Practice orientation template

This template provides prompts for information considered important for the orientation of new doctors to a practice; it
may be altered to suit the needs of your practice. It will take around 30 minutes to complete initially but far less time to
keep updated.

Aim to have this information ready on the day you start work, or ideally, a few days earlier.

Practice profile
The philosophy of our practice is      
Funding method (fund holding, capitation etc.)      
The demographic mix of the practice’s patients is      
The socio-economic mix is      
Specific regional problems (e.g. freezing work accidents, leptospirosis)      
The specialist areas of this practice are (e.g. acupuncture, maternity)      
The hours of consultation are      
Length of an average consultation is      
The number of patients we see a day is      

Practice staff
Practice partners      
Practice manager      
Practice nurse/s      
Receptionist/s      
Others who also work from the practice premises (e.g. physio)      
The nurse’s duties include (smears, taking bloods)      
Where rosters are kept      

Physical environment
A map of the area is found      
Layout of the practice and where to find dressings, emergency equipment etc.      
The layout of the room: smear equipment, forms etc.      

Day-to-day routines
The patients are greeted      
The patients get from receptionist to doctor      
The patients information/fee is communicated to the receptionist      
The bloods/specimens are collected at      
Procedure for turning alarm on is      
Procedure for turning alarm off is      

Practice processes
Our protocol manual is kept      
The telephone consultation protocol for this practice is      
Prescription procedure is      
Repeat pharmaceutical prescribing policy is      
Patient test results protocol is      
Procedure for referring patients to hospital (i.e. outpatients)      
Procedure for admitting patients to hospital      
Protocol for dealing with non-registered patients i.e. visitors, tourists is      
Instructions for all electronic equipment is kept      
Privacy officer      
Infectious control officer      
Code of dress      

© THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS / Your Guide to New Zealand General Practice: Practice orientation

template 1
Fees
(This is confidential information, please keep it in the confines of the practice.)
Our fee schedule is      
Minimum fees      
How much discretion does locum have with fees?      

Emergencies
The emergency equipment is kept      
The emergency procedure is      
The panic button is found      
Police number      
COOP protocol (in event of armed confrontation)      
Fire control officer      
Evacuation drill      
The acute mental health services contact phone number is      

After hours arrangements

On call
Always ensure that someone knows where you are at all times      
A second GP to cover you on call outs is      

House calls
House calls are part of the service offered to the patients of this practice Yes No
Any limitations e.g. only during the day      
Time set aside for house calls      
Patients we see on house calls      
List of the special needs patients      
Protocol for night visits (Some after hours clinics send their doctor in a taxi – so they get there, and they have a
chaperone if needed. They also carry a cell phone which has a quick dial to the clinic, the ambulance and the hospital.)
     

Notes
Computerised practices
Patient management system used      
Computer password      
The information held on computer in this practice is      
The information you will be expected to put on computer is      
The key person to help you with accessing the computer information is      
Manuals are kept      

Manual practices
This is an example of how the patient notes are written (i.e. problem list, progress notes)      
Recalls are written      
Follow-ups are written      
Results are written      
This is how the notes are organised      

Practice contacts

Name and phone number of:

Hospital      
Physiotherapist      
District nurse      
Mental Health Services      
Most frequently used specialists      
Pharmacy      

© THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS / Your Guide to New Zealand General Practice: Practice orientation

template 2
Investigations clinic (i.e. x-rays)      
Laboratories used      
Abuse contacts (e.g. women’s refuge, female solicitor, Children and Young Persons Service, Doctors for Sexual Abuse
Care, etc.)      
Local self-help groups      
Consumer advocate      
Kaumatua (Male tribe elder)      
Iwi (Tribe) providers      

Forms
Include forms most often used; examples of completed forms can be useful.
Forms Refills kept When processed Delivery pick
ACC                  
Death certificate                  
Specimens blood                  
Referral                  
Laboratory tests                  
GMS                  
MOT                  
Sickness                  
Other                  
Additional information for rural GPs

The local hospital is:

Hospital facilities (i.e. obstetrics, A&E, surgery)      
The staff at the local hospital are      
The phone number is      
It is       kms from the practice
It takes       (time) to get to and from the practice

The base hospital is:

It is       kms from the practice
It takes       (time) to get to and from the practice

Ambulance
How to access ambulance      
It takes       (time) to get an ambulance to the practice
Ambulance officers – level of training      
You will be required to go to each ambulance call out Yes No
Other phone numbers you will need      
The nearest GP support person is      
The emergency procedure is      

Emergency equipment
At practice      
What is available      
Where kept      
At home      
What is available      
Where kept      
At the local hospital      
What is available      
Where kept      

Essential information about the accommodation

© THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS / Your Guide to New Zealand General Practice: Practice orientation

template 3
The accommodation is      
The key and the spare is      
Water      
Gas      
Electricity      
Rubbish      
Milk      
Other      
Groceries      
Leisure activities available      
Local takeaways/restaurant      

The duties that go with the accommodation are:

Pets      
Garden      
If you have any problems call      
Tradespeople/neighbours to call if you have problems with power, water etc      
Insurance company      

Please leave the house, car and the practice in a clean and tidy condition.

© THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND COLLEGE OF GENERAL PRACTITIONERS / Your Guide to New Zealand General Practice: Practice orientation

template 4