Baby Clinics

Baby clinics are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2.00 to 4.00pm, clinics for Croydon patients are held on a Tuesday and a Thursday for Lambeth patients and toddlers clinic by appointment only from the doctor or health visitor.

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Postnatal Checks

Postnatal checks for mothers and babies are made at eight weeks with a GP. Baby’s first immunisation can be given by a practice nurse at the same time - please ask for a combined appointment.

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Midwives

Antenatal clinics for our Lambeth patients are held on Thursday afternoons from 2.00 to 4.00pm. The Lambeth midwives are based at Kings’ Healthcare, Denmark Hill.

Antenatal clinics for our Croydon patients are held at Auckland Road surgery. The Croydon midwives are based at Mayday Hospital.

The doctors hold their own antenatal clinics and patients can book appointments for these clinics via reception.

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Osteopath - Fiona Walsh

Fiona is available here on Wednesday afternoon and Friday morning. Referrals to see her are made through a GP and arranged by Anne.

Sexual Health Clinic

The practice also runs a walk in Sexual Health Clinic on Wednesday evenings between 6.30-8.00pm and on Saturday mornings between 9.30-11.45am.

We also run a Sexual Health pre-booked appointments service on Wednesday evenings between 5.00-7.30pm and on Saturday mornings between 9.00-10.30am.

Every Pound Counts Benefits Advice Service

The practice will run a Welfare Benefit Service that is available to all patients referred by their GP or Health Worker.

Pre-booked appointments will be available on alternate Friday mornings between 9.00-11.40am.

Asthma

Run by specialist nurses.  For managing all aspects of this illness and advice on medicines, diet and lifestyle issues.

Phlebotomy service

Pre-booked appointments with our phlebotomist are available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings between 9.00-9.45am for fasting bloods only.

The walk in service is available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings between 10.00-11.35am.

Counselling

If your Doctor thinks that counselling is appropriate for you, they will refer you to a counsellor and ask you to read the Talking Therapies leaflet.  Your first appointment will be for 30 minutes, to ensure that this is the best treatment you can be offered.  Subsequent appointments will be for up to 50 minutes.

Diabetes

There is a nurse-run diabetic clinic for all patients with diabetes at Crown Dale.  Patients should attend at least annually.  It is run by nurses who have specialist training in diabetes care.

Flu Vaccination

A flu clinic is run from October to December.

Minor Surgery

Following an initial assessment, removal of lumps, cysts etc. under local anaesthetic.

Smoking Cessation

Specially trained practice nurses provide support, advice and treatment for patients who want to stop smoking.

Travel Advice and Immunisations

At Crown Dale we provide appointments with a practice nurse offering travel advice and immunisations for trips abroad.  We like to see patients, where possible, at least 6 weeks prior to travelling because most immunisations take at least 3 weeks to become effective.  Pressure on appointments is high and you may therefore, be unable to book an appointment immediately.

Test Results

Please call the main number on 0208 670 2414 and press option 4 for results.

Alternatively phone the results line direct on 020 8655 7856. The results line is only available between 2.00 - 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

The results of tests and letters from the hospital are received and checked by the doctors every morning.

Test results take time to reach us, so please do not ring before you have been asked to do so.

Enquiries about tests ordered by the hospital should be directed to the hospital.

Other Services

We provide a full family planning service. Please advise reception if your appointment is for family planning as you may need a double appointment reserved for this.

Advice about meals on wheels, home helps, social workers, etc, can be obtained from your doctor. If there is any service not mentioned which you feel we should provide, please suggest it to a receptionist or to your doctor.

Referral is made through any of the clinicians for welfare benefits, dietetics, phlebotomy, osteopathy, counselling, chest clinic and a drugs and alcohol team.

To obtain emergency contraceptive treatment please telephone the surgery and ask to speak to a doctor. A message will be taken and the doctor will phone you back. If it is out-of-hours, please ring SELDOC, our answering service, on 020 8693 9066 and a doctor will ring you back.

Medicals and Chargeable Services

Why do GPs charge fees?  Your questions answered  

Isn't the NHS supposed to be free? 

The National Health Service provides most health care to most people free of charge, but there are exceptions.  Prescription charges have existed since 1951, and there are a number of other services for which fees are charged.  Sometimes the charge is made to cover some of the cost of treatment, for example, dental fees.  In other cases it is because the service is not covered by the NHS, for example, medical reports for insurance companies, claim forms for referral for private care and other letters and forms which require the doctor to review the patient's medical records. 

Surely the doctor is being paid anyway?

It is important to understand that GPs are not employed by the NHS, they are self employed, and they have to cover their costs - staff, buildings, heating, lighting etc - in the same way as any small business.  The NHS pays the doctor for specific NHS work, but for non-NHS work the fee has to cover the doctor's costs. 

What is covered by the NHS and what is not?

The government's contract with GPs covers medical services to NHS patients.  In recent years, more and more organisations have been involving doctors in a whole range of non-medical work.  Sometimes the only reason that GPs are asked is because they are in a position of trust in the community, or because an insurance company or employer wants to be sure that information provided is true and accurate.

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge their NHS patients are:

• Certain travel vaccinations
• Private medical insurance reports
• Holiday cancellation claim forms
• Referral for private care forms
• Letters requested by, or on behalf of, the patient 

Examples of non-NHS services for which GPs can charge other institutions are:

• Medical reports for an insurance company
• Some reports for the DSS/Benefits Agency
• Examinations of local authority employees 

Why does it sometimes take my GP a long time to complete my form?

Time spent completing forms and preparing reports takes the GP away from the medical care of his/her patients.  Most GPs have a very heavy workload and paperwork takes up an increasing amount of their time. 

I only need the doctor's signature - what is the problem?

When a doctor signs a certificate or completes a report, it is a condition of remaining on the Medical Register that they only sign what they know to be true.  Therefore, in order to complete even the simplest of forms, the doctor needs to check the patient's entire medical record.  Carelessness or an inaccurate report can have serious consequences for the doctor, with the General Medical Council or even the Police.  At Crown Dale Medical Centre we are unable to sign passport application forms.

What will I be charged?

The BMA recommends that GPs tell patients in advance if they will be charged, and how much.  It is up to the individual practice to decide how much to charge, but the BMA produces lists of suggested fees for the Doctors to use as a guideline. 

What can I do to help?

Not all documents need a signature by a doctor.  For example, you could ask another person in a position of trust, who may be willing to sign a passport application free of charge.  (Teacher, Accountant, etc) 

If you have several forms requiring completion, present them all at once and ask the receptionist if the price can be reduced by bringing them as a 'job lot'. 

You can complete the form to the best of your ability in pencil, so the doctor just has to quickly verify your entries against the information we hold. 

Do not expect your GP to process forms overnight, urgent requests may mean that a doctor has to make special arrangements to process the form quickly, and this will cost more. 

Private Fees

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