Silverdale Medical Practice Meeting the Team & Deciding who to see

Meet the Team - GPs General Practitioners see a range of patients from those who are generally unwell, patients with complicated medical histories, very young children and babies or those needing end of life care. They work closely with other clinicians offering advice and opinions to ensure that the care and treatment recommended is the best possible available. It may seem difficult to get an appointment with any particular GP but this because the more complicated or serious a patients condition is, the more time is needed to care and support them.

Meet the Team – ANP/NP Advanced nurse practitioners and Nurse practitioners are highly qualified clinicians who work closely with the GPs. They may have started their careers as nurses but with further training have progressed on. You may see them if you are generally unwell or if you have an ongoing health issue. They can prescribe medication, request further tests, refer you on to a hospital department, give medical advice, offer reassurance and arrange sick notes if needed. They may not see young babies but can care for a whole range of conditions and patient types.

Meet the Team - Pharmacist The Practice Pharmacist is employed by Silverdale and will see only our patients. They have face to face appointments to do medication reviews and speak to patients over the phone with any queries or concerns regarding their medication. If you are discharged from hospital with new medication it is the Pharmacist who will arrange these changes and prescribe anything new. If you would like to receive your medication in a venalink they can also arrange this for you.

Meet the Team - PN Practice nurses see patients for a range of conditions. They will see patients for their annual reviews and monitor a range of conditions including COPD, Asthma, Diabetes and other long term conditions. They also provide appointments for Childhood Immunisations, Cervical Screening for women, Depo Injections and Travel Vaccines (where available). Some of our Practice Nurses can also prescribe medication so if there needs to be any amendments made they can do this during an annual review.

Meet the Team - HCA Health Care Assistants are members of the nursing team. They routinely take blood samples, check blood pressures, do ECG’s and at times Spirometry testing. They will complete some annual reviews such as Dementia, Mental Health and Hypertension reviews. They work under the support of the Practice Nurses but are very experienced in what they do. Before you have your annual review you may find you have an appointment with a HCA for blood tests first.

Deciding which Clinician to see When you call the surgery you will be asked who you want an appointment with and you may be asked for your symptoms. You will then be offered the next appointment available with a suitable clinician. If you wish to see a particular clinician this can be arranged but you may have to wait longer to be seen. Clinicians will only see patients for conditions within their area of work, for example, we would not be able to book you in with a GP for a diabetic health check or with a health care assistant for an ear infection.

Who to see – This basic guide gives a few examples of what the clinicians cover. Condition GP ANP/NP Practice Nurse HCA Pharmacist End of Life care review Yes X Testicular/Breast Lumps Review of test results Hospital Referrals Yes  X  Urinary Tract infections Sick notes (after 7 days) Earaches Chicken Pox Long term Condition reviews Childhood immunisations Travel Vaccines (Where available) Blood Test and Blood Pressure ECG Medication Queries and reviews

Deciding which Clinician to see This guide is in no way complete, it is simply a few examples to give you an idea. If you are in doubt who you should see you can speak with the receptionist who will be able to advise you. Anything you tell the receptionist is confidential and will only be shared if clinically necessary. If you have any questions please feel free to speak with a member of staff either in person or by calling us on 0161 212 6565. Thanks Silverdale Medical Practice