Noticeboard

Online Booking

We are delighted to say that online booking is allowed again. We have reinstated it across both pre bookable and urgent on the day appointments. Access is available for urgent on the day appointments from 6am.

June Bank Holidays

We will be CLOSED for 4 days over the Bank Holiday - Thursday 2nd June, Friday 3rd June, Saturday 4th June and Sunday 5th June. Please ensure you have enough medication to last through into the next week or order any medication you may need in advance of this week. Please remember the dispensary turn around is 48 WORKING hours.

Please use the link below to find out information on the opening times of pharmacies over the Bank Holiday in your area.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/east-of-england/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/West-Essex-1.pdf

May Bank Holiday

Thaxted Surgery will be CLOSED for the Bank Holiday on Monday 2nd May. We will reopen as normal at 8am on Tuesday 3rd May.

If you need medical advice while the surgery is closed, please visit https://111.nhs.uk/ or phone 111 (calls are free from both landlines and mobiles). If you, or someone you are with, have a life-threatening medical emergency please dial 999.

Pharmacy Opening Times for Bank Holiday Monday

Please use the link below to find out information on the opening times of pharmacies over the Bank Holiday in your area.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/east-of-england/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/West-Essex-1.pdf

EASTER OPENING

Thaxted Surgery will be will be CLOSED for the public holidays on Good Friday 15th April and Easter Monday 18th April.

If you need medical advice while the surgeries are closed, please visit https://111.nhs.uk/ or phone 111 (calls are free from both landlines and mobiles). If you, or someone you are with, have a life-threatening medical emergency please dial 999.

Pharmacy Opening Times over Easter

Please use the link below to find out information on the opening times of pharmacies over Easter in your area.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/east-of-england/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/West-Essex.pdf

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR OPENING

Thaxted Surgery will be will be CLOSED for the public holidays on Monday December 27, Tuesday December 28 and Monday January 3.

If you need medical advice while the surgeries are closed, please visit https://111.nhs.uk/ or phone 111 (calls are free from both landlines and mobiles). If you, or someone you are with, have a life-threatening medical emergency please dial 999.

Pharmacy Opening Times over Christmas and New Year Period

Please use the link below to find out information on the opening times of pharmacies over Christmas and New Year in your area.

Christmas Opening Times

Current COVID policy for Thaxted Surgery

If you have ONE or ALL of the following symptoms:

A NEW COUGH

A SORE THROAT

A HIGH TEMPERATURE

and are ringing to make an appointment with the GP - 

You will need to have had a NEGATIVE results from a LATERAL FLOW TEST within 24 hours of your appointment.

This applies to patients of all ages (including babies and small children).

We do not provide lateral flow test kits from the surgery but you can get these for free from pharmacies, community centres such as libraries and at test sites. You can also order online using this link https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests

If you do not have a negative test result we will book you a telephone appointment.

Dr Davidson

Dr Davidson is leaving us at the end of November after 10 years with Thaxted. We are sad to see her go and wish her all the best for the future. We are currently advertising for another GP and in the meantime have Dr Tayler covering some sessions for us.

Mother and Baby Group

First Tuesday in every month at Crocus Medical Practice, Community Hospital Site, Radwinter Road, Saffron Walden CB11 3HY 1230-1400.

COVID Recovery Group

This is an informal group for patients recovering from COVID. It is run by Kim Clark, our PCN Social Prescriber and offers tea, coffee and a chat. The group meets every other Thursday and the next date is 21 October. They meet at Cornell Court, Smallbridge road, Saffron Walden CB11 3NS.

Booster Vaccinations

Patients eligible for the booster vaccinations will shortly be receiving messages regarding these. We are starting with the immunosupressed patients as per national guidelines. You will be contacted via text or phone by Uttlesford Health/the PCN, please follow the link in the message to book or call on 01799 796524. Please DO NOT call the surgery.

In some cases you will be able to have your flu jab at the same time. 

Thaxted Surgery post July 19th

With the easing of Covid-19 restrictions with effect from Monday 19th July 2021, we can confirm that all staff at Thaxted Surgery will continue to wear masks and PPE beyond the 19th July. 

