Active Signposting
As the work of GP’s becomes more and more pressured, NHS England is supporting an initiative of Active Signposting. This is designed to connect patients more directly with the most appropriate source of help or advice and aims to help patients recognise that their GP does not always need to be the first port of call.
Across the community there are now many services that have been established to support patients with ailments and conditions which may not need to be seen by their GP, and whose care may be better dealt with by other services within the community.
When you contact the surgery to request a GP appointment the receptionist may ask you for some details as to the reason for your visit. This is not only to give your doctor an idea of your health problem but also to determine whether another service may be better suited to your needs.
The Minor Eye Conditions Service (MECS) - If you have a recently occurring eye problem with any of the following conditions, the receptionist may direct you to MECS who are accredited optometrists (also known as opticians), who may be best placed to help you:
- Red eye or eye lids.
- Dry, gritty or uncomfortable eyes
- Sticky discharge from the eye, or watery eye
- Recently occurring flashes or floaters
- Painful eye or in growing eyelashes
- Foreign body in the eye
The receptionist may provide you with the contact details for The Minor Eye Condition Service, you can also ‘self-refer’ and do not need to speak with the surgery beforehand.
Your local MECS will assess your condition, provide advice and support, and may invite you to be seen as necessary.
Dixon Optometrists can be contacted on 0161 432 8101 from:
9.00am to 5.15pm Monday to Friday, and 9.00am to 2pm on Saturdays.
Address: 416 Reddish Road, Stockport, Cheshire. SK5 7AA
Pharmacist - Your local chemist will have a fully trained pharmacist who can help with many minor ailments, and this may often be the best place to go before requesting an appointment with a GP. These may include: recent sore throat, cough, cold, head lice, verruca. Private consultation rooms are available in most pharmacies on request.
Minor Illness Clinic - At the Reddish Family Practice we have a fully qualified Nurse Practitioner who runs clinics each week for minor ailments. You may be offered an appointment for any new conditions such as cold & flu symptoms, constipation, cough, diarrhoea & vomiting, rash/skin condition, urinary tract infection, ear ache, sore throats, minor injury/wound/burn, neck pain, and fever in children over 1 year old.
Appointments in Advance
Patients at the Reddish Family Practices can now book appointments in advance.
When you call the surgery, as usual our receptionist will ask you what the appointment is for. Please help them by providing this information as it will assist them in booking the right appointment for you or in signposting you to the right care for your needs.
GP appointments will still be available on the day, and there will be additional availability of non-urgent appointments within 5 days, and routine appointments of up to 2 weeks ahead.
Sometimes symptoms can clear up by themselves. If you make an appointment in advance and no longer need to see the doctor please contact us to cancel the booking as soon as possible. This will help us to use the appointment for another patient and avoid wasted time.
You can call us on 0161 983 9797 to cancel an appointment or email us at gmicb-sto.p88005-admin@nhs.net