Practice Information
Address:

Warders Medical Centre
East Street
Tonbridge
Kent, TN9 1LA
 

Telephone: 01732 770088

Fax: 01732 770033


See below or click on the links for details of:

Surgery hours: Details of opening times and when to phone for test results.

Practice Staff: Information about staff you'll meet at the surgery and who will answer your phone calls.

Online Bookings : Information on our online appointment and prescription booking services.

Joining Warders: Follow this link for details of our practice area and how to register with us.

Clinics: Additional services available to patients.

 
 
Surgery Hours
Opening Hours
Warders Medical Centre, Tonbridge

Monday to Friday:
8:20am – 6:30pm

 

Penshurst Surgery

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday:
8:20am – 12:30pm, and 4:00pm-6:30pm

Thursdays:
8:20am – 12:30pm

 
 
Consulting Times
Warders Medical Centre, Tonbridge

Monday to Friday:
8:20am – 11:30am
2:50pm - 6:20pm

Extended Hours

We also provide three late surgeries per week on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings until 7.30pm.


Penshurst Surgery

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday:
Mornings and afternoons: 8:20am – 10:30am,
and 4:30pm - 6:30pm

Thursdays:
Mornings only: 8:20am - 11:00am

 
 
How to see your Doctor
Our aim is to deal with today’s problems today, and also reduce the numbers of patients not attending . For doctor’s appointments, where possible, it is helpful if you phone on the day you need to be seen, rather than booking ahead. You may be asked whether you think one of our practice nurses can help or whether it would be helpful to arrange to speak to the doctor or nurse on the telephone. We can pre-book a number of appointments. This system has been introduced to cut down on waiting times and offer a better quality service.

 
 
Advice on the Phone
You may feel that a problem could be solved by a brief telephone conversation with your doctor. This can be helpful to both you and your doctor and it puts less pressure on busy surgeries. Please make an appointment for a telephone consultation and your doctor will ring you. 

Sometimes speaking at the reception desk to arrange family planning appointments or asking for test results can be embarrassing. To avoid this, it is a good idea to ring the surgery in the afternoons, when it is less busy.

PLEASE NOTE ALL TELEPHONE CALLS ARE RECORDED

 
 
 
Home Visits
It is really helpful if requests for home visits can be made before 10.00am. Please give the receptionist brief details of your illness so that the doctor can assess the order of priority of his visits when on rounds.
 
 
 
Out of Hours problems
To seek urgent advice or request a home visit at night or at weekends ring: 08451 552255 (Out of Hours on Call Service) or NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
 
 
 
Sickness Certificate
You do not require a doctor’s certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer however, may require you to complete a ‘Self Certificate’ which you can obtain either from your employer or local DSS Office, (it is not obligatory to see a doctor for this). After the seventh day you will need a doctor’s certificate and you need to be seen by your doctor. Private certificates for claiming benefit for private health insurance for BUPA/PPP claims etc., and certificates for HGV/PSV licences and for various sporting bodies can be provided. A fee is chargeable for these items at the BMA recommended rates.
 
 
 
Access for the Disabled (Warders Medical Centre, Tonbridge)
There is dedicated parking for the disabled and wheelchair access via our main entrance. There are also toilet facilities for the disabled and ground floor consulting space. We would welcome comments and suggestions for improving our facilities.
 
 
 
Practice Staff
Practice Manager
Susan Senecal is the practice manager and she will be happy to help you with any administrative or non-clinical aspects of the practice. She is also available to discuss any suggestions or complaints you may have.
 
 
Practice Nurses
Alison Thorn,  Suzanne West Sabra Knight and Debbie Burke are available for appointments from Monday to Friday 8.20am - 6.15pm. 

They will see you for dressings, vaccinations, ear syringing and other nursing advice. The specialist services they offer are as follows: 

Suzanne West -  Diabetic care, Asthma Care and INR Clinic.

Alison Thorn - Family Planning, INR Clinic, Coronary Heart Disease, Asthma and Respiratory Disease care.

