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A warm welcome from Dr Freeman & Partners
We're a modern and efficient practice, providing care to over 15,000 patients across 3 branches;
Oulton Medical Centre, Marsh Street Surgery and Swillington Health Practice.
Browse our site or contact our friendly staff for more information. We are happy to register new patients within our boundary.
We aim to provide personal, high quality care; offering a range of services, including telephone and online consultations, travel vaccinations and minor surgery.
Practice Mission Statement:
“WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE WELLBEING FOR ALL"
Opening Times
Practice Update
E- consult will be available from 8am till 2:30pm Monday to Friday.
We appreciate the phone lines are extremely busy, which we know is extremely frustrating, but please be assured that our reception team are working hard to manage the demand - please be nice to them they really have the hardest job in the practice!
Given the latest UK Government announcement, General Practice are prioritising clinically urgent patients and the vaccination booster programme. At this busy time, please don’t call the practice about your Covid vaccination – you will be contacted directly.
Thank you for all your support in this unprecedented time.
We’re here for you
Dr Freeman and Partners are here for you and we will continue to do all we can to keep people safe and well through the winter months and beyond. During this time of increased demand and pressure on our services, it’s even more important that you get the support you need in the right place, at the right time, by the right healthcare professional.
Helping you choose the right service
Several NHS services are available to provide the best health care for your needs. Choosing well will help get you the best advice quickest and reduces pressure on services, freeing them up to help those who need them the most.
Self-care
For treating minor ailments, grazes, bruises, choose self-care. If required, your pharmacist or NHS 111 service can advise you what to do and what to take. You will also find a wealth of information on conditions and treatments on the NHS website.
Your community pharmacy
Your community pharmacy can give treatment advice about a range of common conditions and minor injuries such as tummy upsets, coughs and colds. Best of all, there is no need for an appointment. If you want to buy an over-the-counter medicine, the pharmacist and their team can help you choose. Find your local pharmacy
NHS 111
For urgent medical help that isn’t life threatening, choose NHS 111 online or phone 111. The team can provide confidential advice and help you access the most appropriate local health services to meet your needs. If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired you can contact the NHS 111 service using the NGT Relay services.
Medications
For repeat medications without having to call your GP practice, choose the NHS app. Order any repeat medications 7 days in advance. It typically takes 72 hours for any repeat medication request to be ready at your pharmacy.
Living well advice
For advice and support on living well, choose NHS Live Well or the Leeds Directory, which connects you to checked and vetted local services and tradespeople as well as local activities and events.
Linking Leeds
For social isolation, emotional issues or wellbeing concerns, choose Linking Leeds. You can self-refer to this free social prescribing service, which links people aged 16 and above with local community services to improve wellbeing.
Mental health support
For information and support to help you take care of your mental and wellbeing, choose Mindwell for adults or MindMate for young people.
Sexual health
For sexual health advice, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) screening and treatment, HIV testing, and contraception, choose Leeds Sexual Health Service. If you are under 18, please visit our young people's sexual health advice during COVID-19 page.
Walk-in centre or urgent treatment centre
For minor injury care from specialist nurses without an appointment, choose one of our urgent treatment centres or the walk-in centre
Accident and Emergency (A&E) and 999
For serious and life-threatening emergencies only, choose your nearest A&E or phone 999
GP Out of Hours Service
For fevers, infections and other problems that cannot wait for Dr Freeman and Partners to re-open, choose the GP Out of Hours Service by calling NHS 111
Dental Emergencies
If need urgent treatment, choose your regular dentist for advice. If you do not have a regular NHS dentist, contact NHS 111
Accessing care at Dr Freeman and Partners
The easiest way to access our services is to complete our online consultation form. The response is often much quicker too because you do not have to wait in the queue on the phone or wait by the phone for a call-back. If you do need to call us, please phone. Sometimes the GP is not the most appropriate Healthcare Professional to deal with your ailment. Our patients often need more tailored support than a General Practitioner (GP) can provide. That's why Dr Freeman and Partners have several, new, specialised roles, such as mental health practitioners, physiotherapists, and pharmacists. You can even self-refer for some services without seeing your GP. This means you get straight to the specialist care you need whilst allowing our GP appointments to be used for those who need them. Our practice team will ask you some questions so they can best assess your need and book you in with the most suitable clinician at an agreed opportunity. That could be the same day or over the coming days and weeks, dependent on what is clinically appropriate. If you are not able to attend your appointment, please let us know in good time so that the slot can be used for someone else. We care for many people and are working hard to give everyone the help and information they need. Sometimes that causes others to wait for our services or when reaching us on the phone. We really appreciate your patience and understanding.
