Childhood Vaccinations to continue during Coronavirus situation
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends continuing childhood vaccinations during the current Coronavirus pandemic. This is to reduce the infection rate from vaccine preventable diseases and to prevent outbreaks of these diseases.
Please continue to bring your child to their appointments.
Extended Hours on hold
Please be aware that our extended hours appointments held on weekdays at 7am, Saturday mornings, and Monday evenings until 8pm, are currently on hold due to the COVID-19 situation.
We are however open 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.
Many thanks for your understanding during this time.
How to get an isolation note for your employer
This service, at nhs.uk, is for those who have been told to stay at home because of coronavirus and you need a note for your employer.
This service is only for people who:
- have symptoms of coronavirus and have used the 111 online coronavirus service
- have been told by a healthcare professional they have symptoms of coronavirus
- live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus
If you are not sure if you need to stay at home, get the latest NHS advice on coronavirus.
If you have to stay at home but feel well enough to work, ask your employer if you can work from home. If you can work from home, you will not need an isolation note.
You can also use this service for someone else.
Coronavirus – Latest Advice
The NHS in Cheshire and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to protect patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.
If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough and a high temperature, you are advised to stay at home for 7 days.
Please do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP practice.
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they’re at home for longer than 14 days. The most up-to-date public guidance is always online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do.
Only call 111 direct if you are advised to do so by the online service or you cannot go online.
Novel Coronavirus – Important Advice for Returning Travellers
Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people if you’ve travelled to the UK from the following places in the last 14 days, even if you do not have symptoms:
- Iran
- Hubei province in China
- Special care zones in South Korea (Daegu, Cheongdo, Gyeongsan)
Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people if you’ve travelled to the UK from the following places, even if you do not have symptoms:
- Italy (since 09 March)
Stay indoors and avoid contact with other people if you’ve travelled to the UK from the following places in the last 14 days and have a cough, high temperature or shortness of breath, even if your symptoms are mild:
- mainland China outside of Hubei province
- South Korea outside of the special care zones
- Cambodia
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- Laos
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Myanmar
- Singapore
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Vietnam
Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
Don’t miss the signs – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Over 7300 cases of Ovarian Cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, but do you know what signs to look out for?
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer death in women, after breast lung and bowel cancer. But the average GP will see only one case of ovarian cancer every five years.
Most women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, which makes treatment more challenging.
The current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46 per cent. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, up to 90 per cent of women would survive five years or more3. This is why early diagnosis is so important.
What to look out for
Symptoms are frequent (they usually happen more than 12 times a month) and persistent, and include:
- increased abdominal size/persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- difficulty eating/feeling full
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- needing to wee more urgently or more often
Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue.
If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, and that’s not normal for you, it’s important that you see your GP. It’s unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it’s important that you get checked.
For further information, visit the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month website.
Signs and Symptoms to look out for as soap character is diagnosed with Bowel Cancer
Any Emmerdale fans will have seen that one of their beloved characters, Vanessa Woodfield, has recently, as part of her storyline, been diagnosed with bowel cancer.
Storylines like these are a great way to raise awareness and highlight such important conditions, how they are diagnosed and how they are treated. However, it can also worry/panic some people, so below are the signs and symptoms you should look out for.
Bowel cancer is very treatable but the earlier its diagnosed, the easier it is to treat.
Symptoms can include:
- Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom or blood in your bowel movements (poo). Bright red blood may come from swollen blood vessels (haemorrhoids or piles) in your back passage. It may also be caused by bowel cancer. Dark red or black blood may come from your bowel or stomach. Tell your doctor about any bleeding so they can find out what is causing it.
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
Tell your GP if you have noticed any persistent and unexplained changes in your bowel habit, especially if you also have bleeding from your back passage. You may have looser poo and you may need to poo more often than normal. Or you may feel as though you’re not going to the toilet often enough or you might not feel as though you’re not fully emptying your bowels.
- Unexplained weight loss
This is less common than some of the other symptoms. Speak to your GP if you have lost weight and you don’t know why. You may not feel like eating if you feel sick, bloated or if you just don’t feel hungry.
- Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
Bowel cancer may lead to a lack of iron in the body, which can cause anaemia (lack of red blood cells). If you have anaemia, you are likely to feel very tired and your skin may look pale.
- A pain or lump in your tummy
You may have pain or a lump in your stomach area (abdomen) or back passage. See your GP if these symptoms don’t go away or if they’re affecting how you sleep or eat.
Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer, there are many other health problems that can cause similar symptoms such as piles, constipation, anal fissures or IBS.
If you have any symptoms, don’t be embarrassed and don’t ignore them – book an appointment with your GP.
For more information and advice visit Bowel Cancer UK.
Do you have enough medication to cover the Christmas and New Year period?
During the Christmas and New Year period, the practice will be closed on the following dates:
- Wednesday, 25 December 2019
- Thursday, 26 December 2019
- Wednesday, 1 January 2020
If you take any prescription medications, please make sure that you have enough or make sure you order a repeat prescription early enough to cover you for this period – please allow at least 48 hours (working days only) before collecting your repeat prescription.
What’s in Your first Aid Kit?
It is also a good idea to check your first aid kit is well stocked for Winter to help you self care for minor illnesses and injuries. There are a number of things you can have in your first aid kit for any such eventualities:
- Thermometer
- Painkillers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen (or infant paracetamol for children)
- Cough medicine
- Cold and flu relief drinks or capsules
- Throat lozenges
- Diarrhoea relief
- Antiseptic cream
- Antihistamine tablets
- Plasters
- Tweezers
- Sterile gauze dressings
- Bandages
- Alcohol-free cleansing wipes
Your local Pharmacy is a great place to stock up on all the above items and you can find your nearest one and view their opening hours at NHS Choices.
Please remember to make sure your first aid kit is kept in a cool, dry place out of the reach of children.
EU Exit
On this page, you will find information that will help to explain how the NHS is preparing for the UK exiting the EU.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is leading the response to EU Exit across the health and care sector and is working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to ensure that the NHS is best prepared.
What does this mean for me?
Supply of medicines & prescriptions
We have put contingency plans in place to ensure the continued supply of medicines and other medical products.
Please keep ordering your repeat prescriptions and taking your medicines as normal. It’s very important you don’t order more medicines than normal. If you do, then it may mean that other people won’t be able to get their medicines.
If you’re concerned speak to your pharmacist, GP or specialist.
You can read more about getting your medicines if there’s a no-deal EU Exit here:
Goods and consumables
Along with our NHS Partners we have been closely monitoring the supply of non-clinical consumables, goods and services and you should still be able to find/order the same goods as you do now following the EU Exit.
EU Colleagues and European Qualifications
Across Cheshire the NHS is fortunate to have a number of colleagues who are EU nationals and Recruitment teams have been supporting with EU Settlement Scheme applications. You can find out more here. https://www.gov.uk/eusettledstatus
European qualifications that are currently recognised automatically by UK regulators (such as doctors, nurses, midwives, dentists and pharmacists) will continue to be recognised after the UK leaves the EU.
Healthcare abroad
The NHS.uk website is being regularly updated with information on the healthcare arrangements with individual countries. Please click here for further information (and check the relevant country guide if you are traveling to the EU after 31 October)
To find out more
The EU Exit website contains detailed information on how individuals can prepare for the EU Exit, including if you have a business or are an EU national living in the UK.
This website now includes a simple ‘checker’ to find out what you may need to do to get ready for the EU Exit.
