Scotch Quarter Practice
Welcome
Hello and welcome to our website. We’ve packed it full of useful information in a very easy to use format with the added benefit of several online functions.
If you’re new to the area, have a look at our opening times, come in and see us so that we can assist you to complete the relevant Registration Forms (HSCR1) and make a new patient review appointment for you with one of our Doctors.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to new Government legislation all new patients registering with a GP must provide Photographic evidence and other supplementary evidence which can be viewed using the following link -
PATIENT NOTICE
The Practice will be closed on Monday 2nd May for the Bank Holiday
If you have an urgent medical condition please contact 02825663500.
We will re-open as normal at 8.30 am on Tuesday 3rd May.
*SPRING BOOSTERS FOR PATIENTS OVER 75 YEARS*
The Practice will be contacting all those patients aged 75 years and over to attend for a Spring Booster providing it has been a minimum of 3 months since your previous vaccine. Appointments are now able to be booked ONLINE via Patient Services if you have register for online services. Please see link below if you wish to register for online access.
Supplies of the vaccine are now available to be ordered and patients will then be invited to attend one of the following clinics to be held in May;
Friday 6th May;
Monday 9th May and
Friday 13th May.
Please do not contact the surgery regarding these Booster Clinics as we will be getting in touch with all eligible patients in due course.
Please send an email requesting to be set up for Online Access to Reception.Z00387@gp.hscni.net
Clinics will be accessed via the Barn Road entrance as before and please remember that it is still a requirement to wear a mask in all health care premises.
You will not be admitted to the Health Centre without a mask.
COVID VACCINATIONS
Links to book an appointment at the
Mass Vaccination Centre, Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena and details of ongoing pop up clinics for
First doses for those aged 12 – 15
Second doses for those aged 12 – 17
Booster vaccines for those aged 16+
Pop Up Clinics until the end of March 2022
Pop Up Clinics - Northern Trust
Pop Up Clinics until the end of April 2022
Pop Up Clinics - Northern Trust - April 2022
TELEPHONE TRIAGE ARRANGEMENTS
Due to an increased demand for phone calls and appointments, the GPs have altered the existing triage arrangements. Going forward there will be a cap on the number of triage calls that GPs will deal with in any one morning and the cut off time will now be 10.30 am. This is to ensure that patient safety is maintained and the Doctors are not dealing with unmanageable numbers of triage phone calls. In light of this change we would encourage you to phone the surgery as early as is possible, lines open from 08.30. Should you require URGENT MEDICAL ADVICE at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Please ensure you are available to take a call when the GP calls back; if you miss the call you will be required to phone back to the practice and will go to end of the triage list again OR you may be requested to phone back the following day. The call will come from a Private Number.
When you phone the surgery you will be advised of the following:
If the call is received BEFORE 10.30 am, and the quota has not been reached for that morning, then you may expect a call back before the end of the day, however if the call is received AFTER 10.30 am then you will be asked to ring back the following morning except if requiring URGENT MEDICAL ADVICE.
Patients being called back in the mornings should be available to take a call from a GP from 8.30 onwards and that the call will be from a PRIVATE NUMBER. If you do not answer your phone a message will be left, where possible, but the GP will not phone back and you will go to end of the triage call list.
The GP will only call ONCE!
Patients cannot specify a time to be called. - If you request a specific GP you will be informed that it may not necessarily be the specified GP who calls you back.
A MESSAGE TO ALL OF OUR PATIENTS
The Practice has recently been experiencing a huge increase in the volume of calls being received which is putting our already busy staff under additional pressure and stress. We fully appreciate that, under the current Covid-19 restrictions, which do not allow patients to attend the practice in person unless they have a booked appointment, that the telephone is one of the only methods to contact our staff. We would ask that you ensure that your call is necessary and that you cannot contact us via the alternative methods below:
We would strongly encourage all patients not currently registered for the online services access to do so. You can order your prescriptions via this method and also send us non-urgent messages such as change of address or contact details. Unfortunately at this time you cannot use the online services to book appointments due to the need for telephone triage prior to being seen in the surgery.
You can also contact us directly by email to: Reception.Z00387@gp.hscni.net - PLEASE DO NOT SEND EMAILS FOR URGENT MEDICAL ATTENTION!!!
We very much appreciate your understanding and patience during these difficult times for all of us.
Thank you.
Linda Hylands
Practice Manager
The prescription line will be open between 9.00 am to 12.30 pm daily on 02893315837.
SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS 
Scotch Quarter Practice has a robust Complaints Procedure, a copy of which is available to download on this website under the section 'Further Information' and then 'Practice Policies' or can be obtained from Reception. Patients are encouraged to discuss, either formally or informally, any issues which they might have with their treatment in the Practice.
The use of Social Media to make derogatory comments about either our services or individual staff members will not be tolerated and may result in the immediate removal from our Practice List.
We regularly monitor all posts on social media and would encourage any patient to screen shot and/or inform us of any such negative posts.
REGISTER NOW FOR ONLINE SERVICES:
Please send an email requesting to be set up for Online Access to Reception.Z00387@gp.hscni.net
We will forward a form to you which you will need to complete and email it back to us to enable us to forward you a Verification Code to complete the registration process. You can also request a form via this website by simply clicking on 'Contact Details' at the bottom of the home page.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS AND
CHECK ON UP-COMING APPOINTMENTS
THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO YOU WHEN REGISTERED:
ONLINE PRESCRIPTIONS:
Patients can now use the Online Prescriptions service to request Repeat Prescriptions and also to request that Unavailable Repeat Prescriptions listed be reactivated.
Requests for other/urgent medication not on your Repeat Prescriptions record will be considered but it will remain the responsibility of the patient to check if these requests have been issued by the Doctor.
ONLINE APPOINTMENTS: THIS SERVICE IS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED DUE TO COVID-19 AND THE REQUIREMENT TO TRIAGE ALL APPOINTMENTS BY TELEPHONE.
In normal circumstances; Patients can book, check, change or cancel a variety of appointments with their GP, Practice Nurse** and other health care professionals and clinics. Appointments are available to be booked no further than 2 weeks in advance of the required date. This facility will also show you your Appointments History of dates previously attended and the clinic/clinician seen.
** When booking appointments please give an indication of the nature of your appointment, where possible, in the box below your appointment slot labelled 'Reason for appointment'.
ONLINE MESSAGING:
Patients can now use the Online Messaging service which is available to you on the same login page. This facility can be used to send NON-URGENT messages or requests to the surgery. PLEASE NOTE THAT APPOINTMENTS CANNOT BE BOOKED USING THIS FACILITY.
The Practice will be closed on the following date for staff training from 13.30 to 5.30 pm:
8th June 2022
Emergency cover will be provided by phoning 028 9331 5834
Your Health in Safe Hands
The team here at Scotch Quarter Practice want to provide all patients with a professional and caring healthcare experience in friendly and personal surroundings. With discretion and confidentiality guaranteed your welfare is safe, secure and in good hands. If you have any suggestions for improving our services you can drop us a note here in Contact Details or speak to one of the reception staff.
(Site updated 29/04/2022)