Welcome to the website for Ballyward Surgery
We hope you enjoy having a look around the site and familiarising yourself with some of the online features such as ordering a repeat prescription. Whatever your thoughts, be sure to let us know via our feedback function. Comments and suggestions are always a great way of helping us continue to enhance the way we look after you.
There is a simplified version of the site for smart phones which automatically loads if you use a smart phone to look at the site. It's very convenient and easy to use, to request repeat medications and make appointments
We have been conducting telephone triage since the COVID pandemic to reduce infection risk to staff and patients and to ensure best clinical care .
Dispensing Patients - The Dispensary is operating as normal and your medicines will take 72hrs (3 working days ) to process. Dispensing patients are asked to collect their medicines at the following times so dispensing staff have time to clean surfaces and restock.
Mon -Thur & Fri
10am-12pm and 3pm-5pm
Thur collect 9am-1pm (half day closure)
When you come to collect please use the hatch /window at the side of the surgery and please maintain 2 metre distance from the person in front of you.
A warm welcome to any new patients to the surgery. We are a small rural practice with two part-time GPs in addition to GPs in training whom our own Doctors mentor. You may be offered an appointment with a GP-in-training as well as our main GPs. GPs in training are fully qualified doctors and independant prescribers.
We ask for your patience as we are busier in the winter months whilst we try to cope with extra demand; if the phone is busy, try calling back at less busy times, which tend to be after 11am or after 3pm if it is a routine query.
Reminder : Lunch hour Surgery closure 1-2pm daily
The phones will divert to the emergency GP mobile from 12.30-2.30pm, the number is available on the surgery message via our normal number. Note: the GP carries this mobile on their home visits - so please respect our request to keep this for emergencies only.
Due to demand, only emergency issues will be dealt with in the afternoons, and the GP clinic will only be interrupted for clinical emergencies.
Please allow 3 working days (THATS 72HRS) for any outpatient prescription to be processed to ensure patient safety.
It is essential that you give our staff sufficient information to ensure your request is dealt with an appropriate level of urgency and all our team follow a strict confidentiality code for our patients.
In an effort to protect our patients, we are presently providing telephone triage appointments only. This will reduce the footfall and hopefully the spread of any germs. Again we would ask for your patience at this time.
Surgery phone lines now close at 5pm - you can still speak to your GP for emergencies only, via the emergency mobile between 5 and 6pm.
Repeat Prescriptions: You can now order online- it's safe and secure. Ask at reception or contact us- see the link above.
Why not register and get setup to use the online repeat prescription system. It's available 24/7.
Please note all the GPs at the practice have a conscientious objection to completing firearms medicals and do not complete these.
Please also note that as we are extremely busy we have had to focusing on protecting core General Medical Services. We have had to prioritise clinical work over any non-statutory (private) work.
Examples of forms that we never complete would include any forms for high risk sports such as boxing , sky diving etc nor do we complete non-statutory forms for occupational health or vetting forms for job applications. We also do not complete passport applications. You may wish to go privately to access these services.
We are open Thur 29th Dec 22 and Thur 5th Dec 23 afternoons as part of winter pressures easement . The surgery will be open if you need to seek medical attention . Thank you .
"MY WAITING TIMES" WEBPAGE
AN INFORMATION WEBPAGE HAS RECENTLY BEEN ADDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. IT DETAILS CURRENT AVERAGE WAITING TIMES FOR OUTPATIENT ASSESSMENTS AND CONTAINS SOME USEFUL INFORMATION.
The website address is:
https://online.hscni.net/my-waiting-times-ni/