Debbie Burke - Diabetic care, Stop Smoking Clinic, Baby Immunisation Clinic, Family Planning

Sabra Knight - Family Planning, INR clinic, Baby Immunisation Clinic

All our practice nurses are fully qualified (RGN)

 
 
Health Care Assistant
Helen Craddock our health care assistant will be happy to see you for ECGs, New Patient Checks, blood tests, general advice on diet and healthy eating. Although Helen is not a trained nurse, she has been fully trained to carry out the procedures mentioned above.
 
 
Phlebotomists
Staff from Pembury Hospital provide a service for patients at Warders who need to have their blood taken for testing. They also take blood for our in-house clinic for patients on warfarin therapy.
 
 
 
Health Visitors
These registered nurses have specialist training particularly relating to expectant mothers, pre-school children and the elderly. Services include developmental assessments, child health clinics, counselling sessions, health education and promotion of health care with the elderly. They can be contacted on their own telephone number which is 01732 366060. If they are not available you may be asked to leave a message on their answering machine.
 
 
 
District Nurses
The district nursing team attached to the practice is responsible for nursing care in the community. If you wish to leave contact them phone 01732 359685.
 
 
 
Community Midwives
Our community midwives run the antenatal clinics at Warders. They also run parent craft classes, carry out home visits and are able to give advice and prenatal counselling. If you are pregnant you can be referred to them by your Doctor.
 
 
 
Physiotherapy
Tunbridge Wells Physiotherapy & Sports Clinic provide on site services for our patients, by referral from your GP. They also offer a private service and patients may self refer to this if they wish (01892 525065).
 
 
 
Counselling Services
We have the services of trained counsellors who are happy to see patients by referral from your GP.
 
 
 
Podiatry Services
NHS Podiatry is accessed by GP referral only. Please note that there are specific referral criteria for this service which is managed and provided by S W Kent Primary Care Trust.

Mr Toby Winkworth visits the practice to provide a private Podiatry service. Please ask at reception if you would like to book an appointment with him.

 
 
 
Receptionists
Receptionists are here to help you. When you telephone for medical attention the receptionist may ask you for some personal details. We hope that you will not mind being asked for this information. Our receptionists make these enquiries so that the help we offer you is most appropriate. Our receptionists are available from 8.20am-6.30pm each day.
 
 
 
Secretaries
Our secretaries deal with all hospital correspondence and some test results coming back into the practice. Please phone after 2.00pm if you are enquiring about the results of a test. N.B.Results can only be given to the patient themselves, except in the case of parents phoning on behalf of children who are under 16 years of age. Results of pregnancy tests or fertility tests can only be obtained by speaking to your doctor.
 
 
 
Registrars
W e are a training practice, so at times doctors called GP registrars, who have finished their hospital training and are interested in General Practice as a career will be working at Warders under the guidance of Dr. Howitt, Dr. Morris, Dr. Moore, Dr Claxton and Dr. Alton.

Dr. Pearson is a Supervisor for Foundation Doctors who also work from time to time at the practice.

Medical and Nursing Students may also be working with our GPs or Practice Nurses and you will always be informed of their presence. If you do not wish to see them please tell the receptionist.

 

 
 
 
Internet Prescription and Appointments


HOW IT WORKS

At busy times it can be difficult to contact the practice by telephone, and after hours there is no one to answer the phone for routine enquiries. Using the internet, you will be able to view the range of available appointments and take your time to choose the best one for you. You can also send short messages to the practice and see the reply.

GETTING STARTED

You must register to use the internet appointment booking facility. Ask the receptionist for a registration form, and then access the web site and enter the registration details shown on the form. After registering, you log on with your patient number and a password. You will then be able to view appointments you have already made, cancel them if necessary, and book an appointment with your doctor after checking the times available. You can also enter new queries and read the replies to previous ones from practice staff.

