Patient Information
Patient Reasonable Adjustments
The Equality Act (2010) states all organisations including health and social care, such as hospitals and GP surgeries must take steps to remove the barriers individuals face because of disability.
The NHS must make it as easy for disabled people to use health services as it is for people who are not disabled.
Disability is one of the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010. The Act says that a person has a disability if they have a "physical or mental impairment", and the impairment has a "substantial and long-term adverse effect on [their] ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities."
People who need reasonable adjustments and how you might be able to help them
If you support someone with a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on their ability to do normal daily activities, please make sure they have good access to healthcare.
You can do this by making changes, often quite small, to the way that you care for people. These changes are called reasonable adjustments.
Reasonable adjustments can be things like:
- making sure there is good access for people who use a wheelchair in GP surgeries and hospitals
- providing plain English or easy read appointment letters
- giving someone a priority appointment if they find it difficult waiting in their GP surgery or hospital
- offering a longer appointment if someone needs more time with a doctor or nurse to make sure they understand the information they are given
- having a quiet space available for people waiting for their appointment
- making sure there is a hearing loop system in consultation rooms
- making sure you fill in information about the appointment If a person has a hospital or health and care passport
- ensure there is access to a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter to support at appointments or an internet video-link that could be used with BSL interpretation remotely
- using a communication chart to support a person with dementia during an appointment
Reasonable adjustments are a legal requirement to make sure health services are accessible to all disabled people. Please watch the film below to find out how a simple reasonable adjustment can make a big difference to a person's experience of quality and access to care.
Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag - information for health staff
The Reasonable Adjustments Digital Flag is a national record which indicates that Reasonable Adjustments are required for an individual.
NHS England have built the Digital Flag in the NHS Spine (on the National Care Records Service) to enable health and care professionals to record, share and view details of Reasonable Adjustments across the NHS, wherever the person is seen and /or treated.
The Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag is for all people with a disability.
In September 2023, the NHS published a Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag Information Standard that sets out what all NHS and publicly funded social care organisations in England are required to do to implement the Reasonable Adjustment Digital Flag in their services. The Information Standard Notice says that organisations must have processes in place to be able to identify, record, flag, share, meet and review and update people's reasonable adjustment needs on their systems.
Please see a member of our patient services team for more information
Veteran Friendly
Sloan Medical Centre are certified Armed Forces veteran friendly.
According to the Armed Forces Covenant, veterans should receive priority treatment for a condition which relates to their service, subject to clinical need and they should be cared for in a way that reflects the nation's moral obligation to them. We are committed to following the NHS Patient Charter to ensure that our veterans have access to the help and support they may need following their service.
Patient Charter
Please tell us if you are a military veteran so that we can make sure you are offered the support and assistance you may need, now or in the future, as a result of your service. It would help us to know in which of the Armed Forces you served, the dates of your service and whether you were discharged or retired due to ill health.
If you are a veteran please let us know!
Veterans gateway can be found HERE
What is the Armed Forces Covenant?
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise that together we acknowledge and understand that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy, and society they serve with their lives.
Its two principles are that, recognising the unique obligations of, and sacrifices made by, the Armed Forces:
Those who serve in the Armed Forces, whether Regular or Reserve, those who have served in the past, and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most such as the injured and the bereaved.
Armed Forces Covenant website can be found HERE
Thank you for your service
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Test Results
Getting your test results
We will contact you by telephone, or by letter, only if a result is abnormal and you require treatment or further investigations.
You will not be contacted if your result is normal.
Once a doctor has reviewed your test results, you can view them in your NHS App and your NHS account - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Blood Tests
A blood test is a common medical procedure where a small sample of blood is taken from a person's arm or hand to be tested in a laboratory. Blood tests are used for multiple purposes, such as:
1. Assessing General Health: Blood tests can provide information about a person's overall health status.
2. Detecting Infections: They can help confirm the presence of bacterial or viral infections in the body.
3. Organ Function: Blood tests can evaluate how well certain organs like the liver and kidneys are functioning.
If you want to learn more about blood tests, their purposes, and how they are performed, you can visit
Blood tests
X-Rays
An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.
If you have an X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.
An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.
