Welcome to Baddow Village Surgery

COVID-19 VACCINATION INFORMATION

Updated 13 April 2021

Second Vaccination Invitations 

Please remember to take your vaccination card to your appointment

We are now booking patients who had their first vaccinations at Whitley House Surgery for their second vaccination

Text invites have been sent to patients who had their first dose of Astra Zeneca at Whitley House Surgery up to 29 January

Some patients who had their vaccination on 6 February have received an invite for their 2nd vaccination - we only have a few extra vaccines so the remaining patients vaccinated on 6 February will be invited at a later date

If you do not have a mobile or cannot book via the link please call the Surgery to book your appointment

When sessions are open to be booked into we are sending text messages to those who have a mobile phone and calling patients who do not have a mobile

We will leave a message if you do not answer your home phone

Please ensure you check your mobile for texts and your home phone for messages

If you are able to book using the link on the text message please do so otherwise call the Surgery for us to assist you

Please DO NOT call the Surgery if you had your first vaccine after 29 January as we do not have a date for your 2nd vaccination session yet

PLEASE DO NOT BOOK YOUR SECOND VACCINE AT ANOTHER SITE as doing so risks vaccine wastage

Please also bear in mind the mass vaccination sites are only giving Astra Zenaca - if you have had Pfizer and book at a MVS you will be turned away.

First Vaccines

We will no longer provide first vaccinations for COVID-19 after our final session on Friday 26 March as the PCN has now opted out of the vaccination programme for cohorts 10 - 12.

We will continue to give second vaccinations to patients who were vaccinated at Whitley House Surgery.

If you have not had your first vaccine please book at a mass vaccination site using the information below:

Eligible patients can book via the national booking system at: 

 https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

(or by calling 119 for free), or by calling 0344 2573 961 (open 10 am to 4 pm, local rate).

Coronavirus Update

31/03/2021

In response to the ongoing situation nationally, Baddow Village Surgery are following NHS England guidance to protect our most vulnerable patients whilst providing care for our whole population. It is vital that our patients continue to seek medical attention when needed and engage with routine care when invited. The measures set out below allow us to provide a safe environment to treat our patients, including our most vulnerable.

Attending the surgery: Talk before you Walk!

Baddow Village Surgery has been OPEN throughout the pandemic and continues to care for our patients.  For the purposes of safety in communal areas, the surgery FRONT DOORS REMAIN LOCKED and access will only be permitted to those who have an appointment arranged by a clinician. Please use the intercom at the front entrance to gain access. We have limited space in our waiting areas.

IF YOU ARE ATTENDING THE SURGERY WE ASK THAT YOU WEAR A FACE COVERING.

Please be aware that all staff will be wearing masks and clinicians will be wearing PPE when you are seen.

Please cancel your appointment if you are unable to attend

Due to PPE changing and cleaning between each patient this has meant a reduction in the number of appointments that we are able to offer at the Surgery so please cancel if you cannot attend an appointment ensuring you give sufficient notice so another patient can be seen.

Thank you.

Prescription Collection

For those patients collecting prescriptions from dispensary or dropping off samples requested by a GP/Nurse, there is a bell on the dispensary window on the Longmead Avenue facing wall of the building. Please do not ring between 1-3pm, when it is essential for our dispensary to close for staff to prepare prescriptions.

Shielded Patient List

Shielding will be paused nationally from April 1st 2021.

Approximately 400 patients from our almost 13000 list size are currently identified on the Shielded Patient List.

For any updates regarding shielding status, please see the gov.uk website. 

National Guidance for Suspected Coronavirus Cases

• The government has put is place a policy of SELF ISOLATION for any patient with a new onset cough,  and/or fever and/or loss of sense of taste/smell, that could be attributed to Covid-19 infection. Patients well enough to remain at home should self isolate for 10 days and ALL HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS should self isolate for 10 days. If any other household member who is already self isolated develops symptoms, they should remain isolated for 10 days from the onset of their symptoms EVEN IF this means for longer than 10 days in total from when the first household member became symptomatic. Patients well enough to remain at home WHO LIVE ALONE should self-isolate for 10 days. 

• If a patient is concerned that they are not well enough to remain at home with these symptoms then they should use the online NHS111 assessment tool, dial NHS111 or contact the surgery.

• Testing for Covid-19 can be requested for anyone via the gov.uk website. If you do not have internet access then call 119.

• Track and Trace is now in operation. Any contact will be from the national team and their instructions should be followed. The practice are not involved in this process.

