Major changes to appointments at Villa Medical Centre

Posted on March 16th, 2020

Please click on the following link to view our updated privacy notice- Example Privacy Notice FINAL COVID-19 Update

Due to the ongoing spread of coronavirus, we are making changes to the appointments system with immediate effect. This is to protect YOU, our patients and our staff.

1.      All patients requesting assessment by a GP, after having attempted self care measures and consulted their pharmacist, please complete an e-consult on our website, or call the surgery to explain your problem. In both cases, your case will be triaged by a doctor and if necessary a clinician will phone you back the same day for assessment and advice, or offer you a face to face appointment at the surgery

2.      We are suspending the ability (whether online or by phone) to make face to face appointments in advance with a doctor or a nurse, unless your problem has been triaged as above. After assessing your case, if the doctor or nurse feels you need follow up, they will arrange this.

3.      Appointments that have already been booked will not be cancelled. However you will be called by a member of staff or receive a text message up to 24 hours before your appointment to see if a phone appointment with a doctor or nurse will be more appropriate.

Why are we doing this?

The national advice from public health and NHS England is for anyone who suspects they may be at risk of Covid 19 to stay at home and self isolate for 7 days

If they are unwell they can complete the online Covid 19 advice tool (https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19) or call 111

Despite this advice some of these patients are still coming to the surgery and putting other patients and staff at risk

NHS England has advised that all practices triage all appointments over the phone to minimise risk of spreading infection.

Blood tests

If you have an appointment with the HCA for a blood test you can attend if you have no symptoms of cough or fever. YOU MUST CANCEL YOUR APPOINTMENT if you have these symptoms and we will rearrange it for the next week.

What should I do if I am ill, or a family member is unwell?

If you have an emergency health problem such as signs of a heart attack, stroke, sever difficulty breathing , or heavy bleeding that won’t stop, you should attend A&E or call 999

For anything else review the NHS choices self-help website, speak to your pharmacist or call NHS 111 which is available 24/7 for advice. If you feel you need advice or to be seen by your GP please follow the above advice in point 1- ring the surgery or complete an e-consult.

What will happen if I just turn up to the surgery without an appointment?

You will be asked to go home and refer to point 1 above

What about home visits?

For patients that are truly housebound a doctor will call you first to understand the problem, and then visit if required

We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time. We are working hard to protect our staff and patients whilst striving to provide high quality care.

REMEMBER IT IS VITAL THAT IF YOU SUSPSECT YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS, HAVE A PERSISTANT COUGH OR TEMEPERATURE ABOVE 37.8’, YOU MUST SELF ISOLATE AT HOME FOR 7 DAYS, AND CALL 111 IF YOU FEEL UNWELL

If you are asked questions about your symptoms, you must answer truthfully. This is to protect yourselves, the public, and all healthcare staff

Dr Cookson, Dr Perkins, Dr Cockrell and Dr Bennett

Please click on the link below for information on how to help you recover and managing your symptoms of COVID-19

Post COVID-19 information pack 5