Opening hours

Please see our appointments page for details of our appointments and opening hours.

Repeat prescriptions

Other information about repeat meds

Processing Time

Repeat prescriptions take two working days to be processed and are available to be collected after 3.00pm on the second working day, e.g., prescriptions requested on Tuesday will be ready to collect after 3.00pm on Thursday, prescriptions requested on Friday will be available to collect after 3.00pm on Tuesday.

Collection service

The practice takes part in a repeat prescription collection service. All the local chemists are involved. You can choose which chemist you would like to collect your prescription. READ MORE

Review dates

The review date near the bottom of your repeat slip indicates when you should have a medication review. There is no need to book an appointment for your review. Instead, we will write, inviting you for a review, and include the forms for you to attend for any relevant blood tests before your review. This is an essential and very important requirement, if you are to continue to take your medications safely and effectively.

Items not on repeat prescription

Our receptionists are not permitted to issue prescription items that are not already on repeat. If you add such an item to your repeat request, it may cause a delay in the processing of your repeat prescription as we look into your request.

We may also ask you for more information, including up to date photographs for skin conditions, in order to process your request.

Home visits

We have a formal home visiting policy . We only visit terminally ill or bedbound patients. Please see our home visiting pages for more information.

Out of hours

Please visit our appointments page for details

Blood tests

Blood tests are not carried out at the surgery.

Find out how to get a blood test.

If you need to fast (starve) for the test - this means not having anything to eat or drink (apart from plain water) for 12 hours before your test. You may take your routine medications (apart from diabetic medication) as normal with water.

Test results

Usually results take about two weeks to be reported and viewed by the clinical staff (X-rays may take three weeks or more). Therefore if you need to ring for your result, please leave at least two weeks after your tests before you ring. Results are available after 2.00pm. Please note reception team cannot deal with calls for test results before this time. READ MORE

Private work

NHS care is free at the point of contact, and involves things like seeing the doctor for a normal consultation, home visits and some types of minor surgery. You will not be charged for NHS work. However, the doctors are entitled to charge for some items of work which are outside the NHS. READ MORE

Private referrals

Please let your clinician know at the time of your appointment if you wish for a private referral. If the GP was going to refer you to an NHS hospital, but you wish to go private instead, we can supply a referral letter to facilitate this, without charge.

However, if you have decided yourself to see a private provider, but that provider requires a referral letter or form completing to enable this to happen, please note that such work is chargeable, in line with our current fees policy. If you wish to avoid this fee, you can self-refer to the private provider and we can supply a summary printout of your record free of charge to help you with this, if required.

Details on the whole issue of private providers, including information on prescription and test requests following appointments with a private provider, can be found on our information page:

Fit notes (also called sick/club/doctor's notes) SHORTCUT ivy.gs/sicknote

FIT NOTES AFTER HOSPITAL CARE

Your hospital is contractually obligated to provide you with fit notes relating to any hospital care.

For fit notes following hospital admission, outpatients or operations, please ask your hospital doctor to provide you with one before you leave hospital.

Despite what the hospital might say about seeing your GP for a fit note, it is the legal and contractual duty of the hospital doctor who treated you to provide a fit note should you require it. Our information leaflet provides more detail on this duty.

Even if you have left hospital without your fit note, you may still contact the secretary of the consultant you were under and they should send you one, either through the post or electronically by email or text (exactly the same methods we use to get fit notes to patients).

This is an extract from the above guidance for hospital doctors:

Still having trouble getting your fit note from the hospital?

If the hospital still does not issue you a fit note on request, please contact their Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) department, who will be able to escalate matters for you.

Electronic fit notes from hospital

From November 30, 2023, as part of hospital contract changes, all hospital must have in place facilities to be able to send a fit note to any patient electronically. There is therefore no excuse for the hospital not to be able to issue a fit note for you should you require it.

RETURNING BACK TO WORK AFTER A FIT NOTE

Since April 2010, the requirement for you to be 'signed back to work' with a doctor's note was removed. You simply return to work after discussion and agreement with your employer. A fit note is not required.

This is an extract from the official fit note guidance:

FIT NOTES IN THE FIRST SEVEN DAYS

You do not need a fit note for the first seven days of sickness absence. You can self-certify for the first seven days of sickness absence. A self-certifying note lasts seven days from the first day of sickness absence, regardless of whether you usually work all those days or not.

