Important information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)

We would like to assure our patients that we are working hard to maintain as normal a service as possible, working within government and public health guidelines.  This is a rapidly changing situation and we may need to alter our opening hours.  We appreciate your  patience during this difficult time.

Surgery opening hours

From Thursday 19/3/20,  our extended hours are being suspended until further notice – The Practice will close at 6pm each day.
No late opening on a Monday or Thursday and Wark remains closed on a Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.

GP appointments

To reduce your chances of catching COVID-19 and reduce pressure on your local GP practice during this busy time, appointments will be carried out over the phone unless there is a clinical need for you to come into the practice. This will help minimise risk while continuing to ensure people get the care and advice they need.

Collecting your medication

Due to current pressures caused by Coronavirus our dispensary is working under significant pressure and we are experiencing delays to our wholesaler orders.

As such all repeat requests are taking 3-4 days to process. If you require home delivery this shall be a week after ordering. If you are in an at risk group avoid collecting your prescription yourself. Ask a relative or a neighbour to collect for you and try to avoid multiple trips. We ask that if you do come in to collect your medication, please respect our staff and observe the social distancing measures put in place.

Please note we are not accepting early repeat requests, orders for more than 28 days supply or requests for just in case medication. These actions may put a strain on the supply chain and exacerbate any potential shortages. We are adhering guidelines given to all practices by government.

If you have online access, please order your prescription through this system.

Prescriptions can currently still be collected from both Humshaugh and Wark (during opening hours).

Health Visitor Drop-in Clinic

This has been cancelled until further notice.  Please contact your Health Visitor Team by phone if needed on 01434 220651

If you or anyone in your household has a high temperature or a new and continuous cough you are advised to stay at home for a period of 14 days

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

• you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
• your condition gets worse
• your symptoms do not get better after 7 days

Only call 111 if you cannot get help using the online coronavirus service 

Stay At Home advice can be found here

Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:

• Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
• Stop all non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel
• Start working from home where you possibly can

More information can be found on the NHS website here

IBUPROFEN
There are reports in the French press that ibuprofen may increase risks with coronavirus. PHE says there is no published evidence that ibuprofen increases the risk of catching COVID-19 or of getting worse complications. However, if you have a temperature/fever you should treat this with Paracetamol as a fist line treatment. If you take Ibuprofen for a long term condition you should continue to do so.

ACEi or ARBs
There has been some speculation that ACE inhibitors/ARBs may further increase the risk of serious illness/death from COVID-19
The Council on Hypertension strongly recommend that physicians and patients should continue treatment with their usual anti-hypertensive therapy because there is no clinical or scientific evidence to suggest that treatment with ACEi or ARBs should be discontinued because of the COVID-19 infection.

PATIENT INFORMATION LINKS

General NHS advice

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

Pituitary/ adrenal insufficiency (including steroid sick day rules)

https://www.endocrinology.org/news/item/14050/Coronavirus-advice-statement-for-patients-with-adrenal%2fpituitary-insufficiency

Underlying lung disease (British Lung Foundation)

https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/coronavirus

People with Asthma

https://www.asthma.org.uk/advice/triggers/coronavirus-covid-19/

People with Diabetes

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus%3famp.

Sick day rules T1 diabetes

https://trend-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/A5_T1Illness_TREND_FINAL.pdf

Sick day rules T2 diabetes

https://trend-uk.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/A5_T2Illness_TREND.pdf

People affected by Stroke

https://www.stroke.org.uk/news/coronavirus-information-people-affected-stroke

Pregnant women

https://www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/

Children/young people T1 diabetes

https://jdrf.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-people-living-with-type-1-diabetes/

People with Heart/circulatory disease

https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/news/coronavirus-and-your-health

Older people

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/health-wellbeing/conditions-illnesses/coronavirus/#

