Current Situation

IMPORTANT message from the Partners

Please read before contacting the surgery

We are currently experiencing unprecedented levels of demand at the surgery, with appointments greatly exceeding the British Medical Association’s recommended maximum every day.

We are doing everything we can to continue to offer a safe and responsive service for all of our patients, but we also need your help.  There are several things you can do.

Firstly, please note that there is currently a national shortage of antibiotic tablets. Whilst NHS England assures us more are on their way, it means that we need to be even more careful with prescribing these medicines. It is particularly difficult to obtain liquid antibiotics for children – so if these are needed we may ask you to either try to crushing them – following these guidelines – or give you an electronic token that would allow you to order from other pharmacies if none are available locally.

Secondly, a great deal of the calls and appointments are about children who have a temperature. We understand that this can often be very worrying for parents, particularly in light of the recent concerns about Strep A.  However, if possible, we would ask that before calling the surgery, you consult the “Healthier Together” website, which offers advice on a range of medical conditions in children from 0-18, including children with a temperature, and a specific section dedicated to Strep A. It can be really helpful, not just deciding whether you need to call a doctor, but also in understanding what things you can do at home to support your child. We use similar “traffic light” guidelines to make these decisions ourselves.

Both the NHS website, and Patient UK, can also be useful for wider health issues in both adults and children.  It’s also worth remembering that if you have a musculoskeletal problem (such as a bad back or joint pain) you can ask to be referred directly to the “First Contact Physiotherapist” without speaking to a GP.  Similarly, we have a “Social Prescriber” to help with issues that might benefit from local non-clinical services; and a pharmacist to help with medication queries. Again, these can often be arranged with the receptionist without speaking to a doctor, if preferred.

Finally, our staff are every bit as susceptible to circulating infections as our patients, and as such we continue to have sickness within the team, which contributes further to the pressure we’re currently under. As such please be patient with everyone within the practice team as we try our best to continue to support you, despite the extraordinary times we’re experiencing.

Of course, despite all of the above, please do contact the surgery if you are concerned, or need our support in any way. As always, we’re here to support you all when you need it, but please take a moment to check that it is us you need before phoning.

Many thanks

The Partners