Oak Tree Surgery
- Whitethorn Drive Bridgend CF31 2PQ
- 01656 665353
Message to Patients from the Doctors and Staff
CHANGES TO THE WAY YOU ACCESS OAK TREE SURGERY FROM APRIL 1ST 2022:
Important Changes To Our Current Appointment System
On the 1st of December 2021 the Health Minister, Eluned Morgan, released a statement confirming that GP Surgeries had to change the way they currently operate their appointment systems to end the morning scramble to book an appointment. Under a new revised contract Welsh Government have made it clear the practice of releasing appointments daily at 8am is to be phased out. These new guidelines came into effect on 1st April 2022.
All GP Practices now have to follow a GP Access Commitment to ensure people are triaged appropriately and if an appointment is needed, patients receive one, which is right for their clinical needs.
Where appropriate, patients may be signposted to another service – or healthcare professional – who can help or support them.
Oak Tree is moving to a blended appointment system with a mix of same day and advanced appointments. These appointments can be face-to-face or telephone triage, we also offer video appointments and an e-consult service. We are also offering a limited number of appointments via my health online.
This is how we currently look with our A&B entrances. This may change over the coming weeks.
How do I get an appointment?
You can ring the surgery on 01656 665353 or use the E consult service, we recommend that e-consult is used for administrative queries only. You do not have to ring at 8 am as appointments will be available throughout the day and will be available on the day and in advance dependent on your problem.
Once you have been triaged by our team and given a face-to-face appointment it may be on that day, several days or weeks in advance and will be based on the nature of your problem.
Please listen carefully to the phone messages and note that the options may have changed. For telephone or remote consultations, you must give an up to date contact number and be able to answer when we ring you and also be available to come down to be examined if the if the health professional feels it is necessary.
A GP or a nurse may ring you back and speak to you and decide if you need to come to the surgery to be assessed.
If you have a pre-booked telephone GP appointment you will be rung by the GP who will decide if you need to come to the surgery.
Any changes do not apply to existing clinic appointments such as INR, bloods, wound care etc that have been already booked.
What if I don’t need an appointment but would like advice?
In the first instance go to the sections above on PYB Health and use the patient support videos section or the common illness section. These sections have been written by Local Gps and give the same advice as you would receive in an appointment. If this does not answer you query or offer advice on how to manage your problem then you can use the E-Consult service by clicking on the Banner.
Attending the surgery
There are 2 entrances to the surgery Entrance A and B clearly signposted. If you need to come to the surgery after speaking to a receptionist GP or Nurse you will be told which entrance to go to. You may be asked to wait in your vehicle if appropriate, this is to minimise the number of people in the waiting room at any one time.
What if I have to come for a pre booked appointment?
Come to Entrance B where you will be screened at the door or desk. Please wear a mask or Face covering at all times in the surgery.
If you turn up for another reason at the surgery please go to entrance B.
If you are advised to come to entrance A by the Doctor or Nurse you will be given a phone number to ring from your car or outside the surgery. You will be advised as to the procedure for entering the building. They will be wearing protective equipment.
Prescriptions
If you need to order a repeat prescription you can use the repeat prescribing service on 01656 311010 it is open Monday to Friday from 7 AM until 5 PM apart from Bank holidays. Please allow up to 7 days for the repeat prescription service to process your prescription. You can come to the surgery to request a prescription we recommend use the box in the Foyer or at the front of the building. Please allow 48hrs for us to process the request. Many pharmacies offer a similar service for processing prescriptions please speak to them directly
How do I collect my prescription?
If your prescription normally goes to a local pharmacy it still will so you will need to go there.
What if I normally come in to pick it up?
When you put your request in please indicate which pharmacy you wish to pick it up from and we will ensure it gets to the pharmacy. This will minimise face to face contacts.
Surgery Hours
The surgery is open Monday to Friday from 8.00am – 6pm every day, with telephone service available until 6:30pm. The surgery is closed on the last Tuesday afternoon of most months for training purposes. Out of hours cover is provided.
| Morning | Afternoon | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | 08:00 | – | 12:00 | 12:00 | – | 18:00 |
| Tue | 08:00 | – | 12:00 | 12:00 | – | 18:00 |
| Wed | 08:00 | – | 12:00 | 12:00 | – | 18:00 |
| Thu | 08:00 | – | 12:00 | 12:00 | – | 18:00 |
| Fri | 08:00 | – | 12:00 | 12:00 | – | 18:00 |
| Sat | Surgery Closed | |||||
| Sun | Surgery Closed | |||||
Out Of Hours
Consultations are available via the Out of Hours provider on weekdays between 6.30pm – 8.00 am and at Weekends and Bank Holidays 24 hrs a day.
