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. 

Blood tests - Sheffield Arena are operating a drive through blood test clinic for those patients, who do not wish to come to the Practice, or those who wish to have the tests done before our next available appointment. Please note, these blood tests will have to be requested by a Doctor, this may be from the Practice or Secondary Care. If attending the arena, you will require your NHS number. Further information can be found here: https://sheffieldhospitalscoronavirus.co.uk/drive-through-blood-tests.html

The NHS is open for business 

If you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you. If you need medical help from us, contact by phone on 0114 258 3997 to be assessed. 

If you need urgent medical help, use the NHS111 online service. If you cannot get help online, call 111 and they’ll direct you to the best place. A&E and the walk in centre are open for urgent and emergency health needs. This Sheffield website includes information about the services available and when to use them, as well as information on waiting times for each of the urgent and emergency services in Sheffield - https://sheffieldurgentcare.co.uk

If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999.

Prescriptions:

We will be accepting prescription requests over the telephone for those patients who do not have access to the internet at this time, we also accept requests via email to: SHECCG.veritashealthcentre@nhs.net please ensure to state your full name, date of birth and which medications you require. Without this information, our admin team will not be able to process your request.  

Please note if you do not already have a nominated Pharmacy, you will be asked to provide one so the prescription can be sent electronically, we will not be issuing paper prescriptions unless authorised by a GP.

Testing, guidance and self isolation:


Test and trace: The NHS test and trace service will help to control the rate of reproduction (R), reduce the spread of the infection and save lives. If you develop symptoms, you must continue to follow the rules to self-isolate with other members of your household and order a test to find out if you have coronavirus. Order a test here or call 119.
If you test positive for coronavirus, you must share information promptly about your recent contacts through the NHS test and trace service to help us alert other people who may need to self-isolate. If you have had close recent contact with someone who has coronavirus, you must self-isolate if the NHS test and trace service advises you to do so. Find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works


Sick notes: The Practice are not able to provide sick notes for those patients who are self isolating, if you are self isolating and your employer requires a note please visit: NHS isolation note link

If you require a sick note from a GP for an existing health condition to submit to your employer to receive sick pay, please specifically check with your employer that this is still required as some employers have waived this requirement due to the pressure on GPs at this time

Children returning to school - The Government have announced a phased return for same age groups to return to school, which we understand may be unsettling to some of our patients. Unfortunately GPs are not in the position to advise teachers/parents whether their children should return to school. People should make their own decision from reading the Governments advice. 

Returning to work - The Government have announced that for the foreseeable future, workers who can should continue to work from home rather than their normal workplace wherever possible. Workers that can't work from home can now travel to work if their workplace is open. Unfortunately GPs are not in the position to advise  people whether they should return to work. People should make their own decision from reading the Governments advice.

Face mask exemption letters - We are unable to provide any form of evidence for the exemption of wearing a face mask. The Government guidance states that it should be sufficient for someone to declare that they are eligible for exemption directly with the person questioning them. Further guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-safer-travel-guidance-for-passengers#exemptions-face-coverings

Due to the World Health Organisation declaring the Coronavirus COVID-19 as a Global Health emergency, please see the below links for the most up to date information regarding symptoms and what you should do if you are concerned:

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

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Useful information and links:

If you have a medical condition that makes you extremely vulnerable to Coronavirus, register via the Gov.uk link if you may need extra support: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable

Advice for parents  - Please see following link - Parents guide

MIND - If you are feeling worried or anxious about Coronavirus, please see the following link to the MIND website: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

Sheffield Flourish - They have provided a list to help you get the right support you need during COVID-19, covering things like accessing support for food, mental health, drugs and alcohol, homelessness, domestic abuse and more. They try to update this list as provisions shift and develop. You can access the full list at: https://sheffieldflourish.co.uk/news/support-services-during-this-time 

Sheffield Flourish have also put together a selection of information leaflets for different groups of people. These can be found here: https://sheffieldflourish.co.uk/coronavirus-information-leaflets

Sheffield City Council  - Sheffield City Council has launched a helpline for residents to call with any issues relating to coronavirus. The support is available Monday to Friday between 8:45 am and 4:45pm. People can call 0114 273 4567. Further information at: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/your-city-council/coronavirus-support-for-people?fbclid=IwAR0OAs1Nq5NY43rE8xrzkwubUshPL-i5auBIKle6kHW0zvieLHv4BeSY2wA and https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/coronaviruscommunityresources

Information on changes to Sheffield City Council services: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/home/your-city-council/coronavirus

Wellbeing support for young children - Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield Futures and Sheffield CCG have come together to launch a wellbeing support line for young people in Sheffield. People in the city aged 12 – 18 can now access now access support with issues such as low mood and anxious thoughts by calling 0808 275 8892. The support line is open Monday to Friday 5pm to 9pm and Saturday 9am to 9pm

Domestic abuse helplines - The domestic abuse helpline is open 24 hours a day, their number is 0808 2000 247. Online support is also available at: https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/

Bereavement support - A service for anyone who has lost a loved one and who needs support, advice or guidance. Call 0800 048 5224 for support, advice and guidance or visit www.listening-ear.co.uk/refer

 Universal Credit - Information on how to apply for Universal Credit benefits, or who to contact if you need to discuss your Universal Credit can be found here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/universalcredit