Seasonal Flu 2020-21

At Kew Medical Practice we are encouraging eligible groups to have their free flu vaccination this winter.

The practice flu season runs from the 1st of October the end of March. You are eligible for a season Flu Vaccine if you fall into the following criteria:

– All patients aged 65 and over

– Clinically at Risk (Including patients with CHD, Asthma, COPD, Immunisupressed)

– Pregnant Women

– Carers

Due to COVID, additional patients have been added to the cohort however vaccinations will not be offered to those (inc those 50-64) until those in the priority groups have been vaccinated and vaccines are available.

Click here for more information and details on who is eligible for a Free Flu Vaccine.

The practice is planning flu vaccination clinics at present and will update patients when clinics are available to book.

Remember, it is important to get vaccinated early to ensure you are protected.

Vaccines are limited therefore we encourage you to get vaccinated early in the Flu Season. If you are not vaccinated early and the practice vaccine supply runs out then there will not be another opportunity to be vaccinated for the flu season.

Childhood Flu Vaccines for 2 & 3 Year olds

There is a new cohort of patient who are eligible for the flu vaccine this coming season. These are All Children Aged 2 & 3 Year.

Vaccination will be available from September 2020

Please see poster

Vaccine Poster Website

Long term conditions

The South West London Health and Care Partnership

The NHS, local councils and the voluntary sector in south west London have strengthened their commitment to working together to deliver better care for local people as the South West London Health and Care Partnership.

A local approach works best, and organisations providing health and care in six London boroughs have come together as four local partnerships, acting as one team to keep people healthy and well in Croydon, Sutton, Kingston & Richmond, and Merton & Wandsworth.

• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular disease
• End of life care
• Mental health
• Outpatient transformation
• Respiratory care

During the day, colleagues from our six local Health watches shared the experiences of local people who are living with these conditions, highlighting their personal stories, their experience of services, and suggestions for improvements, to allow us to understand even more about what matters most to them as someone affected by these conditions

Covid-19 Advice

If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough or a high temperature, you are advised to stay at home for 7 days. If anyone in your household has any of the symptoms listed above, you are advised to stay at home for 14 days. In either case please 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 advises you what to do, you can find this at 111.nhs.uk/covid-19.

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.

If you have been advised to isolate either directly or by following Government or Public Health advice, and require an isolation note for your employer this can be found at 111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/.

For those self isolating in line with guidance, as well as those who have been advised to observe a 12 week period of social distancing due to being in an at risk group then you may wish to download and fill in the following document to provide to your employer RMG headed Covid-19 for employers.

For Support and Information during the Coronavirus pandemic COVID Useful websites for support and information

Our GPs are dedicated and approachable, offering a warm and highly competent patient focused service in a professional environment. In addition to general medical services, our patients benefit from:

• Extended opening hours – currently suspended due to covid19
• Family planning clinics with implant and coil removals 
• Minor surgery
• Travel clinics
• Private medicals and Private consultations

We offer a friendly, personalised service and our team includes clinicians who are fluent in Farsi.

We aim to provide an efficient and friendly service to maintain and promote good health. Our dedicated clinical and administrative team enable us to provide the best possible standard of Primary Care.

Our GPs are supported by a highly experienced practice nurse and healthcare assistant. Our nursing team offers a number of clinics such as smoking cessation, family planning, and travel advice.

You can also use Health Help Now to see what services are available for you in the borough of Richmond.

‘Know your risk’ online diabetes tool

Working together, Richmond Council, Diabetes UK and the CCG, have launched an online tool for people in the borough to see if they are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.  The tool is quick, easy and free to complete, and can be found here https://nhsdpp.diabetes.org.uk/c/start

New NHS sleep service now available for Londoners

Sleepio is a digital self-help programme based on CBT for insomnia that offers an effective and safe alternative to prescribing sleeping pills. Sleepio is now available for all Londoners via Good Thinking, the digital wellbeing service funded by all 32 London CCGs and is supported by the Mayor of London.

Simply signpost patients to www.good-thinking.uk/sleepio

NHS patients living and working in London can access the Sleepio programme without a referral. Please find attached further information for GPs, and a patient information leaflet about this service.

For further information, contact nhs@sleepio.com