How you can help
- Look after yourself and each other
There are many ways to stay well this winter. This includes staying warm, eating well, and checking up on vulnerable neighbours. Many minor illnesses and injuries such as a sore throat, coughs, colds and small cuts can be treated in your own home with a well-stocked medicine cabinet and plenty of rest.
- Save time by booking your appointment online
Use our online consultation form to request advice or treatment. You will receive a response as soon as our practice team has assessed how to provide your care by the most appropriate person, usually within two working days. This might be with a GP or with a specialist professional more suited to your needs.
- Have jabs and get tested
It’s not too late to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Please have your second dose as two doses are needed for full protection, get a booster and flu jab when offered. If you have symptoms, get a COVID-19 test and don’t visit a healthcare setting (GP practices, pharmacies, accident, and emergency).
- Continue to be kind to our staff and each other
This includes helping us by socially distancing where possible and wearing a face mask in healthcare settings.
Vaccinations
Flu Vaccinations
You can now book in your Flu Vaccination if you are 65 and over or at High Risk. Please click here to find the full list of at High Risk Groups.
- Respiratory conditions, such as asthma (needing steroid inhaler or tablets), COPD, including emphysema and bronchitis
- Diabetes
- Heart conditions
- Chronic kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Neurological conditions
- A learning disability
- Problems with your spleen
- A weakened immune system
Covid-19 Booster vaccine programme
From 20 September onwards, the NHS in Leeds will be starting to deliver vaccine boosters. This is to help top up the protection for those most at risk as we approach the winter months. In line with the recommendations of the JCVI, these will be offered to the following people who are at greatest risk:
- those living in residential care homes for older adults
- frontline health and social care workers
- all adults aged 50 years or over
- all those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 and adult carers
- adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals
If you are eligible for a booster, you will be contacted by the NHS when it is your turn, either by your GP practice or the NHS National Booking Service. We will be working through groups in the same order as the first part of the vaccination programme, starting with care home residents and staff, frontline health and care workers and people aged 80 and over. It will also need to be at least 182 days since your second dose, so some people will not be contacted until the New Year.
Please do not contact the practice for an appointment, we will be in touch when it is your turn to have your booster.
Third doses for severely immunosuppressed
The JCVI has recommended that people who were severely immunosuppressed at the time of their first or second Covid-19 vaccination should be offered a third dose. This is an extra ‘top-up’ dose in response to evidence showing that they may not have responded as well to the vaccine as others and will therefore have lower levels of protection against Covid-19. It includes people with leukaemia and advanced HIV and people who have had recent organ transplants.
Consultants have been asked to identify eligible patients and recommend when the best time would be for them to have their third dose. Patients will be contacted either by their consultant or GP to arrange their vaccination, starting from mid-September.
More information, including answers to frequently asked questions, is available on the NHS Leeds CCG website
12-15-year olds who have been offered the vaccine at school but have missed the appointments or were away would need to contact the school. The Immunisation Team should be doing mop up sessions. We can't vaccinate these children, legally we can only vaccinate Clinically Extremely Vulnerable children between the age of 12 and 15 years old.
Covid passes for 12-15 year olds
Children aged 12-15 year old who have had a full course of COVID-19 vaccination are eligible for an NHS COVID Pass letter for travel, which includes an internationally recognised 2D barcode. The letter service can be accessed by calling 119 or via www.NHS.uk
(This is only if they have had 2 doses).
Key Messages
Message for people with diabetes at the practice
As you know, as part of your diabetes annual review, urine testing is really important to look for early signs of kidney damage. We do this through a test called the albumin:creatinine ratio (ACR) test, which looks for small amounts of protein in the urine.
We know people struggle to do the test, and many would prefer to avoid the clinic and test at home wherever possible. That’s why we are offering a new, NHS funded service to allow people to do this test at home with a kit and a smartphone.
If you meet the criteria for the new service, you will receive a text message (or a letter!) about this testing process, which is run by Healthy.io. If you want to find out more, please click here: https://bit.ly/3xpSq5q.
This text is not a scam; you do not need to pay for the service, and if you would rather opt out of the process you can say at any time. If you want to speak to their customer support team, you can call them on 020 7183 7939.
Looking forward to hearing your feedback!
SCAM text message
Please be aware there is a text message going around stating that its from Oulton Medical Centre, it has a link to book an appointment but there are no appointments available, it then asks for your bank details. Please be vigilant. We would never ask for any persons bank details.
Covid-19 Booster Vaccine update
ATTENTION: COVID-19 Booster text message patients are receiving are from NHS England to book appointments through certain pharmacies and not at the Surgery. We will be sending messages out to at risk patients soon to book your COVID-19 Booster at the Surgery. Patients need to have a 6-month gap between their 2nd Vaccine and their Booster.
