19/7/21 - Face masks mandatory in general practice

We need to continue to do what we can to keep people safe from catching Covid-19. One way we can all help with this is by continuing to wear a face-covering in our practice and we are asking all patients to do that, as well as our staff. Keeping our staff safe is essential to keep operating efficiently.

We are also continuing to make sure we don’t have large numbers of patients in our waiting areas and on the premises – again this is about reducing the chance of infection when there are rising rates in the community.

The various measures we have taken, including increased use of personal protective equipment, patients wearing face masks, holding more virtual consultations, social distancing and extra premises cleans have helped protect staff, patients and visitors over the past year. Taking these steps has also enabled us to continue providing many of the non-urgent services that would otherwise have been postponed.

We want to make sure you can all be confident about accessing or visiting local healthcare services safely.

Thank you for your understanding and your cooperation with this – it makes a huge difference.

31/8/21 - All 16 and 17 year olds are now eligible for the COVID vaccination. 

Please visit https://covid.healthierfuture.org.uk/ for details of walk-in clinics. It is not yet possible to book an appointment via the national booking service.

VACCINATION STATUS FOR TRAVEL

From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available through the NHS COVID Pass service from:

• the NHS App which you can download from app stores
• the NHS website
• 119 - by requesting a paper letter

You will need to register to use the online services, if you have not already. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified.

If you cannot access the online services, and you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel outside the UK in the near future and have had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take up to 7 working days for the letter to arrive.

This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service.

When you're planning your travel, you should check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is enough time to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel.

17/5/21 - Vaccination update for our patients

We are still open and here for you. We are continuing to provide services as we have been doing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are prioritising delivering of care and services based on clinical needs. If you need medical advice or treatment, please ring us on 0208 953 3355.

Due to coronavirus, how you contact us will be different at the moment. This is to limit face to-face contact whenever possible and help stop the spread of coronavirus. When you phone you will be asked to provide some information about your healthcare need. This will help the practice healthcare team assess the most appropriate way to provide your care, which may include a face-to-face consultation and ensure it is provided by the most appropriate person. Face-to-face appointments are available to all patients where there is a clinical need.

Alternatively, visit the local pharmacy for clinical advice on minor health concerns. For urgent issues or out of hours, you can also call the NHS on 111 or go online to seek NHS advice 111.nhs.uk.

Appointments are being delivered face-to-face, by telephone, or using video calls and messaging to your mobile or computer.

If you are asked to come into the surgery for a face-to-face appointment, please remember to wear a face covering. Measures are in place to keep you safe from infection during your visit to the surgery. If you have a disability or condition which means you cannot wear a face covering or cannot communicate with someone who is wearing a face mask, or require other adjustments before your appointment, please let the surgery know ahead of your arrival.

The NHS is currently vaccinating those people who experts have agreed will benefit from it the most. A vaccination programme of this size and scale will still take some time to complete. Please be assured that everyone who needs the vaccine will be offered it. The NHS will be in touch with you when it is your turn to be vaccinated. Please don’t call us before you are invited. In the meantime, you can get information about the COVID-19 Vaccination online at www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination. Our staff are working extremely hard to provide services and care and we would like to thank our patients for your continued support.

Click here for the Herts Valley CCG Vaccination Q&A

Information leaflet for patients with suspected coronavirus (EXTERNAL LINK)