If you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you
If you need medical help from us, you can contact us online or by phone to be assessed.
If you need urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service. If you cannot get help online, call 111.
If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999
If you are told to go to hospital it is important that you go to hospital.
You should continue to attend your appointments, unless you have been told not to attend.
GP services
As a result of the current COVID-19 outbreak, we are facing unprecedented demands on our services. In addition, we are also facing substantial staffing shortages due to those needing to self-isolate in line with current guidance.
We are working to minimise face-to-face contact with patients in order to:
– reduce the risk of transmission of coronavirus;
– to protect our most vulnerable patients and staff; and
– enable clinicians to continue to care for those patients who need it most.
The vast majority of consultations will now be done via phone, e-consultations or video consultation. Clinicians will make a case-by-case decisions based on their experience to determine whether it is safe to manage each patient without physically seeing them or whether, in some circumstances, they need to see a patient in person.
Patients will be asked to ring the surgery with any query they have. All patients will be telephone triaged by the clinician. If the clinician needs to examine the patient, you will be given an appointment time and asked to wait in your car on arrival. If the patient has no car then they are to be asked to wait outside or in the lobby until the clinician is ready to see them and will be screened before entering. The clinician will ring the patient when they are ready and screen them for COVID-19 symptoms. The clinician will make a clinical decision whether they can see them at their car or whether the patient needs to come in for an examination.
Routine referrals
GP practices have been instructed not to send routine referrals to secondary care.
This includes:
- Non-urgent endoscopies which are now suspended.
- Non urgent imaging/diagnostics are also suspended.
- Referrals to the chronic pain service.
- Non-urgent referrals to MSK and direct access physiotherapy.
GPs will advise patients to continue to manage with advice given by primary care and re-present if symptoms persist once pandemic is over so an onward referral can be reconsidered. Patients will also be advised that should symptoms significantly deteriorate to contact their GP and case will be reviewed and advice then sort from secondary care.
Neither the hospital nor practices will therefore keep a list of pending referrals it will be down to the patient to re-contact their GP.
Prescriptions
Order your medication as normal. Do not stockpile medication or request medication earlier than usual.
Do not request a sick note for any illness lasting 7 days or less or for any periods of self-isolation/social distancing. All non-dispensing patients prescriptions will be dealt with by Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) and sent directly to your chosen pharmacy.
Routine vaccinations
- It is important that you or your baby or child still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community.
- If the person needing vaccination has coronavirus symptoms or is self-isolating because someone in the household is displaying symptoms, please contact us for advice.
Cancer patients
- If you have a symptom that you are worried about, you must contact us.
- Your clinician will discuss with you the benefits of starting or continuing your cancer treatment against the increased risks of contracting coronavirus.
Heart attack patients
- If you think you or a family member are suffering with the symptoms of a heart attack you must dial 999 immediately.
- If you or a family member develop symptoms such as heavy or tight chest pain that may spread to your arms, neck or jaw, or make you breathless, sick, sweaty or light-headed and that doesn’t go away, this could be caused by a heart attack. Dial 999 immediately.
Stroke patients
- If you think you or a family member are suffering with the symptoms of a stroke you must dial 999 immediately.
- You can spot the symptoms of a stroke by using the FAST test:
- Face – is the face drooping / fallen on one side? Can they smile?
- Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there?
- Speech – is it slurred?
- Time to call 999 if you see any of the above signs
Pregnant women
- If you are pregnant it is important that you still attend your antenatal appointments and continue to seek advice from your midwife or maternity team.
- If you are worried about your health or the health of your unborn baby, please contact your midwife or maternity team.
Dispensing patients
You can collect direct from our dispensary window, please knock on the window near the patient drop off area at Whitby and the window around the back at Robin Hoods Bay.
Inaccurate information - COVID-19 Rescue Packs
Circulating regarding special ‘rescue packs’ for patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions
We have been made aware of some inaccurate information circulating regarding special ‘rescue packs’ for patients with pre-existing respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Please do not contact your GP practice for a rescue pack; you should continue to manage your condition in the usual way.
If you feel you have symptoms of COVID-19, go to the NHS 111 dedicated pages at https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 before doing anything else.
Mental health and wellbeing
NHS is here to support your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as your physical health.
- If you are concerned about the mental health of your child, please contact us or check online self-referral options for under 18 years olds at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
- If you are facing mental health issues contact your GP or key worker, if you have one, and continue to access your mental health services as usual. We are also still open for new referrals, via your GP or online.
- If you’re experiencing stress and anxiety, you can get further information, including how to self-refer to psychological therapies at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
- If you are facing a mental health crisis, use the NHS 111 online service. If you cannot get help online, call 111.
Learning disability and autism
- If you need medical help reasonable adjustments will be made so you get the right care and support.
- Your local community teams and crisis support lines are available if you are worried or anxious.
The Retreat’s Primary Care Mental Health Support Service
We know many people are experiencing increased problems with their well-being in the current circumstances. It can be hard to access mental health services or to know what support is available.
We are offering free mental health support sessions to patients of your GP practice. These sessions will be with a qualified psychotherapist who will listen and explore what might help you, either on the phone or online video meeting. Individual sessions will be 30 minutes, and we also have support groups of 1 hour.
If you would like to access this support please call 01904 412551
For further details please visit the website for more information on all services.
The Go-To site for children and young people
A new website has been launched, dedicated to helping children and young people in North Yorkshire find mental health support.
The Go-To – www.thegoto.org.uk – is designed to be a portal or ‘single point of information’ showcasing the mental health support services offered by different agencies in the county.
With the majority of young people currently not in school and many in isolation as a result of the restrictions imposed on movement to deal with the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, health leaders believe online mental health support for young people has never been more important.
Diabetes UK Befriending Circle
The befriending circle provides people with phone and email based peer support, matching people with trained volunteers based on their experience of diabetes. Anyone interested in accessing this peer support can self-refer. Please click here for more information and how you can contact the service.
Information about Coronavirus COVID-19
We would ask all patients to:
Follow the current government advice on self-isolation and social distancing. Advice is being kept under constant review and you can find the latest guidance at: www.nhs.uk/coronavirus. You DO NOT NEED to contact your GP practice for permission to do this.
Use NHS111 if the first instance if you have COVID-19 symptoms and would like medical advice. Please use NHS111 online if you have access to the internet: https://111.nhs.uk. Phone NHS111 if you do not have online access.
Do not come to any GP practice unless you have been specifically advised to do so after a phone/video consultation with a clinician at your practice.
Symptoms
The most common symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) are recent onset of a new continuous cough and/or high temperature (37.8 degrees centigrade or higher). If you have these symptoms, however mild, stay at home, do not book an appointment with your GP and do not leave your house or let visitors in for 7 days from when your symptoms started. Any other individuals in the household should also self-isolate for 14 days from that moment as well. If other members of your household develop symptoms, however mild, at any time during the 14 days, they must not leave the home for 7 days from when symptoms started.
If your symptoms worsen during home isolation use NHS 111 online at https://111.nhs.uk. If you have no internet access, you should call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.
Protecting you and those around you
Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.
Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:
- wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
- always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel
- avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
For those over 70, have an underlying health condition or are pregnant, they are strongly advised against social contact and to significantly limit face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible.
For those who remain well, are under 70 or do not have an underlying health condition, they are advised to limit their social contact where possible, including using less public transport, working at home and considering not going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and bars.