Young people with anxiety

https://youngminds.org.uk/blog/what-to-do-if-you-re-anxious-about-coronavirus/

Adults with anxiety

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus-and-your-wellbeing/

People with Rheumatoid Arthritis

https://www.nras.org.uk/news/coronavirus-what-we-know-so-far

People with cancer

https://breastcancernow.org/about-us/media/statements/advice-coronavirus-people-cancer

People with inflammatory bowel disease

https://www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk/news/updated-wuhan-novel-coronavirus-advice

People with Parkinson’s disease

https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/news/understanding-coronavirus-and-parkinsons

People with Multiple Sclerosis

https://www.mssociety.org.uk/about-ms/treatments-and-therapies/disease-modifying-therapies/covid-19-coronavirus-and-ms

People with liver disease and liver transplant

https://britishlivertrust.org.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-health-advice-for-people-with-liver-disease-and-liver-transplant-patients/

People with kidney disease including dialysis

https://www.kidneycareuk.org/news-and-campaigns/coronavirus-advice/

People with epilepsy

https://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/news/epilepsy-and-coronavirus-09-03-2020#.XnD_g8CnyEc

Text Reminder Service

We now have a text reminder service for GP and Nurse appointments. If you are happy to use this service, the reminder will be sent to you two days before your appointment if we have a mobile telephone number on your medical record.

If you are not sure if we hold your current mobile number, when you call to book your appointment please ask for your number to be checked, updated or added to your records.

If you wish to opt out of this service, please let us know so we can code your records accordingly.

Booked surgery sessions

Morning and afternoon surgeries are by appointment at both sites. Please phone 01434 681281 for an appointment.

There is no evening surgery at Wark on a Tuesday or Thursday.

Urgent appointments

We have urgent appointments available each morning at Humshaugh and Wark where you can ring on the day and book an urgent appointment if necessary.

These appointments are for acute medical conditions that require same day attention and we would ask that for non-urgent or follow up appointments you book a routine GP appointment.

Hadrian Extra Care Hub

If you find it difficult to attend an appointment during the working day, the Hub can offer you pre-bookable, routine appointments with GPs, nurses and health care assistants between 6pm and 8pm Monday to Friday and 9am till 5pm on a Saturday.

If you wish to be seen at the Hub, contact our Reception team as appointments need to be made through the Surgery. You will be asked for consent to share your detailed GP record with the clinician providing the care.

This service is for general practice issues, not for urgent care. If urgent care is required outside our normal opening hours, call NHS 111 for advice.

If you need to cancel this appointment, call us at the Surgery and we will do this for you.

Corbridge Clinic
Newcastle Road
Corbridge
NE45 5LG

Patients can access GP appointments at Village Surgery in Cramlington on Sundays mornings and on Bank Holidays. These appointments can be booked directly by ringing 01670 337737 between 12:00 – 16:00 on Saturdays and between 09:00 – 11:30 on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

 GP consulting schedule 

GP consulting hours are subject to change due to unforeseen circumstances and holidays

All sessions are by appointment

Humshaugh Surgery

Wark Surgery

Telephone Consultations

If you need to speak to someone urgently you will be directed to the GP on duty for the day.

If you would like to speak to a particular GP about a routine/ongoing /non-urgent matter, you can be booked in for a telephone consultation.

Please note, if you wish to speak to a specific GP, this may not always be possible on the same day. Please ensure you are available to take your call 30 minutes either side of your booked telephone appointment time.

Extended opening until 19.30.

We hold late Surgery sessions until 7.30pm at Wark on a Monday and at Humshaugh on a Thursday. These surgeries are by appointment only.

(Please quote your NHS Number where ever possible when you contact us)

Appointments on line (Patient Access)

www.patientaccess.com

Surgery appointments can be made online.  You can access this system 24 hours a day and a selection of available appointments can be viewed and booked without having to ring the Surgery.  Please ask at Reception for a registration form.

