Coronavirus Information

Covid Vaccine Information

We are delighted to have been able to deliver the first dose of the covid-19 vaccine to so many of our patients in recent weeks. The vaccination centre at Sheepcot Medical Centre has worked really well and we are continuing to bring patients in for their vaccine – particularly focussing on those who are clinically at risk, and also our unpaid carers. We have also started to invite our more elderly patients in for their second dose.

There are some weeks when we are not receiving as much supply of the vaccine as we would like, and we know this has led to some frustration and concern. We do liaise with our colleagues in the NHS locally to try to get more vaccine stock into our centre, but the supplies are controlled nationally and this means we can’t always offer as many vaccine appointments as we want to. If you or someone you care for is eligible for a vaccination and is very concerned about waiting to be vaccinated, you can alternatively try to book online at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus- vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or dial 119 to see if an alternative nearby vaccination centre has any appointments.

We are expecting the supply to increase considerably from the middle of March so we hope to be able to call in many more people after that – for their first and their second doses, and in line with national guidance about priority groups. Please be assured that nobody who is due a second dose will have to wait longer than 12 weeks for it.

For more information on the vaccine programme in this area, you can use this link https://www.healthierfuture.org.uk/covid

SMC Covid Vaccine Letter

Public Health England Vaccine Leaflet

Click here to read a Question and Answer document about the vaccination programme

Question and Answer Document

Appointments

If you have booked a routine appointment with the GP within the next two weeks, this will still go ahead but as a telephone or video consultation. The GP will try and phone you as close to your appointment as possible.

If you have an appointment with a Nurse or HCA then a member of staff will contact you to discuss the best way of dealing with your problem.

Baby immunisations and 8 week health checks will still go ahead as long as the child or any member of the family does not have any of the symptoms of the Coronavirus.

In some cases the GP may still ask you to come into the surgery. This will be a pre-arranged appointment with the GP.

For all of the above, you must adhere to these guidelines when attending the surgery;

On arrival you MUST wait in your car, the clinician you are seeing will call you on your mobile when they are ready to see you. You will be asked to enter the building via the back entrance; the Clinician will take you straight into the consulting room and then lead you back out the same entrance.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ENTER THE SURGERY WITHOUT A PRE ARRANGED AGREEMENT.

Medication & Sick Notes

During this time we are encouraging all of our patients to request their medication via Patient Access online. If you haven't registered for this service please contact the surgery to do so. If you are unable to use this service you can set up with your local pharmacy to request the medication on your behalf and the prescription will be sent electronically back to the pharmacy for you to collect. You are still able to drop a request into the surgery post-box at the front of the building, this is checked daily or email the request to the surgery via our email address e82096.sheepcotmedicalcentre@nhs.net

You can request your sick/fit notes now through the new online consult tool via patient access health advice. You can also request this by popping a written request into he surgery post-box at the front of the building or sending it via email to e82096.sheepcotmedicalcentre@nhs.net. They can now be sent back to you via text message with a pdf attachment that you can email to your employer. The government has announced plans to issue these notes for Coronavirus infections through NHS 111, if required by your employer. Please see the NHS 111 website for details.

WE ARE NO LONGER HANDING OUT PRESCRIPTIONS OR SICK NOTES