It would be reasonable for you to expect to have a named person to contact at your surgery, and that they would reply to you promptly.

You can expect that your GP will ensure that you know how to contact the practice, if you have a difficulty relating to your illness or with the treatment you are receiving.

You should expect to know who to contact outside normal surgery hours if you need a doctor. Sometimes your own GP will be prepared to be accessible to you themselves over a short time period. Sometimes it will be a doctor from a special out of hours service. Problems can arise at night when a patients regular doctors and nurses may not be on call. It is therefore important that those covering should have accurate up to date information on their palliative care patients. This can be helped by GPs sending palliative care handover forms to their local doctors co-operative.

District nursing services are free and see people referred to them by the hospital, their GP and other health care professionals. It is possible to refer yourself, or if you wish, your friends or family can do this for you. Referrals are accepted from the following:

• General Practitioner.
• Hospital.
• Allied Health Professionals e.g. Dietician, Physiotherapist, etc.
• Patient/Carer (Self referral).
• Social Worker.
• Others.

The district nurse can be contacted via the relevant health centre from Monday to Friday, 8.30 am - 5.00 pm, or via the out of hours providers at weekends or bank holidays.

Many district nurses carry bleeps or phones and may give patients/carers this contact number.