Coronavirus Patient Advice

New Wokingham Road Surgery have been closely monitoring the spread of coronavirus in the UK – here’s an update on our continuing response to the situation and how we will operate should the virus continue to spread and/or become a pandemic.

Coronavirus Notices:

To make sure that our patients are getting the latest coronavirus advice we have
put in place the following process:

Our website developer team (Silicon Practice Ltd) are kept informed daily by either gov.uk or nhs uk of the latest coronavirus information. They have a dedicated team that reviews the updated message and prepares this for our site. This will be on our website usually within an hour of the information being released by gov.uk or nhs.uk. This is a mass update that allows Silicon Practice to update all their customer sites at the same time ensuring that there is a consistent message for all patients.

If we have any practice specific changes regarding coronavirus such as temporary practice closure, we will let our website editor know and these will be put on our website separately.

Silicon Practice will update our Coronavirus page on our website regularly to ensure that patients are kept up to date on our latest plans.

We will use social media (Facebook & Twitter) to ensure the latest coronavirus advice is passed onto our patients in a timely manner.

Information posters have been put up in the waiting room and reception area. As soon as we receive new information from PHE or NHS England, we update these posters. (We will also continue to regularly update our surgery TV information screen when it is back up and running again and we can welcome patients into the surgery).

Our outgoing phone message (during working hours and out of hours) now includes information and advice about Coronavirus.

Our cleaning company is Minster Cleaning. We have requested a deep clean to take place as a security measure.

Pandemic Response Plan

We have developed a contingency plan that takes into account the current and potential impact of a coronavirus pandemic and how we propose to manage the risks associated with the disruption, including to service delivery and our workforce together with the communication of the plan to our patients.

Critical Suppliers

We have been in touch with our suppliers, including the suppliers of our medical stocks , to confirm that they have pandemic resilience plans in place. This is to ensure that our service continues to operate safely and appropriately.

Reduced Staffing

To support planning for the local system response to COVID19, We have put in place ‘buddy’ arrangements with our Primary Care Network colleagues at Woosehill Medical Centre & Wokingham Medical Centre.

Protecting Patients and the New Wokingham Road Surgery Staff

To reduce the potential spread of the virus we have put in place the following:

• Telephone triage in place for all appointment requests
• Restricted access to the surgery by using a buzzer system
• Removed all leaflets from our waiting area & at the Reception desk
• Requested that patients nominate a pharmacy to collect their prescription/s from to reduce patient footfall
• Ensured clinicians (where possible) during any face to face consultations, sit at least 1 metre away from patients.
• Face to face appointments are mainly organised by the GPs or Nurse Practitioners only
• Our Practice Nurses and Assistant Practitioner continue to see patients for dressing changes and blood tests.
• We have recently resumed cervical screening.
• All face to face appointments organised by the above clinicians will be seen in one designated room to ensure we keep ‘clean’ clinical rooms
• Promoted patient handwashing and the use of hand sanitisers, in particular on arrival to the building
• Ensured that clinicians will, where appropriate, ask patients not to touch door handles
• Promoted staff handwashing and the use of hand sanitisers regularly
• A designated Isolation Room if needed
• We will suspend physical acts of greeting such as handshakes until further notice
• Ensured all staff observe appropriate social distancing
• Online appointments have been suspended
• Reviewed and will continue to review and update this document appropriately
• All patients coming into the surgery are required to wear a face covering.

New Wokingham Road Surgery
Reviewed June 2020