Category: COVID-19

A number of our patients fall into an extremely vulnerable group, also known as “shield” group. This group of around 1.5 million people nationwide (around 2% or 50 patients in our practice) should have received a letter from NHS England, and their names have been held on a central list. We understand this group will receive priority for supermarket home delivery if they cannot get help from their community for collecting shopping.

We recognise that this group does not include many of our patients who are also more vulnerable (around 35% or 1000 patients in our practice). We can check against national guidance if any of our patients think they may have been missed.

We cannot provide doctors letters to our many hundreds of other vulnerable patients or their carers, requesting special consideration.

We would urge these people to make use of the fantastic local volunteers who have kindly offered to try and keep everyone in our community safe. This vulnerable group includes those who are:

• aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
• under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
  • chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
  • chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
  • chronic kidney disease
  • chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
  • chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
  • diabetes
  • problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
  • a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
  • being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
  • those who are pregnant

Further advice and detailed criteria for who is “extremely vulnerable” is available online, since this information is being rapidly updated, it may be helpful to search by relevant condition. eg “asthma coronavirus” in google or another search engine.

Wow, an “interesting” day for Me and Ruth today, as we had a crash course in dispensing medications. Its not easy, and what an amazing job our dispensing team do week in week out! It must be frustrating for some of you, so thanks for understanding. We are not quick.

We know that pharmacys and dispensarys up and down the country are working flat out as everyone wants to make sure they have adequate medications for the weeks ahead. But this means we are trying to work twice as fast, and with half the staff right now.

Thankfully everyone is still fit and well, but for safety several members of the team are self isolating to protect themselves or other staff and our patients from potential risk of infection. We look forward to their return soon.

We have again had many kind words from people today, a big thanks for your support and all your efforts to serve our wider community.

Meanwhile Aldi was lovely and quiet and very well stocked at 7.45pm on our way home tonight. We hope our surgery will catch up by next week, just like they have managed this last week.

Stay home and stay safe everyone.

Best wishes, Sam Tapsell

As you may know we are running the practice with minimal staff numbers alongside especially high demand for medications.

We are now handing out medications during 12-1pm and 5-6pm.

Please try to avoid telephone calls to the practice during these busy times if at all possible. You must allow 72 hours after ordering, and please dont phone to check if ready, our staff are working flat out. We will send out prescriptions with local volunteers where possible to reduce visits into the surgery.