SECURITY

We take the security of our patients' information very seriously. By working with EMIS, the company that provides the computer systems for this practice (and for more than 50% of all doctors in the UK), we can ensure that the information you provide when using the internet facility is protected.

All communications with the practice web site are encrypted, using the same high security that major banks use for their internet transactions (128 bit SSL). Only you can see the personal information you enter. The web site is administered at a remote high-security site managed by EMIS, not at the practice, so there is no possibility of unauthorised access.

Using the most up-to-date version of your web browser also improves security of information. Remember to close the browser after use, especially if someone else could access your computer.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Ask the receptionist for a registration form which provides the information with which you can access the internet facility.

Access the practice web site at www.warders.co.uk and select "Online Facilities", then click the "Register" link to set up your account.

Enter your personal details in exactly the same format as on the registration form. If the information does not match, your registration will not be accepted.

When you book an appointment online, you will receive confirmation immediately. There is no need to re-confirm by e-mail or telephone - just arrive promptly on the day!

Messages are handled by staff during normal working hours, so there will be a delay before you get your reply. If you have an urgent query, telephone the practice or emergency service as usual.

 
 
Joining Warders
We welcome patients from within our practice area. This includes Tonbridge north and south of the railway line,as far as the top of Quarry Hill Road, Penshurst and surrounding villages, Bidborough, part of Hildenborough and villages to the east of Tonbridge such as Golden Green and Tudeley.

Our practice area is subject to change, but currently excludes Hadlow and Southborough. Please telephone the surgery for further information.

If you would like to register with the practice, please complete a registration from available from the surgery or complete a pre-registration request on line. After this we will be able to register you as a permanent patient if you live within our practice area. We will then offer you a new patient medical. Pre-registration request

On joining the practice list you will be allocated a named doctor. If you wish to subsequently change to another partner, this is normally possible on discussion with the practice manager.

Once registered you will be able to attend either of our surgeries, Tonbridge or Penshurst.

Dispensing

If you live more than a mile from the nearest pharmacy we will be able to dispense your medications to you from our dispensary at our Penshurst Surgery.

 
 
Clinics
Antenatal clinic – Most antenatal checks are now done by the midwives, but occasional antenatal checks and all post natal checks will be carried out by appointment with your doctor during normal surgery sessions.

Antenatal clinics run on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons at Tonbridge from 1.00pm – 3.00 pm. Penshurst antenatal clinic runs from 11.00am-12.00 noon on Tuesday mornings.

Asthma Clinic- Held on Monday &Tuesday afternoons from 1.30pm-4.00pm . Monitoring and treatment of Asthma and other respiratory disease.

Diabetic Clinic- Clinics are held on Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9.00-1.00pm

Child vaccination & immunisation – Held on Tuesday afternoons at 1.00pm

Coronary Heart Disease Clinic – Held on Monday afternoons

INR Clinic - For Patients taking Warfarin we offer an on-the-spot INR Monitoring clinic - Held on Monday morning, Tuesday morning, and Thursday afternoons

Stop Smoking Clinic – Held on Monday evenings from 5.00pm-6.00pm

Well Woman Clinic – Monday afternoons from 1.00pm-3.00pm

Cervical Smears
This is an important screening test to detect not only cancer of the neck of the womb but also vaginal infections. We recommend that between the ages of 20 and 65, smears should be done at three yearly intervals. The test is normally carried out by one of our specialist trained nurses. The best time to book a smear is midway between periods. Please inform the receptionist at the time of booking that a smear test is required. Your result will be sent to you by the Kent Primary Care Agency.
Family Planning
We can offer a full range of contraceptive options, including the ‘pill’, the mirena ius (intruterine system, the coil (or intrauterine device), the cap and long acting injections and implants (implanon). 

Three of our practice nurses are family planning nurses who will be happy to see you to discuss contraception and advise on the best method for you. 

Emergency Contraception

We can also help if you need urgent contraceptive advice after unprotected intercourse. Please ask to see one of our family planning nurses within 72 hours of the event.