The Friday Blog by Dr Francey 3rd July 2020

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Volunteers can support vulnerable people who are staying at home with:

• medicine and grocery deliveries
• lifts to appointments
• check in and chat telephone support.

To register please click on the following link https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHSreferral.

To reduce your chances of catching COVID-19 and reduce pressure on your local GP practice during this busy time, appointments will be carried out over the phone or through video consultation unless there is a clinical need for you to come into the practice. This will help minimise risk while continuing to ensure people get the care and advice they need.

Coronavirus Letters from the Goverment

Please Click here for further information.

Be Safe Leaflet

Please Click here for further information.

If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of/change in smell or taste you must self isolate for 7 days.  If a member of your household has any of these symptoms the whole household must self isolate for 14 days. Do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP Practice.

If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do. 

Only call 111 direct if you cannot go online, or are advised to do so by the online service. 
For the latest Covid-19 advice please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

The NHS in Cheshire and Public Health England (PHE) are 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 latest information on symptoms of Coronovirus infection and areas where recent travel may have resulted in a high risk of exposure can be found on nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
 
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
 
Use this service if:

• you think you might have coronavirus;
• in the last 14 days you've been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus;
• you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.
 
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 catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
 
Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict guidelines. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals 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.

Please note the surgery is still OPEN for URGENT medical problems

The NHS in Cheshire and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to protect patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.

If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough and a high temperature, you are advised to stay at home for 7 days.
Please do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP practice.

If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they're at home for longer than 14 days. The most up-to-date public guidance is always online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do. 
Only call 111 direct if you are advised to do so by the online service or you cannot go online.

With patients' needs at the heart of everything we do, our website has been designed to make it easy for you to gain instant access to the information you need. As well as specific practice details such as opening hours and how to register, you’ll find a wealth of useful pages covering a wide range of health issues along with links to other relevant medical organisations.

Access

Our building is accessible to those with mobility or other impairments and is clearly signed where facilities exist.  Please advise our reception staff should you experience any difficulty or need assistance.

Ordering your repeat prescription:
It is better for your GP practice if you order your repeat prescription electronically using the NHS App (or another online service such as Patient Access). People who can’t use an electronic method themselves can ask for a family member or trusted friend/neighbour to be nominated to order electronically on their behalf.
 
Please order when you have a supply of 7 days of your usual medicines left, to give the practice and the pharmacy time to issue the prescription and dispense the items.
 
When you order your repeat prescription, be aware that practices will only be issuing the usual amount of medicines (usually enough for a month) and at the usual frequency – please don’t ask for more than the usual amount or request your prescription more often.
 
Getting your repeat prescription to a Pharmacy
Most prescriptions are sent electronically from your GP Practice to a pharmacy for dispensing. You may be asked to nominate the pharmacy you would like to use to support this system. If someone else (e.g. a family member or trusted friend/neighbour) is collecting your prescription for you, you can ask your GP Practice to change to a pharmacy that is more convenient to them.
 
Some patients may be set up for a system called “repeat dispensing” where your doctor approves several months of items (between 3 and 12 month’s supply) to be dispensed at monthly intervals by your pharmacy. For more information on this click here
 
Collecting your dispensed items from the pharmacy:
Please allow around 5 days from ordering your prescription before attempting to collect your items.
 
It is helpful if the pharmacy has your mobile number (or a mobile number for the person collecting on your behalf) so they can text you when your prescription is ready.
 
If you have previously had your medicines delivered by the pharmacy, they should still be delivered as normal.
 
If you have previously collected your prescription yourself, but are no longer able to do (e.g. you are shielded or self-isolating) please ask your family and friends to collect your medicines for you.
 
If you don’t have anyone you can ask to collect your prescription please let your pharmacy know, as pharmacies are working very hard to expand their delivery services and they may be able to deliver to you.
 
If the pharmacy doesn’t have any capacity to deliver to you and you don’t have someone personal to you who can collect your medicines, you can go to the following websites and ask for help;
 

Click here if you live in Cheshire West

If you have been having regular 3 monthly B12 injections, your body will have enough supply of vitamin B12 stored, so it will be completely safe to delay your next injection for a few months.

Also, most people on B12 injections can actually absorb enough by mouth in tablet form and please contact the surgery if you would like to discuss this option further.  

If you are developing any symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, or would like more information, please make a telephone appointment with our practice Pharmacist to discuss. 

Click on the Link below for NHS B12 deficiency leaflet 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamin-b12-or-folate-deficiency-anaemia/