We kindly ask that all patients attending the Surgery also continue to wear a face mask or covering (unless clinically exempt) until further notice. We will also continue to operate within social distancing guidelines inside the building.

We have made this decision in line with PHE and Government advice on maintaining the use of masks and face coverings in health settings.  We hope that this will ensure the ongoing protection of clinically vulnerable patients and staff, and will also mean that we can maintain open access to our services while reducing the risk of transmission to our staff and the impact this would have on our ability to operate.

We understand that we cannot enforce this request, however we hope that we can continue to rely on your cooperation and support.

Contacting the surgery for routine issues
If you need help with non-urgent clinical issues, medication requests or an admin request you can now contact us online at https://florey.accurx.com/p/F81131.

Concerned about your information being shared?  What you need to know.

Patient data from GP medical records kept by GP practices in England is used respectfully, securely and safely every day to improve health, care and services through planning and research, helping to find better treatments and improve patient care.  Data collected by the NHS is only used for health and care purposes. It is never shared with marketing or insurance companies.

The NHS is planning to introduce an improved way for GP practices to share information about patients- called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection.  News of these plans has caused some concern to some of our patients, who have decided that they don’t want their data to be involved.

We have now been informed that no data will be shared in this new way until 1 September this year.  This delay is to enable the national organisation NHS digital to clearly explain their plans to the public and health professionals, as well as to thoroughly investigate any concerns that have been raised.

If you have already been in touch with the practice to ask to be ‘opted out’ of your identifiable information being shared outside of our practice for any purpose, your request will be honoured.  This will not affect your own care. However, nobody’s data will be shared in this new way before 1 September.  If you would like to find out more about why the NHS collects and uses data, please go to this website.

Please see the link below for information regarding the COVID vaccination and blood clots. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting/covid-19-vaccination-and-blood-clotting

COVID vaccinations - for up to date information on the vaccination campaign please see under Further Information.

Telephone Lines

We are aware of the frustration regarding the telephone lines and the difficulty getting through to the surgery. Unfortunately, we are unable to reinstate on line bookings until the guidance changes. In the meantime our phones are extremely busy and our receptionists are working as hard as they can answering the phones constantly. If your query is regarding prescriptions you can email into dispensary on weccg.f81131-dispensary@nhs.net. If your query is an admin one you can also email in on WECCG.f81131-reception@nhs.net. Thank you for understanding during these busy times.

COVID Scam

There have been a number of reports in the press about scammers trying to exploit fears about Covid-19 to extort money or steal bank details or other information.

The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge on the NHS and is only available through your GP or authorised centres. We will never ask for:

  • your bank account or card details
  • your pin or banking password
  • copies of personal documents to prove your eligibility for a vaccine, such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips

If you get a suspicious email or phone call, Report It

COVID Vaccines - for information please see p3 in Further Information Section

Repeat Medication - please don't telephone the surgery to order repeat medication. The Prescriptions tab at the top of the website has the details of how to order your repeat medication.

Face Coverings: In order to help keep patients and staff safe Thaxted Surgery asks that anyone coming into the surgery wears a face covering over their nose and mouth - this does not have to be a mask, a scarf or bandana can also be worn.

Attending the Surgery: Please only come into the surgery to attend a booked appointment or to collect medication, once you have been advised that it is ready. For all other enquiries please phone first.

In order to limit the number of people in the surgery at any one time and to maintain safe social distancing could all visitors to the surgery come alone if possible rather than accompanied by friends or family. Thank you

Please see below a link to a template for a medical certificate for patients who are currently self-isolating. There is no need to contact the surgery - please download and complete as required.

Medical Certificate for Covid-19

Where to get Help and Support.
The Council for Voluntary Services (CVSU) and UDC has set up a dedicated service to identify those in need and to co-ordinate the volunteer help to support them.  If you need help or wish to offer your services, please contact CVSU:

communityresponse@uttlesford.gov.uk or tel: 03333 408 2118 (8am to 8pm Monday to Friday)

Corona Virus.  

