Welcome to The Waterfront Medical Centre, Clonakilty, West Cork.

Information

Frequently Asked Questions

 

Practice Privacy Statement

Practice Name
WESTERN ROAD SURGERY
Practice Address

WESTERN ROAD,CLONAKILTY,CO CORK
Practice Phone Number
023 8835102
Data Controller
DR IAN BELL AND DR YVONNE HAYES
Lead for Data Protection
DR IAN BELL

Practice Privacy Statement
This Practice wants to ensure the highest standard of medical care for our patients. We understand that a General Practice is a trusted community governed by an ethic of privacy and confidentiality. Our approach is consistent with the Medical Council guidelines and the privacy principles of the Data Protection Regulations. It is not possible to undertake medical care without collecting and processing personal data and data concerning health. In fact, to do so would be in breach of the Medical Council’s ‘Guide to Professional Conduct and Ethics for Doctors’. This leaflet is about advising you of our policies and practices on dealing with your medical information.

Legal Basis for Processing Your Data
This practice has voluntarily signed up for the ICGP Data Protection Guideline for GPs. The processing of personal data in general practice is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the patient and for the provision of health care and public health. You can access the Guideline at http://www.icgp.ie/data. In most circumstances we hold your data until 8 years after your death or 8 years since your last contact with the practice. There are exceptions to this rule and these are described in the Guideline referenced above.

Managing Your Information
In order to provide for your care here we need to collect and keep information about you and your health on our records.
• We retain your information securely.
• We will only ask for and keep information that is necessary. We will attempt to keep it as accurate and up to-date as possible. We will explain the need for any information we ask for if you are not sure why it is needed.
• We ask you to inform us about any relevant changes that we should know about. This would include such things as any new treatments or investigations being carried out that we are not aware of. Please also inform us of change of address and phone numbers.
• All persons in the practice (not already covered by a professional confidentiality code) sign a confidentiality agreement that explicitly makes clear their duties
in relation to personal health information and the consequences of breaching that duty.
• Access to patient records is regulated to ensure that they are used only to the extent necessary to enable
the secretary or manager to perform their tasks for
the proper functioning of the practice. In this regard, patients should understand that practice staff may have access to their records for:
o Identifying and printing repeat prescriptions for patients. These are then reviewed and signed by the GP.
o Generating a sickness certificate for the patient. This is then checked and signed by the GP.
o Typing referral letters to hospital consultants or allied health professionals such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists and dieticians.
o Opening letters from hospitals and consultants. The letters could be appended to a patient’s paper file or scanned into their electronic patient record.
o Scanning clinical letters, radiology reports and any other documents not available in electronic format.
o Downloading laboratory results and Out of Hours Coop reports and performing integration of these results into the electronic patient record.
o Photocopying or printing documents for referral to consultants, attendance at an antenatal clinic or when a patient is changing GP.
o Checking for a patient if a hospital or consultant letter is back or if a laboratory or radiology result is back, in order to schedule a conversation with the GP.
o When a patient makes contact with a practice, checking if they are due for any preventative services, such as vaccination, ante natal visit, contraceptive pill check, cervical smear test, etc.
o Handling, printing, photocopying and postage of medico legal and life assurance reports, and of associated documents.
o Sending and receiving information via Healthmail, secure clinical email.
o And other activities related to the support of medical care appropriate for practice support staff.

Disclosure of Information to Other Health and Social Care Professionals
We may need to pass some of this information to other health and social care professionals in order to provide you with the treatment and services you need. Only the relevant part of your record will be released. These other professionals are also legally bound to treat your information with the same duty of care and confidentiality that we do.

Disclosures Required or Permitted Under Law
The law provides that in certain instances personal information (including health information) can be disclosed, for example, in the case of infectious diseases.

Disclosure of information to Employers, Insurance Companies and Solicitors:
• In general, work related Medical Certificates from your GP will only provide a confirmation that you are unfit for work with an indication of when you will be fit to resume work. Where it is considered necessary to provide additional information we will discuss that with you. However, Department of Social Protection sickness certs for work must include the medical reason you are unfit to work.
• In the case of disclosures to insurance companies or requests made by solicitors for your records we will only release the information with your signed consent.

Use of Information for Training, Teaching and Quality Assurance
It is usual for GPs to discuss patient case histories as part of their continuing medical education or for the purpose of training GPs and/or medical students. In these situations the identity of the patient concerned will not be revealed.