You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.
Fit Note
Fit for Work - Please check out the below link for information regarding self certification, maternity leave and long term sick.
From this website you can print off and complete the required form to return to work. If you are unable to print please ask a reception for a copy: www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/fitnote-gp-computer.pdf
Self Certification Sick / Fit Note for less than 7 days
If you have been ill for 7 days or less you don't need to see a Doctor. You can complete a Self Certification form yourself. However some employers insist on a Doctor's note regardless. A Doctor's note under these circumstances may involve a charge.
Many employers have their own self-certification forms. If your employer doesn't have its own form you can download the Self Certification Form. Please print it, fill it in and hand it in to your employer. You do not need to see a Doctor. Download here
Home visits
If you are housebound and would like to request a visit please telephone Patient Services before 10am.
A doctor or nurse may phone you back as it may be that your problem can be dealt with by telephone advice, or that it would be more appropriate to send a nurse, or indeed arrange a hospital attendance.
House visits are only available for patients who are housebound because of illness or disability.
Please remember that several patients can be seen in the practice in the time that it takes to make one home visit. There are also better facilities for examining and treating patients at the Health Centre.
Healthcare Abroad
By law, the NHS ceases to have responsibility for the medical care of patients when they leave the UK.
People traveling within Europe are advised to carry an authorised European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) at all times and this gives entitlement to reduced cost (and sometimes free) medical treatment. Patients should be advised to check specific entitlements prior to travel.
The UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) lets you get necessary state healthcare in the European Economic Area (EEA), and some other countries, on the same basis as a resident of that country. This may be free or it may require a payment equivalent to that which a local resident would pay.
The UK GHIC has replaced the existing European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). If you have an existing EHIC you can continue to use it until the expiry date on the card. Once it expires, you'll need to apply for a UK GHIC to replace it.
You can apply for a new card up to 9 months before your current card expires.
A UK GHIC is free and lasts for up to 5 years. Apply for your new card through the NHS website. Avoid unofficial websites - they may charge you a fee to apply.
If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can choose to apply for a new UK EHIC instead.
The UK GHIC is not a replacement for travel insurance. We advise you to have private travel and medical insurance for the duration of your trip.
We also recommend you check FCDO travel advice on GOV.UK for the country you're visiting.
Apply here
You can apply for a UK GHIC if you're a resident in the UK. You can also add your family members to your application when you apply.
You'll need to provide your:
- full name
- address
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
- Health and Care number (if you're from Northern Ireland)
Medically necessary healthcare includes things like:
- emergency treatment and visits to A&E
- treatment for a long-term or pre-existing medical condition
- routine medical care for pre-existing conditions that need monitoring
- routine maternity care, as long as you're not going abroad to give birth
- oxygen therapy and kidney dialysis
You'll need to pre-arrange some treatments with the relevant healthcare provider in the country you're visiting - for example, kidney dialysis or chemotherapy.
Check the Foreign Office country guides on GOV.UK for information on how to access treatment in the country you're visiting
For patients who will be out of the country for less than 3 months, it is reasonable to provide sufficient medicines for an existing condition (i.e. asthma, diabetes)
For patients leaving the country for more than 3 months, they should be advised to register with a local doctor for their continuing medical needs. It is reasonable for GPs to provide sufficient medication to give patients time to do this.
GPs are not required by their Terms of Service to provide prescriptions for the treatment of a condition that is not present and may arise while the patient is abroad. Persons who have left the UK, or who are intending to leave the UK, for more than 3 months are not normally allowed to continue to be registered with a practice.
The NHS accepts responsibility for supplying ongoing medication for temporary periods abroad of up to 3 months. If a person is going to be abroad for more than three months then all that the patient is entitled to at NHS expense is a sufficient supply of his/her regular medication in order to get to their destination, where they should then find an alternative supply of that medication.
If you're planning to visit or move to another country please see the NHS advice HERE
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Consent to Treatment
Consent to treatment means a person must give permission before they receive any type of medical treatment, test or examination.
This must be done on the basis of an explanation by a clinician.
Consent from a patient is needed regardless of the procedure, whether it's a physical examination or something else.
The principle of consent is an important part of medical ethics and international human rights law.
