Important Patient Information
To all our patients,
As the COVID-19 delay phase continues, we are taking steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all patients and staff at the practice.
We ask that if you have symptoms of a high temperature or a new, continuous cough, or you live with someone that is experiencing any of these symptoms that you self-isolate as per NHS Guidance (see the latest COVID-19 advice).
Appointments:
We are now telephone triaging all appointments with our clinicians when you call to make an appointment. Telephone triage will be the appointment system we use from now on.
The times for booking an appointment are 8am (morning appointments) and 2pm (afternoon appointments). When you call the surgery to book an appointment you will be asked by our receptionists for your name and the contact telephone number.
The Doctor will call you (for morning appointments) before midday and between 4 and 6pm for afternoon appointments.
A Clinician will assess your case over the telephone and advice will be given. You may also be offered a video consultation. You will only be asked to attend the practice for a face to face assessment by the Clinician if this is necessary.
Please DO NOT attend the surgery unless advised to do so by a clinician.
Please be assured that you are not 'wasting our time' and that it is important to seek advice for things like chest pain, unusual lumps and rashes.
Immunisation for children during COVID-19
Please continue to book in your children for their routine immunisations. As long as both the parents and children are well and not displaying symptoms of Coronavirus or other infections, children should have routine childhood immunisations as normal. Abridge Surgery are taking appropriate measures to
minimise the risks by reducing people coming into the surgery. Please book an appointment if notified.
Cervical smears
We continue to carry out routine cervical smears
Please telephone the surgery to book your appointment
B12 injections
We continue to carry out Vitamin B12 injections.
Please telephone the surgery to book your appointment
We can triage patients with a video consultation and invite you into the surgery if we deem it necessary.
Any patients with chronic conditions such as asthma / COPD or diabetes must contact the surgery to arrange a telephone consultation with a nurse if you have any concerns.
Prescriptions
Repeat prescriptions can be requested online or posted through our secure letterbox outside the front door, which is checked regularly throughout the day.
If you have a nominated pharmacy, your prescription will automatically be sent there.
If you do not already have a nominated pharmacy please contact the surgery to arrange this for you
We would like to thank the Abridge and Theydon Carers groups who have worked and continue to do so on behalf of patients in our community. They continue to be in contact with our patients and have been collecting and delivering shopping and prescriptions as well as being a listening ear at the end of the phone. Your work is very much appreciated by all here at the surgery.
In addition, NHS Volunteer Responders (GoodSams) have been mobilised to help support vulnerable individuals who are self-isolating. Priority will be given to those identified as most at risk from COVID-19 and asked to self-isolate at home for an extended period, and to those who health practitioners and local authorities consider to be vulnerable. The volunteer initiative is being delivered by NHS England and NHS Improvement in partnership with Royal Voluntary Service and enabled by the GoodSam Responders app.
NHS Volunteer Responders can be asked to help individuals with tasks such as delivering medicines from pharmacies; driving patients to appointments; bringing them home from hospital; and regular phone calls.
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