CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) PANDEMIC

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

We are experiencing a high volume of calls during this difficult time. We are trying to answer these as quickly as possible, but ask for our patient's patience as we know this can take a lot longer than normal. Please do not contact the surgery with regards to booking your Covid vaccination, our telephone lines are extremely busy and we will be in contact in due course. Thank you for your support and co-operation.

Due to the current circumstances, we are operating on a very reduced capacity. We will therefore be dealing with urgent, on the day cases only. We have reduced capacity on reception, therefore we ask that people try to request their medication or send queries online, and bear with us as there may be some delay in answering the phone.

Click the link for 'Advice for Parents with Unwell Children'

UPDATE FROM DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & SOCIAL CARE: If you show signs of a new continuous cough OR fever OR loss of/change in smell or taste, please self-isolate for 10 days, or longer if you still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell or taste. Your household should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines.

Testing is now available to any member of the public with the above COVID-19 symptoms by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119 to book a test.

Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic and based on current advice from NHS England we have made changes to the way we operate.

From today, Tuesday March 17th 2020, access to the surgeries will be restricted. Only patients with booked appointments will be able to enter the surgeries and we ask that you attend alone and do not bring other family members or friends with you unless there is a clinical/parental reason.

Please complete an eConsult by clicking on the banner above, or call the practice if you feel you need an appointment to see or speak to a doctor – do not come to the surgery. When you get through to a receptionist they will take you through the Coronavirus screening questionnaire. Only after this is completed will any further details be discussed and this will take place each and every time you call.

All patients requesting a face-to-face appointment with one of our clinical staff (GPs or Advanced Nurse Practitioner) will be allocated a telephone slot during the morning. The clinician will then call and discuss the problem and decide if a face to face appointment is appropriate to resolve the issue. If an appointment is required the clinician will book it for you. You can now book an appointment with the Practice Nurse or Healthcare Assistant if required, however we have temporarily suspended our ear syringing service. If you have used over the counter olive oil drops and this has not improved, please ask for a call back with a GP/ANP who will book you in if it is needed.

We will be stopping access for appointment requests and prescription requests at the front desk, to help protect our staff and those in the waiting area. It would help us enormously if you could nominate a pharmacy so that they can be sent electronically straight to the pharmacy of your choice. If you haven't nominated one, your prescription will be taken to Rowlands Pharmacy, Kirkburton for you to collect. If you do not want this to happen, please let one of our reception team know.

Booking for routine GP/ANP appointments is currently suspended as is the booking of appointments online. If you are due for your annual review and you have been told to book an appointment, please contact reception who can arrange this for you.

If you are asked to attend the surgery we may take special precautions, please understand that these are for the protection of the public and all those who work at the surgery. If you arrive early, please wait in your car until the time of your appointment. Then, inform us of your arrival on the intercom that we have installed in the foyer between the surgery and the pharmacy. The receptionist will triage your symptoms before directing you where to wait for the clinician to come and get you. You will be asked to sanitize your hands, have your temperature checked and take a seat in our waiting area that has been moved around to adhere to social distancing measures. When attending the surgery, please wear your own face mask.

If you are requesting a sick note due to self-isolation, please note that we will not be providing them. There is an isolation note available to anyone needing it to evidence to their employer the reason for absence. To find this, please visit http://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/

We have been made aware of some inaccurate information circulating regarding special "rescue packs" for patients with asthma or COPD. Please do not contact your GP for a rescue pack unless it is already part of your management plan. There is no additional recommendation to have a rescue pack to help manage your symptoms in light of the Coronavirus outbreak and indeed there is some concerns that unnecessary steroid tablets may reduce your ability to fight off the virus if you became infected.

CoronaVirus and Medical Conditions / Vulnerable Adults

We are receiving high volumes of calls and queries wanting guidance on vulnerable adults, including guidance on medical conditions and coronavirus. As this is a rapidly evolving situation, we advise anyone with such queries to follow the link below to the official government guidance. At this time we are unable to offer any additional guidance on medical conditions and Coronavirus, but should we receive any information or instructions regarding any specific medical conditions or medications that require medical advice we will get in contact with you. 

Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people/guidance-on-social-distancing-for-everyone-in-the-uk-and-protecting-older-people-and-vulnerable-adults

ACE Inhibitors and Coronavirus

ACE Inhibitors are a group of medications used to control blood pressure, and some heart and kidney conditions. The most common being: Ramipril, Enalapril, Perindopril and Lisinopril. There has been a lot of media coverage suggesting that these medications are associated with an increased risk of contracting the coronavirus and a worse outcome. The current evidence suggests this isn't the case. Please see the link below from the European Society of Cardiology which advises that there is no need to stop taking any of the above medication at this time

Link: https://www.escardio.org/Councils/Council-on-Hypertension-(CHT)/News/position-statement-of-the-esc-council-on-hypertension-on-ace-inhibitors-and-ang

CQC Report Now Available

The Partners and the team at Kirkburton Health Centre are proud that our CQC in November 2015 has rated the practice as "Good". We would like to thank all of the staff and patients of the practice, especially the members of the patient participation group (PPG) for the support over the last couple of years and their help on the day.

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