Dr Gerard Bulger	Dr Janet Crabtree	Nurse:
Pippa
Washbourne	Health Visitor: Jane Grant	Midwife:
	
Monday	9.10-11.40
4.00-6.00		10.00-12.00
4.00-5.40			
Tuesday	
4.00-6.00	8.40-11.40
	9.00-12.00
4.00-5.40	9.30-12.30	2.00-4.00pm	
Wednesday	8.40-11.40
4.00-6.00		9.00-12.00
4.00-5.40			
Thursday	11.10-12.10
4.00-6.0	8.40-11.00
	9.00-12.00
4.00-5.40			
Friday	11.10-12.10
4.00-6.00	8.40-11.00		9.30-5.30		
Saturday	Closed*	Out of Hours 	service 			
*Alternate Saturdays Insurance Medicals can be booked

Appointments:  Ring or call in for an appointment, preferably a few days in advance; this way we will have the spaces for anyone requiring urgent attention during a morning surgery. We always attempt to be amenable to fitting people into the morning surgery the same day for emergencies. 
You are unlikely to be fitted into an evening surgery if we are booked up.  Book an appointment slot for each member of the family to be seen. If you think that you require a longer consultation than the usual 10 minutes please let the receptionists know when booking and you will be given two or more slots; this will help us keep to time. 

Practice Nurse (pippa@careprovider.com) You may prefer to book an appointment with the nurse. She is the first person to contact for travel injections, wound management, suture removal, audiograms, and children's vaccinations, for doing blood tests, and treating urinary infections and performing cervical smears. 

Clinics are held for Asthma, Blood Pressure, Antenatal Checks, Diabetes, Child Health Surveillance, Smoking Cessation & General Health Checks during normal surgery times.

Minor Operations: Are performed towards the end of morning surgery for suitable conditions. We also have liquid nitrogen equipment for removal and treatment of skin lesions, resistant warts and other skin problems that respond to Cryosurgery. We are fully equipped with full range of instruments and light sources. We have full range of Ear Nose and Throat equipment and suction machine for aural toilet. We are able to perform a full range of investigations.

From April 1st 2007 this leaflet is out of date. Dr Omar Rahim will be doing Dr Bulger’s sessions. 
See www.careprovider.com
and the new web site 
www.archwaysurgery.co.uk	Archway Surgery
52 High Street
Bovingdon 
Hertfordshire HP3 0HJ
Tel : 01442 833380
Fax :01442 832093 
e-mail: archway@careprovider.com
web http://www.careprovider.com 
New: http://www.archwaysurgery.co.uk	
For help Out of Hours (6.30pm-8.30am + all weekends) ring the surgery number or Harmoni OOH directly on  0845 605 6000
The Practice is part of Dacorum Primary Care Trust
The surgery is in a purpose built and recently extended building in the middle of Bovingdon Village, opposite the Library and Bovingdon JMI School.  

Gerard Bulger B.Sc, M.B.,B.S, D.C.H., M.R.C.G.P.
Trained at St.Bartholomew's Hospital, London, qualifying in 1976.  I am a clinical tutor at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, so you may find medical students here from time to time. I am on the Health Authority lists for the provision of child health surveillance, minor operations and maternity services. I also work at HMP Mount with Dr Crabtree.  From April 2007 he will only be doing occasional sessions and locum holiday cover.
Dr Janet Crabtree M.R.C.G.P M.R.C.P is our assistant and she works at the surgery on Tuesday, Thursday & Friday mornings. 

Dr Omar Rahim MBBS MRCS MRCGP, who trained at Guys Hospital London, and as a GP at the Nap Surgery, is the No 1 doctor at Archway Surgery from April 1st 2007.   

Surgery Hours:
The surgery is open and staffed with receptionists from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. There are no surgeries on Bank Holidays. Evening & weekend cover is provided by a company called Harmoni, on behalf of Dacorum PCT. 
The main practice leaflet is on http://www.careprovider.com

Repeat Prescriptions: We are not keen on repeat prescribing.  We should attempt to keep the tablets in phase with each other so they all run low together.  For some conditions repeat prescriptions are sensible. Note that it may take up to 36 hrs to process such a repeat prescription. Keep the computer printout - the prescription counterfoil that comes with the prescription.  This lists the drugs you are on, or have had recently, and has a date by when I expect to have seen and reviewed your medication.  You can show this paper to hospital doctors.  For a repeat prescription drop round, post or fax the tear off slip, ticking the items required.  Please don't phone in for repeat prescriptions since this jams up the phone lines,  also phoning can lead to errors.

Test Results: Check the results by popping into the surgery or by phoning in the afternoon, between 2-4pm (the lines are less busy then).  Not all results can be given over the phone.

Hospital Referrals: If you have not received the date of your appointment within three weeks of me stating us making a referral, please contact the surgery. For private referrals you will need to collect the letter a few days after we have seen you. You then arrange your appointment directly with the consultant's secretary or the hospital concerned. 

Emergency Equipment: We have an emergency trolley that includes a defibrillator, oxygen and suction machine. 

Investigations: Blood tests are taken in the morning surgery, and all specimens are sent to the local Laboratory though a courier service. We have other equipment for investigations including spirometer, sigmoidoscopes, skin testing and biopsy, diagnostic ultrasound, ECG, alcohol meter, smoking(carbon monoxide sensor) meter, instant INR meter, instant temperature sensor, indirect laryngoscope & a digital camera.

Feedback is welcome: If you have any comments, or complaints, these can be addressed to me or to my nurse, Pippa Washbourne.  For the independent avenue for a complaint, and advice on the formal complaint procedures, contact The Community Health Council, which can also give you advice on general health service issues. If you have complaints about hospital waiting times, let us know.

New Patients: Are welcome.  We will need to see all new patients for a simple health check and for me to introduce myself to you.  This first appointment will be a double slot.

Services not part of the NHS:  Private Fees
Certificates issued for the first week of an illness, insurance medicals, reports and certificates for immunisations and some travel vaccinations, all attract a private fee. This income is essential as it subsidises the extra equipment and services that are provided at this surgery for NHS activity.

The Practice is a Yellow Fever Centre and can offer full the range of travel injections.

Cervical Smears: Are offered and are performed by Pippa Washbourne RGN, and during normal surgeries by Dr Bulger or Dr Janet Crabtree.

Antenatal Clinics: Are during the surgery at your convenience, although Tuesday is the preferred day because the Community Midwife, Helen Curtis is also here then.  Most of your antenatal care will be at the surgery, alternating between the midwife and myself. 

Child Health Surveillance: 
The Health Visitor, Jane Grant, (jane.grant@careprovider.com)
is attached to the surgery, she visits all new families & babies. Formal assessment of child growth and development is offered at 8 weeks, 8 months, 21-24 months and 3 years.  Please book an appointment with Jane for these checks, the checks may be performed either at home or at the surgery.
Jane Grant’s direct line at the surgery is 01442 832128 and a message can be left on the answerphone if she’s not available.

The Community Midwife holds a clinic at the surgery every Tuesday afternoon.

The Team of District Nurses attached to the surgery are in daily contact with the surgery, either in person, or on the telephone. They provide skilled nursing assessment, care and treatment to all age groups. In particular to the housebound, those at risk, or who need general care following hospital treatment. They are in regular contact with the Doctor, and give valuable help and advice to patients. Often they are involved in referring and arranging help from social services and other agencies. They all carry pagers and can be contacted through the surgery or on their special paging number.

This is the short practice leaflet; the full details are on the web site: http://www.archwaysurgery.co.uk