Coronavirus/COVID-19

Walk-in Appointments

Walk-in appointments should be avoided. Please make a telephone call in advance to request an appointment.

You will be asked for some brief details by the reception staff, and then will likely receive a phone call from the doctor on duty or the nurse.

Following this telephone call, a plan will be made, and an appointment offered if necessary.

Please do not present to the surgery without an appointment.

If you feel your case is an EMERGENCY, please make this known to the Reception

We will try to deal with most of your problems by telephone. This is in the interests of your health and safety and also the staff members within the Primary Care Centre.

Your first point of contact is the reception staff. Please telephone 0214301745.

We can help arrange:

• Prescriptions - in most circumstances these can be forwarded directly to your pharmacy by email
• Letters
• Social welfare illness benefit and injury benefit forms (these will include incapacity to work directly related to novel coronavirus/code 19)
• Telephone consultation with a nurse or doctor
• Face-to-face consultation if necessary.

Please note we will continue to provide services like childhood immunisation and antenatal care which should proceed as normal

Coronavirus/Covid 19 related illness

It is very important, that if you suffer any symptoms of respiratory tract illness, especially fever, cough, shortness of breath or loss of sense of taste or smell, that you may be suffering from Coronavirus illness.

We would highly recommend that you ring the surgery, in order to speak with the duty doctor, to discuss your symptoms and make an action plan which may or may not include referral for Coronavirus swab, or onward referral for examination at the Community Assessment Hub or Hospital.

Please note there is no fee for telephone consultations, or face-to-face consultations, in relation to Coronavirus illness for both medical card holders and non-medical card holders. Please try to avoid attending to the premises without permission, please telephone in the first instance.

Face-to-face consultation

You will be given an appointment time to attend for your consultation. We would ask that you arrive on time and attend to the Main Reception at St Mary’s Primary Care Centre. 

• Please try to attract the attention of a member of staff or ring 021 4301745 for assistance.
• Please wear a mask.
• There is a hand sanitizing unit to the left of the surgery reception doors – please use this, or your own dispenser, before entering and after exiting the surgery.
• We would ask that you do not touch any horizontal surfaces other than the chair that you are sitting on, and try to avoid bringing excess baggage/clothing with you.
• Due to the fact that the history will have been taken during a telephone consultation, this face-to-face consultation, will be shorter than normal, allowing for physical examination if required, and then you will be instructed to return to your car immediately afterwards.
• Your prescription will be sent directly to your pharmacist by e-mail.
• It is very important, that if you attend for a face-to-face consultation only you attend.
• If a child is being examined, then only one parent should attend with them.
• If you have a disability and need the assistance of an adult, of course, one other person is allowed to attend with you.

Billing

In regard of non-medical card holders/private patients, in the first instance, at your request you will receive a telephone consultation. The fee for this consultation is €30.
The payment for this will be taken in advance by credit card.

If the doctor, with your agreement, determines that this should become a face-to-face consultation, their will be an additional fee due of €25.

Because of the risk of virus transmission with cash payments, we would request that all payments are made by credit/debit card.