Defining consent
For consent to be valid, it must be voluntary and informed, and the person consenting must have the capacity to make the decision.
The meaning of these terms are:
- voluntary - the decision to either consent or not to consent to treatment must be made by the person, and must not be influenced by pressure from medical staff, friends or family
- informed - the person must be given all of the information about what the treatment involves, including the benefits and risks, whether there are reasonable alternative treatments, and what will happen if treatment does not go ahead
- capacity - the person must be capable of giving consent, which means they understand the information given to them and can use it to make an informed decision
If an adult has the capacity to make a voluntary and informed decision to consent to or refuse a particular treatment, their decision must be respected.
This is still the case even if refusing treatment would result in their death, or the death of their unborn child.
If a person does not have the capacity to make a decision about their treatment and they have not appointed a lasting power of attorney (LPA), the healthcare professionals treating them can go ahead and give treatment if they believe it's in the person's best interests.
But clinicians must take reasonable steps to discuss the situation with the person's friends or relatives before making these decisions.
Read more about assessing the capacity to consent, which explains what someone can do if they know their capacity to consent may be affected in the future.
How consent is given
Consent can be given:
- verbally - for example, a person saying they're happy to have an X-ray
- in writing - for example, signing a consent form for surgery
- Someone could also give non-verbal consent, as long as they understand the treatment or examination about to take place - for example, holding out an arm for a blood test.
Consent should be given to the healthcare professional responsible for the person's treatment.
This could be a:
- nurse arranging a blood test
- GP prescribing new medication
- surgeon planning an operation
- If someone's going to have a major procedure, such as an operation, their consent should be secured well in >advance so they have plenty of time to understand the procedure and ask questions.
If they change their mind at any point before the procedure, they're entitled to withdraw their previous consent.
Consent from children and young people
If they're able to, consent is usually given by patients themselves.
But someone with parental responsibility may need to give consent for a child up to the age of 16 to have treatment.
Find out more about how the rules of consent apply to children and young people
When consent is not needed
There are some exceptions when treatment may be able to go ahead without the person's consent, even if they're capable of giving their permission.
It may not be necessary to obtain consent if a person:
- needs emergency treatment to save their life, but they're incapacitated (for example, they're unconscious) - the reasons why treatment was necessary should be fully explained once they have recovered
- immediately needs an additional emergency procedure during an operation - there has to be a clear medical reason why it would be unsafe to wait to obtain consent
- with a severe mental health condition, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or dementia, lacks the capacity to consent to the treatment of their mental health (under the Mental Health Act) - in these cases, treatment for unrelated physical conditions still requires consent, which the patient may be able to provide, despite their mental health condition
- needs hospital treatment for a severe mental health condition, but self-harmed or attempted suicide while competent and is refusing treatment (under the Mental Health Act) - the person's nearest relative or an approved social worker must make an application for the person to be forcibly kept in hospital, and 2 doctors must assess the person's condition
- is severely ill and living in unhygienic conditions (under the National Assistance Act 1948) - a person who's severely ill or infirm and living in unsanitary conditions can be taken to a place of care without their consent
Consent and life support
A person may be being kept alive with supportive treatments, such as lung ventilation, without having made an advance decision, which outlines the care they'd refuse to receive.
In these cases, a decision about continuing or stopping treatment needs to be made based on what that person's best interests are believed to be.
To help reach a decision, healthcare professionals should discuss the issue with the relatives and friends of the person receiving the treatment.
They should consider:
- what the person's quality of life will be if treatment is continued
- how long the person may live if treatment is continued
- whether there's any chance of the person recovering
Treatment can be stopped if there's an agreement that continuing treatment is not in the person's best interests.
The case will be referred to the courts before further action is taken if:
- an agreement cannot be reached
- a decision has to be made on whether to stop treatment for someone who's been in a state of impaired consciousness for a long time (usually at least 12 months)
It's important to note the difference between stopping a person's life support and taking a deliberate action to make them die.
For example, injecting a lethal medicine would be illegal.
Complaints
If you believe you have received treatment you did not consent to, you can make an official complaint.
Find out more about feedback and complaints about NHS services on the NHS England website