In other situations ,however, it may be beneficial for other doctors within the practice to be aware of patients with particular conditions and in such cases this practice would only communicate the information necessary to provide the highest level of care to the patient.

Our practice is involved in the training of GPs and is attached to a General Practice Training Programme. As part of this programme GP Registrars will work in the practice and may be involved in your care.

Use of Information for Research and Audit
It is usual for patient information to be used for research and audit in order to improve services and standards of practice. GPs on the specialist register of the Medical Council are required to perform yearly clinical audits. Information used for such purposes is done in an anonymised or pseudonymised manner with all personal identifying information removed.

If it were proposed to use your information in a way where it would not be anonymous or the Practice was involved in external research we would discuss this further with you before we proceeded and seek your written informed consent. Please remember that the quality of the patient service provided can only be maintained and improved by training, teaching, audit and research.

Your Right of Access to Your Health Information
You have the right of access to all the personal information held about you by this practice. If you wish to see your records, in most cases the quickest way is to discuss this with your doctor who will review the information in the record with you. You can make a formal written access request to the practice and receive a copy of your medical records. These will be provided to you within thirty days, without cost.

Transferring to Another Practice
If you decide at any time and for whatever reason to transfer to another practice we will facilitate that decision by making available to your new doctor a copy of your records on receipt of your signed consent from your new doctor. For medico-legal reasons we will also retain a copy of your records in this practice for an appropriate period of time which may exceed eight years.

Other Rights
You have other rights under data protection regulations in relation to transfer of data to a third country, the right to rectification or erasure, restriction of processing, objection to processing and data portability. Further information on these rights in the context of general practice is described in the Guideline available at http://www.icgp.ie/data. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commissioner.

Questions
We hope this leaflet has explained any issues that may arise. If you have any questions, please speak to the practice secretary or your doctor.

Please phone the Nurse for your test results. They are available for your enquiries between the hours of 14.30 – 15.30 hrs. each day.

European visitors on holiday in Ireland are entitled to free emergency medical care if they are in possession of a valid EU health card from their home country. UK and NI visitors are eligible with a valid passport, driving licence and NHS number. On moving to live permanently in the Republic of Ireland, the documentation listed above also grants you access to emergency care for a period of up to three months. If you feel you are entitled to a GMS medical card, you should ensure you have applied for it before this time is up, as otherwise private patient fees apply.

Not all services are covered – for instance:

  • Driving licence medical/eye test
  • 
Travel vaccines
  • Medical examinations or reports for legal purposes and examinations relating to insurance policies
  • Pre-employment examinations
  • Non-medical letters  e.g. for School, University, County Council, Social Welfare, etc. An administration fee may apply.
  • Examinations in connection with fitness to take part in sports/rallying.
  • Some vaccinations – travel and certain childhood vaccines not on the HSE schedule.
  • Pregnancy tests and routine STI screening.
  • Blood tests in Under 8’s

It is practice policy for all accounts to be settled at the time of consultation before leaving the surgery. We do not offer credit. However we do have a Visa/Debit machine as an alternative method of payment. Our fees are displayed.

Receipts are automatically issued at the time of payment for each visit – PLEASE RETAIN YOUR RECEIPTS – you will need these when claiming back if you are entitled to same.

There are 2 types of medical card in operation under the GMS Scheme
:

  1. Full Medical Card
  2. Doctor Visit Card or DV Card (which now incorporates free medical care for under 8s and over 70s)

PRICE LIST 2021

CONSULTATION  

€50

 

FAMILY CONSULTATION +€25 per extra person

(this consultation option is available only if pre-booked)

 

€75+

 

 

REVIEW CONSULTATION (within 2 weeks for same issue)

 

€40
 

 

NURSE CONSULTATION

 

TELEPHONE CONSULTATION WHERE LETTER/PRESCRIPTION IS ISSUED

 

BLOOD TESTS FOR UNDER 6 WILL ALSO INCUR A CHARGE

 

 

 

 €35

 

€35

 

 

€35

 

ECG/CRYOTHERAPY (AS PART OF CONSULTATION)

BLOOD TESTS AS PART OF CONSULTATION FOR BOTH PRIVATE AND GMS PATIENTS

+€15 extra

+€10 extra

 

