Welcome to Billericay Medical Practice

NHS Digital Collecting GP data

The collection of GP Data for Planning and Research will now take place from 1 September 2021, rather than 1 July.

We all know data saves lives and there is no clearer demonstration of this than our response to the pandemic. The use of data allowed us to bring down the hospitalisations from COVID-19 by creating a Shielded Patients' List, for example.

The current system for collecting patient data is over 10 years-old and needs to be replaced. It’s clear that making better use of data benefits us all in so many ways from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to helping find treatments for serious conditions such as coronavirus, cancer and heart disease.

This new improved system will help researchers by combining information covering all phases of a patient diagnosis and treatment, which is already proving vital in investigating Long Covid, for example. The NHS will also use the data to help plan better service provision and ensure there is no disparity in outcomes for different patient groups, as is already being done for patients with learning disabilities, for example.

You can be reassured that the data is securely protected and will only be made available for the purposes of healthcare planning and research.  All requests to access any data that has come from GPs are subject to independent oversight and scrutiny, including review by the Profession Advisory Group which includes members from the BMA and RCGP.

Further information on “Your data matters to the NHS” can be found under Further information, Data Choices, on the right hand column of the website.

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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

Missed Appointments

During February 2020 there were 130missed appointments.

If you no longer require your appointment then please let us know as soon as possible so that we can offer the appointment to another patient.

(Since January 2020, 272 appointments have been missed by patients).

Total number of Clinical hours lost since January 2020: 45.33 hours

Cancelled Appointments

Thank you -Thank you -Thank you -Thank you

The practice would like to thank all of the patients who cancelled their appointment in good time enabling the surgery to offer the appointment to another patient.
Since January 2020, 503 appointments have been cancelled by patients.

Thank you, 

Practice Manager