Medical Certification / Sick Notes / Reports

All patients wishing to obtain a medical cert, sick note, medical report or an illness benefit cert must attend a consultation with one of our GPs with the exception of those patients who have recently been issued a sick note by the Hospital

We are unable to provide back dated certs

If you require an extension of your cert please note that there is a 25 euro administrative charge and the Doctor needs to be notified 2 days in advance

Should you wish to apply for an illness benefit please inform the reception before leaving the Clinic as an electronic certificate needs to be submitted to the Social Welfare Department. You will also need to collect a paper copy of the Illness Benefit form.

X Ray/MRI/Specialist Referrals

All patients wishing to obtain an X Ray/MRI or any Specialist Referrals are required to attend a consultation with one of the Doctors.

Once referred, the appointment waiting time is determined by the Hospital and our GPs have no influence in this regard.

Medical Cards / E111 Cards / GMS cards / EU health cards

Please note that we do not accept Medical Cards, E111 cards, GMS cards or EU health cards

Test Results

Dame Street Medical Centrecarries out a large number of clinical tests – some are carried out “on-site” e.g. Blood tests, Swabs, Urine Cultures and others may require a visit to a Hospital or Clinic, e.g. X-rays, Ultrasound Scans, MRI scans etc.

Each patient should contact the Clinic 3-5 days after the blood/swab test has been taken. Some hormonal test results might take up to 6 weeks to come back. Private MRI/Ultra sound & X-Ray reports generally arrive within 1-2 weeks. The waiting time for Public Hospital results and reports may vary from 2 weeks to 3 months.

Please note that it is the patient's responsibility to follow up their test results with our Clinic. If we do not call you, don't assume that your tests are normal.

Women who have a Cervical Smear under the current Cervical Check Programme will be notified of their results directly by post by Cervical Check

Repeat Prescriptions

All patients requiring a repeat prescription need to attend a consultation with one of our GPs. Some repeat prescriptions can be arranged via a phone consultation. Please note that the usual consultation fee applies to all physical and phone consultations.

Please do not leave your repeat prescription till the last second. Always make sure you have at least 1 week supply left.

For repeat contraceptive pill prescriptions all patients need to attend a physical appointment or email us a current blood pressure reading before a new prescription is arranged over the phone.

For repeat contraceptive pill prescriptions under the HSE Scheme all patients need to attend in person. Phone appointments not available.

Our GPs reserve their right to refuse the issue of prescriptions for certain medications such as addictive painkillers and antidepressants if they believe it would not be in the patient's best interest (especially when unaware of a patient's prior medical history).

Email Policy

Please note that our email is to be used for arranging appointments and inquiring about results only. Please do not email to seek medical advice.

Aggressive Behaviour Policy

We treat all patients with respect and courtesy and we would expect the same respect and courtesy in return. Any aggressive or inappropriate behavior towards staff shall it be in person, over the phone or email will not be tolerated and will be dealt with through the appropriate channels.

Confidentiality

Dame Street Medical Centre complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Your identifiable information such as medical history/contact details will be shared in the following circumstances:

• When contacting Hospitals/Clinic i.e. referrals & further testing to provide further medical treatment.
• When dealing with Social Welfare Department to help you to obtain Illness Benefit.
• When sharing information with the Health Board and other Government offices i.e. diabetic care.

Please note that the Reception staff need access to your medical records in order to fulfill their administrative duties. Both the medical staff and reception staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality. Our Doctors and Reception work closely to provide the most efficient care.

Confidentiality is a fundamental principle of medical ethics and is central to the trust between patients and doctors. Patients are entitled to expect that information about them will be held in confidence. While the concern of the patient’s relatives and close friends is understandable, we cannot discuss or disclose information to anyone without the patient’s consent. Our practice ensures that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of our team.

Please note that those wishing to have their medical records released need to sign a written consent and allow 3 days for these files to be prepared and forwarded to the appropriate Clinic/Solicitor or for their own personal use.

Complaints Procedure

We always try to provide the best service possible, but there may be times when you feel dissatisfied. Should this be the case, please prepare a written complaint in the form of a letter or email. This issue will then be discussed with the head receptionist and our business owner & Principal GP. Your concerns will be dealt with accordingly.