Help us keep our more vulnerable patients safe, and our staff well so that they can continue to provide a service in Thaxted.  

From Monday March 23rd, NHS instructs that only patients who have booked appointments should proceed beyond the entrance lobby.  Call us. Don't drop in. 

Allow 5 days from ordering for medication collection, and call first to check it is ready.  When you arrive to collect, please give your name to the staff member at the door who may ask you to return in 15 to 30 minutes depending on how busy we are.    

This is hard for all of us, and we are diverting as many staff as possible to phones and medication collection, but please bear with us. Keeping our most vulnerable patients safe when they need to see a doctor or nurse has to be our priority. 

If you have a new but persistent cough OR fever OR loss of/ change in smell or taste please do NOT come into Thaxted Surgery.  Check https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19. and if it deteriorates ring 111.  

Testing for Coronavirus

Testing is now open to any member of the public with COVID-19 symptoms by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus or calling 119 to book a test.

For general information on Corona Virus see https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

COVID Vaccinations

How to access your COVID-19 vaccination status

From the Government's website www.gov.uk:

"Through the NHS App"

"You can access your COVID-19 vaccination status through the free NHS App from 17 May. You can access the app through mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. Proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status will be shown within the NHS App. We recommend that you register with the app before booking international travel.

"By calling 119"

"If you do not have access to a smartphone and know that the country you are travelling to requires COVID-19 vaccination status, you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 working days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine. We expect the letter to take up to 5 working days to reach you.

"The letter will be sent automatically to the address registered with your GP. The 119 call handler you speak to will not be able to see your address to check this with you. If you’ve recently moved house, make sure you’ve given your new address to your GP practice before calling 119.

Do not contact your GP surgery about your COVID-19 vaccination as we cannot provide letters showing vaccination status.

Vaccine Clinics

Please note that Thaxted Surgery is no longer able to book you for a first vaccination. All first bookings are now being handled through the National Booking Service. Lord Butler Vaccination Centre is an option on this system - you simply select the next free slot and book yourself in. However, appointments do go quickly so if you particularly want to be vaccinated locally, we recommend you keep trying, as more appointments are added all the time.

Alternatively, bookings can be made by calling 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

COVID vaccine supplies

You may have seen news coverage about vaccine supplies over the coming weeks.

From now until 29 March, our GP-run vaccination centre at Lord Butler Leisure Centre will still be delivering vaccinations to people in the top priority cohorts. This includes everyone aged 50 or over, eligible carers and those in vulnerable groups.

 

If you are one of these patients, you can also choose to book a vaccination online at on the National Booking System: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/ or by calling 119. 

 Everyone who is due to have a second dose of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine between 29 March and the end of April will receive their second dose. If you had your first dose at our GP-run vaccination centre then we will contact you when it is time for your next appointment. There is no need for you to phone us.

 If you booked your first appointment at a pharmacy or large vaccination centre through the National Booking System website or by calling 119, you should already have a second dose appointment in your diary. You should attend this appointment as planned.

 Any first dose vaccinations already booked to take place in April via the National Booking System will also still go ahead.


Up to date information about COVID vaccinations can be found at https://covid.healthierfuture.org.uk/ 

 

 

In conjunction with other local GP surgeries Thaxted Surgery has begun vaccinating patients for COVID-19.Together with these surgeries we have successfully vaccinated over 1000 patients so far.

Vaccinations will be distributed by invitation, in order, to the priority groups the Government has decided will be first to get the vaccine. When your "turn" comes, the surgery will contact you to invite you personally. How quickly this happens will depend on the national vaccine distribution programme.

We are aware that these are worrying times and that everyone is keen to know when they will be vaccinated. Unfortunately, unlike the flu campaign, we do not have any control over the number of vaccines we receive, when we receive them or even which vaccine we receive.

Please help us by NOT phoning the surgery and asking about the COVID-19 vaccination programme and when you can get it. Our phones and staff are becoming overwhelmed and in some cases emergency calls are not getting through.

httphttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-why-you-are-being-asked-to-wait

We understand the situation is incredibly frustrating and ask for your patience. Everything that can be done is being done. 



 
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