Practice News
You are invited to help celebrate 10 successful years of The Fair Exchange
Click on the link below for more details
The Fair Exchange - 10 yrs
Retirement News.....
The Surgery is sad to announce the retirement of one of our Partners Dr Duvenage who will be retiring in March, she has worked at the practice for 25 Years.
A little message from Dr Duvenage:
I would like to thank all the Staff and my GP Partners at Oulton, Swillington and Marsh Street surgeries for all their wonderful support over the years. We had so much fun! But also, a big thank you to the lovely people of Rothwell, Oulton and Swillington for making my life as a GP in this community really special and full of joy, a privilege! I loved coming to work every day and will miss you all!
Book your Cervical Screening
- Two women die every day from cervical cancer in England, yet it is one of the most preventable cancers and getting your screening can help stop it before it starts.
- Screening helps prevent cervical cancer by checking for a virus called high-risk HPV which causes nearly all cervical cancers. This is the best way to find out who is at higher risk of developing the cervical cell changes that over time could potentially lead to cervical cancer. Any cervical cell changes can be treated, preventing cervical cancer.
- But don’t be alarmed if you have HPV as it does not mean you have cervical cancer - HPV is a common virus that most people will get at some point during their lives.
- Women and people with a cervix aged 25-64 are eligible for screening. Those registered as female with their GP practice are invited for routine screening every three years if they are aged 25-49 and every five years if they are aged 50-64. Those registered as male will need to request an appointment from their GP or a local sexual health clinic.
- Life can be hectic and it's easy to let your cervical screening appointment fall to the bottom of your 'to do' list, but it only lasts a few minutes - it’s a few minutes that could save your life.
- For most women and people with a cervix, cervical screening tests are not painful. However, if you are worried that you may find the test uncomfortable, remember you are in control and can ask to stop at any time. If you are worried about it being uncomfortable, or you have found screening difficult in the past, talk to the nurse or doctor doing the test so they can give you the right support.
- If you're embarrassed about cervical screening then you're not alone. Talk to the nurse or doctor doing the test, who can help put you at ease.
- During COVID-19 your GP practice remains open and will offer cervical screening They have put in place safety measures to keep you safe during your cervical screening appointment.
Bank Holiday Opening Hours
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.
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:
- 8th of February (though our telephone lines will remain open for URGENT calls only) Routine queries - please call when we re-open the next day
- 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.
Changes to Repeat Prescription Requests
COVID-19 Vaccination Scam
Thursday 24th December
The practice has been made aware that some people have received fraudulent calls and text messages offering the COVID-19 vaccination.
The scammers are sadly targeting the most vulnerable members of our community.
People have either been asked to press a number on their keypad or to send a text message to confirm they want to receive the vaccine. Doing so is likely to result in a charge being applied to their phone bill. In other cases, people are being called and offered the vaccine for a fee and the caller is asking for bank details.
Please familiarise yourself with the information below to reduce the risk of being scammed.
The vaccine is only available from the NHS for free and you will be contacted you when it is your turn. If members of our team call you to offer an appointment, we will only ask you to confirm your name, address or date of birth to confirm your identity over the phone. We will never ask for bank details.
The NHS will:
- NEVER ask you to press a button on your keypad or send a text asking you to confirm you want the vaccine.
- NEVER ask for payment for the vaccine or for your bank details.
Our first COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic!
Saturday 19th December
On Saturday we successfully held our first COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Gibson Lane Practice. A big thank you to our lovely team members who volunteered their time this weekend to protect the most vulnerable members of our community. We are excited to continue this important work moving forward.
Reminder: Please do not call the surgery about the vaccination as patients will be contacted directly to arrange an appointment. For more information about the vaccine follow this link.
Important Patient Notice Regarding High Call Volumes
Message for all patients
We are currently experiencing an extraordinary number of calls to the surgery. In the hopes of reducing waiting times to speak to a receptionist please can we ask that, if your call is not urgent, you consider using our online e-consult service. Click here to be taken to the homepage. More information about eConsult can be found on the ‘how to make an appointment’ page of this website. For minor ailments please use the NHS choices website or speak with your local pharmacist for advice. We must triage our capacity for our most vulnerable patients and those patients needing urgent care. Thank you for your patience in these most difficult times and we assure you that every member of our team is, as always, working hard to deliver excellent patient care.
The surgery is still here for all our patients who need urgent care and we strongly recommend that if you have any new, worrying and unexplained symptoms you do call us.