The surgery is phone line Monday to Friday from 8.00am – 6.30pm. Building open from 8.00 am until 6 pm.
Should you have a serious problem outside of surgery hours phone via 111 or 0330 123 9180.
The Out of Hours Centre is located next to A&E Dept, Princess of Wales Hospital.
Emergencies
In case of medical emergencies after morning surgery, please contact reception. The receptionist or nurse will take brief details about the complaint in order for the duty doctor to assess the urgency. You can also call 111, the NHS Emergency, but not life threatening number.
PATIENT INFORMATION
Appointments are offered on a same-day basis and in advance for some clinics. Appointments are available from 8.30 until 17:30. We encourage patients to use the E-consult service and this website before ringing us. Appointments may not necessarily be with a GP. You could be directed to our Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Nurse, Pharmacist or Physio.
Please ask if you wish to see your Dr. of choice (we are sorry but we cannot guarantee this).
If you have a hearing impairment you can use our text service on 07966 717486.
Our phone system operates a short queuing system, therefore please be patient at busy times.
Our Nursing team can see you with the following, as well as general minor illnesses. You do not need to see the Doctor for the below conditions.
Non-urgent Urine infections Rashes Sore Throats and Eyes (Think N.U.R.S.E)
You can also use online resources to help you manage your illness rather than coming to see the GP. Choose Well will help you decide if you need medical attention if you get sick. It explains what each NHS service does, and when it should be used. To Login for Repeat Prescription Ordering visit www.myhealthonline-emisweb.wales.nhs.uk
To register you need to come into the surgery and fill out a form, we will need photo id to confirm your identity. Parents can register for under 16s. If you wish to register as a carer for an eldery relative or neighbour then we require authority in writing to do so from that person.
If you have forgotten your password we can no longer reset it via email you must come to the surgery and request a new one. This can take up to 7 days to process.
We ask that everyone takes a moment to think before making a Doctors appointment.
Is it urgent?
What online resources are out there to help me understand?
What other services could help me if I cannot get an appointment?
patient.info/or NHS Direct are just two websites we recommend you visit before contacting your GP. Local pharmacists are also a great a place for advice and help on a wide range of illnesses. All local chemists are available for a consultation.
When you visit the doctor they can provide you with many leaflets on ways on which you can improve your health and wellbeing. They can also provide you with leaflets that help you understand the symptoms or condition you have been diagnosed with if you require further reassurance. These leaflets are now available online at the above link.
Many of the most serious diseases can be prevented by a healthy lifestyle and without the need for drugs. Please feel free to discuss general health and ask for advice. The following suggestions may help you to improve the quality and length of your life.
Home visits are available ONLY via the telephone for people too ill to come to the surgery. It helps to judge the urgency of a call if you describe the problem, so do expect to be asked.
Visits will be done by the first available doctor unless it is for an ongoing problem in which case you should ask for the doctor who usually sees you. We cannot guarantee this however.
We are a recognised teaching practice and will have Registrars, Foundation (F2) Senior House Officers and sometimes medical students attached to the practice.
You have a right to see information recorded about you in our manual records and computerised data. These rights are incorporated in the Data Protection Act 1998. For further information, please contact the practice business manager who will be pleased to assist you.
Information held about you or the person you are caring for is used to help in the provision of your health care and treatment and to assist staff in reviewing the care they provide for you to ensure that it is of the highest standard.
Information is collected:
- From what you or carers tell us
- From examinations, observations and tests carried out by staff
< >Information is stored:
- As paper records
- On computerised systems
We as a practice are obliged to comply with this Act which requires every public authority to adopt and maintain a “Publication Scheme” which has been approved by the Commissioner. The Commissioner is the independent supervisory authority appointed by parliament to oversee compliance with both the Freedom of Information Act and the Data Protection Act. The scheme is a guide to the types of information a public authority undertakes to make available to the public as a matter of routine.