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Northiam & Broad Oak Surgery

CORONAVIRUS

Community Help and Support

We are aware that some people are having trouble collecting their medicines or going to the shops. There are a number of voluntary organisations that are helping people collect medicines, run errands or contacting people on their own.

If you need help with collecting your medicines in Northiam Northiam Together operate 'Helping Hands' service staffed by volunteer. Please call 07522 473173 to request assistance.

Northiam Talking this is a service for people who are feeling isolated at the moment while stuck at home. It can put people in touch with others in a similar situation by phone, email, Facetime or Skype. For more details email northiamtalking@gmail.com

For the villages of Beckley, Peasmarsh, Udimore, Broad Oak and Brede contact Rye Mutual Staplecross & Ewhurst Green Chatburn8@icloud.com

If you have any questions about your prescriptions or medication then please still contact the surgery.

Covid Testing

With the easing of lockdown it is very important that any new cases are picked up early so that the individual can self isolate and their contacts contacted by the NHS Track & Trace service.

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
  • a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
  • a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

Most people with coronavirus have at least 1 of these symptoms.

Therefore if you develop any of these symptoms please arrange a test as soon as possible. To book a test please click on the link below.

Covid testing

Update to Extremely Vulnerable Patients.

NHS England have updated their guidance to people who have been shielding. Full details are enclosed in the following two documents. One is the letter that patients who have been shieldig will have received and the second document is the evidence and rationale about making the change

Letter to Patients

NHS Shielding Update Evidence

Some people are more at risk than others if they catch Covid19. The individual risk can be divided into average risk, above average risk and extremely vulnerable individuals. The extremely vulnerable group tend to be primarily people with severe lung disease, certain cancers and patient who have a suppressed immune system. This group has been contacted by letter and have been advised to take extra measures for their safety above and beyond the standard advice of social distancing and staying home wherever possible. 
Extremely vulnerable criteria

 

Broad Oak Surgery

It is not possible to achieve adequate social distancing at the Broad Oak surgery for people routinely picking up medicines. Therefore we are temporarily closing the surgery for collection of repeat medication. All orders of repeat medication will be delivered to you within 5 working days (1 week) of your request. Please do not telephone the surgery regarding this and we will contact you if there are any issues about your repeat prescription. For patients who pay or have some forms of exemptions we will telephone you in advance before delivery to take payment or ask for your exemption details.

All clinical enquiries will be dealt with in the normal way and any acute medications issued following a telephone consultation with a doctor can still be collected from Broad Oak

Attending the Surgery

We need to restrict numbers coming to the surgery to reduce the risk of people becoming infected. Therefore we must make some changes to our normal working practices:

No patients to attend the surgery with any upper respiratory symptoms ie. temperature, cough, cold, sore throat. If there is any doubt when you speak to reception they will ask the doctor to call you first before receiving an appointment.
 

We are suspending:

  • Online appointments
  • Routine medication reviews for people who are well and stable on their medication. Please ignore any red stickers that may be on your repeat prescriptions at the moment. 
  • Minor surgery, cryotherapy and travel immunisations
  • Routine blood test often linked to medication reviews. However any blood tests that are needed in connection with investigations of a problem will continue as normal
  • Health visitor surgeries

Due to the need to triage all pateints attending the surgery we are also suspending Saturday Morning surgeries at the current time

Although at the current time our focus is on coronavirus, we are very aware that people still become unwell with other problems. If you develop new symptoms, or feel unwell, you should still contact the surgery for medical advice. We may be able to solve your problem over the phone but some conditions stilll need to be examined and we will remain available to see patients when it is clinically necessary.

Medication

There is no need to stock pile your usual medication. Supplies are running normally. If you are feeling unwell, please ask a relative or friend to drop off requests (through the letter box) or to collect your medication. Please remember that they will need identification if you use certain medication; and your exemption certificate if you have one. The surgery is quieter in the afternoon if you want to reduce your contact with other people.
 
WE ARE EXPERIENCING HUGE EXTRA DEMAND SO PLEASE ALLOW AT LEAST FIVE WORKING DAYS FOR YOUR REPEAT MEDICATION REQUESTS. THERE IS NO NEED TO CALL TO CHECK IF YOUR PRESCRIPTION IS READY

Thank You

Adversity has brought out the best in people. We have been moved by how all the villages have pulled together in this crisis. We have had numerous volunteers delivering medication and supporting our vulnerable patients for which they are very thankful. People have also been giving us practical help such as donating the perspex for the dispensary hatch and making scrubs for the staff as elegantly modelled in the photo!

Further advice

For the most up to date advice and information, please visit the nhs website. To summarise the current guidelines:

If you have a continuous cough and/or a high temperature of 37.8 or more,

Self-isolate and stay at home for 7 days. If you live with other people they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms

There is advice about staying at home also available.

Updated 27 May
 

Northiam Surgery
Main Street
Northiam
Rye
East Sussex TN31 6ND

01797 252140

Broad Oak Surgery

6 Reedswood Road
Broad Oak
Brede
East Sussex TN31 6DH

01424 882394

Northiam Surgery Opening Hours

Monday to Thursday 8.30 - 6.30
Friday 8.30 - 5.00
Saturday 9 - 10.00

Broad Oak Opening Times

Monday 8.30 - 1.00
Tuesday 8.30 - 1.00
Wednesday 8.30 - 12 & 1.30 - 6.30
Thursday 8.30 - 1.00
Friday 8.30 - 11.00 
We are a rural practice centred in Northiam and with a satellite surgery at Broad Oak, Brede. We cover the villages of Beckley, Bodiam, Broad Oak, Ewhurst Green, Newenden, Northiam, Sandhurst, Staplecross and Udimore.
 
Due to our rural location we have a philosophy of self-reliance and try to do all that is practical and safe for the patient within the location of our two surgeries. We aim to deliver high standard, good quality care and to champion the needs of our patients.
 
One of the strengths of good general practice is working as part of a team. We have an excellent range of staff at our surgery. We believe patients to be equal partners and that close co-operation is vital in maximising care. Personal lists help us to achieve this and also provide clarity about responsibility for patient care.
 
The aim of the website is to provide as much information as possible about the practice, in order for you to get the best out of the services we provide. It also provides links to other websites to obtain medical information.
 
To enter our online services please click on the Emis Access icon.
 

 

 

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