As we now move into the ‘Delay’ phase of the Covid19 Pandemic we will be asking screening questions of all patients requesting face to face appointments at the surgery. This is in order to minimise the spread of the virus to vulnerable patients and to staff. If you have symptoms of persistent cough, high temperature or have come into contact with someone known to have Covid19 then please self-isolate for 7 days. GP surgeries do not have the facilities to diagnose or treat this infection so please do not come to the surgery if you think you might be infected.
Most fit and healthy people will recover from the virus reasonably quickly and without medical intervention. However, if during that isolation period you become very unwell please ring NHS111 who will arrange for you to be treated either in hospital or at home.
We have removed face to face appointments from our online booking system and will be offering telephone appointments to all patients who want to see or speak to a GP in order to minimise the number of people circulating in our building. If you need a GP appointment our receptionists will ask if your problem can be dealt with over the telephone and this will become our preferred option for all patients. Our top priority during this phase is to protect our elderly patients and those with underlying health conditions for whom the virus can have more serious consequences.
Some patients will need face to face appointments with GPs and nurses and these are still available following an assessment by our receptionists. If you have already booked an appointment you will be asked screening questions on arrival at the reception desk.
For more information on what to do when self-isolating follow this link https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
