Home Visits

Please call between the hours of 08.00 - 10.00 if you require a home visit and be prepared to provide full details of your problem.

You may only request a home visit if you are housebound or are too ill to visit the practice. Your GP will only visit you at home if they think that your medical condition requires it and will also decide how urgently a visit is needed.

You can be visited at home by a community nurse if you are referred by your GP. You should also be visited at home by a health visitor if you have recently had a baby

 https://app.doctorlink.com/shirleymedicalcentre/register/

Appointments

Shirley Medical Centre: 020 8777 2066 / 020 8777 1876

You can book appointments on the following telephone numbers:

Telephone Consultations

If you want to speak to a doctor the receptionist will triage you and arrange a doctor to call you back. Please note that there are no set times for telephone consultations and when an appointment is made the GP will call you within our open hours.  

Practice Nurses

In a number of cases it might be worth considering an appointment with a practice nurse rather than a doctor. Practice nurses are qualified to deal with many ailments and you may be seen more quickly.

Cancellations

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 who maybe in need.

Sickness Certificates

You do not require a doctor's sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less.

Your employer may however require you to complete a self-certification form 

https://public-online.hmrc.gov.uk/lc/content/xfaforms/profiles/forms.html?contentRoot=repository:///Applications/PersonalTax_iForms/1.0/SC2&template=SC2.xdp

If you are sick for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence to support payment of SSP (statutory sick pay).

It is up to your employer to decide whether you are incapable of work. A medical certificate, now called a 'Statement of Fitness for Work’ (see below) from your doctor is strong evidence that you are sick and would normally be accepted, unless there is evidence to prove otherwise.

You could also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner, e.g. a dentist. Your employer will decide whether or not this evidence is acceptable. If your employer has any doubts, they may still ask for a medical certificate from your GP.

Statement of Fitness for Work - ’Fit Note'

The 'fit note' was introduced on 6 April 2010. With your employer's support, the note will help you return to work sooner by providing more information about the effects of your illness or injury.

For more information see the DirectGov website (where this information was sourced)