Welcome to the first of our weekly newsletters. We regard it as a priority that all our patients are kept fully informed of all developments at Buckshaw Village Surgery, Croston and Adlington Medical Centres and our sites at Lostock Hall, and we hope this regular update will address this aim.
Covid Vaccination Programme
Our Covid vaccination programme is now proceeding and we are making every effort to roll out the programme as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
The operation is being carried out at our vaccination hub Buckshaw Village Surgery and with strict adherence to Government guidelines in priority order using the cohort system.
All patients across the group have been classified into cohorts and are being contacted in order to arrange appointments, with further clinics being arranged as soon as new vaccine supplies become available.
Our second dose vaccination programme is on course to begin on Thursday, March 11 and patients who have had their first vaccination will be contacted shortly in respect of their second appointment, reflecting Government guidelines.
Members of our team are also visiting housebound patients and those unable to attend the surgery in person in order to deliver the vaccine.
Please check our website and Facebook page for further updates.
Phone system
We are aware of some problems experienced by patients attempting to contact us by phone.
This is partly due to unprecedented high volume of calls due to the Covid situation, but also because of the limited capacity of our current system and the fact that line connections to some of our sites are outdated.
With this in mind, we have taken the decision to make a significant investment in a new phone system for all our sites across the group.
We hope this will provide much improved capacity and quality of service.
A large part of the system has now been fitted and new lines laid, and the system is scheduled to come into full operation in the very near future, which will hopefully alleviate many of the problems patients may have previously experienced.
Current services
Please be advised that despite the unprecedented challenges provided by the Covid situation, the majority of our regular clinics and services are continuing as normal.
Urgent and routine appointments with GPs, nurse practitioners and practice nurses can be made in the normal way.
In addition, our regular baby clinics, midwife appointments, podiatry and first contact physio clinics are proceeding as normal, though some of these clinics which usually take place at Buckshaw Village Surgery may be moved to other sites.
For example, our baby clinics are taking place at the Medicare site at Lostock Hall until further notice and practice nurse face-to-face appointments have also been moved to other sites until the Covid situation changes.
Telephone appointments
Patients are reminded that in the light of the current Covid situation, ALL initial GP appointments are by telephone triage.
If the GP considers a face-to-face follow up appointment is then required, this will then be arranged, but only after an initial triage appointment.
The Covid situation is evolving all the time, and if this situation changes, we will advise our patients immediately.