• Medical certificates will not be issued for self-isolation or household isolation. Please utilise the NHS isolation note service available online. You can do this for yourself or another individual.

For patients with suspected coronavirus who are isolating at home 

Click here to read guidance for patients isolating at home

Your Appointment

• Please do not attend the surgery to request an appointment or make any enquiry. Our front door is locked and you will not be permitted onto the premises.

• Access to online appointments will be restricted to telephone appointments only.

• Video consultations may be conducted if you or someone with you has internet access and a suitable mobile device and our clinical staff deem it necessary.

• Face to Face GP/ANP appointments will only occur when deemed necessary by a GP/ANP who has assessed the patient via telephone first. Patients will be asked to inform our reception staff of the reason for their appointment request to assist us in assessing the urgency of the call back.  Please be aware that GPs may telephone at any time on the day of your appointment or in advance of your expected appointment day, as we work to deal with the appointment demand. 

• Any patients with a fever or respiratory tract infection symptoms who are directed to us by NHS 111 will be telephoned by a GP. We will assess and decide upon the suitable management of each individual case.

• All Long Term Condition Clinics (asthma, COPD, diabetes) are continuing. The practice will contact you when we can conduct your review. You may be contacted via text message, telephone or video. We are using an application called Accurx and you may receive a text message with a link to 'florey.accurx.com'. Some patients will still require a face to face appointment and it is essential that we minimise unnecessary attendances to the surgery to make it safe for these to take place.

• We are resuming our usual clinical services from Monday 5th April, including contraception services, minor ops, joint injections and routine injections such as B12. Private medical examinations remain paused at this time.

Hospital Services

• The local hospitals are processing referrals. There is a significantly increased waiting time for first appointments. Your appointment may be via telephone. The hospital will inform you of how you will be contacted.

Request for contact details

• IT IS VITAL WE ARE ABLE TO CONTACT OUR PATIENTS IN A TIMELY AND EFFICIENT MANNER. We continue to respect our patients confidentiality fully but if you are willing to be contacted via SMS text message or EMAIL please inform any of our staff when you speak to us or follow the instructions below.

Other Surgery Services

• Our home visit policy remains unchanged. Patients requesting a home visit will be contacted by a GP/ANP via telephone before a visit is confirmed.

• Our dispensary policies remain unchanged. Telephone requests for medication are not routinely accepted. We encourage you to download the NHS app, use SystmOne online if you have password access or make a request in writing. We WILL NOT issue more than a months supply of any medications under any circumstances.  Stockpiling of medication is unacceptable.  Medication will not be issued when there is not a current clinical indication e.g. inhalers. GPs and our dispensary are working to ensure that repeat medications are up dated without any non-essential delay but please bear with us at this time of high demand.

• Please do not ask us to deliver medication when we would not usually do so. We ask that our local communities, their families and friends, help those self-isolating or social distancing due to high risk at this time. 

Safeguarding our Patients

At this time when we are socially distancing and confined to our homes, we know that there are vulnerable adults or children who may be at greater risk or struggling to cope. We remain vigilant in safeguarding our patients. You may find these resources below useful:

• National Domestic Violence Helpline: 0808 2000 247 https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

• NSPCC helpline: 0808 800 5000 If you're worried about a child, even if you're unsure, contact NSPCC professional counsellors for help, advice and support.

• Childline 0800 1111: Offers free, confidential advice and support for any child 18 years or under, whatever the worry.

• MIND: Mental Health Support with specific advice on ‘Coronavirus and your wellbeing’. www.mind.org.uk

• YoungMinds: Supporting children and young people and their parents/carers with their mental health and wellbeing. Specific advice on managing self-isolation and anxiety about coronavirus. https://youngminds.org.uk

• ICON: Babies cry: You can cope. http://iconcope.org/

• SafeLives: Specific resources for domestic abuse and COVID. http://safelives.org.uk/news-views/domesticabuse-and-covid-19

• IRISi interventions: irisi.org/iris/find-your-local-iris-site/

• MENCAP: The voice of learning disability, has an easy read guide for any individuals with learning disability on their website www.mencap.org.uk 

We thank our patients for their understanding during this time of unprecedented challenge for the NHS, and our staff for their unwavering dedication and hard work in caring for our patients.

The Partners

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Patient Information on Coronavirus

The latest information on symptoms of coronovirus infection and areas where recent travel may have resulted in a high risk of exposure can be found on

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/