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NHS Friends and Family
Flu Vaccinations for patients aged 50-64 (applies to those not in an eligible at risk group as detailed below)
NHS England has shared the following advice:
Please note that people in the 50-64-year old age group will not be vaccinated until November and December, providing there is sufficient vaccine, and no appointments will be offered for this age group until then.
This is to ensure that those who are most at risk are vaccinated first. If you are 50-64 and you are in one of the other groups which is eligible for the flu vaccination, for example you have a health condition which puts you at risk from the flu, you will be invited earlier.
FREE Online fitness classes!
Mencap are offering free online exercise classes every Tuesday and Thursday at 11am via Zoom
To find out more and to join, follow the link below
Flu Vaccination Eligibility Criteria
People aged 65 years or over (including those becoming age 65 years by 31 March 2021)
Those aged from six months to less than 65 years of age, in a clinical risk group such as those with:
- Chronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchitis
- Chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
- Chronic kidney disease at stage three, four or five
- Chronic liver disease
- Chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s disease or motor neurone disease,
- Learning disability
- Diabetes
- Splenic dysfunction or asplenia
- A weakened immune system due to disease (such as HIV/AIDS) or treatment (such as cancer treatment)
- Morbidly obese (defined as BMI of 40 and above)
- All pregnant women (including those women who become pregnant during the flu season)
- Household contacts of those on the NHS Shielded Patient List, or of immunocompromised individuals, specifically individuals who expect to share living accommodation with a shielded patient on most days over the winter and therefore for whom continuing close contact is unavoidable
-
Those who are in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill
-
Health and social care staff, employed by a registered residential care/nursing home or registered domiciliary care provider, who are directly involved in the care of vulnerable patients/clients who are at increased risk from exposure to influenza.
-
People living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality. This does not include, for instance, prisons, young offender institutions, university halls of residence, or boarding schools (except where children are of primary school age or secondary school Year 7).
- Health and care staff, employed by a voluntary managed hospice provider, who are directly involved in the care of vulnerable patients/clients who are at increased risk from exposure to influenza.
- Health and social care workers employed through Direct Payments (personal budgets) and/or Personal Health Budgets, such as Personal Assistants, to deliver domiciliary care to patients and service users.
Avoid Valved Masks
Valved Masks are not fluid resistant and therefore do not offer adequate protection against COVID-19, please see the link to the guidance below point 10.0 for more information.
Patients attending the surgery for an appointment wearing valves masks will be asked to wear an fluid resistant FFP2 mask on top of their own mask so we can ensure the safety of our staff.
Lasting Power of Attorney
A lasting power of attorney (LPA) is a legal document that lets you appoint one or more people to help you make decisions or to make decisions on your behalf.
This gives you more control over what happens to you if you have an accident or an illness and cannot make your own decisions (you ‘lack mental capacity’).
You must be 18 or over and have mental capacity (the ability to make your own decisions) when you make your LPA.
You do not need to live in the UK or be a British citizen.
Please visit https://www.gov.uk/power-of-attorney to find out more
Midwife Referrals
Have you recently discovered you are pregnant?
Did you know you can now self refer to the midwife indtead of coming to the the surgery to ask us to do this for you? Please ensure you have read the 'Your Choices' leaflet on the website before submitting your referral so you are aware of the options available to you such as:
- Where to give birth.
- Which hospital you can receive your care from.
- What support and education is avavilable.
To read the leaflet, find out more information and refer yourself please visit https://www.nwangliaft.nhs.uk/maternity/im-pregnant/
Happy Birthday!
Planning to Travel?
If you are planning to travel, make sure you remain safe and plan ahead to ensure you get the necessary vaccinations!
MASTA Clinic is now available to offer advice and vaccines for your long awaiting get away.
Visit their website for more information https://www.masta-travel-health.com/
Call them on 0330 100 4200
Email them at Enquiries@masta.org.
Feeling Creative?
Funding from Cambridgeshire Community Foundation has enabled FACT and CCORRN to establish a new partnership to deliver recycled paint and craft packs to Cambs residents who are unable to visit the CCORRN reuse centre in March!
Click on the link below for more information
A guide to Test and Trace in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Want to understand Test and Trace a little more? Check out this handy information guide.
PCC CCC 3109 test and trace in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough - final v....pdf
Cervical Smears
If you had your Cervical smear cancelled at the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 then please get in touch with us to book yourself back in!
Or if you have received a letter stating that you are due for your routine cervical smear then do not delay and get yourself booked in now!
Help in the fight against COVID-19
Has your doctor or nurse said you are likely to have a
COVID-19 infection?
Do you have?
- A continuous new or worsening
cough - High Temperature
- Have had these symptoms for less than 15 days?
- Are you aged 65 and above?
Or aged 50 to 64 with any of these illnesses?
- High blood pressure and/ or
heart disease - Asthma or lung disease
- Weakened immune system due
to serious illness or medication
(e.g. chemotherapy). - Diabetes not treated with
insulin - Stroke or neurological problems
- Liver disease
Then you could be eligible to join the PRINCIPLE
trial and help the fight against COVID-19.
Masks/Face Coverings
We would ask that all patients attending the surgery for any reason wear a mask or face covering. Those patients attending appointments will be provided with a mask if they are unable to provide their own.
19/05/20
General Practice Transparency Notice for GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19)
This practice is supporting vital coronavirus (COVID-19) planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital.
To find out more about what information we are sharing to support COVID-19, why we share it, and how to opt out of data sharing please click in the document below.
