Rye Medical Centre (RMC) welcomes Kate Seaman to their team as their Paramedic Practitioner. Kate works alongside the doctors and will be seeing anyone who needs an urgent appointment on the day. She will also be making urgent home visits to housebound patients only. Kate is available every weekday.
Paramedic Practitioners are trained paramedics who have undertaken additional medical education in order to provide advanced health care. They can provide treatment and advice for many problems for which you may have seen a doctor in the past.
Their main areas of expertise are in the management of acute and common illnesses. For instance: wounds, scalds, burns, rashes, acute back pain, joint sprains, shingles, oral thrush, acute chest infection, dizziness, giddiness, unusual headache, diarrhoea, constipation, piles, vomiting, urinary tract infections, cystitis, tonsillitis, earache, cough, swollen glands, sinusitis, sore throat, colds and flu-like illnesses, raised temperature that does not improve after one week of pharmacist’s advice and home treatment.
NB: a cough may persist for up to three or four weeks after other cold/flu symptoms have gone.
Kate can examine and assess you, make a diagnosis, and provide advice and treatment. She can obtain a prescription from the doctor if required.
Unfortunately, she is unable legally to sign a fit note (previously called a sick certificate), so you will still need to see your own GP for this.
Some patients, often those with complex and long-standing medical problems, may need an appointment with a doctor. The Paramedic Practitioner is usually able to assess the situation and in some cases will organise initial blood tests and other investigations prior to arranging a follow-up appointment with your doctor.
RMC hopes that you find this new service complements and improves the care already given at the surgery but please be assured that a doctor’s appointment will always be available should you prefer.
Photo: courtesy of RMC