This exercise is to familiarise you with some of the forms you may encounter in General Practice, 
and to help us to plan any further relevant teaching. Using real or photocopied forms provided, 
perform the following tasks. For the PCT claims, if your practice uses electronic LINKS
to submit 
these claims to the health authority, explain how this is done for the following examples. 

Certificates: 


John Smith comes to see you on Wednesday with a bad cold.  He feels 
too ill to go to work and you advise him to stay off work until the 
following Monday.  Give him the appropriate DSS sick certificate.

Mr Richard Anger has an acute lumbar disc lesion and you have 
advised bed rest for at least ten days. Issue an appropriate DSS 
medical certificate.

Mr Peter Kneebone has been into hospital to have an arthroscopy. 
This was carried out one week ago, and there is a hospital discharge 
note in his clinical notes. He has been advised to stay off work 
for a further three weeks when he will be seen in outpatients. He rings 
for a DSS certificate and a private certificate for his insurance company.
Please issue these.

Victor Vague came to see you just over 2 weeks ago with a chest 
infection. He has only just recovered enough to get back to work after 
12 days absence. He forgot to ask you for a medical certificate when 
he saw you and has phoned you for a back-dated certificate.

DHA forms:


You see a patient who is staying in your area for three weeks and 
who needs some more repeat prescription medication. Help him to fill 
in the appropriate form. Would there be any difference if the patient 
was from Holland.

A young couple are passing through your practice area and bring 
their child, who is screaming with earache in to see you. Which form 
should they complete? How would things differ if the child had been 
knocked over by a car?  Alternatively say how you would use your
computer system instead.

Joan Smith, in her 26th week of pregnancy, asks you for the 
appropriate maternity certificate. Issue it.

Approximately 5 months later, the same Joan Smith comes to you for 
her full postnatal examination at which you perform a smear and prescribe 
the mini-pill. She had had a normal hospital confinement (not in a G.P. 
unit) with a 24 hour discharge home. Complete any necessary forms (or say 
how you would use your computer system instead) associated with this 
consultation.

An elderly lady who is registered with you practice falls and 
sustains a nasty gash on her shin. You clean the wound, remove some 
gravel fragments and suture the laceration. You give her a tetanus 
booster immunisation. What claims might you make for this consultation.

Other Forms:


Issue death certificates for two fictitious cases, one straightforward, 
and another which had to be reported to the coroner.

Who is eligible for free prescriptions?  Where appropriate, which 
form do they use to apply for exemption?