Fitzalan Medical Centre

TRAINING PRACTICE

This is also a training practice for qualified registrars who are specialising in general practice. These fully qualified young and enthusiastic doctors are attached to us for a period of 12 months at a time.

NURSING TEAM

Practice Nurses

Frances, Carrie, Diane, Sui, Alyson and Nicola

Healthcare Assistants

Margaret, Hazel and Jane

PRACTICE STAFF

The partners themselves look after the overall strategic management of the practice.

Miss Debra Reynolds is our Practice Manager. Debra is responsible for the strategic planning and day-to-day running of the practice. She can help you with any administrative or non-medical aspects of your health and treatment and to discuss any suggestions (which are always welcome) or assist with any difficulties. Debra has specific responsibility for finance, staffing matters, health and safety and training.

Mrs Joanne Stark is our Office Supervisor. She looks after the day-to-day running of the reception team, appointments and repeat prescriptions. Jo will be happy to help with any queries or comments you may have about these areas.

Mrs Val O’Toole is our Clinical Administration Supervisor. She is responsible for the administration team, including, scanning, confidentiality, Chronic Disease Monitoring clinics and the clinical computer system. Again, Val is happy to answer queries you may have on any of these areas.

The surgery has a formal complaints procedure. Please contact the Practice Manager, who will be able to deal with this for you.

The practice is also supported by a number of receptionists, administrators and secretaries all of whom are bound by the same rules of confidentially as the doctors and nurses.

Practice Nurses

Our practice nurses see patients by appointment. They are involved in all the screening programmes as well as taking blood samples, ear syringing, routine blood pressure checks, undertaking ECGs and cervical smears. They can offer advice on numerous health topics. As well as working in the treatment room, our practice nurses assist in all the other clinics.
The practice has an automatic blood pressure monitor, situated in the foyer. You may come in and use it any time. If you need help using it, please ask at reception.

Reception Staff

The reception staff are here to help you and are your link with the rest of the healthcare team. If you have any enquiries our reception staff will be happy to help you, but please remember that they have a difficult job to do with telephone calls and queries coming from every direction. When you telephone for medical attention, the receptionist may need to ask you one or two questions in order to judge the urgency of your request. They have been asked to do this, but the information you give them will always be treated in confidence, as they are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the doctors and nurses.

STAFF ATTACHED TO THE PRACTICE

Health Visitors

Our health visitors are nurses with special training to advise and promote good health. They work with all age groups, but particularly with families with very young children under five. The health visitors are based at Fitzalan Medical Centre.
Tel: 01903 735240.

District Nurses

The district nurses work with the doctors in the community, providing domiciliary nursing services in the patient's home.

Midwives

Our midwives assist the doctor in the care of expectant mothers before and after birth. They are there to advise in all aspects of antenatal and postnatal care and work closely with your doctor.

Counsellors - Mental Health Practitioner/Mental Health Adviser

The practice has the services of a number of different counsellors, provided by West Sussex Healthcare Trust. Referrals are usually made by one of the doctors.