Covid-19 (coronavirus): change to appointments & ACCESS TO THE SURGERY

Dear Patients of New Wokingham Road Surgery

Re Covid-19 (coronavirus): change to appointments

Thank you for your ongoing understanding and cooperation concerning the changes we have made during the COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) to ensure we keep our staff and patients as safe as possible. We continue to monitor the situation and ensure that we are flexible and responsive to the changing threat of the pandemic.

With immediate effect we are requesting that all patients entering the building wear a face covering. Please be assured that all staff continue to practice social distancing within the building and all clinicians and administration staff wear appropriate PPE when seeing patients.

We are currently continuing to restrict access to the surgery by locking our front door and using a buzzer system.

If you have been asked to attend the surgery for an appointment, please press the buzzer to the left hand side of the front door. PLEASE press the buzzer just once. Our Reception Team are under a huge amount of pressure and additional workload and will answer the buzzer as soon as they possibly can.

We will continue to provide triage telephone system for those requesting an appointment. Patients will be triaged by a clinician BY TELEPHONE. If patients need to be seen in the practice, an appointment will be arranged.

  • PLEASE REFRAIN FROM GOING TO YOUR GP PRACTICE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT IN PERSON
  • DO contact the GP Surgery via telephone to book your telephone consultation. The reception team will be asking patients a set of questions prior to making appointments to ensure patients are directed to the appropriate healthcare professional.
  • We have also suspended the facility for patients to book appointments online for the foreseeable future.
  • For online access to health records and Online Prescription Requests, there is no change from previously. Please check our website for information how to register for online access if you do not already have this.
  • Electronic Prescription Service – EPS is an NHS service that allows us to send your prescription/s directly to your chosen pharmacy. This paper-free prescription service means that you do not have to come into the surgery to collect your prescription. Go to our Prescriptions and Medicines Centre on our website to register.

You will be asked to register for this service and nominate a pharmacy to collect your prescriptions. This is to help protect patients, staff and pharmacy staff by reducing contact and therefore reducing potential transmission of the virus.

Finally, please ensure your Practice has up to date contact details for you, including mobile telephone numbers and email addresses where available, for clinical staff and reception team to be able to contact you urgently if needed.

Thank you once again for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging time.