Under the terms of the 2014/15 GP contract, patients registered for Patient  Access are now able to view specific parts of their medical record – medication, allergies and adverse reactions.

Patients who are registered with Patient Access but do not wish to have access to this additional facility should let the Practice know ASAP.

Patients are reminded that login details and passwords should be kept safe and secure and not shared with anyone.

Guide to using patient access

IOS devices (Apple) 

Android Devices

Windows devices

Wheelchairs

Each of our Surgeries is accessible to patients using a wheelchair, though not all the rooms inside.
If you are a wheelchair user, please let the Receptionist know when you make an appointment.

Interpreters

We can arrange interpretation and translation services in person or by telephone for patients who may require it.  Please let us know if you need this service when booking an appointment.

Chaperones

If you would like to be accompanied during a sensitive examination, some of our Reception team are  trained to offer a chaperone service.  Please ask at reception when you book your appointment if you would like to be accompanied.

Doctors Appointment slots

Normally appointment slots are in 10 minute intervals.  We try to focus on one important problem in each consultation to avoid mistakes, confusion and to ensure the issue is properly addressed.  However, If you feel you need to discuss more than one health issue it would help us greatly if you could ask for a double appointment slot.  This will give you and the Doctor more time for discussion, and may save you having to make a further appointment.

Due to current pressures caused by Coronavirus our dispensary is working under significant pressure and we are experiencing delays to our wholesaler orders.

As such all repeat requests are taking 3-4 days to process. If you require home delivery this shall be a week after ordering. If you are in an at risk group avoid collecting your prescription yourself. Ask a relative or a neighbour to collect for you and try to avoid multiple trips. We ask that if you do come in to collect your medication, please respect our staff and observe the social distancing measures put in place.

Please note we are not accepting early repeat requests, orders for more than 28 days supply or requests for just in case medication. These actions may put a strain on the supply chain and exacerbate any potential shortages. We are adhering guidelines given to all practices by government.

If you have online access, please order your prescription through this system. Thank you! 

Dispensing Practice

We are a dispensing Practice. If you live more than a mile from a chemist we can dispense medication to you. You can then collect your medication from either Wark or Humshaugh Surgery.

Medication drop off points

We deliver medication to various drop off points in Barrasford, Barrasford Park, Acomb and Fourstones each week on a Tuesday.

Home Delivery Of Medication.

If you are unable to collect your medication from the Surgery or from our drop off points at Barrasford, Acomb and Fourstones we can now offer a home delivery service.

If you would like your medication delivered to either one of our drop off points or your home, Please contact the Surgery to register for this service.

Our delivery service takes place on a Tuesday and Friday. If you request home delivery, please ensure that there is someone available to receive your medication. For safety reasons we can not leave medication unattended and it will be returned to the Surgery for collection.

If you take long term medication you can request repeat prescriptions in the following ways

(Please quote your NHS number where ever possible when you contact us).

Repeat Prescriptions On-line

www.patientaccess.com

These requests come directly into our clinical system making it a safe and speedy process.  Please ask at reception for a registration form if you do not already use Patient Access for on-line appointments. (please note this system replaces our current system of E-mailing requests).

Patients registered for Patient Access are now able to view specific parts of their medical record – medication, allergies and adverse reactions. If you wish to have access to this information, please bring 2 forms of identification along to the Surgery and ask our reception team for a patient access form. This can take up to six weeks to process.

Patients are reminded that login details and passwords should be kept safe and secure and not shared with anyone.

Guide to using patient access

IOS devices (Apple) 

Android Devices

Windows devices

By telephone 01434 230986

If you wish to order medication, discuss a medication request or have a dispensing query you can call our dedicated medication request line.  The line is answered Monday to Friday 08.30am till 12.30pm. At all other times there is an answer phone available. Please speak clearly, leave your name and also, preferably your unique identification number found at the top right hand corner of your printed prescription.

