Coronavirus – Important Update from Firdale Medical Centre

Coronavirus – Important Update from Firdale Medical Centre

Updated 18/09/2020

COVID-19 pandemic has changed how patients access their GP. It has super charged the use of remote consultations in primary care although these will never replace face- to-face appointments which are available to all patients where clinically appropriate.

Remote consultations can be a convenient way for people to access medical advice and treatment. Video and online consultations where a patient can contact their GP practice directly via the internet are available at Firdale Medical Centre. While we don’t want to reverse the strides that have been made towards telephone and video consultations, we want to make clear to patients that face-face appointments are there for all who clinically need them.

Firdale Medical Practice is open and if you need to be consulted by your GP, please ring us on 01606544300 or visit our website www.firdalemedicalcentre.nhs.uk – our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am – 6.30pm

• Due to the coronavirus outbreak, how you contact your GP surgery will be different at the moment. This is to limit face-face contact where possible and help stop the spread of coronavirus
• Face-to-face appointments are still available to all patients, but you will be asked to discuss your conditions over the phone or online first to assess what would be most appropriate for you. Decision to arrange a face to face in person in surgery appointment will be made by our clinicians following initial phone call or online consultation.
• In addition to face-to-face consultations, we are offering consultations online or over the phone. This is a convenient and flexible way to receive healthcare but if it is necessary to see a GP or healthcare professional in person then this will be arranged for you.

Four ways to seek healthcare advice from a GP

• Call your surgery to discuss your appointment
• Visit your GP surgery website and complete a confidential online form to receive a response before the end of the next working day
• Call NHS 111 or go online to seek advice https://111.nhs.uk/
• Download the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions, book appointments and check your symptoms.

In those unprecedented times we are experiencing extreme demand on the clinical and administrative services, the demand that has not been seen prior to the pandemic. Our clinicians and administration team are working very hard to assist your needs and we are asking for patience and understanding.

Stay safe and well

Firdale Medical Centre Team

 

Updated 10/07/2020

Please note the important information regarding our practice:

1. In order to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection and to safeguard the patients and staff members allowing us to operate effectively the practice door will remain opened only to those with booked appointments. 
2. Our practice conducts majority of the consultations via telephone or video link. During the telephone or video consultation the clinician may decide that face to face appointment is necessary and you will be invited to the surgery. Please note we are asking you to wear face covering when you come into the surgery and will not be able to attend the appointment if you haven’t got one.
3. If you are given a time for your appointment please do not arrive to early as you may need to wait outside.
4. When you arrive at the practice please enter through the first set of automatic door and use the intercom system inside to communicate with our reception staff.
5. Please be aware that due to new government guidelines we had to reduce number of patients who can access the building at the same time. Our waiting room can now only host maximum of 10 patients.
6. For any queries please continue using our telephone system during our opening hours.
7.  Please note that in order to request prescription we will ask you to either use our online Patient Access facility or submit the request into a prescription box currently located at the entrance to the practice. If you cannot drop prescriptions on your own because you are shielding or self isolating you can ask your family member or a neighbor to do this for you. In exceptional circumstances we may be able to accommodate other methods of requesting your prescriptions but this will be considered on individual basis. There are also voluntary services available to assist you with this and other daily needs. Please visit https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHSreferral or call 0808 196 3646
8. Please note that the waiting time for the prescriptions have now changed and we will require 72 hours (three days) to complete your request.

As the pandemic subsides we have now restarted some of our routine services such as chronic disease reviews, smear tests, baby clinics and immunizations. You will however notice that some parts of the appointments may still happen via telephone or video link. For instance for our diabetic patients you may be asked to come to the surgery in order for your bloods to be taken and foot check completed and you will also be scheduled a phone call the following week when we have all the information for our nurse to complete the review. 

We are also planning reengage with patients participation group using videoconferencing – further communication will be coming soon.

Following services will remain postponed until further notice:

B12 Injections – in majority of circumstances B12 injections can be successfully replaced with tablets. We have reviewed all our patients and for the majority have been advising change to tablet form. There are some individual cases where we still needs to administer injections those however are very limited and always assessed individually by our clinicians

Sick notes (MED3): Med3 for first 7 days not required. No Med3 will be provided by General Practice for self- isolation past 7 days. Advise patients that a self-isolation note is available here: https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note

Travel vaccinations, insurance reports, medicals, non-urgent paperwork.

DVLA medical examinations (unless in special circumstances which will be assessed on individual basis)

Spirometry and routine ECGs

New patient checks, NHS health checks, medication reviews, frailty and over 75’s annual reviews – we are looking now at reactivating some of those services – more information will be announced.

We kindly ask for your patience and understanding. All above changes are necessary to minimise the risk of coronavirus spreading and affecting vulnerable patients as well as the staff at the surgery. We believe that those precautions will allow us to continue providing clinical support for longer mitigating development of potential cases among our clinical staff and patients

Stay safe and well.