Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has started the Spring COVID-19 booster programme this month. Please be aware the Surgery is not involved in this at all. The Health Board will mainly be contacting patients by post in April and May.

More information can be found on the Health Board website at:

https://ctmuhb.nhs.wales/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine-information/spring-covid-19-vaccine-booster/

Please note that this page also gives you the opportunity to let them know if have any outstanding COVID vaccinations due.

It is still compulsory under current Welsh Government guidance to wear a mask on GP Surgery premises (unless exempt). Please ask at Reception for a mask if you do not have one.

Although self-isolation rules with COVID have been relaxed it is still not acceptable to enter the Surgery with COVID unless it has been specifically pre-arranged with a doctor on the phone.

We are pleased to announce that Dr A. Jones has had her baby this month. She is now on maternity leave until late autumn.

Two male locum doctors, Dr Gavin Rees and Dr Alex Aubrey, are now covering many of her surgeries. Dr Steve Chapman is also returning in mid-April.

We are open as normal for the rest of this week (29th-31st December) but due to a high level of reception staff shortages there may be significant delays in getting through to the Surgery on the telephone. Please be patient, calls will be handled as quickly as we are able.

If you are able to do an e-consultation online please do so to avoid possible long waits on the telephone. The doctor will arrange any necessary face-to-face or telephone contact.

The Surgery will be closing at 6:30pm on Christmas Eve (Friday 24th December), will be closed on the Christmas and Boxing Day bank holidays (Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th December) and also on the New Year’s Day bank holiday (Monday 3rd January).

The Surgery will be open as normal on Wednesday 29th – Friday 31st December and then resume as normal from Tuesday 4th January.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board have provided us with details of pharmacy opening hours in the area over the Christmas and New Year period:

📄 CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR 2021/2022 PHARMACEUTICAL OPENING HOURS

As patients who have seen Dr Jones will realise, she is pregnant. From now until she goes on maternity leave at the beginning of March she will only be doing telephone or video consultations. She will still see those who have a face to face appointment arranged for this week (20-24 December).

NHS Wales has produced a video on Accessing GP Services:

They have also released a written summary – What to expect from your GP practice

The Surgery is continuing to provide Flu Vaccination Clinics every weekday. There are plenty of appointments available next week, including Monday. For those patients who have difficulty attending on weekdays we are running a clinic on Saturday 6th November 8:30am – 2pm. This is also by appointment. Any patients aged 50 or over or younger patients in an at risk group are eligible.

It is important for people to get a flu vaccination this year if they are eligible as there is an increased risk to health if people catch flu and COVID-19 at the same time. With the reduced social mixing over last winter people will also have less immunity to winter viruses, including flu.

Our flu vaccination clinics have now started. We have morning and afternoon vaccination clinics running most days at both sites. Please phone the Surgery to make an appointment.

If you are a housebound patient requiring a flu vaccination please contact the Surgery to make sure you are added to our housebound list, which will be running through October.

There are three different vaccination clinics, detailed as follows. If you are not sure if you are in an at risk category (for example asthma, diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease and neurological disease) please contact the surgery.

65 and over

• All patients aged 65 years old and over

18 to 64

• At risk patients aged 18–49 years old
• All patients aged 50–64 years old

Under 18 (nasal flu vaccination)

• All 2–3 year olds – if not having vaccination in school or if your child has missed the vaccination
• At risk 4–17 year olds

Community Health Councils (CHC’s) routinely seek feedback from patients and the public about their NHS services.

Cwm Taf Morgannwg CHC are interested in hearing about the patient experience of accessing Accident and Emergency departments located in Prince Charles Hospital, Princess of Wales Hospital and Royal Glamorgan Hospital. The CHC will share with Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and NHS service providers, what people in our communities tell them. This is so that the Health Board and NHS service providers can see what people think is working well and take action to improve the service where this is needed, as soon as possible.

What’s been your experience of accessing Emergency Care and treatment?

You can share your views with Cwm Taf Morgannwg CHC by completing their patient/ service user experience survey:

https://forms.office.com/r/U1iXfsdrZi

Alternatively, you may wish to speak to a CHC member of staff, who will complete the survey on your behalf over the telephone.

You can contact your local CHC via:-

Tel: 01443 405830 (please note calls are currently being diverted to a mobile number)

Email: [email protected]

Text: 62277 (begin your message with CTMCHC followed by your feedback)

Post: Cwm Taf Morgannwg Community Health Council, Ty Antur, Park Navigation, Abercynon, CF45 4SN

You can also follow Cwm Taf Morgannwg CHC – your independent NHS health watchdog – on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.