Coronavirus

The NHS across Staffordshire will be better prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases, if the public follows Public Health England advice.

Please remain at home if you have any symptoms associated with coronavirus:

A high temperature or
A new continuous cough
Loss of taste and / or smell

Do not visit the surgery, pharmacy or a hospital. You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you are staying at home.

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

You feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
Your condition gets worse
Your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

This service can be accessed at: https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19

Only call NHS 111 if you cannot get help online.

The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff which may mean your patient experience is subject to change. The Practice is currently triaging all patient appointments and the majority of appointments offered will be telephone consultations. Patients can also use Online Consult for access to online consultations – this is available by clicking on the picture on our home page. Face to face consultations will only be made by a GP following telephone triage. When you visit us please wear a face mask or face covering. Clinical staff involved in your care will be wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when you visit. The Practice is also continuing to observe social distancing measures and therefore only one person at a time will be seen in Reception. Please do not be offended if you are asked to wait outside for a short time to help us control the number of people in the Practice and maintain safety.

COVID-19 Vaccinations

We continue to work hard to vaccinate our patients in line with the priority groups defined in the JCVI guidance. This means that at certain times, part of our premises will be used for vaccine clinics and some of our team will be involved in running the clinics. This is currently putting pressure on all areas of the Practice and your patience and support would be appreciated. As we move through each priority group according to age and clinical vulnerability we will contact you to make a vaccination appointment. Alternatively you can book through the national booking system or by calling 119 for an appointment at a larger vaccination site or pharmacy. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

If you have missed your first or second COVID-19 vaccination, or have changed your mind and would like a vaccination you can contact us to book an appointment (subject to vaccine availability) or by using the national booking system.

If you have any questions or concerns about the vaccine, please refer to the frequently asked questions.

Information regarding the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clotting can be found here.

For more information on the vaccination programme visit www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination

The Government and NHS information is constantly being updated and you can check the latest information online at www.gov.uk and at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

If you require Coronavirus information in another language, please click here https://www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk/coronavirus-information/.

You can help protect yourself and others from spreading infection by practising good hygiene methods. This includes regular hand-washing and maintaining the NHS virus safety measures.

Consent Forms for Vaccination Clinics

If you have an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccination, you must complete a consent form and bring it with you. You can print consent forms, general information for your appointment, and the Public Health England vaccine leaflet by clicking on the items below.

Easy Read Coronavirus Leaflets

Please see our selection of easy read leaflets to help all of our patient population understand more about COVID-19.

Vulnerable Patients

All vulnerable patients should follow the self-isolation advice issued by the Government. For those falling into high risk categories you will receive a letter direct from the NHS explaining what you need to do. Further information regarding self-isolation can be found by visiting https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-advice/

Vulnerable patients in need of support can also access a local support line for help with picking shopping up, prescriptions, help with reading the post, exercising pets and needing someone to talk to due to isolation. Call 0300 111 8050 Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Alternatively visit https://covid19.realisefoundation.org.uk/

Your Mental Health

Staying at home for long periods of time without social or work contact can be challenging. If you are experiencing difficulties visit https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/ for advice and guidance to support your mental health. Alternatively, if you need to speak to someone, you can self-refer to the Wellbeing Service by calling 01782 711 651 or by visiting https://northstaffswellbeing.co.uk/