Mereside Medical Services workplace Covid-19 Risk Assessment. (22nd May 2020)
Community information from Ely North and South Primary Care Networks. (27th March 2020)
Practice statement (March 2020)
In light of the developing Coronavirus epidemic, we are doing everything we can to maintain the care of our patients and staff. In line with the Government’s “delay phase” policy, we are working to ensure that only those people who absolutely need to come to the surgery do so and are therefore making the following changes:-
- Stretham Surgery – The Practice has temporarily closed the Stretham Surgery. If you normally collect your repeat medications from Stretham these will now be available at Haddenham Surgery Dispensary.
- Home Visits – Staff will only visit patients at home if it is an emergency.
- AskMyGP – With the new system which was introduced in November we have been able to continue to deal with patient queries in a timely fashion with minimal attendance at the Surgery. We have now also installed webcams and so we can offer video consultations. The doctors have requested that if you have any questions regarding the Coronaviurs not to use AskMyGp but to visit the website www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
- Appointments – If you have been asked to attend the surgery, please either wait in your car or outside the front door. Your clinician will come and collect you or telephone you.
- Face Coverings – Patients who have been asked to attend the surgery must wear a face covering.
- Prescriptions – To reduce the amount of paper entering the Practice, we are asking you to use the SystmOne online portal if you are already registered. We would request that if you are not registered for this service you do so by going to the “online services” on this website. Also we are now offering the AskMyGP website service to request medication. If you are unsure about any of the options available, please telephone the surgery.
- Repeat Prescriptions – There is a change in the timescale for issuing repeat prescriptions, changing from 72 working hours to five working days (excluding Saturday and Sunday).
The Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has a policy that advises all GP Practices adopt 28 days as the standard treatment length for repeat prescriptions. During the current situation, this is especially important to ensure a consistent medication supply for all our Patients.
- Dispensary – Access to the Dispensary is now via the dispensary window, adjacent to the front door. This allows the necessary 2 metre distance between the dispensary staff and patient and reduces the number of patients coming into the building. Where possible, if you pay for your medicines, we would ask that you pay with a contactless credit or debit card. The dispensary now closes one hour earlier at 5.00pm. (The reception team will not be able to hand out your medications between the hour of 5.00pm and 6.00pm)
- Opening hours – The Practice will now be closed between 1.00pm and 1.30pm to allow our staff a break. We will also be closing the Practice at 6.00pm when our telephone calls divert to 111. There are also changes to our dispensary hours as above.
We deeply appreciate your understanding and co-operation to keep the Practice running as effectively as possible and would ask that you bear with our staff whilst they assist you to deal with your questions during this very busy and changing way of working. Our telephone lines are exceptionally busy at present in all departments and would ask that you are patient if you are struggling to get through.
We thank you for your co-operation to these changes.
All these measures have been put in place to keep you and our staff as safe as possible.
