Requesting a Visit
It is not appropriate to request a visit just because you do not have transport to the surgery
If a home visit is necessary because you are too ill to come to the surgery then please telephone your request by 11am to enable the doctors to plan their visits. You will required to speak to the doctor before your request is accepted. This is to ensure that that right person visits you as there are an increasing number of community services available to help support patients in their own homes. An example of this would be Recovery at Home who can be contacted by patients or carers/relatives on 0191 561 6666. They can help treat a wide variety of conditions including: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; chest infections; breathing difficulties; falls; stomach pains; animal bites; diabetics with a low sugar episode; urine infections; diarrhoea and vomiting; minor injuries e.g. sprains, strains, small wounds; and coughs / colds / sore throats.
GP VISITING GUIDELINES
These guidelines have been drawn up by Sunderland Local Medical Committee in conjunction with the Community Health Council.
In order to ensure that the best use is made of your GP services, please attend the surgery whenever possible.
If you need advice you can contact 111 for further assistance.
1.GP visit recommended
Home visiting makes clinical sense and is the best way of giving medical opinion in cases involving:
- The terminally ill
- The truly housebound patient for whom travel to premises by car would cause deterioration in their medical condition
2. GP visit may be useful
Following a conversation with a health professional, it may be agreed that a seriously ill patient may be helped by a GP
3. GP visit is not usual
In most of these cases, a visit would not be an appropriate:
- Heart attack (severe crushing chest pain). The sensible approach is to call an emergency paramedical ambulance.
- Common symptoms of childhood: fevers, cold, cough, earache, headache, diarrhoea/vomiting and most cases of abdominal pain
- These patients are usually well enough to travel to the surgery. It is not harmful to take a child with fever outside.
- Adults with common problems, such as cough, sore throat, influenza, general malaise, back pain and abdominal pain are also readily transportable to the doctor.
- Transport arrangements are the responsibility of the patients or their carers.