FAQ

To make our service more efficient we encourage all our patients to make an appointment with a doctor or nurse. This can be arranged with our reception in person or by phone; lines are open between 9.00am -5.30pm Tel: 051 852999, or through our website.

Routine appointments can be made well in advance to enable us to offer you an appointment at a time which is suitable to your requirements. Should you require a specialised service such as a pre-employment medical or surgical procedure please inform our receptionist as she may need to make more time available to you for your particular needs.

While you are free to attend any of the doctors in the practice, it is often best to follow illnesses through with the same doctor, where possible. If the doctor of choice is not available you could see one of the other doctors or wait until your own doctor is available.

If you cannot keep an appointment, please inform us as soon as possible as another patient may be able to avail of this appointment.
If the problem is urgent please contact reception and we will do our best to assist you. If there is no appointment available for your urgent medical problem we will do our best to see you as soon as possible.

At times a consultation may overrun for example in emergency cases or with very ill patients. Please be patient with us, as you maybe the patient requiring an extended consultation at some time.

To register with the Waterford Medical Centre as a private patient can be arranged by calling to reception in person or by phone; lines are open between 9.00am-5.30pm Tel: 051 852999

If you are eligible for a Medical Card, application forms are available at reception or online. You must complete the application form and return it to our receptionist. Existing patients of the Medical Centre can leave completed medical card application forms at our reception which will be signed by one of the GPs and will be available for collection the following day. New patients to the practice must fill  an  application form to  join the practice. We currently  have a waiting list to  join the practice.

Further information on eligibility for medical cards can be found at www.medicalcard.ie

Services provided to Medical Card Holders

How to register as a student with the Medical Centre

Waterford Medical Centre, in Kilbarry Shopping Centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.00am to 5.30pm. Contact us

If you need a doctor outside of these hours, at weekends and Bank Holidays contact CareDoc Tel 0818 300 365

If you need a repeat prescription please call our reception staff with the list of medication you  require. You can also send us an email  to  prescriptions@waterfordmedicalcentre.com with your name, date of birth,  address and list of medication you  require. Alternatively, drop in a list of the medication you need,  with  your name,  date of birth and address. 72 hours notice is needed for all repeat prescriptions, this allows the doctor time to check the prescription and ensure your records are updated accordingly. Please inform us of your preferred pharmacy,  as prescriptions can now be emailed to the pharmacy.

All patients on long term medication should be seen, at least, every six months. A repeat prescription will not be issued to a patient who has not been reviewed by a doctor in the last six months. If due to unforeseen circumstances you require a prescription and are unable to attend, explain this to our reception staff and we will try facilitate you with a one month prescription and allow you to make an appointment with the doctor at your earliest convenience within the month.

If you have a prescription from the hospital which needs to be issued on a Medical Card prescription or needs to be reviewed by your doctor, we will try to facilitate this a soon  as possible. We will  need a copy of the hospital  prescription to issue Medical Card prescription and update your notes. This can  be emailed to us: prescriptions@waterfordmedicalcentre.com .

Most medical problems needing medical attention are best discussed in person, by consulting with your doctor or nurse. Telephone calls during consultations can be upsetting for patients and can disrupt ongoing medical care. Our reception  staff can  arrange a telephone consultation if that suits your needs at a  fee of 40euro.

If your telephone call is an emergency please inform our receptionist, this will always be dealt with by a doctor.

Some test results are best discussed at follow-up appointments in person with the doctor or by  telephone consultation. However if this is not possible or not necessary, it is the patients responsibility to phone for his or her results. Do not presume if you have not heard from the doctor that your test result is normal. If your GP decides telephone follow-up is suitable, you must phone the practice nurse on 051 852999, if the nurse is unable to take the call you will be asked to leave your name, date of birth and telephone number so the nurse can contact you with your results. We may  also  send you  a text if your  results are normal or requesting you  to make a further appointment to  discuss your results.

Request Your Results

Blood tests:
All blood results arrive at the practice electronically from University Hospital Waterford, most results should be available within 5 working days. However some test results take longer and your GP will advise you of these.

X-rays:
Most X-ray results take at least 5 working days to arrive electronically from University Hospital Waterford. X-ray results from private hospitals usually arrive within 5 working days.

Cervical Smear test results:
You should receive a letter with your smear test result within 6 weeks, if you have any query on this result, please do not hesitate to contact, your GP or practice nurse.

