How Your Practice Can Help You – Alternatives to GP Appointments

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Your Surgery employs a wide variety of staff to ensure that you are seen by the most appropriate person to suit your needs. This may not always be a GP. Below are some examples of when you may be offered an appointment with a specialist member of staff.

Prescriptions and medication

Pharmacists employed by Rutland Health PCN and its practices respond to requests for medication, changes to medication after hospital admissions and routine review of medicines for long term conditions. They can prescribe medicines when appropriate and are highly skilled in giving advice on how best to use them, when to take them and interactions between multiple medicines.  You can ask for a telephone appointment with a PCN or practice employed pharmacist. Community pharmacists can also offer advice on medicines.

Community pharmacies are also able to provide emergency packs of medication in most circumstances, if you run out over the weekend or are away in a different part of the country.

Bones, muscles and joint problems

Mike Cumming and Clare Tyler are first contact practitioners who can assess and advise on joint, muscle and bone problems. Appointments with Mike or Clare can be booked by the Patient Services Team at your practice. Physiotherapy at Rutland Memorial Hospital is also available through self-referral by calling 0300 300 0046. The RMH physiotherapists will assess your problem by telephone initially, and suggest exercises that you can do.

Mental Health

Rose Mubwanda is a mental health practitioner who works within the practices on behalf of the PCN. She will gain a comprehensive understanding of your mental health needs and may refer on to an appropriate service, start a medication, request a sick note, and can book follow up appointments.

Health and Wellbeing

Izzy Petrie is a health and wellbeing coach who works on behalf of the PCN within the practices. She has telephone and face to face appointments with patients. She works with patients to provide coaching and support with goal setting to support patients with health and wellbeing issues such as weight management, low level anxiety and mental health, isolation, and poor sleep/life balance.

Administrative questions

If you have an administration question the most effective way to contact your practice is by using online services, details for which can be found through your practice’s website. This might be an Econsult, email, or a message through your online services account. Your practice will aim to respond to you within 3 working days.

There are some services that your practice cannot help you with. These are listed below:

  • Details of hospital appointments
    • Call the hospital patient advice and liaison service:
      • Leicester PALS 08081 788337
      • Peterborough PALS 01733 673405
  • Access to social care support
    • Contact Adult Social Care at Rutland County Council email. [email protected] or call 01572 758341
  • Access to equipment for health care
  • Passport applications
  • Dental Problems
    • Please contact your registered dentist, call 111, or use the NHS choices website to find a local practice

Same day service

Each practice runs a same day service for urgent problems. If you have an urgent, on the day problem, appointments may be made with advanced practitioners (advanced nurse practitioners, paramedics, pharmacists) who work as part of the same-day team alongside the GP.