29th May 2020
Latest government advice – 18 May 2020
Stay at home
It is vital those who are showing symptoms, however mild, must continue to self-isolate at home, as now, and that the household quarantine rules continue to apply.
Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.
- Do not leave home if you or someone you live with has either:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
Most people with coronavirus will have at least one of these three symptoms.
Use the 111 online coronavirus service if you have any of:
- high temperature
- new, continuous cough
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
NHS 111 will tell you what to do and help you get a test if you need one.
Testing
Use the 111 online coronavirus service if you have any of:
- high temperature
- new, continuous cough
- loss or change to your sense of smell or taste
NHS 111 will tell you what to do and help you get a test if you need one.
Stay alert to save lives
We can all help control the virus if we all stay alert. This means you must:
- Stay at home as much as possible
- Work from home if you can
- Limit contact with other people
- Keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)
- Wash your hands regularly
- Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.
The reasons you may leave home include:
- for work, where you cannot work from home
- going to shops that are permitted to be open - to get things like food and medicine
- to exercise or spend time outdoors
- any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape the risk of harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
Cover your face
The Government advises people wear a face-covering in crowded places where social distancing isn’t always possible example on public transport or in some shops.
Homemade cloth face-coverings can help reduce the risk of transmission in some circumstances.
The evidence suggests that wearing a face covering does not protect you, but it may protect others by stopping the spread of the virus if you have the virus but don’t have symptoms.
Please note, face-coverings should not be used by children under the age of two, or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly, for example, primary age children unassisted, or those with respiratory conditions.
NHS is open for business
If you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you.
The practices is open and available for patients who need care.
If you need medical help from us, contact us by phone on Tel: 0114 258 3997 to be assessed. Please don’t turn up at the GP surgery without an appointment.
If you need urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 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.
If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999. If you are told to go to the hospital, you must go to the hospital.
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.
Fit notes
Please do not ask your GP for a fit note if you are off work because of coronavirus. Instead, you can get an isolation note to send to your employer as proof you need to stay at home. These can be obtained electronically by visiting https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/
If you need a fit note for something other than coronavirus, it must be signed by a doctor but you do not always need to see a GP in person to get one.
Please don’t turn up at the practice unless we have told you to. In the first instance, ring the practice to talk to someone.
"Fit note" is the informal name for a Statement of Fitness for Work. Find out more about when you need a fit note.
Children returning to school
The government has announced the phased return of early years and some age groups to school which we understand some of our patients may find unsettling. Unfortunately GPs are not in the position to advise teachers/parents of children whether they should return to school. People should make their own decision from reading government advice.
Returning to work
The government has announced that for the foreseeable future, workers should continue to work from home rather than their normal physical workplace, wherever possible. However, they have said that all workers who cannot 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 government advice. If you are in the shielded high risk (clinically extremely vulnerable) group you should have received a letter from the NHS which you can use as written documentation for your employer. Shielding is currently in place to 30 June 2020 but further guidance is likely.
For the latest advice :
(Site updated 11/06/2020)