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 -
ENTRANCE TO CARRICKFERGUS HEALTH CENTRE
Please note that, following the completion of the building works to the main entrance, the new system of entry to both Castle and Scotch Quarter Practices is now in operation.
We would like to apologise to any of our patients who have been inconvenienced by the teething problems of the the entrance system. Both GP Practices are working closely with the contractors to try and resolve the current issues and improve the entry experience.
We have already resolved the slowness of the exit out of the health centre by changing the flow of the doors so that you no longer have to wait until the door closes behind you to exit the final door.
When you arrive at the Health Centre you will have a choice to buzz either Practice and then speak into the intercom.
If you have an appointment within the building a member of staff will admit you into the new temperature area. (Please remember we are still working under Covid-19 restrictions and you need to phone first for either an appointment or a prescription.)
When admitted WAIT until the entrance door closes behind you fully.
AFTER the door has closed approach the temperature scan and follow the instructions.
Providing you do not have a high temperature the second door will open and admit you to the main reception area.
At this stage you will be directed to the appropriate area to wait depending on your appointment.
CHANGE TO TRIAGE PHONE ARRANGEMENTS FROM 22/03/21
Due to an increased demand for phone calls and appointments the GPs have altered the existing triage arrangements. Patients who phone in AFTER 11.30 am will be requested to phone back the following morning unless they require URGENT MEDICAL ADVICE.
Please ensure if you are requesting a call back from a GP that you are available to answer your phone and take a call from a Private Number. GPs are increasingly finding that when they do call patients back there is no response which is a huge waste of time and resources. If you miss a call from a GP you will be required to phone back to the practice and will go to end of the triage list again.
Covid-19 Vaccination Programme - UPDATE
Patients are now able to book a vaccine with either their GP Practice or in a Trust Vaccination Centre if they are Over 40, in a CEV/Shielding Group, in a Special Risk Group or are a Primary/Sole Carer.
A regional telephone number has been released this afternoon for patients to contact:
0300 200 7813
To book an appointment in a vaccination centre you need to click on one of the links immediately below and follow the process to book your vaccination directly at one of the 7 available centres.
The Practice are now working their way through 2nd dose clinics which will operate on Mondays and Fridays as before. Second dose clinics will be held on the following dates in April:
19/04/21, 23/04/21, 26/04/21, 30/04/21
The Practice can now vaccinate patients in all of Priority Groups from 2 - 9 which means any patients; over 50 years of age; in an 'at risk' group; or are considered CEV (Shielding) are now eligible for their vaccine.
Due to vaccine supply issues we are unable to organise any specific 1st dose clinics until further notice.
HOWEVER please phone 028 9331 5954 on Monday or Friday mornings to see if we have any free 1st dose slots.
***IMPORTANT*** - You should not, if possible, drive to your Covid-19 vaccination appointment and consider walking or getting a lift/taxi instead. If you have no other option than to drive you MUST WAIT in your car FOR 15 MINUTES before driving!
It is envisaged that the vaccination programme will run for several months so please be patient and be assured that we will be working as quickly as we possibly can to work our way through all the priority groups listed.
Please ensure we have your most up-to-date mobile number as this will be the main means to contact patients and check our website regularly for further updates and information.
WHEN ATTENDING FOR COVID-19 VACCINATION - Please pay particular attention to the following points:
THERE WILL BE NO ADMISSION TO THE CLINICS WITHOUT A FACE COVERING!
The Clinics will be accessed at the rear of the health centre at the Barn Road end of the building.
The rear and side car parks can both be used to access this entrance.
On arrival you will be met at the back door by a member of staff who will take some details and give you further instructions.
Please arrive ON TIME for your appointment - do NOT arrive too early or too late as it is necessary to control the number of patients admitted to the building at any one time. If you are unable to attend at the scheduled time then please contact the surgery and we will be happy to reschedule your appointment.
Please remain in your vehicle until within 5 minutes of your allocated appointment.
Please come to the appointment on your own, if possible, unless you and another family member have been given an appointment for the same date and time.
Please DO NOT come to your vaccination appointment if you develop any of the four known Covid-19 symptoms. We will be happy to reschedule a new appointment for you.
The Practice will be closed on the following dates:
Monday 3rd May 2021 and
Monday 31st May 2021
WITHDRAWAL OF AMBULANCE PATIENT CARE SERVICE (PCS)
We have received a letter from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) informing us that they have had to prioritise their workload to Urgent (999), Cancer and Paediatric patients and will no longer be able to transport patients to the majority of Outpatient appointments. This comes into effect from Monday 23rd November 2020.
NIAS PCS Service Withdrawal
Patients will need to organise their own method of transport to and from outpatient appointments as this service is no longer available or seek assistance from the organisations SACT and DATS below.
Please do not phone the practice to request transport as the withdrawal of the service is beyond our control and we will, unfortunately, be unable to help.
The following links will take you to the South Antrim Community Transport (SACT) http://www.southantrimcommunitytransport.com/
SACT Leaflet
Or to the Disability Action Transport Scheme (DATS) https://www.communityni.org/help/dats-disability-actions-transport-scheme-normally-door-door-service-disabled-people
DATS Application Form
DATS Information Leaflet
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.
WORKING FROM HOME - If you have an issue with your employer with regard to continuing to work from home then please do NOT phone the Practice as this is not within the remit of a GP to deal with.
Thank you.
Linda Hylands
Practice Manager
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SURGERY IS STILL OPERATING UNDER STRICT COVID-19 GUIDELINES FROM PHA/DOH. AS SUCH THERE IS STILL NO UNAUTHORISED ACCESS TO THE SURGERY WITHOUT PRIOR ARRANGEMENT.
If you or a member of your family is unwell and needs medical attention please contact the surgery as normal for further advice. Please ring 028 9331 5835.
All appointment requests will be triaged by telephone. This means that you will not be able to book a routine review appointment unless this has been agreed by a GP or Nurse.
When you phone the surgery you will be advised of the following:
- If the call is received BEFORE 11.30 am then you may expect a call back before the end of the day, however if the call is received AFTER 11.30 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.
INFORMATION REGARDING NORTHERN COVID CENTRES
Patients who are triaged by their GP and who feel that their symptoms require further investigation will be asked to attend their closest Covid Centre. For patients in East Antrim area this has been designated as Ballymena DUC Centre.
Please note you should NOT attend the Covid Centre without an appointment being
pre-arranged by your GP or Dalriada Urgent Care.
The following link will provide you with some information of what to expect when you visit the Covid Centre:
The prescription line will be open between 9.00 am to 12.30 pm daily on 02893315837.
As a GP Practice we appreciate these are anxious and worrying times for all of us and we would ask that you bear with us in these unknown times as we do our best to care for both our patients and our staff.
Please continue to monitor this website for further updates as information becomes available.
CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
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 APPOINTMENTS AND
REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
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:
TBC
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 19/04/2021)