Patients are now be able to communicate with the practice via email; this service is intended for non-urgent matters only; you will be able to expect a reply within two working days.
NB If you need medical advice and are abroad,we have
to advise you to seek medical advice at your location.
How to use the service
Registration
In order to use the email service you will need to register for on-line services . This will also allow you to order prescriptions on-line, update your contact information and book appointments. Once you have signed up for the service please use the message system to let us know which email address you wish to use – we will then only correspond with you using this email address..
Once you have registered to use the on-line services, and registered your email address with us we will then assume that by using the clinic email address you give consent for us to send clinical information to that email address and that you accept responsibility for the security for this information.
Suitable for Email | NOT suitable for email |
Questions about any tests/x-rays etc you have had recently that were ordered by a GP here. Questions about ongoing medical problems you have already discussed with a GP here. Questions about any repeat medications you have been prescribed by a GP here. Q uestions you may have about information you have read elsewhere (eg on the Internet - please including the URL in your email to the doctor) | Questions about new symptoms or problems; these may need urgent treatment. Please contact the surgery by phone, or if we are closed contact NHS111. Any concerns you have if you are anxious or are in a low mood - please contact the surgery and book an appointment to see a GP. If you have any immediate concerns you should either attend your local A&E or call The Samaritans (0845 7 90 90 90). |
Why do I need to register to use this service?
~ confidentiality and internet security
Our responsibilities
Confidentiality is one of our most important responsibilities as a medical practice. We have a strict ‘need to know’ policy about your medical information and every staff member, even doctors, can only access your information when they are involved in legitimate medical business.
Each member of staff who has access to the computer and paper files we hold has training about their professional responsibilities with regard to confidentiality, and signs a contract committing them to strict rules. The same will apply to all email correspondence.
In most cases, email will only be read by the doctor running the email clinic. We use the NHS.net email system, which has sophisticated, government-approved security, including encryption of data before transmission.
Your privacy on-line
Some thought should be given to the use of email for the discussion of clinical matters; there are small, but potential risks to consider. You may wish to think about where and how you access your email so that you maintain your own privacy. For instance, if you share a computer with others, reading your email through a web browser might be more private that downloading them to the email programme.
If you subscribe to an integrated ‘cloud’ service for your emails, contacts, photos, etc, such as Google gmail or Apple icloud, emails that appear on one device (your phone, home computer, tablet) can be read on others that share the same account. Deleting an email on one device, is not always a guarantee that it is deleted from them all.
For further information about protecting your privacy and on Internet security, see Get Safe Online:
https://www.getsafeonline.org
If you do not wish to receive clinical information about yourself via email then please do not supply us with your email address.