Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms
The main symptoms of coronavirus are:
- a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
- a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal
Do not go to your GP surgery, a pharmacy or hospital
Use the 111 online coronavirus service. Call 111 if you cannot get help online.
Use the following link if you 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
Revised GP surgery procedures
In view of the situation with the coronavirus, for your safety, we are trying to reduce the need for you to visit the surgery at this time.
All routine appointments can be booked by telephone but we would ask you to provide a phone number where you can be reached and not attend the surgery. We have suspended online appointment bookings.
We will not be booking any further nurse appointments for routine blood tests, diabetes reviews, COPD reviews, asthma reviews, smears or spirometry. People with pre-existing health conditions may do less well if they catch this virus so we wouldn’t want you to pick up the virus here. All pre-booked appointments with nurses will be undertaken by phone if possible, but if not (for example blood pressure reviews or routine blood tests) will be postponed.
Essential services will continue. These include
- INR clinics
- blood tests for specific drugs such as methotrexate and blood thinning drugs (please ring the surgery to check if your medication falls into this category)
- urgent blood tests
- baby immunisation clinics
- wound care
- Prostap/Zoladex injections
- B12 injections
- contraception
- urgent ECGs
Your supply of medication will continue uninterrupted at this time. We are aiming to give people three month post-dated prescriptions where possible to reduce the necessity of coming to the surgery. We would also like to encourage the use of our online prescription service. Please phone the surgery for information on how to register for this.
For those issues which you feel are an emergency and cannot wait until the next routine appointment our duty doctor will triage these by telephone. If we want you to be seen in person we will invite you down to the surgery at a specific time. If you have respiratory symptoms such as cough or colds we would ask you not to enter the waiting room. Please stay in your vehicle or outside until your appointment time and we will contact you on your mobile when we are ready to see you.
This is a busy time for us and out priority is to keep all our patients safe and well. Please cooperate with us to achieve this. Only ring for advice if absolutely necessary and please be patient with our staff who are trying to help.
Remember that most cases of coronavirus are mild and will settle with fluids and rest. You will not come to harm if your routine medication reviews, clinics and blood tests are delayed for a month or two. It is in your best interests to stay away from the practice building wherever possible.