Please ensure you dial correctly and hear our message before leaving your request. It is important that you state your patient identification number and remember to itemise each drug required individually. This will ensure that you receive only the drugs you require and prevent any waste.

In person
Use the printed medication sheet that you get in your prescription bag and tick the items you wish to collect.  Then, leave this list in the post box provided in the waiting room at either Surgery.

Repeat Medication Requests

Please can we ask that all requests for repeat medication are made at least TWO-THREE working days before you need to start taking them.
This will enable us to have all your medication ready for collection and may save you having to come back if you arrive for collection too early. Ideally, you could request repeat medication when you start your last weeks supply. Messages left after 3.00pm on our prescription request line are accessed by our Dispensers the next working day and will be ready for collection two working days after they have been accessed.

Prescriptions can be picked up until 7.30pm on a Monday at Wark or Thursday at Humshaugh.  If you wish to take advantage of this later pick up time, please tell us when you order your medication which Surgery you would like to pick up from at the later time.

If you have an exemption certificate or pre-payment card, you will need to produce this each time you pick up medication from the Surgery and you will be asked to complete the back of the prescription form.

If you collect your prescription from a Chemist, you should make your request at least a week in advance to allow for postage and dispensing time.

Urgent medication requests

In the case of emergency requests you will normally be given two days supply of the medication you require but each situation will be dealt with on an individual basis and must be authorsied by a GP.

Past Medication

Requests for medication that you may have received in the recent past but which is NOT on your repeat medication print out list will need to be authorised by a doctor and will inevitably take LONGER than 48 hours to organise. Please allow us enough time to meet your request.

Practice Policy on prescriptions for patients from outside providers.

As dispensing doctors we are allowed to dispense medicines our GPs prescribe for our patients. From time to time patients will be prescribed a medicine by someone other than their GP. If you are seen at an outpatient appointment and the doctor you see wants you to commence a medication immediately they will provide you with a prescription (for a minimum of 7 days) and will advise you to take this either to the hospital pharmacy or to a community pharmacy to be dispensed for you. It is important you take this to the correct pharmacy as bringing it back into surgery is likely to delay you starting this medication. (We would require up to 48 hours to, request this from the GP, order the medication, dispense and check it). Hospital and community pharmacies often keep more wide-ranging stock and so could fill this prescription promptly for you.

Should the clinician you see recommend a new medication goes onto repeat, they will inform the surgery of this either by letter or using an ‘outpatient treatment recommendation’ form after which we will be able to organise this for you. If you have had a new medication started in outpatients you should be advised to wait at least 7 days before contacting the surgery top enquire after the new medication.

We cannot dispense private prescriptions from other providers or dental prescriptions for you; you should always take these to a community pharmacy.

Prescription Charges

From April 1st 2018

Prescription charges will rise to £8.80 per item

Prescription Pre-payment Certificates
3 month pre-payment certificate will cost   £29.10
12 month pre-payment certificate will cost  £104.00

(if buying a 12 month certificate you can spread the cost over 10 months by Direct Debit payments)

You can collect an application form from the Surgery or apply on line

Private Prescription Charges

For prescriptions not available on the NHS, charges will apply.  Please ask at reception for current  private prescription charges

Out of Hours Pharmacy

If you are issued with an out of hours prescription or need an emergency supply of medication the following pharmacies have extended opening hours.(providing limited cover out of hours)

Tesco Hexham:
Monday to Friday:                  6.30am  to  10.30pm.
Saturday:                                7.00am   to  10.00pm
Sunday:                                 10.00am  to  4.00pm

Wellway Morpeth: 

Monday to Saturday:             7.00am to 10.00pm
Sunday:                                  8.00am to 6.00pm

Sainsbury’s Cramlington:  

Monday to Saturday:             7.00am to 11.00pm
Sunday:                                  9.00am to 4.00pm

*Please note that  if you require an emergency supply of medication you may be  charged even if you do not normally pay for your prescriptions.