Covid Vaccinations

We have started to vaccinate our patients at our vaccine hub using the Government guidelines. Their address is as follows:

 The Belgrave Medical Centre 22 Asline Road , Sheffield S2 4UJ.

We are doing this at another practice due to very complicated delivery and storage conditions.

In the next few weeks and months we will contact you to arrange your vaccine, so please don't call us.

No matter which site you will attend it will be Veritas Health Centre that contacts you to book your appointment. You may also receive a text message allowing you to book online, or alternatively you will receive a letter from NHS England.

Government Guidelines are to vaccinate our patients in the following order;

1 Residents in a care home for older adults and staff working in care homes for older adults
2 All those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
3 All those 75 years of age and over
4 All those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals (not including pregnant women and those under 16 years of age)
5 All those 65 years of age and over
6 Adults aged 16 to 65 years in an at-risk group (see below)
7 All those 60 years of age and over
8 All those 55 years of age and over
9 All those 50 years of age and over
10 Rest of the population (to be determined)

Those with the following conditions fall into the clinically extremely vulnerable group:

• solid organ transplant recipients
• people with specific cancers:
• people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy
• people with lung cancer who are undergoing radical radiotherapy
• people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma who are at any stage of treatment
• people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatments for cancer
• people having other targeted cancer treatments that can affect the immune system, such as protein kinase inhibitors or PARP inhibitors
• people who have had bone marrow or stem cell transplants in the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppression drugs
• people with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• people with rare diseases that significantly increase the risk of infections (such as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), homozygous sickle cell)
• people on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection adults with Down's syndrome
• adults on dialysis or with chronic kidney disease (Stage 5)
• women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired
• other people who have also been classed as clinically extremely vulnerable, based on clinical judgement and an assessment of their needs. GPs and hospital clinicians have been provided with guidance to support these decision

PLEASE DO NOT CALL US ABOUT A COVID VACCINE WE WILL CALL YOU WHEN ITS YOUR TURN

CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 UPDATE

Last updated 1^st  October 2020

We are asking patients to avoid any unnecessary contact with the Practice to ensure both patient and staff safety. Do not visit the Practice or A&E if you display any symptoms

Open access to the Practice has been restricted, you will be screened via the buzzer at the main entrance, please wear a face mask and your temperature will be taken before being granted access to the building. You will be asked the following:

• Do you have a new cough?
• Do you have a temperature? (Over 37.8 degrees)
• Has your sense of taste or smell altered? 
• Does anyone in your household have any of the above symptoms?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may be advised to go home and follow NHS Coronavirus guidance.

Please do not bring visitors to any appointments unless absolutely necessary and only arrive 5 minutes prior to your appointment time where possible 

Appointments and general enquiries:

In keeping with guidance issued by NHS England and Public Health England, all general enquiries must be made via telephone or email. Our phone lines are operational as usual however during this very busy period, you may experience longer than average wait times.

We are screening all appointments at the Practice. Anyone who would like an appointment should call the surgery as usual, but please expect a call from a GP before a face to face appointment is offered. If we are able, we will try to help you over the phone and avoid a visit to the Practice

It may be necessary for us to see patients with respiratory symptoms at the practice (after speaking with a doctor). We already have robust infection control procedures and are well prepared for circumstances such as this. We have allocated an entrance away from the main reception area and have a designated room to contain potential infection.

We will of course treat any patient with Coronavirus symptoms in confidence and with dignity, but still will need to wear the appropriate personal protective equipment when assessing these patients and clean to rigorous standards after each consultation. We are reviewing requirements and on a case by case basis weighing up the risk of bringing patients to the surgery for reviews etc against postponing this until a later date. Please contact the Practice to discuss if this is applicable to you.