🚨 CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 🚨
For the latest information and advice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) check online for:
NHS advice on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Government advice on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
If you are concerned that you may have Coronavirus, or may have come into contact with someone who has, the NHS 111 online service has created Coronavirus pages that tell what you should do based on your particular circumstances. Please do not visit the surgery until you have contacted NHS 111.
B12 INJECTION - SWITCH TO ORAL MEDICATION FOR THOSE WITH A B12 DEFICIENCY INCLUDING PERNICIOUS ANAEMIA DURING THE CORONA PANDEMIC
We have numerous patients receiving B12 injections every few months, many of whom are themselves at high risk. We do not want to put such patients at further risk by asking them to come and visit the practice. We also wish to protect our frontline staff from unnecessary contact to help keep our essential services going.
We have made a practice decision to stop the B12 top up injection at present so patients will have their injections delayed for at least 3 months. It is perfectly safe to delay the B12 injections in this way. When starting B12 injections patients receive a loading dose (6 injections over 2 weeks) approximately 50% of which is stored in the liver for the body to use when needed rather than being used immediately. The 3 monthly injections are therefore just top ups and patients already have plenty of B12 to last several months through this crisis from the injections already received.
If you wish it is possible to take B12 orally and when taken in large doses (1mg = 1000ug a day) it is absorbed into the body to correct a deficiency. Even in those with pernicious anaemia, where the body loses its ability to absorb vitamin B12 efficiently, some oral B12 is still absorbed. In the UK we have traditionally treated B12 deficiency/pernicious anaemia with an injection but other countries use high dose oral vitamin B12 tablets and a recent study confirmed its effectiveness.
Further Information on B12 Study
Although we cannot prescribe vitamin B12 tablets you can buy it quite cheaply both at local chemists and on the internet (eg. Amazon , Holland and Barrett). The dose is 1mg (=1000ug) a day and you should start taking this on the day your next vitamin B12 injection is due.
After delaying your injection for 3 months even if taking tablets it may be sensible to check your B12 levels so please contact the surgery at this point.
When life returns to normal after the corona pandemic we will return to 3 monthly injections if that is your preferred option.
Thank you for working with us during this difficult time.
Dr Helen Sture
Prescriptions Update
To help further reduce footfall through the surgery and further protect our staff we will no longer be accepting paper requests for prescriptions. We will only accept online or telephone requests.
To minimise the risk of infection and to accommodate this we have temporarily extended the prescription telephone line opening hours. The telephone hours are now 8:00am - 12:00pm and 2:00pm - 6:00pm
We can now contact you by text message. Let us tell you about:
• Regular check-ups
• Medication Reviews
• Vaccination reminders
• ..and your appointment
From 1st May all patients telephoning to make an appointment with a GP will be asked the nature of their problem. Based on what you tell the Care Navigator you will then be advised of the most appropriate contact type in the most appropriate time frame.
Be assured that the decisions as to who you see and when you are seen are NOT being made by the Care Navigators but have been made by the doctors and the staff are referring to the guide issued by the GP’s. The reason for commencing this service is to ensure that our patients are seen by the most appropriate health care professional in the most appropriate time frame. We would also like to stress that everyone that works at the practice is bound by the same confidentiality rules as GP’s and nurses and anything that you say to them will be kept in the strictest of confidence.
If you have any questions regarding these changes please do not hesitate to ask.
Dr’s. Howell, Waide, Sture, Livesey, Wong, Finan, and Akinduro
We have introduced an exciting new project to offer you more bookable GP and nurse appointments 7 days a week. Further information on 7 day access.
The options when phoning the surgery have changed
Did you know we have a Patient Participation Group?
The purpose of the Patient Participation Group is to help us access and use your ideas for new projects, and gaining your views as to how the practice can improve and develop.
Patient Group Page
'Choose' Well by choosing the right service. Further details can be found on the Choose Well leaflet. The short video below is all about Choosing the Right Service.
You can now view your medical record, book your next appointment, or order your repeat prescription online using Patient Access. Available 24 hours a day, whether you're at home or work, it's especially useful when the practice is closed or telephone lines are busy. Register online or use the service (Click the Register - Create an Account option.).
111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It's fast, easy and free. Call 111 and speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals.
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Stay at home to stop coronavirus spreading
Everyone must stay at home to help stop the spread of coronavirus. This includes people of all ages – even if you do not have any symptoms or other health conditions.
You can only leave your home:
Coronavirus symptoms
A high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.
For the latest information and advice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) check online for:
