IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE SERVICEPLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY
HOW YOU ACCESS THE PRACTICE HAS CHANGEDIncreased support announced for patients with COVID-19 symptoms and members of their household GP surgeries in Halton and Warrington are working with NHS 111 and local hospitals to provide more advice and treatment to patients with COVID-19 symptoms and members of their household who are self-isolating. The support, which includes telephone, video and face-to-face assessments, will be provided to help these patients with a range of health issues and concerns. General Practice Transparency Notice for GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19)- This practice is supporting vital coronavirus (COVID-19) planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital. The health and social care system is facing significant pressures due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Health and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support health, social care and other public services and to protect public health. Information will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the coronavirus outbreak. In the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations. This practice is supporting vital coronavirus planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital, the national safe haven for health and social care data in England. Click Here for further information- https://digital.nhs.uk/coronavirus/gpes-data-for-pandemic-planning-and-research/general-practice-transparency-notice?_cldee=anVsaWFucG91bHRvbkBuaHMubmV0&recipientid=lead-1b54b585bc8eea11a812000d3a86b23d-f67773fd8486410d88814d796afb7d70&esid=749e6d8a-cc8e-ea11-a811-002248007f84 Advice for patients with COVID-19 symptoms If you have COVID-19 symptoms and you need advice or treatment with any health issue, you should contact NHS 111 in the first instance, unless it is a life-threatening emergency, then you should dial 999. - If you have possible COVID-19 and you are struggling to cope with your symptoms, you should use the NHS 111 online Coronavirus service - https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19.
- If you have COVID-19 symptoms but have another health concern, please contact NHS 111 online at https://111.nhs.uk/ or via phone.
NHS 111 may then refer you to your GP Practice for further assessment via phone or video call. If clinically appropriate, a face-to-face appointment will be booked by the practice at one of the dedicated face-to-face assessment sites which have been set up in Halton and Warrington. As a result, you may need to go to a different surgery than normal for an assessment with a GP. The sites will not offer testing for COVID-19 and are not public testing sites. To ensure the safety of patients and staff, only patients who have the medical problem and a booked appointment at the assessment sites will be allowed access. Patients will only be allowed to enter one at a time, they will be asked to wait in a car if possible and only enter when they are contacted by mobile phone. Advice for patients living in a household with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms If you have a health concern but are self-isolating because you live in a household with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms, you can contact the surgery directly via phone or by contacting the practice via an online form on the practice website (eConsult). IMPORTANT: please make the surgery aware that you are living in a household with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms. A clinical member of staff will call you back to provide an assessment over the phone and they will arrange a video or face-to face appointment for you if required. Face-to-face appointments for patients who live in a household with someone who has COVID-19 symptoms will take place at one of the dedicated face-to-face assessment sites. Advice for patients who live in households that DO NOT have COVID-19 symptoms To reduce any potential risk of infection, patients who live in households without any COVID-19 symptoms will be seen in a separate area of the practice from patients with COVID-19 symptoms and members of their household. As a result of the new arrangements, you may be asked to attend a different entrance than usual. If you need to attend a different entrance, we will advise you at the time of booking your appointment. It is recommended that you wear a facial covering when attending the practice. Please be reminded… do not to come into the surgery without a pre-booked appointment. If you need help with a health concern, please contact us via phone or by completing an online form on our website (eConsult). A clinical member of staff will call you back to provide an assessment over the phone and they will arrange a video or face-to face appointment for you if required. Where can I find out more information? Read some frequently asked questions for patients here (insert link). -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
BOOKING AN APPOINTMENTFace to face appointment bookings are suspended at the practice until further notice. If you wish to make an appointment or require contact with a GP / Nurse, please contact the practice on the day at 8:30am. ALL APPOINTMENTS ARE TO BE ACCESSED VIA ECONSULT OR TELEPHONE TRIAGE AT 8:30AM You will receive a telephone call / response from a member of our clinical team who will deal with your query in the most appropriate way. Patients are encouraged to use eConsult for medical advice if they have access to the internet. ROUTINE APPOINTMENTS The practice has been advised to suspend all non-urgent routine face to face appointments. We will continue to book face to face appointments for: - Baby immunisations
- Post natal checks
- 8 week baby checks
- Cervical screening
- Urgent blood tests
ALL OTHER NON URGENT APPOINTMENTS ARE SUSPENDED AT THIS TIME (OR) WILL BE COMPLETED VIA TELEPHONE. If you would like to book an appointment for an annual chronic disease review, please contact reception and ask for a telephone call with the Nurse.
ONLINE BOOKING We have temporarily suspended the online booking system as all appointment requests must be triaged due to ongoing concerns around COVID-19. This is to ensure that we are able to fully assess risk before appointments are booked at the surgery. As you will be aware the practice uses eConsult and patients are advised to seek advice via this service.
PRESCRIPTIONSYou cannot enter the practice to complete a prescription request or collect a prescription. * PLEASE NOTE - We are not able to authorise any requests for additional supplies of medication. We are also unable to issue any Asthma rescue packs. If you feel unwell then you must contact the practice by telephone or eConsult. PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS Please complete requests online, via post or post paper request through the door. Please note down your choice of pharmacy as paper prescriptions are suspended. If you are self-isolating (or) shielding and are unable to order your prescription, please contact the prescription line at the practice (01925) 650226 (option 3). PRESCRIPTION COLLECTION All prescriptions will go directly to your nominated pharmacy for you to collect. Paper prescriptions are suspended and you cannot collect ANY prescriptions from the practice.
SAMPLESWe are not accepting ANY routine samples as access to the practice is by appointment only. Routine samples can be personally delivered to the pathology department at the hospital if required.
HIGH RISK & EXTREMELY VULNERABLE PATIENTSThe UK government has released updated guidance for high risk patients.Please visit the below link for the guidance in full and list of high risk patients:HIGH RISK PATIENTS WILL BE INFORMED BY THE GOVERNMENT OR THEIR GP PRACTICE. |
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATIONClick here for information on how you can protect yourself and the local community Click here for information on self-isolation and why it is importantClick here for information on social distancingClick here for information on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable from COVID-19 Click here if you need a sick/fit note to cover you for a self-isolation period
These measures may vary slightly in individual practices but we ask for you co-operation and patience in supporting the actions. This will ensure that we are still able to deliver the necessary care to all our patients. We would like to reassure all our patients that we are continuing to work with NHS England, the CCG and Public Health to make sure that what we are doing is always in the best interest of our patients and our staff. If you have any cough, temperature, or loss of taste or smell however mild, please stay at home and DO NOT COME INTO THE SURGERY.VISIT THE FOLLOWING PAGE TO CHECK IF YOU HAVE CORONA VIRUS SYMPTOMS: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 We would like to thank all our patients for their co-operation and understanding |