Be aware of scam messages
There is a COVID pass message making the rounds with a link and a contact number, this is a SCAM.
If you would like your COVID pass you can get the NHS app and your COVID vaccines should be displayed on there.
Support your GP surgery so it can be there to support you
GPs and their teams have faced an extremely challenging time during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions have meant that face-to-face contact with patients has been limited in order to keep practice staff and patients safe.
The Support Your Surgery campaign provides GP practices with the tools to both manage expectations and to provide patients with the reality of issues facing general practice.
Alongside this, we have launched a petition calling on the UK Government to provide the urgent resourcing needed to increase the number of GPs in England. To find the petition please click here.
Patients can now self-refer to Linking Leeds.
Linking Leeds is a city-wide social prescribing service for anyone aged 16+ and registered to a GP surgery in Leeds. We are currently offering mixture of telephone and face-face appointments to link you with services and activities within your community to improve and maintain your health and wellbeing. This includes:
- Housing Matters
- Money Management Skills
- Meaningful activities
- Social activities
- Emotional and Mental Wellbeing
- Healthy Lifestyle
- Coronavirus support: If the spread of the coronavirus has left you feeling isolated, worried or without essentials including food and utilities.
You can make a self-referral via our online introduction form https://linkingleeds.com/. If you have any questions or additional support needs please contact us on 0113 336 7612.
We want to share with you some of the challenges and opportunities facing your local NHS and care services, and how you can continue to help us help you.
Pregnancy and having the covid vaccination.
It is important to have both doses of your COVID-19 vaccine to protect you and your unborn baby.
COVID-19 infection is currently circulating and can be serious for pregnant women.
Thousands of pregnant women have been safely vaccinated in the UK and worldwide.
COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years: Updated 15 July 2021
For for more information follow the link:
COVID-19 Update 19th July 2021
In line with government guidance patients are required to continue to wear a face covering in all healthcare settings after the 19th July 2021.
Your co-operation with this is appreciated.
Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Week
Cervical screening is important in the prevention of Cervical Cancer and saves lives. The test checks for HPV which you can find out more about at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/human-papilloma-virus-hpv.
We understand that there might be concerns over the safety of attending practice despite the easing of restrictions. We want to assure you that it is safe to attend practice for this important screening. The following link, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrQUAG2bNeQ, provides information on the safety measures in place to make sure it is safe for you to attend.
If you have a cervix, aged 25-49 and not had a cervical screening in the last 3 years or 50-64 and not had a cervical screening in the last 5 years, please contact us to make an appointment. This quick appointment every 3 or 5 years can save your life. Please contact us to arrange your cervical screening appointment or book online (if available).
National Data Opt-Out
Follow this link for full details on the national data opt-out scheme - www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters.
Please note we can only process a type 1 opt out in practice. To manage your national data opt-out choice follow the link above or call 0300 303 5678.
Proof of Vaccination Status
From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available from:
-
the NHS App which you can download from app stores
-
the NHS website (from 17 May 2021)
It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified so you can use these services.
If you cannot access these online services, and you have had 2 vaccines, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take 7 working days for the letter to arrive.
This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status.
When you're planning your travel, check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is time to get proof of your vaccination status before you leave.
Bank Holiday Opening Hours 2021
The surgery will be CLOSED for BANK HOLIDAY on:
- Friday 15th of April 2022
- Monday 18th of April 2022
- Monday 2nd of May 2022
- Thursday 2nd of June 2022
- Friday 3rd of June 2022
- Monday 29th of August 2022
- Monday 26th of December 2022
- Tuesday 27th of December 2022
- Monday 2nd of January 2023
So please make sure you:
- Stock up on your regular medications
- Order repeat prescriptions in plenty of time
- If you need oxygen, make sue you have an adequate supply
Click here to see pharmacy opening times during the Bank Holiday.
If you need urgent medical attention during the holiday period, call your normal surgery number and you will be directed to the out-of-hours service - 111
If you require health information or advice you can also:
Log on to NHS Choices online at www.nhs.uk
They will help you get you the right treatment.
Leeds-Wide TARGET Training Days
Our surgeries will be closed from 12 noon on the following day for mandatory staff training:
- 18th of January
- 8th of February
- 8th of March
Same day call-backs
If you need a call back from a GP on the same day, please call us before 9:30am. This helps us organise the day and action your request much faster.
Keep Up To Date With The Latest News
Have Your Say
Accessing Online Services
You can register for Online Services by clicking the link below:
- You can request a Prescription
- Make Appointments
- Access your Records