To all our Patients
We are aware of the planned move to lifting the remaining Covid restrictions in England from the 19th of July.
Medical settings are a higher risk environment and will need to be subject to more control measures than other public facilities.
We are acting very cautiously and are maintaining:
The delta variant is more transmissible and patients may come to the surgery when they are contagious.
It is our duty to do all we can to keep both our patients and our staff safe whilst we deliver our care.
Thank you
Drs Seiger, Poole and Majumdar
COVID 19
From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available from:
the NHS App which you can download from app stores
the NHS website (from 17 May 2021)
It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified so you can use these services.
If you cannot access these online services, and you have had 2 vaccines, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take 7 working days for the letter to arrive.
This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status.
When you're planning your travel, check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is time to get proof of your vaccination status before you leave.
APPOINTMENTS
Due to the current situation regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are now operating a Telephone Triage service.
We will unable to book any routine appointments. If you need an appointment you will need to call the surgery to receive a phone call from the GP or a Nurse Practitioner first.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank you for your patience during this difficult time.
FAQ GP Appointments
Latest guidance
Coronavirus (COVID-19) - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
National lockdown: Stay at Home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Covid -19 and children - click on link below
Useful information and links
Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and your information
The ICO recognises the unprecedented challenges the NHS and other health professionals are facing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The ICO also recognise that 'Public bodies may require additional collection and sharing of personal data to protect against serious threats to public health.'
The Government have also taken action in respect of this and on 20th March 2020 the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care issued a Notice under Regulation 3(4) of The Health Service (Control of Patient Information) Regulations 2002 requiring organisations such as GP Practices to use your information to help GP Practices and other healthcare organisations to respond to and deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In order to look after your healthcare needs during this difficult time, we may urgently need to share your personal information, including medical records, with clinical and non-clinical staff who belong to organisations that are permitted to use your information and need to use it to help deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. This could (amongst other measures) consist of either treating you or a member of your family and enable us and other healthcare organisations to monitor the disease, assess risk and manage the spread of the disease.
Please be assured that we will only share information and health data that is necessary to meet yours and public healthcare needs.
The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has also stated that these measures are temporary and will expire on 30th September 2020 unless a further extension is required. (this has now been extended until 30th March 2021) Any further extension will be will be provided in writing and we will communicate the same to you. Please also note that the data protection and electronic communication laws do not stop us from sending public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email as these messages are not direct marketing. It may also be necessary, where the latest technology allows us to do so, to use your information and health data to facilitate digital consultations and diagnoses and we will always do this with your security in mind.
If you are concerned about how your information is being used, please contact our DPO using the contact details provided in the Privacy Notice shown within the privacy notice tab on the right.
Face covering advice
Patients are required to wear a clean face covering whilst in the surgery.
It is our expectation that patients arrive for a planned appointment with a clean suitable face covering.
Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser before putting it on and after taking it off.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth at all times and store used face coverings in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash them.
Do not touch the front of the face covering, or the part of the face covering that has been in contact with your mouth and nose.Once removed, make sure you clean any surfaces the face covering has touched.
Face coverings do not replace social distancing. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, and/or high temperature, and/or loss of, or change in, your normal sense of smell or taste – anosmia), you and your household must isolate at home: wearing a face covering does not change this.
Face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 3 or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly.
Wearing a fabric face covering
A cloth face covering should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably.
You should wash a face covering regularly. It can go in with other laundry, using your normal detergent.
When wearing a face covering, take care to tuck away any loose ends.
Purchasing a face covering
Many retailers are now selling face coverings
Please do not buy medical grade masks, these are for health care professionals only.
Making your own face covering
The Department for Health have published guidance on how to make your own face covering. Please see the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
Medical Certificates
If your employer has asked you to provide a medical certificate relating to absence from work relating to the current Covid-19 pandemic (Coronavirus) the practice is unable to do this. We suggest that you print out, complete and give a copy of the letter to your employer. Click for your medical certificate