How do I…? FAQs

If you live in our practice area and would like to register with us, please complete our registration forms, which are available from our receptions at our sites. 

You will also have to complete the following forms (please ensure you complete the registration form mentioned above) in order to register and provide the practice with other information necessary for your care and treatment:

• New Patient Information Form (Adult)
• New Patient Information Form (Child)
• Overseas Leaflet
• Summary Care Record Opt-Out
• Health Visitor & School Nurse (Child)
• Child Health Records Transfer (Child)
• Alcohol Questionnaire

The documents listed below will provide further information about some of the forms you will complete as well as providing information about other services offered by the practice:

• Booking Appointments and requesting medication online
• Summary Care Record Information
• Registration Checklist
• Appointments and Useful Information
• Electronic Prescription Service

All of these documents are available from any of our reception staff.

Once you have completed the registration forms you are required to attend a New Patient appointment with one of our Health Care Assistants. The appointment takes around than 20 minutes. It is important that you attend as it helps the practice team to sign post you to all of the services available to you based on your health needs.

Temporary Residents

We are always happy to see any relatives or friends staying with you if they need a Doctor or Nurse. Temporary Residents are required to fill out a short form for the information to be returned to their own Doctor. Please arrive 10 minutes before your appointment to allow time for completion of the necessary forms.

Please download the Temporary Resident Form: GMS3

Guide to GP Services

The Royal College of General Practitioners has produced a useful guide for patients about the services on offer at GP Surgeries and how to access them. You can download the guide below:

A Patient Guide to GP Services

Appointments are being delivered face to face, over the telephone and online, if you speak to a receptionist they will advise you of the best option for your problem and your circumstances. Measures are still in place to keep our patients free from infection and we ask everyone to consider wearing a face mask when you come to the surgery.

To seek healthcare advice –

• Call your usual surgery to discuss a telephone, virtual (video) or face-to-face appointment.
• Use the eConsult link to complete a confidential online form to receive a response before the end of the next working day
• Call NHS 111 or go online to seek advice https://111.nhs.uk/
• Use SystmOnline or the NHS app. If you have not registered with us for online access, please go to Online Services page.
• Extended Hours Appointments - GPs in Central Durham are working together to offer extra GP appointments from 6:30pm to 9:00pm on weekday evenings as well as Saturday 8:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday 8:00am to 1:00pm. This service is only accessible by appointment, based at Meadowfield Surgery and Belmont Surgery. Either call your surgery or 111 to book an evening or weekend appointment.

Please do not come to the surgery unless you have an appointment. If you are waiting for a check-up, please be assured we will be in touch.

• Guidance for Patients to send photographs for skin consultations
• What to expect from your doctor -a guide for patients

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. if you do not let us know that you are unable to attend it will be classed as a Did not attend (DNA) and subject to the practices policies.

Choose the right staff member to see

Please click the link below:

I need an appointment

If you cannot attend an appointment for any reason please inform us as soon as possible in order for us to give the slot to someone else. If you do not let us know that you are unable to attend it will be classed as a Did not attend (DNA) and subject to the practices policies.

Please click the link below to cancel your appointment:

Cancel an Appointment

To order your prescription please do so via:

• NHS APP (you do not need a username and password for this)
• Online (you will need to request your username and password from the surgery if you don't already have one)
• Put your paper prescription in the prescription box (tick boxes) - if you have lost your paper prescription, please write your name, DOB and what you need to order on a piece of paper
• If the surgery is closed, you can post your prescription into the post box on the wall outside of the practice and it will be picked up the next working day. If you have lost your paper prescription you can write the medication you need together with your name and date of birth on a piece of paper.

If you are housebound and not able to use online ordering services please speak to a member of the reception team who will be able to help.

Test results are received 3-5 days after a sample being taken, though some may take longer. Please ring after 10:30am for information about test results. This ensures the surgery phone lines are free for patients requesting appointments during what is the busiest time of the day. If you are informed that your result has been ‘filed away’ to your records this is an indication that the result is normal/unchanged and requires no further action. You will be informed by the reception if your results require further action.

Occasionally certain investigations i.e. blood or urine samples need to be repeated or additional samples requested before they can be interpreted correctly. The reception staff will also inform you if this is the case.

Our reception staff are not qualified to comment on results unless they have been seen by a GP first. Once the results have been actioned by the GP they will add a comment to the results and it is this information that the reception staff can relay back to you as the patient. Please do not ask the reception team for any further information in relation to results.

Please note that we do have a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. In this respect requests for printouts of results are only given in exceptional circumstances. You can view your own test results if you have online access to your coded medical record. If you would like to apply for access, please ask at reception or click the link to go to our Online Services Registration page.

The aim of the NHS Complaints Procedure is to resolve issues at a local level. If at the end of the process of 'local resolution' you don't feel your complaint has been resolved satisfactorily you have the right to go to the Health Service Ombudsman. As a general rule the Ombudsman will only accept a case after local resolution has been completed.

Independent advice is also available from Healthwatch County Durham:

Tel: 0800 3047039

Email: [email protected]

Also from NE NHS Independent Advocacy Service

Tel: 08088 023 000

Please download our Complaints Procedure

Guidance for Submitting a Subject Access Request (SAR)

Dear Patient,
We are committed to ensuring the confidentiality and proper management of your personal and medical information. In accordance with GDPR, you have the right to access your personal data through a Subject Access Request (SAR).
To help us process your SAR efficiently and effectively, please consider the following guidelines:

• Identification Requirements: For the security of your personal information, it is mandatory to provide two forms of identification when submitting your SAR form. One of these must be a photo ID. This step is crucial to safeguard your privacy and to ensure that information is released only to authorized individuals.
• Specificity of Request: Please be as specific as possible about the date ranges of the SAR you require. This will allow us to process it more quickly. General or vague requests may lead to delays, as we may need to contact you for further clarification. In certain cases, we may need to reach out to you for additional information to better understand and fulfil your request. Your prompt response to these queries will expedite the process.
• Format of Response: Depending on the nature and period of the data requested, the information may be provided in either electronic format or hard copy or both. We aim to be as accommodating as possible in our response format, however, please note that older records may only be available in specific formats.
• Right to Refuse: We aim to provide comprehensive responses to all Subject Access Requests. However, please be aware that we reserve the right to refuse requests for information that has previously been provided in response to an earlier SAR. This policy is in place to ensure efficient use of resources and to prevent unnecessary duplication of efforts. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in these matters. Ensuring the security and proper handling of your personal information is of utmost importance to us.
• Consider Online Access: We would also like to inform you about the option of online access to your medical records. Online access can be a more convenient and faster way to view your health information. By registering for online access, you can view your medical records, test results, and other health information at any time without the need to submit a SAR. If you are interested in this option, please contact our reception team for more information on how to register.

Thank you for your attention to these guidelines.

Changing your contact details

Click on the link above to go to the NHS where you can change your contact details on your NHS account: