Practice Services
Advocacy Service
An advocate is a person who speaks up for you, acts on your behalf and, where required, puts forward your case for you .
They are:
- independent of Social Services and the NHS
- not a member of your family or one of your friends
An advocate’s role includes arguing your case when you need them to, and making sure health and social care services follow the correct procedures.
They are independent, so they represent your wishes without giving their personal opinion and without representing the views of the NHS or local authority.
An advocate might help you get information or go with you to meetings or interviews to support you.
Your advocate can also write letters on your behalf, or speak for you in situations where you don’t feel able to speak for yourself.
Find an Advocate
Advocacy Services help people – particularly the most vulnerable in society – to:
- access information and services
- be involved in decisions about their lives
- explore choices and options
- defend and promote their rights and responsibilities
- speak out about issues that matter to them
District Nurses
District nurses have been at the front line of health care in the community for many years. If you can’t leave your home due to poor health, problems getting around or a long-term condition, your district nurse is here to help.
District Nurses carry out many roles for housebound and older patients, including:
- General nursing procedures and investigations
- Post-surgery care
- Assessment of patients’ needs
- Care for terminally ill patients
- Loaning of equipment
- Looking after wounds and leg ulcers
- Educating patients about self-care
Community Nursing
Every day our Community Nurses carry out visits to people who need nursing support and our fully integrated Community Nursing Service provides healthcare to patients in their own homes and in clinics.
5.00pm – 8.30am (including weekends and bank holidays) please ring 0151 514 2222 and select the relevant option.
Interpreting Services
An interpreting service is available free of charge for patients using GP and NHS Hospital Services in England. This includes interpreting for people who are deaf or deaf/blind.
We do not allow children to act as interpreters during your treatment or appointments.
A member of the Team from the Practice or the Hospital Department dealing with your treatment or appointment will arrange the interpreter. To make sure we can support you effectively we need you to do certain things so please do let us know you need interpreting help as soon as possible. Preferably, this should be as soon as you make an appointment with your GP.
- If you are going into Hospital, contact the Ward or Department to let them know you need an interpreter, as soon as you receive your Hospital appointment. You may need a friend or relative who speaks English to tell us that you need an interpreter, the first time.
- Be sure to let us know if you will not be coming for your appointment or treatment. If you do not tell us you might stop another patient getting the help they need.
- Be sure to tell us if you will be late for your appointment or treatment. Another patient somewhere else might need the interpreter. If you are late the next patient might miss their appointment or not get the help they need.
- Let us know if you have had any problems with communication during your appointment or treatment. This will help us improve the service.
- Tell us if communication was good. This also helps us provide a good service.
Patient Transport Service
The Patient Transport Service provides ambulances to patients who need support to reach their healthcare appointment, or for their admission to and discharge from hospital, due to their medical/clinical needs.
How do I organise transport to and from hospital?
Testing Service
We operate a texting service for all of our patients to remind them of their appointments or of clinics that we run – we require your UK mobile phone number to do this (please note, we are unable to text or call non-UK numbers).
This facility also allows you to cancel your appointment via your phone, which saves you time.
If you have not provided us with your mobile number or have changed your number recently please let us know.
