CHANGES MADE TO APPOINTMENT BOOKING SYSTEM

We have taken the decision to change our appointment system and how we make appointments. This is to ensure we continue to look after our patients in the safest possible way. We are following advice from NHS England, Public Health England and the Health Secretary.

WHAT IF I ALREADY HAVE AN APPOINTMENT?

All routine appointments will be cancelled and patients will be notified by text or telephone the day before their appointment was due. Patients will be invited to contact the surgery if they feel their condition is urgent on the day.

IF YOU FEEL ILL AND NEED AN URGENT APPOINTMENT BUT DON’T YET HAVE ONE:.

Going forward Clinicians will be dealing with urgent problems on the day. This ensures that all patients who need urgent care are still able to access it. The Practice is OPEN call the practice as you normally would and a clinician will call you back.

WHAT IF I AM FEELING ILL AND THINK I HAVE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19?

• If you are worried you may have Coronavirus (COVID-19) then you should cancel your appointment with us by phone (do not come into the surgery) and call 111 for advice and help. There are now testing facilities for COVID-19 in Shropshire that can be accessed via 111. Staff at 111/Shropdoc have been specifically trained to manage COVID-19 and should be your first port of call.
• Symptoms of Coronavirus commonly include fever, a persistent cough, shortness of breath, as well as other flu like symptoms.

REMOTE CONSULTATIONS

We have adapted a remote consultation policy at the practice, therefore patients who require urgent, on the day assessments will be put on to our telephone triage system, patients with the ability to receive video calls may be asked to do so in order to be assessed remotely and others may be asked to submit an eConsult. Face to face appointments will only be offered if deemed clinically appropriate.

PHLEBOTOMY

Our Phlebotomy service will continue for urgent/necessary bloods such as INR’s and other drug monitoring. All routine, non-urgent blood tests will be cancelled again by text or telephone.

CHILD IMMUNISATIONS

Child Immunisations clinics have been cancelled in their current form however children are still able to receive their vaccinations but this will not be in a grouped clinic environment. All parents/guardians will be contacted individually with further details.

Any patient who is asked to attend the surgery will be screened for COVID-19 symptoms both by text message and again at the practice door.

We do insist that anyone with COV-19 symptoms asks a friend or neighbour to collect their prescriptions for them. If this is a problem we ask you to contact the Practice and we will attempt to find another solution for you.

HOW YOU CAN HELP US

Please only contact the surgery if it is urgent, we are getting a high volume of calls

Do not come to the Practice with symptoms to collect a prescription

Please do not over order prescriptions

Please use Econsult from our main page if at all possible

Do give us permission to contact you by text message; email permission and your number to

wemandprees@nhs.net

These are uncertain times for all of us and we ask all our patients to respect our staff members and understand the decisions that the practice has made in regards to these changes.