developed for you, our patients to help you understand what Accident and Emergency Departments (A&E) are, when to use them and what alternative sources of healthcare help and advice are available to you. Examples where it is right and appropriate to attend A&E without delay include: Major injuries for instance; Injuries from road traffic accidents Serious falls Major head injuries Collapse Severe breathing difficulty Severe chest pain Severe haemorrhage Poisoning Extensive burns What Sorts of Conditions Are Not Appropriate for A&E Departments? Unfortunately many people attend A&E with very minor problems. This makes it difficult for A&E staff to deal with the volume of cases this will then involve delays for patients and incurs considerable costs. Generally, if the person is unwell, but alert and speaking without impaired consciousness or severe breathing difficulty, then they do not need to attend. If you need to see a Doctor when the surgery is closed, please ring 0161 336 5958 Pharmacies can offer excellent advice and treatments for minor illness and injuries. The Minor ailments scheme is free to access and those patients that do not pay for their medication get the recommended treatment free of charge. Patients that pay for their prescriptions will pay the usual charge or the retail price whichever is the cheaper. You DO NOT need a referral to use this service just attend a participating pharmacy. The following conditions can be dealt with by the minor ailment scheme Acne Athletes foot Conjunctivitis Contact dermatitis Dry skin Ear wax Haemorrhoids from 18 years Head lice Indigestion/heartburn Migraine Nasal congestion (infant) Scabies Sore throat Threadworm Verruca/Wart Allergy/rash Cold sores Constipation Diarrhoea Ear ache Eczema Hay fever Headache Insect bites and stings Nappy rash Oral thrush Soft tissue injury Temperature Vaginal thrush There are walk in centres at Ashton and City Centre open 08:00 – 20:00 Monday to Friday Ashton Walk in Centre 0161 342 7000 City Centre Walk in Centre (2nd floor Boots) 0161 839 6227 Out of Hours Doctor – 0161 336 5958