You can obtain a self-certifying note from your employer or fill one out online .

If your employer insists on a note for absence for this period (and they are only entitled to ask for this if it is a requirement of your employment contract), we can issue a private sickness certificate. If you want one, you will need to make a telephone appointment to speak to the doctor, and a fee will be payable for this certificate.

FOLLOW-ON FIT NOTES FOR CONTINUED ABSENCE

If you need a further ongoing fit note, please provide our receptionist with the required details and they will pass your request onto the relevant doctor. Even if your usual doctor is temporarily unavailable, this non-urgent problem can wait until their return. Notes can be issued to cover previous absences from work as long as they are continuous.

RECENT CHANGES IN 2022

Recent changes to fit note legislation mean that fit notes no longer require a doctor's signature. Furthermore, other professionals, such as physios, OTs and nurse practitioners, may now be able to issue fit notes.

FURTHER INFORMATION

GOV.UK has published useful Guidance for patients and employees on the fit note .

Chaperones

You may request a suitably trained chaperone for any procedure, test or examination. Friends and family are not permitted to act as chaperones.

Please note: both male and female clinical team members work within the practice, if you have a preference, please ensure you discuss this when you book your appointment.

For more information, please speak to reception.

Antenatal clinics

This clinic is run by the midwife attached to the practice. If you become pregnant, you will be given a 'booking appointment' with the Midwife when you are about 10 weeks pregnant. At this appointment the midwife will ask a few questions and carry out some general health checks. You will be seen regularly throughout your pregnancy either at the surgery, the local hospital, or both.

Anticoagulation (Warfarin, INR testing)

This service is provided by the practice nurse team for those patients stabilised on warfarin. This service is by appointment during surgery times.

Asthma

This service is provided by the practice nurse team. Asthma patients, particularly children, are invited to attend. This service is by appointment during surgery times.

Cervical smear tests

This service is provided by the practice nurse team. All women aged 25 to 64 (except those who have had a hysterectomy) are invited to have this test. We encourage you to accept this invitation. The service is by appointment during surgery times.

Child health (Six week check)

This service is run by the doctors and is by appointment only.

Child immunisation

This clinic is run by the treatment room nurse by appointment.

Diabetic clinic

This runs on a weekly basis and is organised by our diabetic nurse. The clinic offers advice and general health check-ups to patients diagnosed with diabetes.

Family planning and HRT

This service is provided by the practice nurse team. Emergency contraception is also available from some local chemists.

Implants and coils are provided by the GP by appointment.

Health promotion

Health checks and advice are offered by the treatment room nurse by appointment.

Medicals (HGV, Insurance etc)

This is a private service provided by the doctors. This service is provide by the doctors and is by appointment only. Paperwork and full payment (non- refundable) is required when booking the appointment. These appointments are in great demand and there is usually a waiting list. Therefore, if payment and paperwork is not received at least 1 week prior to the appointment date, the appointment will be cancelled and offered to the next person on the list.

Minor surgery and joint Injections

Minor operations and some joint injections can be performed by the doctors. Please discuss this with your doctor who will arrange for you to be put on the waiting list. An appointment will be sent to you in due course.

Travel vaccinations

Ivy Grove Surgery provides certain travel vaccinations. Please allow yourself plenty of time to obtain your travel requirements, as vaccinations can take a couple of weeks to take effect. We need at least 6 weeks’ notice prior to travel to ensure a suitable appointment is agreed.

Free travel vaccinations

The surgery supplies certain travel vaccinations free on the NHS, these include Typhoid, Hepatitis A and Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio.

Private travel vaccinations

Other vaccinations that may be required for travel would have to be provided privately. Unfortunately due to changes in professional insurance, we are unable to provide any private vaccinations, such as Yellow Fever. For these and other private vaccinations, please find details of some local travel clinics below:

Travel Advice

If you wish to obtain free travel advice from us to check which vaccinations you will need, whether NHS or private, please download, read and complete the following form, one for each traveller.

Citizens Advice

This service is provided free for patients of Ivy Grove by appointment only. Please ring us to book an appointment.

Derbyshire Carers

Any patient, registered or not, is welcome to book an appointment with our support worker from Derbyshire Carers Association, who visits once a month. Please ring reception.