Coronavirus update:

Appointments

Do not attend the surgery unless you have been instructed to do so by a member of the surgery staff.

There are no pre-booked appointments.

If you think you need to see a clinician at the surgery, telephone the surgery in the morning, before 1pm. You will be asked some questions about the problem and may be given advice or told that the clinician will call you back.

Please try to avoid calling between 1pm & 2pm.

After 2pm, there will be no further telephone appointments made unless is it a genuinely urgent issue which would cause harm if delayed until the following day.

If you think you might have Coronavirus

If you think you have symptoms of COVID19/Coronavirus, please go to NHS Wales website and use the Coronavirus Symptom checker https://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/SelfAssessments/symptomcheckers/?ScName=CoronaVirusCOVID19&SCTId=175 which will tell you what to do.

Repeat prescriptions

Do not request your repeat prescriptions early. We recognise that it can now take more time to process but we will reject excessively early requests. This is to ensure that our colleagues in community pharmacy can ensure our most vulnerable and urgent patients get what they need and that everyone gets their medication at the time they need it.

Please use My Health Online where possible to request where possible, or drop the request off in the box outside the surgery. We do not accept requests by telephone; we may make exceptions only for housebound or self-isolating patients but this will require a telephone consultation with a doctor; if you can avoid this if at all possible this ensures that our most vulnerable patients are cared for as a priority.

Rescue Packs/Medication changes/additions

We are aware that social media posts are recommending that everyone should have a rescue pack if they have had asthma or COPD. This is not true. If you normally have a rescue pack you should keep a single supply of this as you normally would.

You should not request an inhaler or antibiotics, or any other medication, if you normally do not need them.

We will not be issuing supplies of paracetamol to anyone unless it is essential as part of their medical condition.

Sick Notes

If you have symptoms of coronavirus and are unwell, or if someone in your household has symptoms and you are self isolating, or if. You are in an at risk group and are shielding or social distancing, you do not need a sick note. The NHS Direct Wales site symptom checker will provide you with a self-isolation note where necessary.

If you need a sick note for ongoing health issues, unrelated to COVID19, please request as you normally would.

“Routine” Appointments

Routine is not a helpful word here; you don’t get checks for fun! However, given the increasing demand on healthcare we do need to delay some treatment and checks, whilst ensuring that tasks which cannot wait 3 months are still done, whilst keeping to a minimum the chances of infection.

Many screening services are currently suspended including

We recognise this sounds very strong. This is all aimed to ensure we as a team can continue to provide the care you all need, and to make sure that the people who most need our care have access to it.

Thank you to all those people who have thanked us, encouraged us, been patient, and even fed us - we hugely appreciate it!

Look after each other and be kind! - Dr C L Hattersley, Clinical Lead GP, Gyffin Surgery

Patient Info: Coronavirus

General NHS Advice
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/...

UK Government Advice (including self-isolation, social distancing, and shielding for different people)
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

Pituitary/adrenal Insufficiency (inc. Sick Day Rules)
https://www.endocrinology.org/...

Underlying Lung Disease (British Lung Foundation)
https://www.blf.org.uk/support...

Asthma
https://www.asthma.org.uk/advi...

Diabetes
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/ab...
https://jdrf.org.uk/coronaviru...

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

Heart/Circulatory Disease
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informa...

Older People
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/infor...

Young People with Anxiety
https://youngminds.org.uk/blog...

Adults with Anxiety
https://www.mind.org.uk/inform...