Practice Newsletter

Posted on June 23rd, 2020

During the last 3 months the practice has had to radically change the way in which we see and consult with patients. These changes have been implemented to keep our patients and our staff as safe as possible. The government have eased rules and lockdown arrangements but as I expect most of you will appreciate we are still in a very worrying time of managing the risks of what easing these restrictions could mean to our communities.

NHS England has published a standard operation procedure which Primary Care must comply with. A vital part of this procedure is to minimise footfall through the practice and to operate a “remote management” appointment system. This means for us and for our patients that prior to being seen by a Clinician you will be assessed in remote style, this could be via submitting an eConsult or by booking a telephone appointment. If the Clinician, after speaking to you, decides they would like to see you, they will either arrange a video consultation or ask you to come to an appointment.

The team here are doing everything they can to keep us all safe. Every decision made is in the best interest of our patients and our community.

This has been a very challenging time for all of us and we are so proud of our team here who have continued to work through every day of this pandemic. We would like to ask you all to respect this and hold onto this thought. Some practices have had to close, some have had to centralise some of their services, but we have done everything in our power to continue to run and deliver a local service by staff that you know. Whilst we appreciate the frustration and worry that this horrible situation brings (to us all) please remember, our staff are doing their best for you and unpleasant or abusive behaviour towards them will not be tolerated.

Below is some further information on online consulting that we thought you may find interesting.

As well as helping prevent the potential spread of Coronavirus, online consultations provide several additional benefits for patients.

Online consultations allow you to access a range of healthcare GP services through your smartphone, tablet or computer. This gives you a quick, convenient and simple alternative to visiting your surgery.

Online consultation involves filling out a form available via the practice website https://www.riversidesurgerywirral.nhs.uk/

You’ll be asked to answer some simple questions and add details about an existing condition or new symptoms.

You can also ask any administrative questions or queries and get information about how to treat yourself.

Once you’ve submitted the form, you’ll usually get a reply by the end of the next working day. This might be treatment advice, a phone consultation with the GP or to ask you to arrange a face-to-face appointment.

Four ways online consultations can make your life easier:

Online consultations offer a convenient alternative to visiting the GP practice and are rapidly increasing in popularity.

1.Save time

By consulting online, you don’t have to queue on the phone to make an appointment, and, because you get a response by the end of the next working day, you’ll quickly find out what care you need.

2. Avoid disruptions to your day

Many medical enquiries can be resolved without a face-to-face appointment. By consulting online, you’ll avoid these unnecessary disruptions to your day. That’s good news if you:

• • struggle to get time off work
  • care for others and can’t leave them alone
  • are housebound.

3. Use it any time

Online consultation forms can normally be filled out 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also complete them wherever you are – whether it’s your lunch break at work, on the train or in the comfort of your own home. If you have a health concern while you’re away, you can fill out a form rather than waiting until you come home. Please be aware if they are completed over the weekend or a Bank holiday they will be actioned with 24 hours of the next ‘Working’ day.

4. You’re in control

Online consultations help if you find it difficult talking about your symptoms face-to-face. This means you’re in control and don’t have to tell anyone else where you’re going.

Aside from the benefits they provide you, online consultations also allow us to make better use of GPs’ time and to prioritise the care of patients who need it most.

Here is how to you can consult with your GP online, in three easy steps.

1. Visit our website https://www.riversidesurgerywirral.nhs.uk/
2. Click on the orange ‘eConsult with your doctor online’ button and fill out the form. The form is simple and just takes just a few minutes to fill out.

You can use it to:

• • Ask about an existing condition or new symptoms (it’s important to include as much information about your symptoms as possible as this helps the clinician decide the next step)
  • Get information about your condition and how to treat yourself
  • Discuss a test result and request sick notes.
  • Any administrative queries

3. Get a quick response

Once you’ve submitted the form, your surgery will normally let you know the next step by the end of the next working day (excluding weekends and bank holidays). This might be advice on what to do next or your surgery may decide you need a face-to-face appointment.