We wanted to write to briefly update you all. The last 20 months have seen changes and challenges no one could have anticipated. Unfortunately we don’t find ourselves being able to work in the same way we used to in the ‘good old days’. This is due to multiple factors, such as; fewer doctors and nurses, increased patient numbers, more work moving from the hospitals into the communities, increased monitoring for chronic diseases and a backlog of work from 20 months of being part of a global pandemic. We have been trying our hardest within the surgery to adjust, and continue to provide the best level of care we are able to. We have continued with a telephone triage first approach, which was started in about 2015, and have been seeing patients face to face in the surgery as needed throughout the pandemic and we continue to do so. However, we are struggling to maintain things due to the volume of work at the current time, and as we move forward into a winter without any restrictions, we will need your help in order to be able to provide a functional service.
We absolutely rely upon our hard-working receptionists – please give them accurate information so they are best able to get you to see the right person at the right time.
Please do remember that our pharmacy colleagues are highly experienced professionals who are able to assist you with a range of issues. If they are concerned, they will send you over to us.
We will continue to use our amazing home visiting paramedic team to support us with home visits.
In order for us to be able to manage the workload of each day safely we ask that any URGENT calls are made BEFORE 10AM. If you want something dealt with on the day and we find out about it after 10am it makes it very difficult to safely prioritise the work of the day. If you call after 10am and it is deemed to be urgent then you will be asked to contact CHOC or attend A+E.
We are very fortunate in this surgery to generally be able to get a routine appointment with a GP or Nurse Practitioner within 10 days, though there may be a longer wait for a preferred clinician, please do book routine appointments in good time if you know you need a review.
As the urgent duty sessions are becoming increasingly busy, please do not be offended if the GP decides that your problem is not urgent for that day and instead organises for you to be seen routinely.
Finally, thank you all so much for your support and understanding.
Dr Miles and Dr Carhart
