Out of hours cover
Do I
need to call the doctor? - Click here
For medical advice please call NHS direct on
0845 46 47.
For urgent medical attention that cannot wait
until the surgery is next open, please dial
0845 850 1568
If you have forgotten this number, please phone the
surgery on
0844 576 9965 and an answerphone message will provide the
telephone number. You will be connected to an NHS Direct call handler who
will take your details and pass you to a Nurse Advisor (or ask one to call you
back if they are busy). The Nurse uses sophisticated computer technology to help
decide on the best course of action:
- You may be offered advice on how to manage your problem, possibly being
advised to visit a pharmacy or to see your doctor the next day.
- If the problem is more urgent and requires you to see a doctor,
he/she
may ask you to attend the Primary Care Centre at Northwick
Park Hospital or Hillingdon Hospital.
- If you are housebound
he/she
may arrange for a doctor to visit you at home.
- If he/she
considers your problem to be an emergency
he/she
may arrange for an ambulance to take you to hospital.
We receive information about your Out of Hours care on our computer the
following morning.
Your Out of Hours care is organised by
HARMONI
(the name is an abbreviation for "HARrow Medics Out of hours Network
Inc"), the largest Cooperative of GPs in England. It started in the Harrow
area and now looks after the patients of over 500 GPs in North and West London.
Primary
Care Centre
The Primary Care Centre (PCC) is staffed by a receptionist and a local GP. It
does not provide a walk-in service; you will first need to ring the Out of Hours
number as above.
The PCC closes at 12 midnight every day, and opens Weekdays at 7pm, on Saturdays
at 12.00 noon and on Sundays and Bank Holidays from 9am.
The PCC is situated at Northwick
Park Hospital, Harrow
or Hillingdon Hospital in Uxbridge
At Hillingdon Hospital, we suggest that you park
in the main car park and head for the ramp to the Accident and Emergency
department. The entrance to Out Patients on the right will have signs directing
you to the Harmoni clinic.
Home
Visits Out of Hours
These are performed by doctors employed by HARMONI. Many are GPs working in the
local area and the standard of care is very good. When they are busy they may
need to prioritise visits but they should indicate roughly how long it will take
and keep in touch with you until they arrive. We receive information about your
home visit electronically the next morning.
If you have any complaints of comments, please discuss them with your Doctor or
Practice Manager at this surgery.
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