FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I make an appointment?

Phone our front desk on

(091) 530054

and arrange an appointment time to suit you. We cannot always guarantee that we can get you in at the exact time you require but we will do our very best. Our opening hours are here.

or you can use our online appointment form which will email reception on your behalf.

Please check our opening hours before requesting a specific time using the online form as our opening hours change day-to-day. Appointment requests are processed during working hours and not always immediately so if you require an appointment at short notice or have an emergency it would be better to phone reception.

Do you offer a walk-in service?

Consultations with our doctors are by appointment only, however some days are less busy than others and it may be possible to offer you an appointment at very short notice, We cannot guarantee this but it is always worth a call to ask. If we can fit you in, we will.

How long does an appointment at GBMC last?

A standard appointment is 15 minutes maximum. To be fair to all our patients and to ensure that surgery runs on time, we confine each appointment to 10-15 minutes as we need to include time for admin tasks in addition to the time you are in consultation with the doctor, otherwise our GPs will still be doing paperwork at 9pm every evening at a cost to the quality of the next day's service. 

However, this is not always possible, and we ask that you be patient with us. Someday, you may be the patient requiring the extended consultation and we will not rush you out of the room either. 

What if I need a longer appointment?

ertain services such as travel vaccinations or multiple problems do require a longer appointment and our reception staff will advise you of this when you book your appointment. However, if you think that you simply require an extended consultation with the doctor, please let reception know when you book your appointment and we will do our best to accommodate you. 

Please see our Fees page for details of our available appointment types and costs. 

What if I need a review appointment in a few days' time?

We aim to fix people in one consultation, but occasionally nature has other plans. If your problem does not resolve as we hoped it would, or you are concerned for any other reason, please make an appointment for review with the doctor. Fees for review appointments can be found here. 

I have an appointment but I am going to be late. Will I still be seen?

We try to run on time for everybody's benefit, so if we are running on schedule and you are running late, we may have no option but to reschedule your visit for another time.  

Depending on how busy we are it may be possible to fit you in later the same day. If this is the case, you can wait to be seen or rebook for later and come back to us. 

We understand that sometimes it is just not possible to make it to us for an appointment, but if you know that you will be late, we would appreciate a phone call in advance to let us know.  

What if I have an emergency?

There will always be a doctor available in the surgery in case of emergencies and an emergency case will take precedence over all other appointments. 

If you have an emergency that needs our doctor's immediate attention, please phone us, and explain the situation to Michelle on our front desk. 

However, we would ask you to understand that our doctor's definition of an emergency may differ from your own. 

The obvious exception to this is a serious medical emergency (collapse, bad accidents, heart attack, bleeding profusely...) where hospital treatment is required. If it requires an urgent ambulance, call them without delay (112). 

Who can you treat at your clinic?

We treat both Public (GMS Medical Card) and Private patients, along with visitors to Galway. 

I have a medical card with a different doctor. Can I use the card in GBMC? 

 

The conditions of use of your medical card require that you attend the GP whose name is on your card. This is the GP that you are registered with. 

However, in the case of an emergency OR if you are temporarily away from the area where your doctor is located it may be possible for you to be treated by a doctor in our clinic. 

Unfortunately, not being able to get an appointment with your own GP or wishing to attend a different GP does not entitle you to be seen under the medical card scheme. Our normal consultation charge will apply in this case. 

Please bring your medical card with you when you attend for your appointment. 

What services are covered with my medical card?

Your (GMS) Medical Card provides you with access to a wide range of medical services from your nominated GP. 

These services are provided to you free at the point of delivery and include standard consultations for treatment of illnesses and related services necessary for the treatment of a wide range of medical conditions. 

No distinction is made between Full Medical Cards and Doctor Visit Cards (DVC) in terms of services available from your GP. Both cards entitle you to the same service.  

However, holders of the Doctor Visit Card will have to pay for their medications in the pharmacy. 

What services are not covered by the Medical Card (GMS) system?

There are some services which we provide that are not covered by the GMS contract and so are not paid for by the State. 

The most usual of these services which are requested by our patients are: 

  • Medical examinations or reports for legal purposes 
  • Examinations and forms relating to insurance policies 
  • Examinations relating to fitness to drive including eye examinations 
  • Pre-employment examinations 
  • School entry examinations 
  • Examinations in connection with fitness to take part in sports or attend gyms 
  • Travel vaccinations and certain other vaccinations 
  • Routine blood tests for management and follow up of chronic ongoing medical conditions such as routine management of blood sugars and glucose tolerance tests, cholesterol, PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen), liver and kidney tests or full blood counts. 
  • 24-hour blood pressure monitoring 
  • Sick Certificates and Doctors letters 

Medical Card or Doctor Visit Card holders requesting any of the above services are responsible for the relevant fees which can be found here... 

Unfortunately, due to years of financial cuts implemented by the Minister for Health under the FEMPI legislation, it is no longer possible for us to provide many of the pro bono services that we would have provided in the past. 

So, if you find that we are now charging for a service which you had previously received free-of-charge please accept our apologies and feel free to express your dissatisfaction to your local TD. 

I want to apply for a medical card. What do I need to do?

The Medical Card/Doctor Visit card form is available for download here...  

Complete the form and bring it to your doctor as they need to sign and stamp it before you send it off. 

If you are a registered patient with GBMC simply leave the completed form at reception and it will be ready for you to collect the next day (24 hours). 

If you are not a patient of this practice and would like us to be your doctor under the Medical Card scheme, please contact us by email and we will send you a registration form and add you to our waiting list. 

Prescriptions

Most prescriptions are issued following your consultation. If you want a repeat prescription for something we prescribed which worked recently for you but feel you do not need to see the doctor, you can request a prescription without consultation (fee €15). 

Click here to order a repeat prescription  LINK  Please allow 48 hours for this to be prepared. 

However, you must book a consultation with the doctor if it has been 6 months or more since you last had a check-up as we are obliged to review all medications at least twice per year. 

Do I need to register?

All patients need to be registered before arriving for their 1st appointment. If you have not received a registration form from us and are attending for an appointment, please let us know.  

Scroll to Top