Welcome to Billericay Medical Practice
DEMENTIA ACTION WEEK : 16th to 22nd May 2022
For further information please visit https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/get-involved/dementia-action-week
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A GP's explanation of changes to Access across General Practice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtbfhnxPy9g
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NHS Patients, staff and visitors must continue to wear face coverings in healthcare settings
27th January 2022
England’s Chief Nurse has today reminded the public that everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules.
Covid restrictions have ended in England
However, Public Health England’s infection prevention control guidelines and hospital visiting guidance are set to remain in place for all staff and visitors.
That means NHS visitor guidance will stay in place across all health services including hospitals, GP practices, dental practices, optometrists and pharmacies to ensure patients and staff are protected.
Staff, patients and visitors will also be expected to continue to follow social distancing rules when visiting any care setting as well as using face coverings, mask and other personal protection equipment.
The NHS will continue to support staff in ensuring that the guidance is followed in all healthcare settings.
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Data Choices
NHS Digital Collecting GP data - advice for the public
National Data Opt-out
Your Data Matters to the NHS
The collection of GP Data for Planning and Research will now take place from 1 September 2021, rather than 1 July 2021.
Patient data used for life-saving research will benefit from even greater protection and assurances owing to tougher safeguards that will be put in place ahead of the GP Data for Planning and Research programme commencing.
Minister for Primary Care and Health Promotion, Jo Churchill set out a new process for commencing data collection, moving away from a previously fixed date of 1 September.
This will only begin when the following criteria have been met:-
- The ability for patients to opt out or back in to sharing their GP data with NHS Digital, with data being deleted even if it has been uploaded, and outstanding opt outs being processed.
- Trusted Research Environment is available where approved researchers can work securely on de-identified patient data which does not leave the environment, offering further protections and privacy while enabling collaboration amongst trusted researchers to further benefit patients.
- A campaign of engagement and communication has increased public awareness of the programme, explaining how data is used and patient choices
The letter makes clear that patient data is not and never will be for sale. Data will only ever be used to deliver clear benefits to health and care, by organisations that have a legal basis and legitimate need to use the data.
The public and GPs can be assured data collection will only begin once NHS Digital’s Trusted Research Environment (TRE) has been fully developed, in line with best practice including projects like OpenSAFELY and the Office for National Statistics’ Secure Research Service, and to the satisfaction of the BMA, RCGP and the National Data Guardian. This is so both GPs and the public can have a high degree of confidence that their data will be safe, and their privacy protected.
By empowering patients through giving them choice and looking to allow them to flexibly opt in and out of their data being shared with NHS Digital at any time, the aim is to build confidence and trust in sharing data, leading to better care for individuals, families and communities.
This includes deleting all data collected under the programme if patients chose to opt out of their data being shared with NHS Digital at a later date.
Work continues across general practice to explore a way of centralising the GP data Type 1 opt-out process to remove this burden on GPs and make it easier for patients to exercise this choice.
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COVID-19 vaccinations from 1st July 2021
Please be advised that the local Covid vaccination programme at the Emmanuel Church Hall will cease with effect from the end of June 2021.
We are immensely grateful to the Church for providing us with a local establishment and managing a high volume of patients on our behalf.
From 1st July all patients eligible for a Covid vaccination will need to use the national booking service to arrange their appointments. If you already have a prearranged 2nd appointment in July at the Emmanuel Church Hall, you will need to rearrange this via the national booking system as these will automatically be cancelled.
NHS Covid Vaccination Booking
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
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Cervical Smear tests
If you have received a letter from the Cervical Cytology screening programme team offering you a smear test, please ring the surgery to book your appointment.
During the COVID 19 Pandemic the practice is operating a normal service for this important screening test, so if you have received an invite then please do not delay but contact the surgery as soon as possible to book your test.
Prescription Requests
Prescription requests are NOT accepted over the phone or by e-consult. If you want to send your medication requests electronically then please contact reception and sign up to our online services, or click 'Online Services' under Quick Links.
Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine
New guidance has been issued for the use of the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
This follows further reviews by the independent regulator, the MHRA, and the Commission for Human Medicines, of a very small number of people in the UK who have developed a rare blood-clotting condition since having the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
The MHRA and Joint Committee for Vaccinations and Immunisations have emphasised that the risk of this condition is extremely small and that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for the vast majority of people. They have recommended that:
- Everyone who has had the AstraZeneca vaccine should still have a second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, irrespective of age, unless they have had a blood clot or have an existing risk of thrombosis (blood clotting)
- People aged 30 and over or who have a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe Covid-19 disease should still be offered the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine. The benefits in protecting them against the serious consequences of COVID-19 outweigh any risk of this rare condition.
- People aged 18-29 who do not have a health condition that puts them at higher risk of severe Covid-19 disease will be offered an alternative Covid-19 vaccine where available. (This has been recommended as a precaution as people under 30 are at less risk from Covid-19 and not because they are considered to be at particular risk of developing the rare blood clot.)
People under 30 can still choose to have the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine if this will mean they can be protected more quickly and they have been made aware of the guidance.
Please see the leaflet below that has been produced by Public Health England and the NHS to answer any questions you may have
Leaflet on COVID-19 vaccination and blood clotting
Complaints
Please Click here for the Complaints Leaflet
NHS Friends and Family Test - click here
(Site updated 13/05/2022)