Important Patient Information
To all our patients,
IF YOU ARE UNWELL, ENSURE THAT YOU SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION.
- Phone surgery
- Phone 111
- Don’t feel that you can’t seek help. WE ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU
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 your contact telephone number and a brief description of the reason for your call back.
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 with the nurse.
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
Chronic diseases
Contact the surgery to book your routine appointment with the nurse or in an emergency with the Doctor.
Contraception
Contact the surgery to book a telephone consultation. For emergency contraception contact the surgery to book with the nurse or Doctor as soon as possible.
Domestic Abuse contact details
Safer Places
0330-102-5812
24 hour helpline
Saferplaces.co.uk
Women’s Aid
0808-200-0247
Basildon Women’s Aid
01268-851-591
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.
Face coverings
Please ensure that when you attend the surgery for any appointment you wear your own face coverings / mask.
Flu clinics
It is important for all eligible patients to have their flu vaccination and for this reason we have already ordered and bought them. It is therefore important that you attend the surgery to have your vaccination.
We are planning our flu clinics to commence in September and will let you know in due course the exact dates that flu clinics will be available.
Blood tests
Routine blood tests for St Margaret’s and PAH must be booked using their booking system either by telephone or email. Monday-Friday 8.30-4.30 you can contact the team on 01279-827-163
To book an appointment you can also email paht.bloodtestappointments@nhs.net
You will be contacted within 1-2 working days with your appointment day and time.
Carers
Please inform the surgery if you are a carer. We will continue to run regular informal monthly meetings for any carers who wish to attend, when the surgery is open.
Our staff
Please do not ask our staff to carry out any surgery-related issues out of surgery time or out of their working environment. Some of our staff do live in the village and we would ask you to respect their private time whilst they are not at work.
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