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Flu jabs 2017


 


It’s time to think about getting a flu vaccination.


This winter could see a very high number of flu cases in the country.


Australia is currently in the grip of its worst flu outbreak on record and the global circulation of the virus means that episodes in the Antipodes are indicators of the likelihood of outbreaks in Europe later in the year.


For many people a bout of flu will result in symptoms such as headaches, aches, pains and tiredness.


However for people in “at-risk” groups flu can have serious consequences, leading to existing health conditions getting worse or the development of an illness such as bronchitis or pneumonia.  For example, if you have asthma the symptoms may become more severe if you catch flu. For people with diabetes flu can potentially cause high blood sugar levels. Pregnant women should know that a bout of the flu could leave their child with a life-long health condition.


That’s why it is so important that people in these “at-risk” groups arrange to have a flu vaccination.


You are eligible for a free flu vaccination from your GP practice if you:



  • Are aged 65 years or over

  • Are pregnant

  • Receive a carer’s allowance or are a Ccarer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill

  • Are living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility

  • Are aged between six months and 65 years and have a heart problem, a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, lowered immunity due to disease or treatment, liver disease, had a stroke or transient ischaemic attack(TIA), diabetes, a neurological condition or a problem with or removal of the spleen e.g. sickle cell disease

  • Are a child born between 1 Sept 2013 – 31 August 2015 – plus children in reception class and school years one, two and three.


If you know someone in one of these categories please remind them of the importance of protecting their health this winter.



Please speak to a member of Staff if you would like any further information or to book an appointment.

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Welcome

Welcome to our website which we hope will provide you with information on the services available at our Mendlesham and Bacton surgeries.  Use the tabs above and at the bottom of the page to find out the information you need such as, when we are open, how to reach medical services when we are closed, the area we cover and learn more about the team at the Practice.

ADVANCE WARNING - BUILDING WORKS AT MENDLESHAM SURGERY

The scheduled building works taking place at Mendlesham Surgery has started today, 17th May and the back entrance to the surgery is now closed and locked for Health & Safety reasons.  Access to the surgery will have to be via the main entrance. 

We are very sorry for the inconvenience this will cause our patients and we will work to open the access again as soon as it is safe to do so.

If you have any queries regarding this please contact the surgery.

Please click on this link if you would like to view the extension plans. 

FROM MONDAY, 17TH MAY 2021, BACTON DISPENSARY NORMAL WORKING HOURS WILL RESUME AS FOLLOWS:

Monday - Friday                               -  8.30 am - 12.30 pm

Monday, Tuesday & Thursday -  3.30 pm - 6.00 pm

Turnaround time remains at 5 working days - please wait for your text message before calling or collecting your prescription.  

We apologize for the inconvenience the restricted hours may have caused.

You can opt out of your GP record being shared with NHS Digital for planning and research before September 21st. To find out more information please follow this link or contact the NHS Digital Contact Centre on:

0300 303 5678 (Monday-Friday 9 am to 5 pm excluding bank holidays).

Usual (named) GP

All regular patients at Mendlesham Medical Group are allocated a 'Usual GP' on registration.  You may notice a recent change to your 'Usual GP' and this has occurred during some necessary 'housekeeping' to our clinical system.  Please be reassured that you can continue to consult the clinician of your choice.  

If you have a preference as to which GP you would prefer, the practice will make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request.  However, this may not always be possible and we may have to assign a different GP.

FACE COVERINGS MUST BE WORN WHEN COMING INTO THE PRACTICE

contact your doctors online and get a response by the end of the next working day

Noticed an unusual change to your body?  Don't sit it out, get it checked out:

Normal For You Be Clear on Cancer 

NEW - Please select 'Covid-19 Info' Tab at top of page for up-to-date advice and Covid vaccine information

Important Information

Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, we are working in a different way to prevent the spread of the disease and protect our patients and staff, while still providing essential services.  

If you or someone you live with HAS coronavirus symptoms (new continuous cough OR fever OR loss of/change in smell or taste)

  • Stay at home
  • If your symptoms worsen or you feel that you cannot manage at home, please refer to the NHS 111 online coronavirus service
  • Please do not come to the practice

If you or people you live with DON'T HAVE coronavirus symptoms and you think you need primary care help and advice, don't delay

We are continuously reviewing how we can deliver our services and taking into consideration the importance of social distancing and delaying the spread of the virus.

To support this we have had to take some important steps and changes: 

FOR ALL PRESCRIPTIONS PLEASE WAIT FOR THE TEXT MESSAGE TELLING YOU YOUR PRESCRIPTION IS READY BEFORE CALLING OR VISITING THE SURGERY.  

GP Practices have remained open throughout the Covid-19 Pandemic and we are here to help you.

As we move into a phased recovery across the country this does not mean a return to pre-pandemic 'normal'.  We continue to ask patients only to attend the Practice if they have a pre-booked appointment.  The aim of this remains to help protect our patients and staff.    

Staff will continue to wear PPE and patients will be asked to wear a face covering when attending the surgery.  Appointment contact time will be kept to a minimum for everyone's safety but despite this each appointment needs to be longer to allow for staff to change their PPE and for extra cleaning between patients.  Access to and flow through the Practice will continue to be controlled.  

GP and Nurse Practitioner Appointments

All GP and Nurse Practitioner appointments are provided by telephone initially. 