REPEAT PRISCRIPTIONS – (without consultation and with 24 hour notice)

 

 €25
 

LETTERS (including GMS patients)

 

 €25
 

SUTURES

MINOR SURGERY

JOINT INJECTIONS

SKIN GLUE

 

€100

€100

€70

€80

IUD (MIRENA/COIL) – assessment

INSERTION AND FOLLOW-UP AT 6 WEEKS

MIRENA REMOVAL

 

€50

€170

€60

 

IMPLANON INSERTION  €80
IMPLANON REMOVAL/ REINSERTION  

€100

 

 

24 HOUR BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR

DRIVING LICENCE (only)

COURSE OF INJECTIONS eg B12/Iron

PRE-EMPLOYMENT/INSURANCE MEDICAL

(including GMS patients)

MEDICO-LEGAL/PIAB REPORTS

(including GMS patients)

TRAVEL CONSULTATION –

(please enquire as to cost of vaccines)

WELL MAN/WELL WOMAN CHECK

(including GMS patients)

 

€70

€35

€20 each

€90

 

€350

 

€50 +Vaccines

 

 

€150

Please ask for your receipt on the day

24 hours notice is needed for all repeat scripts, forms and letters

Patients who hold a valid Medical card (full or GP visit) are entitled to a wide range of medical services free of charge. However it is important to note that certain services are not covered by your medical card and will be charged – e.g.

 

DRIVING LICENCE MEDICALS INSURANCE FORMS AND MEDICALS
PRE-EMPLOYMENT MEDICALS MEDICO-LEGAL REPORTS
ASSESSMENT OF TESTAMENTARY CAPACITY SIGNING OR WITNESSING DOCUMENTS
IDENTITY REPORTS AND LETTERS PASSPORT APPLICATION FORMS
TRAVEL VACCINATIONS LETTERS FOR CRECHES/SCHOOL/ SOCIAL WELFARE ETC.
VACCINES NOT ON HSE IMMUNISATION SCHEME BOXING/FITNESS/MOTORSPORT EXAMINATIONS, ETC.
CONFIDENTAL MEDICAL REPORTS BLOOD TESTS FOR UNDER 8

FROM JANUARY 1ST 2021 THERE WILL BE A €10 CHARGE FOR BLOOD TESTS EVEN IF YOU HAVE A MEDICAL CARD. If you are unsure as to whether the service you require will incur a charge, please phone the surgery in advance and our staff will be happy to advise you.

 

Please note due to high demand each consultation time is for one person only. If a second person needs to be seen, it has to be discussed in advance at the time of making the appointment, as refusal often offends!

If you need to attend for same it is necessary to strictly fast for 12 hours before the test. The only thing you can eat during this time is water (and your normal tablets if needed). You must make an appointment for 9am. Lucozade is no longer acceptable as a sugar source and would will need to contact the Nurse about a substitute to bring with you to the test. The test comprises of two parts. At 9am a blood test will be taken and you will then be asked to drink a certain amount of the sugared drink. You will then be asked to go home sit down and relax for 2 hours and be back in the surgery for 11am. It is vital that you rest and not eat or drink anything in this time. Once the second test is taken you can have something to eat!

We have signed up to the HSE’s free GP care for the under 8s. However, until you apply and receive confirmation of same, normal fees will apply. Once you apply under a listed GP of the practice you can be seen by any of the staff (not just the Doctor on the card). Please visit www.GPvisitcard.ie to register.

Non medical letters are not covered under the GMS e.g. letters for county council, travel, school, etc. and a fee applies.

 

If, as a medical card holder, you receive a private prescription from a hospital, you can get up to 7 days from the pharmacy but you will need to attend to have a GMS script issued after this.

We request at least 24 hour notice for repeat prescriptions. The Doctor may request you to attend if it is necessary to discuss your medication, follow–up care, etc.

Monday – Friday 18.00 – 08.00 and Saturday 13.00 – Monday 08.00

Out of Hours care is provided by SouthDoc – please call 0818 335 999. This is an appointment-only service and the number must be called prior to being seen. If you have a medical card, make sure to bring it with you as it may not be a GP from our practice on call.

If the Surgery phone is switched to answering machine but there is an urgent need to speak with a Doctor (outside of SouthDoc hours) then an emergency mobile is available. Please call 085 875 3184 or call 999.