If you require the doctor to write a letter or fill in a form, this may require an appointment with your GP, our reception staff will be able to advise you on this. If an appointment is not necessary please allow 1 week for completion. There is a standard administrative fee to be paid when collecting your completed form or letter from reception. Some forms involve greater administration or medico-legal responsibility, in these cases a greater fee applies.

We would be grateful if our clients pay at each appointment, as we cannot offer credit. For your convenience we accept: Cash, Cheques, Laser, Visa and Mastercard. Doctor consultation fee is €60, nurses consultation fee is €30. There is a special discount rate of  €35 for students for a doctors visit and €20 for a nurse visit on producing of a valid student card.

Health expenses are tax deductible, to claim tax relief you will need to keep all receipts and complete a MED 1 Form available from the revenue website, www.revenue.ie
Back dated receipts can be issued for tax purposes, however this service will incur an administrative fee, you also need to allow one working week for completion.

Certain procedures are covered by insurance companies such as VHI, LAYA, AVIVA and GloHealth. These services include: Cryotherapy, joint injections, suturing, removal of moles and ingrown toenails. To avail of these services covered by your health insurer please bring your insurance details to reception on arrival for your procedure.

General medical care is free to medical card holders.

Visitors from EU countries are entitled to emergency care without charge provided they have a European Health Insurance Card from their own country, valid at the time of their visit. Please present your European Health Card at the practice reception before your consultation.

Visitors from the UK are entitled to emergency care without charge provided they have proof of NHS eligibility.

If you are travelling from abroad, your health insurance may reimburse some or all of the cost of your visit to the Waterford Medical Centre. A receipt will be provided by our reception staff at the time of payment, which can be submitted to your insurance company.

Charges:

Travel Vaccination Charges:

All prices listed are per dose administered.
The 1st Consultation fee to discuss vaccines either with Doctor is cost of doctor visit €60 or €35.00 for students.

Student Charges:

Medical card application forms can be obtained at reception for completion or online at www.hse.ie.

Existing patients of the Waterford Medical Centre can leave the completed medical card form at reception to be signed by one of the doctors and collected the next day.

New patients to the practice will be requested to  fill an application  form. There is currently  a waiting list to  joint the practice.

Further information on medical card eligibility can be found at www.hse.ie

Wherever possible we encourage patients to attend the surgery as most likely you will be seen faster than waiting at home and with more medical equipment and medication to hand for use if necessary. At our premises in Kilbarry Shopping Centre there is ample free parking close to the entrance and lift access is available.

If, however, you cannot attend the practice and need a doctor to call to your home, a visit may be arranged by phoning our reception before 12pm and outlining the problem so the details can be passed on to a doctor, who will return a telephone call first to discuss your concerns further. Following a conversation with the doctor, it may be agreed that a home visit is necessary.
A home visit will be provided for patients who are terminally ill, who are truly housebound and for whom travelling to the premises would cause deterioration of their medical condition.

Patients with common symptoms of childhood; fever, cold, cough, earache, vomiting and diarrhoea, should travel to the surgery. It is not harmful to take a child with fever outside.

Adults with common problems, such as cough sore throat, influenza, back pain and abdominal pain are also readily transportable to the surgery.

Patients with severe chest pain, severe shortness of breath, severe allergic reaction, collapse or loss of consciousness, the best approach is to call an ambulance on 999 or 112

It is important to make full use of your visit with your doctor. Try to tell the doctor the main reason for your visit at the start of the consultation. If you have a number of things on your mind it might be useful to write these down beforehand. However, the doctor may not be able to deal fully with all your problems in the first visit and may need to arrange a follow-up appointment.

Where you think that the doctor will need to examine you or do a procedure, think about what to wear. For example, if your blood pressure needs to be checked, wear a loose sleeve. If the appointment is for your baby, dress the child in clothes that can be easily removed, this causes less distress to the child.

If you require an intimate examination and would prefer to have someone else present, such as a family member or the practice nurse please don’t hesitate to inform the doctor and this can be facilitated.

If you think you have a urinary tract infection or you are attending for an antenatal visit, it saves you time by bringing a urine sample with you at the start of the consultation. Sample bottles are available at reception on checking in.

Currently COVID vaccinations are not available in the practice. To  book  your COVID vaccination  Search  HSE COVID Vaccination for further information.