ZERO TOLERANCE

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person's safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient's medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL WE TOLERATE THIS BEHAVIOUR.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Please see the Coronavirus Information page on the right of the screen for testing and vaccination information.

The South Hardwick Primary Care Network have now contacted most of our patients who are 70 and over OR extremely clinically vulnerable to offer them their first dose of the COVID vaccination. If you or a family member are in either of these categories and have not heard from the surgery or do not have a vaccination booked, please contact your surgery to arrange your vaccination as we may not have the correct contact details or may have already tried to contact you with no success.

For more advice on Covid-19 (coronavirus) please visit

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

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Despite lockdown restrictions lifting in the community from 19 July, measures will remain unchanged in healthcare settings, including your GP practice. Please continue to help us to help you by wearing a face covering when entering our buildings, washing your hands using the facilities provided and maintaining social distancing.

Restrictions remain and inside all our premises and you still need to wear a mask, wash your hands and follow social distancing. Our practice has put in place comprehensive measures for staff and patients for the wearing of face masks and face coverings whilst at our surgery. All patients and visitors should continue to wear a face covering on entrance to our buildings and throughout the duration of their visit.

The face coverings can be a scarf, homemade face mask or one that has been purchased. The measures continue to be an important part, alongside social distancing, of reducing the spread of Covid-19 and to keep our patients and communities safe.

We do understand that it can be frustrating, but we do know that when patients come to see us they are often sick and vulnerable, so we feel it would be wrong to not take these small precautions that can protect people.

• General practice is still open, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, how you contact your GP surgery may be different at the moment.
• Your NHS services have a range of measures in place to keep you safe from COVID19 including regular cleaning of patient areas and social distancing. Please ensure you wear a face covering to your appointment.
• Face-to-face appointments are available to all patients where there is a clinical need. You will be asked to first discuss your conditions over the phone or online with a member of the healthcare team to assess what would be most appropriate for you and which practice member would best provide it.
• Most GP practices are also offering online consultations (this may be via a ‘chat’ function) and video consultations, as well as telephone consultations. These can be convenient and flexible ways to receive healthcare. Where patients need to be seen by a health professional face-to-face, this will be arranged. If you have a preference about how to access care you can discuss it with your practice.

• General practice continues to offer care based on clinical need.
• General practice continues to offer cervical smears and childhood immunisations.
• Your practice is delighted to be undertaking the largest vaccination programme in the history of the NHS. They are balancing this programme with continuing to be open and managing your other clinical needs. Please do be reassured that if you need medical attention, your practice is here for you and will determine how to best support you, based on your symptoms.
• The NHS is vaccinating those people who experts have agreed will benefit from it the most. A vaccination programme of this size and scale will still take some time to roll out in full.
• Please be assured that everyone who needs the vaccine will be offered it. The NHS will be in touch with you when it is your turn to be vaccinated. Please don’t call us before you are invited. In the meantime, you can get information about the COVID-19 Vaccination online at www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.
• It is important to register with your local GP. Anyone in England can register with a GP, without needing to show proof of address, ID or immigration status. Find out more about how to register with a GP.
• Please be polite and respectful, your GP and practice team are available and working hard to support you, your family and friend’s health and care needs.
• Visit the local pharmacy for clinical advice on minor health concerns

 We are confident that our website will provide clear and concise help and give our patients the information they require in an easy and convenient format. It has been designed with the patient’s needs at the forefront of everything, from checking surgery times to letting us know what you think of us.

Serving You

Our dedicated team are here to treat those minor ailments that occur as well as providing specialist management of long-term conditions and clinics covering a wide range of healthcare issues. The technology also means you can now do a lot of things from the comfort of your home such as order a repeat prescription, book or cancel an appointment.

DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK ALL ONLINE APPOINTMENTS HAVE BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED.

Partners in Care

Once registered, patients and healthcare professionals work together to ensure the most appropriate care is provided. This partnership philosophy extends even further and our active patient group exists to make sure that patient needs and the practice offering are always heading in the same direction.

Our mission statement reflects the policy of the Practice:- 'We go further.