Covid-19

LINKS PATIENT INFO CORONAVIRUS (PDF, 45KB)

URGENT MESSAGE RE. COVID-19 (CORONAVIRUS): CHANGE TO APPOINTMENTS & ADVICE (UPDATE 17/3/2020)

https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/

Coronavirus Information Update

Crawley Down Health Centre

This guidance will be updated alongside government guidance so is likely to change in the coming weeks.

Guidance Changes

The guidance has now changed for the Coronavirus. Anyone with a new continuous cough or high temperature should self-isolate for 14 days from the onset of symptoms (7 days if you live alone). The entire household should self-isolate.

You do not need to discuss this with the GP surgery or 111 unless your symptoms deteriorated. In that case please contact 111. 111.nhs.uk/service/COVID-19/

Please find official guidance here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

Changes to Appointments at the Practice

In line with national advice, we are trying to reduce footfall in the practice this helps prevent the spread of the virus. This benefits staff and patients. The following changes have been implemented to keep our patients safe.

1. All GP appointments will be converted to telephone triage calls; please do not attend the practice if you have a pre-booked appointment. The Clinician will call you and if you need to be seen they will arrange a time and place for you to attend.

2. Nursing appointments will be changing, we will be ceasing the following procedures for the time being; spirometry, ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, coils, hormonal contraceptive implants, minor operations and routine annual blood tests for those who are well.

3. Nursing appointments will continue at this time for; all wound management, stitch removal, INR clinics, vitamin B12 injections, zoladex injections, densoumab injections, child immunisations, baby checks, cervical screening and clinically indicated urgent blood tests for those undergoing treatment for serious conditions.

4. Asthma, Diabetes and COPD reviews will be conducted over the telephone with patients.

Further advice and guidance is available on the NHS website here:

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

Please be patient with us during this very difficult period, by working together and following the available guidance we will get through this.

Ordering Prescriptions during the COVID -19 Pandemic

We would encourage patients not to visit the surgery during this time to drop repeat prescription requests into the surgery.

A number of options are available to you to order your repeat prescriptions

• If you have patient online access you can order your prescriptions on line

• If you are not already registered for patient access you can download the NHS App via Apple App Store or Google Play . This will ask you for forms of identification before your account is activated ( but no need to visit the surgery- it can all be done via the App)

• You can post your repeat prescription request to us

• You can email your request to us [email protected]

• Please ensure you tell us which pharmacy you would like your prescription sending to.

• For those of you required to self isolate you may wish to ask your pharmacy about delivery services

• We are happy to issue 2 months worth of prescriptions at a time ( the exception to this would be any medications which are deemed a controlled drug) We can also post date a prescription for 2 months time so your pharmacist. has it in advance saving you from ordering again

• Polite plea; whilst we appreciate that there may currently be problems buying paracetamol over the counter, we would ask that you do not request a prescription for this from your GP. The only exception to this may be patients who have a chronic musculoskeletal problem who need this medication regularly and have previously bought their paracetamol over the counter.

COVID-19 Holiday cancellation letters

We would politely ask patients not to request their GP to write letters in order for people to cancel holidays due to COVID -19

The Royal College of General Practice supports this request
"Insurers and travel companies should be basing their decisions to offer refunds on advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Public Health England, not letters from GPs"

"Patients will undoubtedly have good and sensible reasons for not wanting to travel to certain places because of Covid-19, but this is not the same as being unable to travel due to existing illness, and it should not become the GP's responsibility to give patients advice about where not to travel."

Unfortunately writing such letters takes the GP away from caring for our patients at what will undoubtedly be a very busy time. We thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Advice on self-isolation for patients and staff

Patients should self-certify for the first seven days as normal if they are unfit to work

If patients remain unwell and unfit to work over seven days, please visit and complete an online self-assessment. The patient may be asked to call 111 for further advice on the next steps regarding their illness/ fitness to work.

From today (Tuesday 17th March) If you have a persistent cough and/or a fever please follow the advice below, it’s the best way for us all to protect others especially those most at risk of serious illness. Please stay indoors, confined in your house. If possible, use a separate bathroom. If this is not possible, wipe down toilet and sink surfaces with an anti-bacterial spray after you have used it.

REMEMBER the advice regarding tissues

• Catch it, bin it, kill it

REMEMBER the advice on regular hand washing

• Wash your hands with soap for at least 20 seconds, as long as it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice

• if you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started.

• if you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill

• it is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community

• for anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period.

• if you can, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period

• if you cannot move vulnerable people out of your home, stay away from them as much as possible

• if you have coronavirus symptoms:

  • 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

  • testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home

• plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home and consider what can be done for vulnerable people in the household

• ask your employer, friends and family to help you to get the things you need to stay at home

• wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser

• if you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

Corona Scams

There has been increased fraudulent activities in relation to coronavirus over the last couple of weeks.
 Please remain vigilant and be aware that the type and amount of fraudulent activity is increasing.

Here are just some of the scams we are aware of, but please note that fraudsters come in all shapes and sizes and can contact you at the door, by phone, post or online.

• Be aware of people offering miracle cures for coronavirus – there is no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19). Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms until you recover
• The council DO NOT need to enter your house to do a deep clean
• Bogus healthcare workers claiming to be offering ‘home-testing’ for coronavirus – this is a scam and these kits are not currently available to buy.
• Emails saying that you can get a refund on taxes, utilities or similar are usually bogus and they are just after your personal and bank details.
• There are lots of fake products available to buy online that say they can protect you or cure coronavirus. These will not help and are designed to just take your money
• There are new mobile phone apps that claim to give you updates on the virus, instead they lock your phone and demand a ransom
• Your bank or the police will NEVER ask for your bank details over the phone
• People offering to do your shopping and ask for money upfront and then disappear

For further information, please click on the links below

https://mcusercontent.com/b6e5f686e24b96d5a3cfdb4b3/files/95e558c1-a79f-42f2-936b-81ca03172202/5193_Coronavirus_Scam_Postcard_V3_002_.pdf [EXTERNAL PDF]

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-cracks-down-on-spread-of-false-coronavirus-information-online?utm_source=c7f2cec8-009e-4f32-8e29-b293c7c419c6&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate