Welcome to the latest of our weekly newsletters. We regard it as a priority that all patients at our Adlington, Buckshaw, Croston, Eaves Lane Chorley and Lostock Hall surgeries are kept fully informed of news and developments relevant to them. We hope these regular updates continue to prove useful.
RSV Vaccinations
You may have heard reports in the national media about a new NHS national vaccination programme to combat the RSV virus.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus is a common cause of coughs and colds but can be very serious for young people, especially babies, and the elderly and vulnerable.
RSV cases in children have been increasing in the past couple of years, with an average of 146 young children in hospital each day at the peak in winter last year.
But research shows the vaccine reduces the risk of severe lung infection by around 70 per cent in the first six months of life.
The NHS programme will this Autumn be offering vaccines to pregnant women and adults aged 75-79, including those turning 75 on or after September 1 and those who turn 80 between August 1 this year and August 31, 2025.
We are offering the vaccine at our own surgeries, and any of our patients who are 28 weeks pregnant onwards or who are in those older age categories are being contacted.
If you are in one of these categories and have not so far been contacted, please call your surgery to make an appointment.
Stoptober
Stoptober is the Government’s annual stop smoking campaign, based on evidence that if a smoker makes it to 28 days smoke-free, they are five times more likely to quit for good. Since 2012, it has helped more than 2.5 million people attempt to quit smoking.
With your help, this year the NHS aims to encourage the remaining five million smokers in England to give quitting a go this October and support them to quit successfully.
We will be assisting the campaign with resources at our surgery sites and more details will follow as the beginning of October approaches.
Temporary Surgery Closure
An advanced warning to patients that essential training which is being delivered to NHS staff nationwide is taking place on Tuesday, September 17 and on this date all our surgery sites will close at 12.30pm and all phone lines will also close from this time.
During this period, please call 111 or if the issue is an emergency please call 999.
Our normal enhanced service will operate from 6.30pm that day and phone lines at all our sites reopen at 8am the following day, Wednesday, September 18, with doors open 8.30am as normal. We thank you in anticipation of your understanding.
Homeless and Ukraine Appeals
We are still continuing to accept toiletries, sanitary products, baby items, pet food, non-perishable food items, shoes, clean duvets, blankets, towels, coats or sleeping bags for the Ukraine and the Chorley Homeless Group appeals, and you can drop them off at any of our surgeries during opening hours.
Please mark your bags if you’ve a preference for which appeal you wish them to go to.