Practice Updates

Coronavirus Advice

 

 

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

Wallingbrook have commenced the Covid-19 vaccination programme working with 5 other practices from Mid Devon Healthcare Primary Care Network.  

We are not able to order the COVID vaccine, we can only provide vaccines as we receive them. It will take time to vaccinate everyone.

To Help Us:

Please DO NOT contact the surgery we WILL contact you when it is your turn to receive the vaccine.

Please try and attend the appointment you are offered.

This is the official NHS information on the phased approach to the Covid vaccination programme.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that the first priorities for the COVID-19 vaccination programme should be the prevention of mortality and the maintenance of the health and social care systems. As the risk of mortality from COVID-19 increases with age, prioritisation is primarily based on age. The order of priority for each group in the population corresponds with data on the number of individuals who would need to be vaccinated to prevent one death, estimated from UK data obtained from March to June 2020:

  1. residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
  2. all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
  3. all those 75 years of age and over
  4. all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individuals
  5. all those 65 years of age and over
  6. all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality. Plus unpaid carers.

  7. all those 60 years of age and over

  1. all those 55 years of age and over
  2. all those 50 years of age and over

Thank you for your patience and understanding

 

Travel Support

Volunteer Transport

DCC have put together this advice to help people get to their Covid-19 vaccination appointment.  Unfortunately, neither Covid-19 nor Flu vaccinations are supported by NHS patient transport or the Healthcare Travel Costs Scheme (HTCS). As would have been the case with the recent flu vaccinations, the expectation is that patients make their own way to and from the delivery site.

C-19 Vaccinations - Volunteer Transport - Travel Devon

Patient Transport

Activities and Services in the Local Area

Useful Information - Cornavirus help etc 03.04.2020.doc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVID Vaccination Update 17.03.2021

We are pleased to confirm that we have started to invite groups 7 (over 60), 8 (over 55) and 9 (over 50) for their first COVID vaccination at Lords Meadow Leisure Centre in Crediton. 

Patients in these groups may also receive an invite from the national booking team to attend clinics at Westpoint and Westward Ho should they wish.  Alternatively patients can wait for the practice to make contact to offer the vaccination at Lords Meadow.

Please continue to help us by not contacting the practice, we will be in touch to offer you an appointment.

May be an image of text that says "HM Government COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritisation 1 Care home residents Care home staff 2 Over 80s Frontline health and care taff .......... 6 Under 65s with underlying health conditions 3 Over 75s 7 Over 60s 8 Over 55s 4 Over 70s Clinically extremely vulnerable people 5 Over 65s Over 50s"

The National NHS Covid Vaccination Booking System

The national NHS booking system may send you a letter offering you to have your Covid Vaccination at one of the large vaccinations centres; Westward Ho, Westpoint at Exeter.

If you have received a letter, please book an appointment through the NHS website or by calling 119.  New appointments are regularly added to the system, so please keep checking back with the site if you need to.

13/04/21

The national NHS booking system is now inviting people aged 45 and over to book their vaccination.

Click on the link below for the National NHS Covid Vaccination Booking System:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

 

 

 

Practice Update

Our team will continue do our absolute best to maintain services and provide care for 7000 patients. We are here for you and our services remain open.

At this time of year, the whole NHS system is stretched due to winter pressures.

This year, the pressures are likely to be exceptional.

To assist the practice:

  • Please consider using our online eConsult service, this is available 24/7 and we will respond by the end of the next working day.
  • Please only order the medication you require, the practice has not been informed of supplier shortages.

Reception

  • Both Chulmleigh and Winkleigh opening times remain the same.
  • Patients will not gain entry unless a pre-booked appointment has been made. To gain access for pre-booked appointments; please ring the doorbell.
  • To organise an appointment, please use the eConsult service which is accessible via our website – www.wallingbrook.co.uk, or telephone the surgery on 01769 580295.
  • Wallingbrook team will continue to wear PPE to protect both the patients and the staff.  Stringent infection control measures will remain in place.

 

Collecting prescriptions

  • Both Chulmleigh and Winkleigh sites are open for the collection of prescriptions.   We kindly ask that patients queue 2 metres apart to maintain social distancing. Chulmleigh opening hours are 8.30am to 6.30pm, Winkleigh opening hours are 8.30 to 1pm, 2pm to 6pm.
These measures have been taken to protect the patients and staff in an attempt to maintain services delivered to our community.

Thank you for your understanding.

COVID vaccine invites via text message

 
People may now receive a text from 'NHSvaccine' inviting them to book a coronavirus vaccination appointment at a larger vaccination centre, followed by a letter a few days later.
 
Texts from 'NHSvaccine' are separate to any invites people may get from local NHS services such as GP surgeries or hospitals.
 
The COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge, and the NHS will never ask for:
• bank account or card details
• pin or banking passwords
• copies of personal documents to prove people’s identity such as a passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips
 
People who think they have been a victim of fraud or identify theft, should report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040.
 

Have a query about the COVID vaccination?

A new process has been developed to assist practices.
 
You can email d-ccg.devonvaccinationsupport@nhs.net or call 01752 398836 and leave a voicemail – the telephone number is to be monitored 8.30am-4pm Monday to Friday. Email will have an automated message.
Your queries will be reviewed by the team and they will respond appropriately, response may take longer if a clinical opinion is needed.

We will contact you for your second COVID vaccination

For patients who received their first COVID vaccination through Mid Devon Healthcare Primary Care Network/Wallingbrook Health Group - we will contact you to arrange your second COVID vaccination, once deliveries are confirmed.

Please do not contact us.

Advice on patients wearing face coverings in our GP practice

We ask that when possible patients please apply a face covering before entering the surgery and dispensary.

There is also guidance online on how to make a facemask at home with items you may already own, or you can simply use a scarf.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-advised-to-cover-faces-in-enclosed-spaces

Devon Clinical Commissioning Group Vaccination Briefing

For the latest Devon Clinical Commisioning Group Vaccination information please click below:

 

 

 
 
 

 

At-risk groups to receive free winter supply of vitamin D

 

At-risk groups to receive free winter supply of vitamin D

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/at-risk-groups-to-receive-free-winter-supply-of-vitamin-d

Individuals on the clinically extremely vulnerable list will receive a letter from the Department of Health & Social Care inviting them to opt in for a supply to be delivered directly to their homes.

Deliveries will be free of charge, starting in January, and will provide 4 months’ worth of supplements to last people through the winter months.

The supplements will support general health, in particular bone and muscle health. This is particularly important this year as these individuals are more likely to have been indoors for extended periods due to measures introduced to stop the spread of COVID-19.

The supplies are not organised through your GP Surgery.

Germ Defence

 

We are letting you know about a very useful website called Germ Defence which was created by a team of doctors and scientists to give you advice that has been proven to reduce the spread of viruses in the home. It can help you plan how to protect yourself and members of your family from infection by COVID-19 and ‘flu.

 It’s easy to use and only takes 10 minutes – just click on this link:

www.germdefence.org/index.html?src=L83025

(If this link does not open when you click on it, please copy and paste it into your web browser.)

Please pass details of the Germ Defence website to your friends and family.

There’s a button at the bottom of the Germ Defence website for sharing by social media.

If you’d like to know more:

  • Over 20,000 people previously took part in research about Germ Defence
  • People who followed the advice in Germ Defence had fewer and less severe illnesses – and so did the people they lived wi
  • Results of the study were published in The Lancet medical journal
  • Germ Defence has been updated with COVID-19 advice to help prevent a wave of COVID-19 and ‘flu this Autumn/Winter

Information about how the Germ Defence website is being evaluated is available here