12/05/20
General Practice Transparency Notice for GPES Data for Pandemic Planning and Research (COVID-19).pdf
Self-Isolation Note
If you or a member of your household has symptoms of COVID-19 and have been advised to self-isolate then please follow the link to access NHS 111 Online were you will be able to apply for a self-isolation note.
https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/
12/05/20
COVID-19
If you or a household member have either:
- a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
- a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly
- a loss of/change in tastse/smell
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.
Living alone
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.
Other household members
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.
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.
For all the information on COVD-19 guidance click here: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
HGV License renewal
Temporary change applies to drivers whose licences are due to expire or have expired since 1 January 2020.
Because of coronavirus (COVID-19), you currently do not need to provide a medical report (form D4) to apply to renew your licence.
If your application is successful, you’ll get a 1 year licence. Click here for more information
Our new Social Prescriber
The George Clare Surgery would like to welcome Mary our new Social Prescriber to the team!
To find out more about Mary's role click here
Key functions of the Social Prescriber:
- Building rapport and trust with people
- Listening to 'what matters to them'
- Helping the person to develop a personalised support plan
- Knowing the services and support networks available in an area
- Conecting people to services/support (formal e.g. commisisoned services and informal e.g. groups/clubs/networks)
- Supporting local communities to set up new activities e.g walking group, gardening club at community centres, coffee morning etc.
- Who would be suitable to be referred to a social prescriber?
- People with one or more long term condition
- Those who need support with their mental health
- Those who are lonley or isolated
- People who have complex social needs which affect their wellbeing
“I once felt so useless when I now know I’m a star,
I’m strong and I’m resilient because I’ve come so far.
My life is now worth living when it could have been so tragic,
And that’s why social prescribing is a prescription of pure magic.”
Electronic Prescription Service (EPS)
We are upgrading to the next phase of the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) which will mean that almost all our prescriptions will be processed electronically from 18/03/2020
Electronic prescriptions help save the NHS money.
You will receive your prescriptions in the same way as you do now.
About EPS
EPS allows prescribers to send prescriptions electronically to a dispenser (such as a pharmacy) of the patient's choice. This makes the prescribing and dispensing process more efficient and convenient for patients and staff.
The benefits
The benefits of EPS are that:
- prescribers can process prescriptions more efficiently and spend less time dealing with prescription queries
- dispensers can reduce use of paper, have improved stock control, and provide a more efficient service to patients
- patients can collect repeat prescriptions from a pharmacy without visiting their GP, and won't have a paper prescription to lose
To find out more click here
George Clare surgery was temporarily closed this morning (12 March 2020) to enable a clean of the surgery as a routine precautionary measure. The practice will reopen today at 1.30pm.
We apologise for any inconvenience that may have been caused. Safety is our priority and we have been working with public health teams to make sure there is no risk to staff and patients.
Current Vacancies
George Clare Surgery has a vacancy for the following post:
- Practice Nurse (15- 22 hours)
Visit Indeed.com for more information and to apply.
NHS Health Checks
Get your ‘midlife MOT’ with a free NHS Health Check
NHS Health Checks are now being provided across Cambridgeshire as part of a national screening programme. The programme aims to give people a once-over as they move into their middle years, helping spot signs early and providing peace of mind. It lets you take control of your health, and enjoy life for longer.
Give us a call to sign up!
What do NHS Health Checks protect against?
NHS Health Checks detect a range of different vascular and circulatory conditions. This includes Dementia, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Strokes, Diabetes and Kidney Disease. Catching symptoms for these issues early will help healthcare professionals to offer treatment and suggest lifestyle changes, and can prevent more serious problems in the long-term.
Who is eligible for NHS Health Checks?
NHS Health Checks are available for anyone who’s aged between 40 and 74 and isn’t already in touch with their GP about a pre-existing condition. A ‘midlife MOT’ like this can help you to live a longer and healthier life.
What does it involve?
The NHS Health Check is very straightforward, and it will only take 20-30 minutes.
It’s based on simple questions about age, lifestyle and family history, along with standard measurements of height, weight, urine content and glucose and cholesterol levels.
What happens afterwards?
A healthcare professional will discuss the results with you in detail afterwards. You’ll be given a full personalised report. This will provide resources and support to help with staying healthy and keeping up good habits, including information about the local support services.
MED3
Requests for certification of absence falls in to the following five catagories:
1. Personally affected so isolating for seven days
2. Personally affected and remaining unwell for over seven days
3. Household contact affected so isolating for fourteen days as per government advice
4. At risk group so following government advice
5. Those in full time education.
1. Personally affected so isolating for seven days
Patients can and should self-certify for the first seven days as normal if they are unfit to work.
They do not need to contact their GP.
2. Personally affected and remaining unwell for over seven days
If they remain unwell and unfit to work after seven days the current advice is to visit www.111.nhs.uk where there is an online self-assessment tool; the patient may be invited to call 111 and given further advice and a MED3 certificate emailed to them.
They do not need to contact their GP.
3. Household contact affected so isolating for fourteen days as per government advice
4. At risk group so following government advice
GPs cannot and are not the gatekeeper of the statutory sick pay system. Employers are responsible for putting in place arrangements for home/remote working where this is possible. Where it is not, the employee may self-certify and return to work following the relevant absence which their employer may authorise as per government advice. Where they do become unwell during or after this time, point 1 and 2 applies.
They do not need to contact their GP.
5. Those in full time education.
There is no NHS requirement to issue certification to schools or colleges to confirm absence. These organisations must work with parents and students to ensure that any absence is appropriately recorded, obviating the need for a ‘doctor’s note’.
They do not need to contact their GP