Introduction to Acle Medical Practice
Welcome to Acle Medical Partnership!
We are a dispensing practice, providing care to approximately 10,000 patients in Acle and the surrounding villages. We also have a branch surgery in Reedham.
This booklet is designed to provide you with as much information about our team, the services we offer and to help you access the ‘right service at the right time’, depending on your need. We aim to be considerate and responsive to your needs and want to offer you an open channel of communication and consistency with the practice team.
Please take time to read this booklet; we hope that by providing you with as much
information as possible it will help to assist you when you need to access our service or seek medical advice.
Surgery Hours
Contact us
Please contact us via our online forms on our website: www.aclemedicalcentre.co.uk, via the NHS App, or by telephone on 01493 717796.
Please see our Contact Us page for opening times for our Acle and Reedham sites, along with when our online services and phonelines are open.
Our Reception email address is: nwicb.acle.reception@nhs.net
Patient Participation Group (PPG)
A PPG is a group of volunteers who work with their GP practices to provide practical support, to help patients to take more responsibility for their own health and to provide planned contributions and advice. If you would like to become a member of the PPG, please contact the Practice Manager.
- They are based on co-operation between practice staff and patients.
- They help to improve communication.
- PPGs represent the whole practice populations wishes, not personal or individual views.
- Every PPG is unique, continually exploring the changes in patients’ needs in the local area.
Registering with Acle Medical Practice
New Patients
As a new patient, you can complete a registration form either via our website at www.aclemedicalcentre.co.uk or you can ask for a paper registration form at Reception.
If you move away from the area for any period, you will need to register with another practice. Students should register with their college or university doctor and register with Acle Practice as a temporary patient should they need to see a doctor during their holidays at home.
Friends and relatives of patients will also need to register as temporary residents if they require medical services whilst staying in the area.
Medication
If you take regular medication, please bring details of your prescription with you, this is to ensure that your medication is recorded on our clinical system and, so you do not run out of your medication.
Carers
If you are a carer, please make this clear on your registration form or let one of our Reception team know. This is important as you will be offered extra help, such as flu jab, information from our social prescriber, etc.
Practice Boundary
Please visit our website or contact a member of the surgery team to see if your address is within our catchment area. We are unable to register new patients who are outside of this catchment area. We are also unable to change an address of a registered patient if that address is out of our catchment area.
If you would like to visit our website to see if your address is in our catchment area, please go to:
www.aclemedicalcentre.co.uk
Home > Our Practice > New Patients
Here you can enter your postcode in the box provided and it will show you
whether you’re able to register with us.
Military Veterans
We will ask all patients if they have served in the UK Armed Forces (as a regular or reservist). If you have, we will note this in your medical
record, with your permission. You can make an appointment to see our clinical lead for veteran’s health. This person has a comprehensive understanding of the Armed Forces, health conditions linked to service, and the dedicated support you can access.
Appointments
To request an appointment with a clinician for a health problem, you can;
- Submit a request online, during form opening hours
- phone us on 01493 717796, during our opening hours
- visit the surgery and speak with a receptionist, during our opening hours
We do not want to disadvantage you if you cannot use the internet. If you don’t have online access, please phone the practice on 01493 717796 during phoneline opening hours. A member of our reception team will complete the online form on your behalf.
If you attend the surgery in person during open hours a member of our reception team will ask you to fill out an online form using our device.
Alternatively, you can use the NHS App which will take you to the forms to submit a request. By using the NHS App this will save you time, as your personal details are already entered. If you require assistance in downloading/using the NHS App, please ask the reception team at the surgery to help you.
For up-to-date information about our appointment system please go to our ‘appointments’ page on our website.
Home visits
If you are feeling unwell and you are housebound, or your medical condition means you are unable to attend the surgery, please inform the reception team by 11:00am. One of our clinical team will contact you to assess your needs and will arrange a visit if required. Please only request a home visit if it is necessary. For Health and Safety reasons we will ask you if you have any animals at your property and if you do, we will ask for them to be put in another room when one of the clinical team visits you.
Did you know we have a Mental Health Practitioner working at the practice?
If you need support with your mental health, ask to speak to the Mental Health Practitioner.
Our Mental Health Practitioners can offer face-to-face and telephone appointments with time to talk, to understand how you are feeling, and provide support for:
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Panic
- Difficulty with emotions
- Feeling overwhelmed
Please contact reception if you would like to book in to see the Mental Health practitioners.
Discover the Power of the NHS App!
The NHS App puts your health in YOUR hands, making it easier than ever to take charge of your well-being.
Whether it’s booking a GP appointment, checking symptoms, or accessing your health records, it’s all in one place.
It’s owned and run by the NHS, so rest assured your data is protected with top-notch security measures.
Download the NHS App today and experience healthcare on your terms – go to the App Store (iPhone) or Play Store (Android).
For more information on the NHS App, visit:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/
Online Appointments
You can now book certain appointments online via your online services (NHS App, Patient Access etc). There is appointment availability at Acle & Reedham Surgery. We will be planning to allow more appointments to be booked online in future.
Pharmacy and Out of Hours Care
Advice from a Pharmacist
If you have a common condition that can be treated with advice from a community pharmacist, then our admin team may suggest you try this route first. You do not need to make an appointment to see a pharmacist, just pop in any time and they will be happy to help you. Pharmacies have a consultation room for private consultations.
