We Offer the following medical services at the surgery:

• Antenatal care
• Anti-coagulation clinic (Warfarin)
• Asthma clinics
• BP
• Blood tests
• Child Health Surveillance
• Childhood immunizations
• Contraceptive advice
• Covid Vaccinations
• Diabetic clinics
• ECG
• Family Planning
• Flu & pneumovax vaccination
• Shingles Vaccine
• Well person checks
• Over 75 check annually by request
• Weight management

Fit notes and proof of sickness

Employees must give their employer a ‘fit note’ (sometimes called a ‘sick note’) if they’ve been ill for more than 7 days in a row and have taken sick leave. This includes non-working days, such as weekends and bank holidays.

The fit note will say the employee is either ‘not fit for work’ or ‘may be fit for work’.

If it says the employee ‘may be fit for work’, employers should discuss any changes that might help the employee return to work (for example, different hours or tasks). The employee must be treated as ‘not fit for work’ if there’s no agreement on these changes.

Employers can take a copy of the fit note. The employee should keep the original.

If employees are self-isolating and cannot work because of coronavirus (COVID-19) they can get an ‘isolation note’ online from NHS 111. They do not have to go to their GP or a hospital.

Changes to the Fit Note

From July 2022 the Department for Work and Pensions has updated the law for the fit note so that it can now be issued by:

• Doctors
• Nurses
• Occupational Therapist
• Pharmacist
• Physiotherapist

The healthcare professional needs to assess the employee’s fitness for work before giving a fit note.

Fit notes are free if the employee has been ill for more than 7 days when they ask for one. The healthcare professional might charge a fee if the employee has been ill for 7 days or less.

Other proof of sickness

If their employer agrees, the employee can use a similar document called an Allied Health Professional (AHP) Health and Work Report instead. A podiatrist as well as a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can provide this.

A physiotherapist or occupational therapist will give either a fit note or AHP Health and Work Report depending on the employee’s needs. The AHP Health and Work Report cannot be used to apply for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Self Certification Sick / Fit Note for less than 7 days

If employees are off work for 7 days or less, they do not need to give their employer a fit note or other proof of sickness from a healthcare professional.

When they return to work, their employer can ask them to confirm they’ve been off sick. This is called ‘self-certification’. The employer and employee will agree on how the employee should do this. They might need to fill in a form or send details of their sick leave by email.

Non-NHS work includes requests such as:

• Accident & Sickness Claim Form
• DVLA
• Gym Membership Cancellation
• HGV/Taxi
• Holiday Cancellation Form
• Insurance Claim Forms
• Letter to school, University etc.
• Armed Forces
• Any other forms similar to the above

The list above is intended to show examples of the type of request which are considered non-NHS work. Each request will be considered on an individual basis.

Fees are always payable for medical services not covered by the NHS.

If you require any of the above to be completed by the doctor, you will need to collect an application pack from reception or follow the link below to download an application pack and return to reception. Please be advised that there will be a fee for this type of work.  The fee will need to be paid in full before it is passed to the GP for completion. Please allow 28 working days for the request to be completed.

The secretary will call you when the doctor has completed your request. Please make sure that we have your correct contact details.

Requests for Home Visits

All home visit requests must be arranged with a member of staff before 11:00 am of the same morning. You will be booked in for a telephone triage with a clinician on duty that same morning.

Requests for home visits will be acknowledged if the patient is in need of medical assistance and is classed as housebound (bedbound) unable to attend surgery. The doctor will decide whether a home visit is appropriate.

This service is only available to patients who fall in the catchment area and any patients outside of the catchment area will not be covered for this service.

Lack of transport is not a sufficient reason to request a home visit. We would ask you to attend the surgery if at all possible.​

If a patient is housebound they may be visited at the doctor’s discretion.

Patients/ Nursing homes are requested to telephone surgery, before 11.00am if a visit is required that day.

Emergency visits only will be arranged after that time.  The Duty Doctor will triage the home visit request and make the necessary arrangements if needed.

Please give the receptionist as much information as possible to enable the doctor to allocate priority to house calls

If you are registered with us and are outside the practice boundary, you will not be eligible for any home visits from our doctors

How do I get an NHS Health Check?

You can have an NHS Health Check if you’re aged 40-74 and you haven’t had a stroke, or don’t already have heart disease, diabetes or kidney disease.

If this applies to you, you can expect to receive a  NHS Health Check every five years.

Will I get my NHS Health Check from my GP?

Yes. Dr Kaul’s surgery offer an NHS health Check also known as CVD to patient ages 40-74years.

Why aren’t people under the age of 40 or over the age of 74 eligible?

People under the age of 40 aren’t included in the NHS Health Check programme because younger people have a lower risk of the health conditions tested for in the NHS Health Check.

We aim to improve the care and support given to the over 75’s population. We will provide health checks to improve early diagnosis and health screening. Please make an appointment to attend the surgery to see our Practice Nurse or Health Care Assistant. They will provide assessment and screening of your health and social care issues based on questions and measurements. Following this you will receive personalised advice and if needed, an onward referral or signposting to appropriate support services

For more information on a NHS health check (CVD) please see link below.

• http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/nhs-health-check/Pages/What-is-an-NHS-Health-Check-new.aspx

• Referrals (Single Point of Access) via One You Walsall for Stop Smoking Services
• Monday to Friday 9am – 6pm
• Tel: 01922 444 044 or via secure email: oneyou.walsall@nhs.net