Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can cause serious lung infections, particularly in infants and older adults. In response to the significant health risks posed by RSV, the NHS has introduced a new vaccination programme starting from September 2024. This programme aims to protect the most vulnerable populations, including pregnant women and older adults, from severe RSV infections and their complications.
The following groups are eligible for the RSV vaccine for the 2024-2025 season:
Pregnant women: The vaccine is recommended during every pregnancy from 28 weeks onwards to help protect the baby after birth3.
Older adults: Individuals aged 75 to 79 years. For the first year of the programme, those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 are also eligible as part of a catch-up programme12.
Timings
From 1 September 2024: Vaccinations for pregnant women and older adults (75 to 79 years) will commence12.
Please ensure to book your appointment according to the specified timings for your cohort.
To visit the NHS RSV website click here
The following groups are eligible for the seasonal flu vaccine for the 2024-2025 season:
Please ensure to book your appointment according to the specified timings for your cohort.
To visit the NHS Flu web site click here
We are pleased to let our patients know that following the IT systems problems last Friday the surgery has now been able to deal with the backlog in administrative tasks and have updated all patient records. Many thanks for your understanding whilst we dealt with this problem.
During Friday and into Monday we put our "Business Continuity Plan" into place which included using alternative systems for recording any urgent consultations and also limiting appointments to emergencies only. We have also identified where we might be able to improve on those plans for the future.
Thanks to those of you who used PATCHS to submit a request for a non emergency appointment - this enabled our GP's to properly triage you to be able to manage capacity and we would encourage you to continue to use this system in the future as it allows us to see on the day problems which can't wait whilst reserving more routine appointments over the next 2 weeks for patients who can wait or where seeing a specific clinician is important.
We are now able to access our clinical system but remain open for EMERGENCY appointments only.
Following the global IT problems last Friday and the total inability to access medical records we are now please to report that our clinical IT system (EMIS) has been restored. Unfortunately we now have a large amount of work to do dealing with the backlog of work from Friday as well as retrospectively adding information from all appointments that took place on Friday.
As such we will only be accepting appointments for emergency medical problems on Monday 21st July. If you have a medical problem that is not likely to lead to a hospital admission if not dealt with in the next 24 hours then please complete a PATCHS request and our GP's will triage your problem.
Thank you for your ongoing understanding whilst we work hard to resolve these issues.
If you have an urgent medical condition which needs to be dealt with TODAY please come to reception.
Unfortunately due to widespread IT problems we are unable to make or receive any phone calls today or access our clinical IT system. This means we have no access to repeat prescriptions, test results or your medical notes.
Until this issue is resolved we will only be able to assist you with urgent medical problems.
We apologise for this inconvenience and will post more updates as and when we have them.
The NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme is a joint initiative between NHS England and Diabetes UK available to eligible people in England. This programme provides a low calorie, total diet replacement treatment for people who are living with type 2 diabetes and obesity or overweight. Click here for more informationNHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme
Published on 15th May 2024
We are updating our website to make it easier to navigate and obtain useful information. Please bear with us during this transition.
Our website is a starting off point for patients to interact with the practice.
Please do check out what is available and feel free to give us your feedback on how we can improve the site and our services generally.
The practice has hosted 3rd year medical students for the past 2 years and we are now taking part in a pilot with Liverpool University Medical School to allow small groups of medical students to observe real patient consultations remotely.
During these sessions Dr. Barfield will see patients as normal but cameras and special medical equipment in the room will allow students to experience GP consultations in a whole new way.
The university have produced this video to provide more explanation.
The practice is now providing minor surgery to our patients again. This service was previously suspended following Dr. Holley's retirement but Dr. Barfield has now done additional training to be able to perform minor operations.
We are able to remove non cancerous skin lumps which are either causing a functional impairment (getting in the way of day to day life), are painful or keep getting infected. If this applies to you please make an appointment with one of the GP's for an assessment.
Over the past few months the practice has taken on some new members of staff:
Jane Meakin is an experienced practice nurse who is joining our nursing team
Jenna Davies is a mental health practitioner who will be seeing patients who have any problems with their mental health
Sheryl Lloyd is joining our reception team
Dr. Sam Newton (who worked in the practice during his training) is returning for the next 12 months as a GP
The surgery has conducted a risk assessment and concluded that staff and patients no longer need to wear face masks in the surgery.
This is because the risk of becoming seriously unwell with a COVID-19 infection is now low and the amount of circulating COVID-19 and influenza is currently low.
We will still be asking anyone with a new cough to wear a face mask when they attend the surgery to help prevent the spread of infections to other patients and our staff.
We will keep this policy under review as we may need to reintroduce face masks for all staff and patients in the winter months.
The practice has now switched from using eConsult to PATCHS as our online platform for advice, fit notes and requesting appointments.
We hope that you find that this system is easier to use with more relevant questions. We would appreciate any feedback that you have on PATCHS so that we can improve the service that we offer to you.
The move from eConsult to PATCHS is happening across the whole of NHS Cheshire and Merseyside.
We are sad to announce that Dr. David Price and Mrs. Rosanne Jones have both retired at the end of August.
Having both been at the practice for many years they have become well known to our patients and we know that patients and staff alike will miss them very much.
Rosanne will be providing some interim cover for the next few weeks to help with handover for our new practice manager, Alan Courtenay.
Dr. Price is handing over to our new GP, Dr. Kathryn Milligan.
Our patients who would like a contraceptive coil fitting or changing can do so by contacting St. Georges Medical Centre (on Field Road) on 0151 630 2080. Please let them know you would like a coil fitting and that you are registered with us and they will arrange an appointment for you.
We hope that we will be offering this service for our patients at The Village Medical Centre soon.
If you're 75 years and over, you are now eligible for your Covid Spring Booster Vaccine
You can either go to the Walk-in Clinics at Birkenhead Medical Building, 31 Laird Street, Birkenhead, CH41 8DB. Mon-Fri 9-5.30pm and Sat 9-4pm or, use the National Booking System NHS booking system
Please keep yourself protected and get your Booster.
The practice is currently having building work to create a much needed and long overdue extension. Please bear with us over the next few months as we have this work done. The most noticable impact on your visit to the surgery will be a temporarily smaller waiting room and some building noise as well.
The practice currently does not have enough downstairs rooms for all the doctors and nurses and so we need to make use of an upstairs room. In addition we have other members of staff such as pharmacists, social prescribers, physiotherapists and health coaches who often have to work by telephone only in office spaces or out of other practices in Wallasey.
Once the extension is complete we will have 3 new downstairs consulting rooms and a new purpose built reception area with improved privacy for any sensitive discussions you may need to have with the receptionists. Upstairs we will double the space for our administrative staff and have a new large meeting room which can be used for practice and primary care network meetings as well as our Patient Participation Group.
Photographs and plans will be following soon.
In line with Public Health England and NHS guidelines
All patients and staff MUST wear a face covering when in any healthcare setting.
If you feel you need to speak to a GP, please call the practice and the reception team will add you to the doctors telephone triage appointment list.
Published on 12/11/2024