Who Are We?
Dr Mark Player BSc MBBS DRCOG MRCGP Cert Av MED (Male) Qualified St Mary’s London 1980
Dr Lesley Chambers MB BS DRCOG (Female) Qualified St Mary’s London 1981
Dr Ulrike Naumann DRCOG MRCGP (Female) Qualified Erlangen FRG 1986
Dr Nick Gompertz BSc MBChB MRCP (Male) Qualified Birmingham 1991
Dr Stephen Franks MB ChB MRCGP (Male) Qualified Edinburgh 1984
Dr Joanne Collins MB (Female) Qualified Southampton 2000
Please anticipate your need in advance and re-order your prescription allowing 48 hours for it to be processed. The practice will always try to handle genuine emergency requests, but it must be appreciated that abuse of the system causes delays for those patients who have submitted requests in the correct way.
On the right hand side of the prescription is a list of medication that you may re-order. Please use this sheet to re-order by ticking the relevant items and return to your pharmacy, via the above link to order over the web or hand in to Bruton Surgery. Only your doctor can authorise repeats of any medication not listed. If you mislay the tear-off slip forms are available on the front desk at the surgery, or write a letter.
Your prescription will be handled in one of the following ways:
Returned to you by post is you have let us have an SAE, or have left a supply with us.
Available for collection from the Surgery on any weekday afternoon, allowing 48 hours for processing.
Sent to your Pharmacy for collection - having allowed processing time.
Surgery Opening Times
Monday to Friday 8:30am - 6:00pm
For medical emergencies outside surgery opening hours we are covered by the Somerset Out of Hours medical service; 0845 408 8000. (From 8.00a.m. to 6.30p.m. please call the usual surgery number)
For non-urgent medical advice you can call NHS Direct on 0845 46 47, or wait until the surgery is open.
For urgent dental problems, please contact the dental advice line on 0845 769 691
Appointments
All consultations are by appointment, which can be made in person or by telephoning 01749 812310 during surgery hours. Every patient who requests a same day appointment before 11:00am will get one – although not necessarily with his or her doctor of choice. We also have evening surgery for those who want to have the least disruption to their working lives. These appointments are popular so please be prepared to book ahead. A single appointment is for 10 minutes, although a double slot is available on request.
Emergency Appointments If the Evening Surgery is full, and you need to be seen as an emergency, please inform the receptionists. (This includes contraceptive emergencies.) If the Evening Surgery is full please do not ask to be seen for non-urgent problems, for which you will be offered an appointment the next working day. Your cooperation is very much appreciated.
Chlamydia Screening Program
If you are aged 15-24 then follow this link to view information and request a confidential screening pack, Somerset Chlamydia Screening Service
Other Important Information
New Patient Assessment We like to meet and screen all new patients in order that we can ensure any ongoing specialist treatment or repeat medication is set up for you. If possible, we try to do this at the time of registration; otherwise please make an appointment as soon as convenient with the doctor. Holiday Immunisation Our practice nurses are available to give holiday vaccinations and advice. The NHS pays for many of the vaccinations but there is a fee for meningitis, hepatitis B, yellow fever and rabies vaccines. Malaria may require a private prescription charge, which can be bought from the pharmacy. We are an accredited Yellow Fever centre. Non NHS Medical Examinations All the partners carry out medical examinations for insurance companies, and other fitness medicals by appointment. These include HGV licences, elderly drivers, sporting and pre-employment needs. There is a charge payable by the patient for most of these medicals. Please ask the receptionist for details.
Telephone Calls
The Practice has an arrangement for patients to speak to doctors and nurses during the working day by telephone. Please call in the morning. Your call will be returned but unfortunately we cannot confirm a specific call time but it is likely to be after morning surgery.
Home Visits Medical problems are generally dealt with most efficiently in a fully equipped surgery, however the doctors will make home visits should your condition make you unable to travel to the surgery. Please bear in mind that the doctor can see four patients in the surgery in the time it takes to do one home visit, so please try to get to the surgery if you can. Children with temperatures or rashes are best seen at the surgery and taking them out into the cooler air is normally beneficial in that it helps to bring the temperature down. Anyone concerned about an infectious illness can be isolated in a separate room on request. Please try to request your visit before 10.30am unless, of course, it is an emergency, and leave your telephone number so that the doctor can ring you before making the visit.
Registering with the Practice
To register with the practice you must live within the practice boundary. A map of the boundary is kept in the reception area. We regret that patients who move outside the boundary will need to register with another practice. You are registered with the practice rather than an individual GP, although your medical card will be issued in the name of one of the GPs. You are able to express a preference of practitioner and the practice will try to comply, although it might not always be possible.
Minor Injuries
Local Minor Injury Units are as follows; Frome Victoria Hospital 01373 463591, Shepton Mallet Hospital 01749 342931, West Mendip Hospital 01458 836450, Verrington Hospital 01963 828444. Patients should go directly to these units to deal with any minor injuries.
