You can find a list of all local doctors via the National NHS website. You can also find a list of the practices here that are encompassed within the PCT. You can also find a paper copy of this at your local library. If you are new to the area, you could also ask a neighbour or a local pharmacist to give you the addresses of local practices.

You can change your doctor for various reasons, including moving out of your doctor’s practice area, but you do not need to give a reason for wanting to change.  To register, call in at the surgery you choose and ask to register.  You will be asked to fill in a form.  It will be helpful if you take your medical card, some proof of identity (for example, a passport or a photocard driving licence) and evidence of your address (such as a gas or electricity bill).

If you have difficulty registering with a doctor, we will be able to help.  Contact PALS, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service, on 0121 255 0707

To change your doctor, take your medical card to another surgery and ask to be accepted as a patient. If you have lost your card, the practice will have a form for you to complete.

If you are away from home and require a doctor you can visit another practice. Any GP can treat you as a temporary patient when you are away from home for longer than 24 hours and less than 3 months. You should not register with a GP on a permanent basis if you are on holiday. If it is an emergency and you cannot arrange to see you own doctor, any GP may treat you even if your visit to their practice area is for less than 24 hours. Alternatively, you can visit your nearest hospital Accident and Emergency (A&E) department.

Practice services

The doctor you register with has a contract to provide you with general medical services. If your GP thinks it necessary, the practice will arrange for you to have an appointment with other specialist services. At the time that you register with your GP you should ask for a copy of the practice leaflet. This should tell you the surgery opening hours, how to see a doctor and what other services the practice offers.

What is Access?

Access is not only a patient being able to make an appointment with a GP or a Primary Healthcare Professional it is also about patients being able to access a range of services that are available to them within their surgery. For example:

• Checking test results
• Booking future appointments
• Ordering repeat prescriptions

Government Targets

Achieving 100% access is one of the Department of Health’s initiatives for each GP practice this is done by ensuring that all patients have:

• Access to a GP within 48 hours
• Access a primary healthcare professional within 24 hours

What is Access like in HoB?

Currently access to a GP or PCP is improving in HoB as the practice are meeting the monthly 100% target that has been set by the Department of Health. The PCT are committed to supporting practices who are continuing to improve patient access. Therefore, the PCT have recently appointed 3 Access Facilitators to cover the 9 wards that are within Heart of Birmingham tPCT, there role is to:

• To support practices in developing a knowledge of generic quality improvement techniques and improving access
• To work directly with practices to support them in improving access for patients
• To focus on the delivery of tangible change and quality improvements in primary care
• To ensure the collection of data to support improvement

The Access Facilitators are also tasked with conducting a Primary Care Access Survey (PCAS) on a monthly basis that asks the practices about the appointment systems. They will also be carrying out a number of random visits and surveys that will also help the PCT to ascertain any problems that may occur within practices regarding patient access.

Doctors' visits

If you are ill you should make every effort to go to the surgery if at all possible. Doctors do not have an obligation to see a patient in their own home. Your doctor can give you a better service in the surgery where it is easier to conduct a proper examination and where there are other facilities and equipment to hand. If you are too ill to go to the surgery, telephone the practice early in the day to ask for a home visit.

Out-of-hours service

In an emergency, you may need to see a doctor outside the practice opening hours. If this is the case, please ring the practice emergency number. This will be contained within the practice leaflet. If your call is not answered personally, a recorded message will tell you how to contact a doctor, who may well not be your own. When you speak to the “on call” doctor, explain your problem. The doctor will decide whether you need to be seen urgently. The doctor may ask you to go to an “out of hours” centre or surgery. Please find out if your practice uses such a centre and if so, where it is. The staff at your practice will be able to tell you.

Other services

In addition to general medical care, doctors offer a range of services to their patients. These will vary from practice to practice. Examples of such services include:

• Screening for certain illnesses which can be detected early. Common screening tests are cervical smears for detection of cervical cancer in women and checks for high blood pressure
• Clinics for particular patient groups eg. people with asthma or diabetes. Other health professionals such as counsellors or chiropodists may hold regular sessions at your local practice
• Health checks for specific groups of patients. Doctors are required to offer annual check-ups to all patients aged over 75. Any patient aged between 16 and 75 who has not been seen in the last three years and patients over five years old who are new to the practice are also offered health checks
• Clinics for particular patient groups eg. people with asthma or diabetes. Other health professionals such as counsellors or chiropodists may hold regular sessions at your local practice
• Child health programmes. Most practices provide immunisation for children against infectious diseases eg. measles, rubella, mumps and whooping cough

Contraceptive advice and services

Most contraceptive services are provided from practices but you do not have to go to your own doctor for this service. If you prefer, you can register with a different doctor for contraceptive services while still seeing your own for all other medical matters. Your doctor can also refer you to a specialist family planning clinic if you are seeking specialist advice.

What if I experience problems with my GP?
If you are unhappy with any NHS service provided by a GP or any member of the practice team:

• First talk the problem through with your GP or Practice Manager
• If you are still unhappy and wish to take the matter further, contact the Heart of Birmingham Teaching PCT for advice

Help us to help you

What you can do to help your GP surgery give you the best service possible? Your practice team is there to help you, but they need your help too:

• Do read your surgery’s practice leaflet. It is designed to help you
• Do try to keep appointments and arrive on time. If you can’t keep an appointment, let the surgery know without delay
• Practice staff do try to see you on time but please be patient as delays can happen
• Sometimes misunderstandings arise when a patient has not explained and a doctor has not understood the problem. Try to describe your problem clearly and if you do not understand what your doctor says, do ask
• Please ask for repeat prescription in good time. Check your surgery’s practice leaflet for repeat prescription arrangements to avoid delays
• Please only ask for a home visit if you are too ill to go to the surgery. Try to ring before 10:00 am for a visit
• When the surgery is closed, only contact your GP for a visit in cases of a real emergency