Other Information

Hospital Transport

We are advised daily of missed hospital appointments. If you have problems attending the hospitals, please advise the surgery or the hospital. If your problem is transport, the following may be of help to you:
NHS transport, car or ambulance provided free of charge should the doctor consider it medically necessary.
Refund of costs, public transport or petrol money for family or friend. These refunds can be made to patients on low incomes or with special needs (on income support, Disability Allowance etc).
Community help with transport (a voluntary organisation FISH with a pool of drivers). They will help patients to get to/from hospital. Especially useful for early or late appointments. There is a charge for this service - equal to the bus fare, but this can be discussed with the co-ordinators. Telephone numbers are available at reception.

Out-Of-Hours Service

You have a choice:

You can either call NHS Direct, a 24 hour nurse-led advice line, on 0845 4647 or contact them on line at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk or, if you wish, you may call the out-of-hours service emergency number 03000 33 33 33. This service is provided by West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust.
This is a service for EMERGENCIES ie: the illness has occurred or deteriorated rapidly or the patient cannot wait until 8.00am the next day.

You may be:

given telephone advice or asked to attend for a consultation or offered a visit by a deputising doctor according to the urgency of the case.
This service is often very busy and you may have to wait some time.
In the interests of those who are seriously ill, please think carefully before dialling the emergency out-of-hours number.

In Real Emergency

In the event of patient collapse or suspected real emergency, it may be advisable to dial 999 for the ambulance service.

Fees For Work Not Covered By The NHS

A full list of current charges is available in the practice. We charge fees in accordance with BMA guidelines for all work not covered by the NHS. This includes private certificates, holiday cancellation forms, and medical reports for insurance companies, private medicals and certain travel vaccinations. Please ask at reception if you require the doctor to undertake any such work on your behalf.

General Information

Highview Medical Centre is part of West Hertfordshire Primary Care Trust, Charter House, Parkway, Welwyn Garden City, AL8 6JL. The partnership is a general limited partnership.

Highview Medical Centre has a zero tolerance policy in respect of any behaviour that is deemed to be rude, abusive or violent against its staff, and patients who abuse this code of conduct will be asked to find an alternative doctor.

Patients With Particular Needs

Each of our downstairs surgeries is accessible to patients using a wheelchair. If the doctor you wish to see normally consults in an upstairs room, he or she will be happy to see you downstairs. Please inform the receptionist if you have difficulty in climbing stairs and they will arrange for the doctor to see you downstairs.
Parking spaces are reserved outside the practice for those patients whose car displays a disabled sticker.
A hearing loop is installed at reception and a portable loop is available for use during consultations.
Please inform reception if you have other special needs and how we can assist you.
Carers: We actively support carers in their demanding role. Please let us know if you care for someone or are a patient that is dependent on someone to bring you to the surgery or for your daily needs. We offer pre-bookable appointments to those who need to arrange transport to the surgery or who have to arrange alternative care to attend the surgery themselves.