Many thanks
Accessing our surgeries
Please use the following contact numbers to call us between 8am and 6pm:
Oulton Medical Centre - 0113 282 2138
Marsh Street Surgery - 0113 282 1571
Swillington Health Practice - 0113 287 1444
Patients can email the following address (please note this is not appropriate for anything urgent) - oulton.marshstreet@nhs.net
eConsult is still available to use also. Follow this link to find the homepage. Tell us about your health concerns, request a callback and send us your administrative requests. Once on the homepage, follow the appropriate links and you will be asked to fill out a guided form. This is sent directly and securely to us. You do not need to make an account or remember any passwords either. eConsult is a great way to get in touch with us about non-urgent issues without having to wait in a phone queue. It can be used between 8am and 2pm, Monday to Friday. We will action your submission in the appropriate way by the end of the following working day.
CUES - Coronavirus Urgent Eyecare Service
CUES is a new service which has launched in Leeds to help people access urgent and emergency eyecare. The service is free to access for all patients and will predominantly be delivered over the phone or via a video consultation.
Examples of when it is appropriate to access this service:
If you have any of the above symptoms you can visit the Primary Eyecare website to find which local optician is taking part in CUES. Or, ring your optician or GP, when your optician or GP is closed you can call NHS 111 (you can access NHS 111 online www.111.nhs.uk), they will assess the situation and if needed you will be referred into CUES. For further information about the service please see the youtube video below.
We Are Open!
Coronavirus has led to a number of changes for our practice but we’re very much open and seeing patients.
To help keep everyone safe and to minimise the risk of infection, we’re currently doing most consultations by phone or video; however, if we need to see you, then we will ask you to come to the surgery or arrange a home visit.
We’re also carrying out routine and preventative care such as cervical screening tests, children’s immunisations and reviews for people with existing health conditions. If you receive a reminder about any of these, please make an appointment – you’ll be seen in a safe environment.
When you book an appointment, we will ask you a set of questions to make sure you don’t have symptoms associated with coronavirus, including a new continuous cough, loss or change of sense of smell or taste and a high temperature.
We are dealing with all other requests as fast as we can, but please bear with us if some of these take a little longer than usual.
For the latest Covid-19 advice please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
In-Practice Guidelines
Please continue to maintain a 2 metre distance from others and follow signs at all times when attending the surgery.
Patients MUST speak to a receptionist using the intercom system on our main doors before entering the practice. Images can be found below under the title - 'What To Expect When You Visit Us'
Please arrive as close to your appointment time as possible to avoid unnecessary waiting in the surgery.
A face covering MUST be worn whilst in the building unless you have a clinical reason not to do so. You do not need to buy a surgical face mask online, a suitable covering can be made quickly and effectively at home. See the link below for more information:
https://www.gov.uk/…/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-cove…
These guidelines are in place to keep everyone safe and we thank you for your support.
New Health and Care Video Library
Staff at Dr Freeman & Partners are taking advantage of a new resource to make it easier for our patients to access trusted health information and guidance remotely.
As part of the COVID-19 response, NHSX (a joint unit bringing together teams from the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and NHS Improvement) have secured free access for NHS staff and patients to an online Health and Care Video Library of over 600 simple and easy to follow information videos.
The clinically assured content has been produced to cover a range of topics and conditions in an easily accessible format, providing an alternative to written health information.
Example topics include:
- Diabetes
- Healthy Living and Diet
- Maternity
- Inhaler Use and Breathing Problems
We are happy to share this resource with our patients and hope to use the content to enhance the support we provide and that they/you will find it helpful to access the simple and visual health information at any time.
To view the Health and Care Video Library
Visit www.healthandcarevideos.uk or search for ‘Health and Care Videos’ in your app store to download the app version (available on Android and iOS)
What To Expect When You Visit Us
If you haven't visited us since lockdown began, the practice will likely look a bit different. The main difference is that with strict social distancing guidelines in place, we have floor markers, posters and signs up all over the practice to help you know where to stand or sit during your time with us. Please follow these markers as closely as you can as well as respecting other patients and staff in the building by giving them plenty of space.
We are still trying to perform most of our work online or over the telephone but if you are invited into practice for an appointment this is what you will be asked to do:
- Please arrive at your given appointment time. We are doing everything we can to reduce wait times and you can help us with this by doing your best to arrive on time.
- We ask that you wear a face covering on entering the building - follow this link for guidance on how to make a cloth face covering at home.
- While waiting for your appointment please sit with plenty of distance from other patients.
Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe
We have intercom systems installed at all 3 surgeries as you can see in the image above. When you arrive for an appointment please press the silver button to speak to reception and they will be able to let you in if appropriate.
We have strict social distancing measures in place across the practice. Please follow guidance from signs, floor markers and posters to keep everyone safe. For example, you will see the following floor markers in practice. We will update patients if anything changes
We will do everything we can to reduce the number of patients in our waiting rooms at any given time. However, the social distancing guidelines apply to the seating areas too. Please help us keep everyone safe by only sitting where you can see the green stickers. The spaces inbetween must be kept clear.