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Norton Brook Coronavirus Update
29/04/20
Firstly, thank you for your support by following the stay at home and social distancing advice.
We have made a few changes to how patients access medical care, but we are still here for you when you need us!
At the moment, we are not pre-booking appointments with GPs and our front door is locked. Please call the practice on the day that you wish to talk to us. We are managing most issues over the phone where possible, instead of seeing patients face to face - this is both to protect you and the staff at the surgery. We may offer you a video consultation where necessary if you have a smart phone, which involves being sent a link by text message which then connects you to the doctor with very good video quality. Your phone must have an internet connection and a camera for this to work. If the doctor feels you need to be seen face to face, an appointment will be offered (or a visit if absolutely necessary). If you need to come in, we will ask you to wait in your car, not the waiting room, and will call you in when the doctor or nurse is ready. You will be greeted at the door by the doctor or nurse wearing PPE, and will be given a mask and escorted into the consulting room. You should not have any contact with any common surfaces or anyone else.
Our nurses are still looking after patients too, but where possible this will be done by telephone. We have allocated specific times, usually in the mornings, where we can see highly vulnerable shielded patients. By coming in to see our nurses for your necessary treatments you are helping to ease the pressure on the district nursing team.
We have maintained high standards of infection control and have not had a suspected case of Covid-19 entering the building. Anyone with potential Covid-19 has been seen in the car park with appropriate precautions. We consider the surgery to be a clean site and the risk of contracting Covid-19 in the practice is extremely low.
What to do if you have symptoms
Stay at home if you have either:
a high temperature of 37.8°c or above;
a new continuous cough;
- a loss of sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you're staying at home.
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:
you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
your condition gets worse
your symptoms do not get better after 7 days
Please only call 111 if you cannot get help online
Self Help
Local Delivery Services Available
If you are in need of supplies and are isolated or unwell during the COVID-19 crisis please consider using the following services to support you.
Devon Coronavirus Emergency Helpline
If you are isolating or in urgent need of essential food, medicine, care or social support and do not have family, friends or help from your local community please call this emergency number 03451 551011
Mental Health and Wellbeing
If you are currently struggling with your mental health as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, please consider using the following services to support you.
Resources for Children
Click the link for a child-friendly E-book, Coronavirus, A Book for Children
Norton Brook Medical Centre covers a large rural area in the South Hams; the practice boundary is a five mile radius around Kingsbridge. Our friendly team includes 9 GPs, 3 practice nurses, 2 HCAs and a phlebotomy team. Our non-clinical team consists of our practice manager and large helpful team of reception, administration and secretarial staff.
Data Sharing
The Practice may collect, hold and share information about you in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to plan and manage services, check that care is being provided and prevent COVID-19 from spreading.
Information about your COVID-19 status may be shared within the NHS and with other partners involved in your care and treatment, along with:
- NHS England
- NHS Digital
- Public Health England
- CCG
- The Department of Health
- Other Government Departments where it is legally required, or where it is necessary for the protection of public health or management of the outbreak.
We do not need your consent or agreement to do this.
More information can be found at https://digital.nhs.uk/news-and-events/latest-news/data-and-services-supporting-coronavirus and https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notifiable-diseases-and-causative-organisms-how-to-report
Read the GP Practice Transparency Notice here.
Norton Brook Privacy Notice Click link to access Practice's privacy notice which explains how we collect and use personal data
Access
Our surgery is accessible to patients using a wheelchair. We also provide free parking spaces outside our practice. This includes a number of dedicated disabled spaces which are reserved for patients displaying a disabled badge. All of our consulting rooms are based on the ground floor.
For the hard of hearing, we have a Hearing Loop. If any disabled patient has a problem getting access to the medical centre or using our facilities, we are anxious to be told.
Patient Participation Group
For more information please follow the link PPG
Norton Brook Patient Support and Transport
For more information please follow the link Patient Support
(Site updated 03/06/2020)