Coronavirus
COVID-19 is still a concern in our local area
We are offering the most comprehensive service we can in the current environment.
It is vital that we all play our part in reducing the risk of transmission. Where your problem can be managed on the phone then it is important that we do so. Please do not come down to the surgery unless you have been invited to do so.
This is to protect you and your families, the staff at the surgery and the wider community.
Overseas Validation of Vaccination
The process for recognising vaccines administered internationally has changed.
Patients should follow the link below to the NHS website for details on how to have vaccinations administered abroad to be validated.
You can email evidence to the NHS about any COVID-19 vaccinations you or your child have had outside England so your vaccination record can be updated.
Testing
Lots of people are using lateral flow tests on a regular basis, often through work or school. These tests are really useful for picking up people who have no symptoms but might be at risk of spreading COVID without realising they have it.
If you have ANY sympoms - a cough or a fever - then you need to get a PCR test (the one where the swab gets sent away to the lab and the results usually take 24 hours to come back). In the mean time you and your household ALL need to self-isolate until the test comes back negative.
We appreciate that this is inconvenient and that there are other reasons why you or your child might have a fever. Please do not take it personally or get upset when we remind you that this is what you need to do - these rules remain to stop the spread of COVID from starting up again.
Face Coverings
In line with the government's rules on face coverings, we expect all patients attending the surgery to wear a face covering throughout their attendance.
Patients who have been asked to attend in person who come to the surgery without an appropriate face covering (i.e. covering mouth and nose) may be asked to rebook.
Please note: we are not able to provide letters to exempt people from these new regulations on wearing face coverings in public. For the vast majority of people, there is no medical reason which would prohibit them from wearing one, it is more likely you are just not accustomed to it. However, see here if you feel you require exemption.
Supporting the most vulnerable in our community
BCP Council has set up a helpline for vulnerable people who don't otherwise have any support. Please consider volunteering to help.
Call 0300 123 7052 8am-8pm 7/7 to refer yourself or someone else, they can be contacted others in regard to vulnerable neighbours living alone without support, or visit #TogetherWeCan.
My life my care also has some useful information including carer support, food/meal/prescription delivery services, befriending services, home exercising and mental wellbeing support.
Children
COVID-19 is unlikely to make your child seriously unwell, but they like everyone else might be infectious: so it is important to stay at home if they are managing well.
However, all the ‘normal’ illnesses that can make children severely unwell can still occur and there is a risk that parents may delay bringing their child to the attention of a healthcare professionals even if they are unwell because of concerns about COVID-19. GPs and hospitals are still providing safe care as they have always done for children . If you are not sure if your child is unwell and whether they need to be seen, click here, call 111 or contact your GP. For information about crying babies, click here.
If your child appears severely unwell and advice is not quickly available call 999 or take them to ED as you would in other times.”
Support for those affected/Sick Pay/Medical Certificates
To support people affected by COVID-19, various new measures have been introduced including:
- eligibility for Statutory Sick Pay from day 1
- no requirement for a GP MED3 to evidence self-isolation where this has been recommended, and
- measures for those applying for Universal Credit who have been advised to self-isolate.
Please see here for further information.
We will NOT be able to provide medical certificates in these situations, please direct your employers to this link if there is any doubt.
For anyone who needs to be off work for more than 7 days due to the pandemic, including shielding patients, you can get a note for your employer online.
Repeat Prescriptions
Please do not request your repeat items earlier than when they are due as we will not process them.
The pharmacies assure us that supplies are still getting through.
What can you do to reduce your risk?
DO
- follow current government advice regarding activities which are permitted in keeping with the easing of lockdown
- wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
- if you do have to leave the house, you must always wash your hands when you get home
- use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
- put used tissues in the loo straight away and wash your hands afterwards
- try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell
DON'T
- do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
Visit NHS 111 for more information about how it spreads and how to avoid infection.
Update: Covid-19 and the use of your information
To look after your healthcare needs during the current coronavirus pandemic, we may urgently need to share your personal information including medical records with clinical and non-clinical staff who belong to organisations that are permitted to use your information and need to use it to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that we may need to share your personal information for the purposes of treating you or a member of your family, and to allow us and other healthcare organisations to monitor the disease, assess risk and manage the spread of the disease. We may also need to use your information and health data to enable digital consultations and diagnoses, although we will always do this with your security in mind. We will only share your personal information when it is necessary to meet your needs or to meet public healthcare needs. These are temporary measures introduced by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and, unless a further extension is required, will expire on 30 September 2020.
Please note that the data protection and electronic communication laws do not stop us from sending public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email, as these messages are not direct marketing.
For full document click see Privacy Notice from April 2020