DEVON DOCTORS
HOW TO RECEIVE URGENT TREATMENT WHEN THE SURGERY IS CLOSED

It is important that you can still have access to a family doctor (GP) at night and at the weekends when you are feeling unwell.

Devon's out of hours GP service is paid for by the NHS and provided by DEVON DOCTORS. We offer family doctor urgent medical and nursing cover when your surgery is closed.
You contact us out of hours by telephoning – 0845 6710 270

Giving you a better service
The on-call doctors and nurses have chosen to work and are dedicated to providing the best service during their shift. Your own GP will benefit by not having to work during the night before coming to surgery the next day.

The on-call doctors also work very closely with health colleagues in Minor Injury Units, Emergency departments and the ambulance service.

What happens when I ring the out of hours number?
When you call 0845 6710 270 for your healthcare problem when your surgery is closed, you will speak to a call operator who will take some personal details. This will be the same sort of information that you will give when you telephone your own GP practice in the daytime.

All telephone calls to DEVON DOCTORS are recorded for your own protection.
When you telephone, the operator will ask you for:

• The patient's name
• The patient's date of birth
• The telephone number
• The name of the patient's GP and practice
• Details of the healthcare problem

We need this important information to be able to treat your immediate problem appropriately and to let your own GP know what treatment you have had from us.

A doctor or nurse will then return your call to advise you on the best course of action. They will be able to help you over the telephone by providing you with advice which may resolve the problem.

If your problem cannot be resolved over the telephone, you will be invited to attend a local treatment centre to be seen, or in certain clinical circumstances the doctor or nurse may visit you at home. Depending on your problem, the doctor or nurse might call an ambulance for you or advise you to go to your local Emergency Department.

Phone First 
Before attending one of our treatment centres, it is important that you telephone DEVON DOCTORS on 0845 6710 270 first. This could save you a long wait if the doctor is out seeing patients, and may even save you a journey if your problem can be resolved over the telephone.

If you feel your condition is an emergency, please do not delay in attending your local Emergency Department.

What can I do to help myself? 
There are lots of things you can do that mean you might not need to contact the out of hours service.

• The DEVON DOCTORS service is for urgent healthcare problems. It is not a health advice line. You can telephone NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 for general health information.
• Could your health problems wait until your surgery re-opens?
• You can treat yourself for some conditions with over the counter remedies like paracetamol and cough medicines.
• Have you asked your pharmacist? They can give free and expert advice without an appointment.
• Is there a local Minor Injuries Unit or Walk In Centre you could go to?
• But remember - for life threatening conditions and emergency treatment, you must dial 999 or go to the nearest Accident and Emergency Department