Reviews:

NHS England has notified all parts of the NHS of a temporary national shortage of some types of blood testing tubes. At present, we have been instructed that we can only order tests that are clinically urgent in the opinion of a clinician. All other tests need to be deferred until we are advised that the situation has resolved. If your condition or symptoms change, please call us back for further advice from a health care professional. More information can be found on the practice website, which will be updated when we know more. 

Anyone who needs a test for urgent health problems, will still get one but where your clinician recommends that it’s safe to do so, then you may be asked to come back for a test at a later date, or your appointment may be rescheduled.

We are no longer doing any COVID Vaccinations or Boosters here at the practice please either call 119 or Visit the NHS Website and check if you are eligible.

Please Do Not request your medication earlier than you normally would. Prescriptions can and should be ordered online via Patient Access or by email, only if this is not possible we can take requests over the phone. Please note prescription requests take 48 working hours.

Please ensure we have your most up to date contact details, phone numbers and email addresses. You must inform reception of your pharmacy of choice to allow us to send prescriptions electronically.

Information regarding immunisations and 8 week baby checks

We are maintaining our immunisation programme.　

Please book appointments for all routine childhood immunisations; from birth to preschool children. Also, pertussis vaccination in pregnancy.

If you have been invited for routine health checks/ Immunisations/vaccinations please attend the surgery when requested as Public Health England have stressed how important it is to maintain our patients health during these trying times. 

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. Please click on this link for more information Emails

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. Please request your prescriptions 48 hourse before you run out. Also please bare in mind that prescriptions take up to 48 hours for it to be sent to the pharmacy

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

Please contact the surgery on 02084878292  to book an appointment with our Practice Nurse for immunisations and for the 8 week baby check please book an appointment with a doctor.