August 2021
All patients over the age of 16, whether at risk with underlying health conditions or not, are now invited to take a Covid vaccine. Please use the booking link in your SMS message, or contact the Practice to book. Please note we are not yet in a position to offer the vaccine to children under the age of 16.
Booster vaccines will be offered to our most vulnerable patients from September onwards. This may or may not include a flu vaccine. More detailed information will be released regarding this when made available to us by NHS England. Please DO NOT contact the surgery to book. We are not yet taking bookings and will invite patients in a systematic manner to ensure that this is managed efficiently and effectively.
November 2020
Due to the Covid19 Pandemic, we have had to change the way we see patients at the surgery. Depending on the problem, you may not be able to attend surgery at all.
GP/ANP/Minor Illness Nurse Appointments: Until further notice, we are only booking telephone appointments with GP’s. You will be able to discuss your problem with them over the phone, and if they need to see you face-to-face, they will arrange for you to come into surgery.
Nurse Appointments: Until further notice, we have suspended all annual reviews. The nurses have made the clinical decision that they can complete certain reviews over the phone, such as Asthma and Rheumatoid Arthritis reviews. Furthermore, they will only see patients who need essential services. For example, urgent blood tests requested by another clinician, B12 injections, dressing changes, childhood vaccinations and more.
April 2020
We have been made aware of some inaccurate information circulating with regards to special ‘rescue packs’ for patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is creating increased demand from patients requesting inhalers who have not had inhalers for several years.
Therefore, please DO NOT contact the Practice for a rescue pack. The main reason for this is we understand that neither antibiotics or steroids would help in the early stages of a COVID-19 (coronavirus) and patients might delay seeking medical advice if they became increasingly short of breath. Also inhalers should only be restarted if your symptoms have returned.
Please only request inhalers if you are currently using them and please visit Asthma UK www.asthma.org.uk or British Lung Foundation www.blf.org.uk for further information. You should continue to manage your asthma condition in the usual way and if you feel you have symptoms of COVID-19, go to 111.nhs.uk/covid-19 before doing anything else.
We would also like to reassure you that the large majority of people, even with underlying risk factors, will have a mild to moderate illness will recover well. Information on COVID-19 can be found online at nhs.uk/coronavirus.
March 2020
Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. This includes people of all ages – even if you do not have any symptoms or other health conditions. You can only leave your home:
- to shop for basic essentials – only when you really need to
- to do one form of exercise a day – such as a run, walk or cycle, alone or with other people you live with
- for any medical need – for example, to visit a pharmacy or deliver essential supplies to a vulnerable person
- to travel to and from work – but only where this is absolutely necessary
What to do if you have coronavirus symptoms Continue to stay at home if you have either:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual) To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home. Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do. https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/ What to do if you need medical help for another reason If you need medical help not related to coronavirus, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
- For health information and advice, use the NHS website or check your GP surgery website.
- For urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service. Only call 111 if you’re unable to get help online.
- For life-threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance.
Read more advice about getting medical help at home. Advice for people at high risk If you’re at high risk of getting seriously ill from coronavirus, there are extra things you should do to avoid catching it. These include:
- not leaving your home – you should not go out to do shopping, visit friends or family, or attend any gatherings
- avoiding close contact with other people in your home as much as possible
Read the full advice on protecting yourself if you’re at high risk from coronavirus on GOV.UK. Who is at high risk? You may be at high risk from coronavirus if you:
- have had an organ transplant
- are having certain types of cancer treatment
- have blood or bone marrow cancer, such as leukaemia
- have a severe lung condition, such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma
- have a condition that makes you much more likely to get infections
- are taking medicine that weakens your immune system
- are pregnant and have a serious heart condition Information
If you’re at high risk, you will be contacted by the NHS by Sunday 29 March 2020. Do not contact your GP or healthcare team at this stage – wait to be contacted. Further information and advice can be found at the following link https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
February 2020
The NHS and Public Health England (PHE) are extremely well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.
The risk to the general public is moderate. If you have arrived back to the UK from mainland China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau within 14 days, follow the specific advice for returning travellers.
Anyone who has travelled to China or places listed above in the last 14 days and develops symptoms of cough or fever or shortness of breath, should immediately:
- Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
- Call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the country
Information for the public is available at gov.uk/coronavirus
Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
The risk of being in close contact with a person with coronavirus or contaminated surfaces is very low at the current time, as members of the public who have visited Wuhan, Hubei province, China are currently in isolation.
Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict regulations. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of the hospital and returned home also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority, and are encouraged to attend all appointments as usual.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:
- Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
You can find the latest information and advice from Public Health England at www.gov.uk/coronavirus