Practice information
Contacting the Surgery
If you are wanting to book an appointment or order a repeat prescription please try the Online appointment booking system.
For more information about these free Online services please click here.
Contact us for non urgent requests, advice & sicknotes please click here
Both these services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and mean that you do not have to wait on the phone to speak to a Care Navigator. It will also help to free up reception time, which helps both you the patient and the practice. We are trying to free up the telephone to enable patients quicker access to the surgery, especially if they have an emergency. We thank you for co-operation with this, but also hope you will prefer the new systems. We have had very positive feedback so far.
CQC Inspection
We have now received the report from our first CQC inspection and we are delighted to have passed this achieving a ‘good’ rating in all categories. Please see the report below:
Tramadol Prescribing
Tramadol is a synthetic analgesic (painkiller) which has opiate and non-opiate properties. Its action is unpredictable and it has the potential to interact with many commonly prescribed medicines eg antidepressants. Tramadol has the potential to cause addiction and has been implicated in overdose, misuse and patient related death.
As a practice we do not support the prescribing of Tramadol.
If you are a new patient to the surgery, we will not continue to prescribe this medication – you will be required to book an appointment to discuss alternatives. Current patients taking tramadol will need to book a medication review to discuss a reduction/withdrawal plan.
Fit To Fly
Fitness to Fly certificates do not form part of our NHS General Medical Services (GMS) contract and our GPs are therefore under no contractual obligation to provide them.
The British Medical Association (BMA) advises caution in this area, as there can be significant medico-legal implications. Doctors are only able to comment on information recorded in the patient’s notes and on their current health status. They cannot confirm future fitness (e.g. “fit for the duration of a holiday”), as this may be misleading and expose the doctor to legal risk.
Fitness to fly assessments can also be complex, often requiring specialist training and knowledge, particularly for patients with chronic health conditions or during pregnancy. GPs are not trained in aviation medicine, are not indemnified for providing such certification, and do not usually have access to all relevant specialist records (e.g. maternity notes). For these reasons, Kingthorne Group Practice does not issue Fit to Fly letters or certificates.
We appreciate that this may be inconvenient, but our primary responsibility is to ensure safe and appropriate medical care. Airlines commonly require confirmation that a passenger’s condition is stable, including details of:
• the nature, severity, and stability of the condition,
• medication being taken, and
• any relevant information regarding mobility.
Specialist private providers are available who can carry out the necessary assessment and provide certification.
Airline Guidance
Some airlines require a doctor’s certificate confirming the stage of pregnancy and that the individual is fit to fly. While a “doctor” may include a GP, it also includes hospital specialists such as obstetricians, who are often better placed to provide this information. Pregnant women may therefore obtain the required paperwork from their midwife or obstetric team. Please note that the clinicians at Kingthorne Group Practice do not provide fit to fly certificates for pregnant women.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority states that most airlines have medical advisors who make the final decision on whether a passenger is fit to travel. For further information, please refer to their health guidance here: CAA – Health Guidelines for Air Travel.
https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers-and-public/passenger-guidance/health-guidance/