Here is a list of conditions that a pharmacist can treat;
Aches and pains, athletes foot, cold sores, colic, conjunctivitis, constipation, coughs and colds, dry skin (minor eczema), ear wax, fungal nail infections, fungal skin infections (ringworm), hay fever and allergies, headaches and migraines, head lice, occasional thrush, piles (haemorrhoids) scabies, skin rashes, sleep problems, sore throat, teething, threadworm, toothache, travel sickness, upset stomach and diarrhoea, warts and verrucas.
Pharmacy First
Pharmacists can prescribe antibiotics if needed for the following conditions. Reception may direct you to Pharmacy First if appropriate.
Acute otitis media* 1 to 17 years
Impetigo 1 year and over
Infected insect bites 1 year and over
Shingles 18 years and over
Sinusitis 12 years and over
Sore throat 5 years and over
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections Women 16-64 years
Medical Care Overnight and at Weekends
In an emergency, for example, when someone’s life is at risk, or some is seriously injured or critically ill you should call 999.
If you need medical help but it is not life threatening, you can call the NHS 111 service. When you call 111, a trained adviser will ask you some questions to find out what is wrong, give you medical advice and direct you to someone who can help you, like an out-of-hours doctor or a community nurse.
Norwich Walk-in Centre
If you are unable to attend the practice, you may use the facilities of the local walk-in centre:
Norwich Walk-in Centre, Rouen House, Rouen Road, Norwich NR1 1RB.
Tel: 01603 677500
Dispensary
Please see our Contact Us page for Dispensary opening times for our Acle and Reedham sites along with when our dispensary phonelines are open.
Questions about your Prescription
If you have questions about your medication, your local pharmacists can answer your questions on prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines.
You can also contact us at the surgery in two ways:
- Phone our team on weekdays on 01493 717796 during the Dispensary phoneline open ours
- Submit an admin query via our website: www.aclemedicalcentre.co.uk
Ordering and Collecting your Prescription
All prescriptions will be sent to the dispensary or your nominated pharmacy. If you do not have one, please contact Acle Medical Partnership Dispensary to nominate one.
Please allow 5 working days between ordering and collecting your prescription.
For some/few medications, the prescription must be printed off and taken to the pharmacy in person. You will always be notified if this is the case for your prescription.
Medication Reviews
If you have a repeat prescription, we will ask you to have a medication review at least once a year. If you regularly take a contraceptive pill, please book an appointment with a family planning nurse to review and request a further prescription.
You can do this in three ways:
- Submit a request to fill in a medication review form by using the ‘Contact us Online‘ banner via www.aclemedicalcentre.co.uk.
- Phone us Monday to Friday on 01493 717796.
- Visit the surgery and speak with a Receptionist Monday to Friday.
Disposing of Old Medicines
If your medicine is out of date, unwanted, or some of it is left over after you have stopped taking it, do not put it in your household bin or flush it down the toilet. Instead, take it to your pharmacy to be disposed of safely.
Clinics and Services
Contraception
All of our doctors can provide contraceptive services and advice. We also have two Nurses who are trained to help with family planning. We deal with requests for emergency contraception in the strictest confidence, including requests from patients under the age of 16. We have two doctors trained in the insertion of contraceptive coils and implants
Minor Surgery
Certain minor surgical procedures are carried out by some of our clinicians. Suitable appointments can be arranged by speaking to a GP in the first instance. Examples of minor surgery can include the removal of skin lesions, joint injections, removal of ingrown toenails, etc.
Domestic Abuse Champions
All of our GP’s are always happy to speak to you about any concerns related to domestic abuse, but we also have two domestic abuse champions who are trained to develop knowledge on asking, responding, and supporting people affected by domestic abuse, and to use their knowledge to help their colleagues to respond effectively and appropriately. If you would like to speak to one of our Domestic Abuse Champions, please contact Reception.
Vaccinations and Immunisations
Many childhood illnesses (such as mumps, measles and rubella) are easily prevented through vaccinations. We have a full range of vaccinations available at this surgery, and we will be inviting you to bring your child along at appropriate stages in your child’s development.
Our surgery offers many other clinics and services, for the full list follow the link. For more information on any of the clinics and services listed please ask receptionist.
Complaints
We hope that you will be happy with the quality of service you receive. The Practice Manager is available to discuss any problems or concerns you may have. There is an in-house complaints procedure for dealing with any complaint which may arise. Most problems can be sorted out quickly and easily, often at the time they arise with the person concerned and may be the approach you try first.
Where you are not able to resolve your complaint in this way and wish to make a formal complaint you should do so, preferably in writing as soon as possible after the event and ideally within a few days, as this helps us to establish what happened more easily.
Please ask to speak to a manager on the phone if you are happy to discuss in this way first of all, or if you would prefer, please ask Reception for a complaints pack.
Friends & Family Test
We want you to have the best possible experience of care. The NHS Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Your feedback will help us learn more about what you think of your experience – what you like and what you think we could improve. Ultimately, you’re helping us to make changes that will ensure we can offer the best possible care.
If you have feedback to provide, we have anonymous cards on the Reception desk where you can let us know about the service you received.
General Comments & Suggestions
We are committed to providing an efficient and caring service for our patients and would like to hear your views. To make your comments you can:
- Use our online feedback form to let us know how you feel
- Talk to any member of the practice
Violence Policy
The NHS and Acle Medical Centre operate a zero-tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse. The Practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard Practice staff, patients and other persons.
Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.