Please do NOT come to the surgery unless a doctor or other member of the practice team has asked you to.

To book a 'telephone consultation' either phone reception on 01449 767722 or book online.  Your call will be dealt with by a care navigator and then triaged by a clinician.  Please note that your call may be an hour either side of the appointment time.

If the clinician feels that a physical examination or procedure is required, a face-to-face appointment will be arranged.  We see many patients face-to-face each day following clinical triage by a GP or nurse practitioner.  Video consultations are also available.  

All our face-to-face appointments are currently scheduled at Mendlesham Surgery where we have adequate facilities and staff support.

Our online appointment booking system had been changed to ‘Telephone Consultations’ only.  

Due to physical distancing requirements our waiting room capacity is greatly reduced so please come alone where possible.  Please call reception on arrival at the surgery, you will be asked to wait in your car/outside until the clinician is ready to see you.  

Prescriptions

Please continue to use our online service, post or hand in your slip to order your repeat prescription.  Turnaround time remains at 5 working days and please wait for your text message before calling or collecting your prescription.  

For dispensary queries please call either :  Mendlesham Surgery on 01449 767038 or Bacton Surgery on 01449 781857.

Advice For Parents During Covid-19

If your child is unwell please click here for advice.

Ear Syringing

Due to Covid-19 we are currently unable to provide ear irrigation as it is an unsafe procedure in these circumstances.

Please apply oil to the effected ear for 7-10 days.  If the problem does not resolve then a procedure called ear microsuction can be performed as a private procedure.  This is a safe procedure and may cost around £80.00.  Contact the Hearing Care Centre on: 0800 096 2637 for further information.

Mobile Phone Contact Details

Please ensure that the mobile phone number you have supplied us with is up-to-date and and that you have consented to receive text messages. 

GP & NURSE EDUCATION DAYS

Ipswich & East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group organise monthly 'virtual' training events for practices across Suffolk.  We will be closed for clinics from 1.00 pm on the following days so our doctors and nurses can attend these events:

2021 DATES:  Wednesday, 10th February, Wednesday, 10th March, Thursday, 22nd April, Wednesday, 19th May, Thursday, 17th June, Wednesday, 14th July, Thursday, 9th September, Wednesday, 13th October, Thursday, 11th November & Wednesday, 8th December

The telephones will be diverted to the Out of Hours provider, who will be covering any clinical emergencies.

Please dial 111 if you need medical assistance.  If your problem is life threatening dial 999. 

The Dispensary at Mendlesham will continue to be open from 3.00 pm for medication collection.

Extended Hours

The GP Extended Hours service is designed to provide patients with appointments outside core general practice hours for routine care and is available:

Tuesday 7.00-8.00 am and Thursday 7.30-8.00 am and 6.30-7.00 pm offering a selection of blood test, GP and Nurse Practitioner appointments

To book an appointment please call reception.

GP Online Services

You can register to book your appointments, request medication and access your medical records online. For more information see our Online Services page.

Collecting Prescriptions/Medication

Please note if you need someone else to collect medication on your behalf, you will need to sign and return the below form before your medication can be collected by the third party. 

GDPR representative consent letter

AccuRx - Asthma Questionnaires

In addition to our text appointment reminder service, we have started using AccuRx which is a piece of software we will use to enhance our communications with you whilst we reduce the footfall in to the practice.  This is used via the practice’s clinical system to your mobile phone using a text message conversation or video consultation. This enables you to converse with a member of the clinical team and for clinical information be saved to your medical record. 

We are currently using the AccuRx text messaging facility to send Asthma Questionnaires to patients in their birth month.

Medical Students

Over the year we will be hosting medical students at Mendlesham. They will often sit in with the GPs and sometimes will see patients themselves, under close supervision of one of the Doctors and with the consent of the patient.   We would like to thank you all for making the students feel so welcome during their time here.

Healthwatch Suffolk

You are able to leave feedback by using the link below:

https://www.healthwatchsuffolk.co.uk/services/mendlesham-medical-group-stowmarket-1

Friends of Mendlesham Health Centre - Join In

We are extremely lucky to have a very active Friends group who do a lot of fundraising for the practice. Their support has enabled us to purchase diagnostic equipment for use in the surgery.  For further information about the 'Friends' please see "News" tab at the top of this page.

When We Are Closed

The NHS 111 service is available for patients to call when the surgery is closed.  Trained clinicians are on hand to answer health related queries, provide general advice or arrange for a doctor or nurse to discuss your more specific need.  NHS 111 is for when your need is less urgent that 999.

CQC Inspecton

The practice was routinely inspected in January 2020 and the inspection report can be accessed via the link below.

Named Accountable GP

All patients at the practice have a named accountable GP on their clinical record.  Your named GP has overall responsibility for your care but you may see any GP of your choosing at the surgery. If you wish to find out who your named GP is, please ask at reception.

Friends and Family Test

The Friends and Family Test is an opportunity for our patients to provide feedback on the services we provide, to complete the online questionnaire please look on the "Have your say" tab at the top of this page.

GP Patient Survey

For the full survey results please visit the GP Patient Survey website GP Patient Survey Results 2017 GP Patient Survey Website

My Care Record

Please see 'My Care Record' in Further Information section at bottom of page.

(Site updated 11/06/2021)
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