Making an appointment
To make our service more efficient we encourage all our patients to make an appointment with a doctor or nurse. This can be arranged with our reception in person or by phone; lines are open between 9.00am -5.00pm Tel: 051 325130
Routine appointments can be made well in advance to enable us to offer you an appointment at a time which is suitable to your requirements. Should you require a specialised service such as a pre-employment medical or a Mirena/Implanon fitting, please inform our receptionist as she may need to make more time available to you for your particular needs.
If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible as another patient may be able to avail of this appointment.
If the problem is urgent please contact reception and we will do our best to assist you. If there is no appointment available for your urgent medical problem we will do our best to see you as soon as possible.
At times a consultation may overrun for example in emergency cases or with very ill patients. Please be patient with us, as you maybe the patient requiring an extended consultation at some time.
How to register with a GP at Carrigdhoun Surgery
All enquiries regarding registering with one of our GPs as a private or public patient must be made by calling to reception in person or by phone; lines are open between 9.00am-5.00pm Tel: 051 325130. The GP will often meet new patients prior to registering.
Ordering a repeat prescription
If you need a repeat prescription please call our reception staff to place an order of the medication you require or preferably drop in a list of the medication you require. 24 hours notice is needed for all repeat prescriptions, this allows the doctor time to check the prescription and ensure your records are updated accordingly.
All patients on long term medication should be seen, at least, every six months. A repeat prescription will not be issued to a patient who has not been reviewed by a doctor in the last six months. If due to unforeseen circumstances you require a prescription and are unable to attend, explain this to our reception staff and we will try facilitate you with a one month prescription and allow you to make an appointment with the doctor at your earliest convenience within the month.
If you have a prescription from the hospital which needs to be issued on a Medical Card prescription or needs to be reviewed by your doctor, we will try to facilitate you as soon as possible.
How do I speak with my Doctor or the Nurse?
Most medical problems needing medical attention are best discussed in person, by consulting with your doctor or nurse. Telephone calls during consultations can be upsetting for patients and can disrupt ongoing medical care. If your doctor or nurse cannot take your call please leave your contact details and a brief message with our receptionist and a doctor or nurse will call you back as soon as possible.
If your telephone call is an emergency please inform our receptionist, this will always be dealt with by a doctor.
How do I get my test results?
Most test results are best discussed at follow-up appointments in person with the doctor. However if this is not possible or not necessary, it is the patients responsibility to phone for his or her results. Do not presume if you have not heard from the doctor that your test result is normal. If your GP decides the results are normal, he or she will leave a message to that effect. If telephone follow-up is necessary and suitable, your GP or the Nurse will speak to you when you ring. However they are unable to take the call you will be asked to leave your name, date of birth and telephone number so we can contact you with your results.
Blood tests:
All blood results arrive at the practice electronically from University Hospital Waterford, most results should be available within one week. However some test results take longer and your GP will advise you of these.
X-rays:
Most X-ray results take at least a week to arrive electronically from University Hospital Waterford. X-ray results from private hospitals usually arrive within a week.
Cervical Smear test results:
You should receive a letter with your smear test result within 6 weeks, if you have any query on this result, please do not hesitate to contact, your GP or practice nurse.
How do I pay for my Medical Services
We would be grateful if our clients pay at each appointment, as we cannot offer credit. For your convenience we accept: Cash, Cheques, Laser, Visa and Mastercard. Doctor consultation fee is €50. There is a special discount rate of €35 for students visit on producing a valid student card. We have a ful list of our charges displayed in the surgery.
Health expenses are tax deductible, to claim tax relief you will need to keep all receipts and complete a MED 1 Form available from the revenue website, www.revenue.ie
Back dated receipts can be issued for tax purposes, however this service will incur an administrative fee, you also need to allow one working week for completion.
Certain procedures are covered by insurance companies such as VHI, LAYA, AVIVA and GloHealth. These services include: Cryotherapy, suturing and Venesection. To avail of these services covered by your health insurer please bring your insurance details to reception on arrival for your procedure.
General medical care is free to medical card holders.
Visitors from EU countries are entitled to emergency care without charge provided they have a European Health Insurance Card from their own country, valid at the time of their visit. Please present your European Health Card at the practice reception before your consultation.
Visitors from the UK are entitled to emergency care without charge provided they have proof of NHS eligibility.
If you are travelling from abroad, your health insurance may reimburse some or all of the cost of your visit to the Carrigdhoun Surgery. A receipt will be provided by our reception staff at the time of payment, which can be submitted to your insurance company.
Do you offer Home Visits?
Wherever possible we encourage patients to attend the surgery as most likely you will be seen faster than waiting at home and with more medical equipment and medication to hand for use if necessary. Carrighdhoun Surgery has ample free parking available.
Generally a home visit will only be provided for patients who are terminally ill, who are truly housebound and for whom travelling to the premises would cause deterioration of their medical condition.
Patients with common symptoms of childhood; fever, cold, cough, earache, vomiting and diarrhoea, should travel to the surgery. It is not harmful to take a child with fever outside.
Adults with common problems, such as cough sore throat, influenza, back pain and abdominal pain are also readily transportable to the surgery.
Patients with severe chest pain, severe shortness of breath, severe allergic reaction, collapse or loss of consciousness, the best approach is to call an ambulance on:
999 or 112
Getting the most from your visit to the GP
It is important to make full use of your visit with your doctor. Try to tell the doctor the main reason for your visit at the start of the consultation. If you have a number of things on your mind it might be useful to write these down beforehand. However, the doctor may not be able to deal fully with all your problems in the first visit and may need to arrange a follow-up appointment.
Where you think that the doctor will need to examine you or do a procedure, think about what to wear. For example, if your blood pressure needs to be checked, wear a loose sleeve. If the appointment is for your baby, dress the child in clothes that can be easily removed, this causes less distress to the child.
If you require an intimate examination and would prefer to have someone else present, such as a family member or the practice nurse please don’t hesitate to inform the doctor in advance and this can be facilitated.
If you think you have a urinary tract infection or you are attending for an antenatal visit, it saves you time by bringing a urine sample with you at the start of the consultation. Sample bottles are available in the practice toilet for your convenience.
