Coronavirus Vaccination Update:

We are currently not vaccinating any priority groups 1-9 for their first dose. If you are yet to still receive your 1st dose please call 119 or go onto the NHS website. If you have been vaccinated for your 1st dose with the practice and have not received an appointment for a 2nd dose please contact us and we will book you in. If you are in priority group 10-12 please wait to be contacted by Essex House Surgery. If your priority group has recently been changed by our GP’s please contact Essex House directly and they will guide you on what to do. 

If you are aged 45-49 you can book you vaccine via the NHS website or call 119. 

Shingles Vaccine

Eligibility for shingles vaccination From 1 September 2020, the eligibility criteria have been simplified. Anyone between the ages of 70 and 80 years* is now eligible to receive the shingles vaccine, subject to there being no contraindications to shingles vaccine and they have not received a previous shingles vaccination.

For More Info
https://www.shinglesaware.co.uk/

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shingles-herpes-zosterthe-green-book-chapter-28a

Emails

Please be aware that our email replies are taking longer than usual. Please allow up to a 1 week response . If it is an urgent matter please state on the subject of your email that it is urgent and mark the email high priority. Sorry for any inconvenience.

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 14 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

Prescriptions

If you are temporarily staying outside of London/England and need an appointment  please Temporarily register with a GP near to where you are staying. Also, regarding prescriptions we do not send prescriptions outside of England. 

Feeling anxious?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak means that life is changing for all of us for a while. It may cause you to feel anxious, stressed, worried, sad, bored, lonely or frustrated.

The Richmond Wellbeing Service is offering you telephone and video consultations to help you manage at this challenging time.  You can self refer by visiting their website.

The NHS website also has some resources available that may be useful. Please do not hesitate to contact the Practice if you need further guidance or support.

It is important you and your colleagues are aware that our services remain fully open and operational during the new national lockdown, and that patients can self-refer for treatment without needing a GP appointment.

‘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