Harmoni is a GP co-operative which provides our 'out of hours' care. It helps us deal with a number of problems which have increased over the last few years.

• The surgery is becoming busier and busier during the day.
• More treatment is being done at the surgery.
• Our patients are becoming older and more frail and needing more help.
• More and more is known about disease and more can therefore be done to help.
• More data is being collected about patients which enables more things to be done.
• Which means more work!
• 4 very tired doctors would then be on call one night in four and one weekend in four.

A new system

Well, that was the situation. Since January 1998, we have been using a new system for providing out of hours care in a dedicated out of hours primary care centre. We have joined together with about 180 other doctors in the area to start a primary care centre at Northwick Park Hospital and another at Hillingdon Hospital. These will deal with your emergency needs when the surgery is closed.

What is a Primary Care Centre (PCC)?

The PCC, based at Northwick Park Hospital,  consists of a surgery staffed by a local GP, and a receptionist. A practice nurse is able to give advice over the phone and the doctor will be available to see patients at the PCC if necessary. The PCC will be open:

• From 6.30pm until midnight on Mondays to Fridays.
• From 12.00noon until midnight on Saturdays.
• 9.00am until midnight on Sundays.

What happens when I phone for help when the surgery is closed? An answer phone message on the surgery number will give the number of NHS Direct. Your details will be taken and a nurse will speak to you immediately, or call you back about any medical problem. 

The nurse has been trained to take details of your problem and will be using a special computer programme to help her ask the right questions and give advice.

The nurse, at the end of her conversation with you, will be able to do one of several things.

1. Give you advice about your problem and when to seek further professional help.
2. Suggest that you visit the PCC to be seen by a local GP.
3. Put you in touch with an organisation or team best suited to helping you.
4. Suggest that you go straight to hospital.
5. Arrange for a doctor from the doctors' deputising service to visit you at your home.

When the PCC is closed, any emergency calls will be answered by the doctors' deputising service.

What happens when I need to go to the PCC?

Northwick Park Hospital
The PCC is easy to find and will be sign-posted from the short stay car park at the main entrance to Northwick Park Hospital. 

The PCC is at the front of the hospital above the outpatient department. It will be using the same rooms as the Pain Clinic on level 5. There is a lift as well as a stair case.

Hillingdon Hospital
The PCC is easy to find and will be sign-posted from the short stay car park at the main entrance to the Hospital.

How can I see the doctor?

You will be seen by appointment only. This will be made on the telephone, after you have spoken to the nurse. This will ensure that you have as little wait as possible and will let us plan our work. You will not be able to drop into the PCC without an appointment being made first.

HARMONI

We are calling ourselves Harmoni or HARrow Medics Out of hours Network Inc. and we are all very excited about the plans. It should enable a uniformly good standard of care to be offered to all patients who will receive the right help at the right time by the right people. It might also enable us to see a little more of our own families! These arrangements are in accordance with the Government's recommendations for the reorganisation of your out of hours care. The Health Authority are very pleased to support Harmoni. This system has been used extensively throughout the country and has been a success everywhere it has been tried with high levels of patient satisfaction.

What HARMONI will not do

The staff at HARMONI are not able to make appointments for you to see your own GP, so if you require a routine appointment please phone the surgery when appointments line is open (between 9.00pm-4.00pm, Monday to Friday).

The nurse practitioners and doctors at HARMONI will not have access to your medical records held at the surgery. Therefore, it would not be appropriate to use HARMONI for purposes other than emergency treatment. If you have an ongoing medical condition that requires routine or regular follow up, make a normal appointment at the surgery with your usual doctor. Similarly if your problem can wait until the morning or after the weekend then come and see us in the surgery then. This will be preferable as your doctor has access to all your past records and may be able to provide more effective advice.

HARMONI is not equipped to deal with trauma and injury. It is still appropriate to go straight to the local Casualty Unit for these problems. Remember, HARMONI is there for emergency advice and treatment only.