Symptom checking on entering the surgery
We have now stopped checking temperatures of patients as they arrive for face to face appointments at the surgery given the general easing of restrictions. Because of this, it is very important for patients with Covid 19 symptoms to not attend for pre-booked appointments and telephone the surgery to discuss further options. Symptoms can be a high temperature, cough, loss of taste but also sore throat, headache and runny nose.
It is really important that, if you have any of these symptoms, you take a PCR test, which is different to the home/lateral rapid flow tests as these may not be accurate for symptomatic patients. You can access a PCR test via the gov.uk website or by telephoning 119. If you have hay fever symptoms which are not responding to over the counter medications, these symptoms can be similar to Covid so it is important to get a test.
GP’s are still speaking to patients/parents of children who have any of the symptoms above and have not accessed a PCR test – it is important that Covid is excluded so that the GP’s can discuss other diagnoses. The local pharmacy can also help with advice and treatment for hay fever symptoms.
Dr Manuel Villarreal
Dr Manuel Villarreal, our GP partner at Campden Surgery and Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at Warwick Medical School, has recently had his paper published –
“Feasibility, acceptability and effect of the Mindful Practice curriculum in postgraduate training of general practitioners”
www.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/significant_reduction_in/
Pharmacy nomination for electronic prescriptions
If you change your nominated pharmacy when not in the area, for example on holiday, please remember to ask us to change it back to your local pharmacy on return.
Prescription orders
Please always give our dispensary team 2 working days’ notice between ordering and collecting prescriptions. If you are under the repeat dispensing scheme, please ensure you order through the practice before your allocated supply finishes – the pharmacy will inform you when you have 1 month’s supply left to collect.
Dr Williams
Dr Williams is currently on sabbatical for 4 weeks, returning mid-July and her sessions are being covered by our regular locum GP’s.
Capacity versus demand
Please note that demand for our services is extremely high still and, even with adding additional GP and Nurse sessions where we are able, the demand for appointments is exceeding our capacity. We have needed to initiate a Zero tolerance policy as all of our staff are doing their very best to manage expectations and the high demand is being felt across the whole NHS.