OUT OF HOURS COVER
The out-of-hours service is commissioned by NHS Northamptonshire. Byfield Medical Centre does not directly provide out-of-hours cover.
Out-of-hours cover is provided by SNOWDOC (South Northants with Daventry Doctors On Call). This is a co-operative of local GPs set up to ensure that there is always a doctor on call to advise or
see patients in an emergency. The service operates during the week from 6.30pm till the surgery re-opens the following morning at 8.30am. It also runs during weekends from 6.30pm on Friday evenings
till re-opening on Mondays (or Tuesdays in the case of bank holiday weekends).
Callers to Byfield Medical Centre will be automatically transferred to SNOWDOC on (01327) 702215. Trained staff will then deal with your call. For many problems telephone advice
may be all that is required. If a consultation is considered necessary patients may be invited to attend the Out-Of-Hours Centre at Danetre Hospital to see the duty doctor there. Home visits by the
SNOWDOC service will only be made to those patients who are genuinely too ill to travel.
During overnight periods, ie from 11.00pm to 8.00am, where a consultation is considered necessary, patients may be invited to attend the Out-Of-Hours Centre at the NORMED Centre in Northampton to
see the duty doctor there.
Home visits by the NORMED service will only be made to those patients who are genuinely too ill to travel.
DISABLED ACCESS
The medical centre has a ramp at the front entrance for wheelchair access and all patient services are provided on the ground floor. A disabled patients' WC is located near the front
entrance.
PARKING
There is limited car parking space available at the rear of the surgery premises.
The availability of parking at the surgery does occasionally cause difficulties, particularly for the residents of Knightley Close who live immediately adjacent to the surgery. Many patients park
inconsiderately (and illegally) when visiting the surgery. The local constabulary shares the concerns of local residents and the partners at the surgery - they have indicated that they will not
hesitate to issue a fixed penalty notice to individuals who infringe the law as set out in the Road Traffic Act. Dr Burton and Partners will not be held liable for any fines incurred by patients as a
result of their failure to park as required by the law.
PRIMARY CARE TRUST
Byfield Medical Centre which was part of the Cherwell Vale Primary Care Trust, joined the new Northamptonshire Teaching PCT in October 2006. This PCT was formed out of the merger of Daventry and
South Northants PCT, Northampton PCT and Northamptonshire Heartlands PCT. Patients will notice no difference to the way in which their care and treatment is provided - the choice to be referred
to the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust (including Horton Hospital) will still remain.
PROTECTED LEARNING TIME
With the support of the Primary Care Trust and in keeping with all other practices in the PCT, the practice closes for one afternoon per calendar month to allow staff time to undertake essential
staff training. An emergency doctor will always be available for patients. Details of how to contact the emergency doctor will be contained in an answerphone message which patients can access by
telephoning (0844) 477 8753.
BYFIELD MEDICAL CENTRE PATIENT GROUP
The Medical Centre has, for many years, benefited from the advice and support of a Patient Group. The six representatives of the Patient Group are drawn from across the geographical area covered by
the Medical Centre and assist the partners and practice management team with a patient perspective on matters affecting the surgery.
As at October 2006 the six representatives are:
Aston le Walls Mrs Gill Taylor
The Boddingtons Mr Peter Deeley
Byfield Mr John Russell
Priors Marston Mrs Suzanne Wood
Woodford Halse Ms Sharon Powell and Mrs Trudy Thornton
Should you wish to contact a member of the Patient Group, please contact Martin Crawford at the surgery.
BYFIELD MEDICAL CENTRE TRUST FUND
Byfield Medical Centre Trust Fund was established in 2001. This Fund has been established to accept donations made for and on behalf of patients of the Medical Centre. The donations are utilised to
purchase items of equipment for the benefit of patients of the Medical Centre which might not otherwise be able to be purchased.
For full details of the Trust Fund, please contact Martin Crawford at the surgery.
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION - PUBLICATION SCHEME
The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to
routinely make available.
This scheme is available from reception.
PATIENT CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA PROTECTION
We ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice
will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary
that medical information about you is shared between members of the practice team.
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