News

Practice Closure – Wednesday 22nd December

From 12.30 – 18.30 on Wednesday 22nd December, this practice will be closed to support the COVID Vaccination Programme.

Emergency cover will be provided, please telephone 111 to access these services:

• Telephone triage

• Face-to-face appointments at Drovers House in Bury St Edmunds or Unity Healthcare (Greenfields Way), Haverhill

Our Pharmacy will be open as usual until 18.30.

COVID19 Vaccination Programme

For information regarding the COVID19 Vaccination Programme including eligibility and clinic dates, please click here

Supporting young people’s mental health Parent/ Carer Workshops

Drive Through Flu Vaccination Clinic for Patients aged 68 and over – Saturday 18th September

We look forward to seeing you all at our Drive Through Flu Vaccination Clinic this Saturday 18th September being held at the following address:

Woolpit Business Park, Synergy House Car Park (BUUK Infrastructure), , Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP30 9UP.

Please follow the signage on site and adhere to instructions given by marshals who will be carrying out checks and giving directions. Please stop for the marshals if they request you to do so. It would be very helpful if patients could arrive and depart in the direction of the flyover towards the A1088, which will help with traffic flow.

Please ensure that you bring your invitation letter/ tear off slip as proof of eligibility for the vaccination and adhere to the time slot stated on your letter.

Face coverings will need to be worn when receiving your vaccination.

*PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND THIS CLINIC IF YOU ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 68 AND HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN INVITATION*

Please note that if you have recently received your COVID-19 Vaccination within the past 7 days from Saturdays date, then unfortunately you will be unable to have your Flu Vaccination on Saturday.

We look forward to seeing you all then.

COVID-19 Treatment Study

 

Woolpit Health Centre Flu Clinics 2021

Patients aged 68 and over

We will be holding a Drive Through Flu Vaccination Clinic on Saturday 18^th September at Woolpit Business Park. Patients within this cohort will be receiving their letter invitation via post.

Patients aged 18 – 64 who are within the ‘at risk group’ – Appointments ONLY

Patients within this cohort are invited to attend our Flu Clinics here at the Health Centre on the following dates:

Tuesday 14^th September 14.00 – 17.30

Tuesday 21^st September 14.00 – 17.30

Wednesday 22^nd September 08.00 – 12.00

Patients aged 18 – 64 who are within the ‘at risk group’ include:

• Diabetes
• Chronic heart, kidney or liver disease
• Weakened immune system
• Severe asthma or chronic respiratory disease
• Transplant patient
• Coeliac disease or sickle cell disease
•  Cochlear implants
•  Spleen removal/splenic dysfunction
• All pregnant women
• Main carers, or in receipt of carers allowance
• BMI over 40 (16 yrs+)
• Learning disabilities
• High-risk category for developing complication from COVID-19 infection
• Chronic neurological disease (such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, stroke and transient ischaemic attacks, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, MS)

Children aged 2 – 3 years old – Appointments ONLY

Patients within this cohort are invited to attend our Flu Clinics here at the Health Centre on the following dates:

Monday 20^th September 15.00 – 18.00

Thursday 20^th September 14.00 – 18.00

Monday 27^th September 14.00 – 18.00

Thursday 30^th September 14.00 – 18.00

We are currently experiencing a high call volume therefore we ask for appointments to be booked online via patient access where possible.

Please note that availability of appointments will be on a first come, first served basis.

COVID-19 vaccination of children and young people aged 12 to 17 years: 4 August 2021

You may have seen the news that the NHS is going to vaccinate children and young people in specific groups, following advice from the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation).

The groups that are eligible for the vaccination are:

• 17-year-olds that are within 3 months of turning 18;
• 12-15-year olds‘at risk’ with the underlying health conditions specified below:

Severe neuro-disabilities

Down’s Syndrome

Underlying conditions resulting in immunosuppression,

Those with profound and multiple learning disabilities, severe learning disabilities or who are on the learning disability register

Children and young people aged 12 years and over who are household contacts of persons (adults or children) who are immunosuppressed should be offered two doses of Pfizer-BNT162b2 vaccine on the understanding that the main benefits from vaccination are related to the potential for indirect protection of their household contact who is immunosuppressed. The offer of vaccination may help to alleviate stress and anxiety experienced by the children and young people living in these difficult circumstances. This advice is provided recognising that persons who are immunosuppressed are at higher risk of serious disease from COVID-19 and may not generate a full immune response to vaccination themselves.

If your child aged 12 to 15 and is in one of the eligible groups, we will contact you by early September to invite you to book appointments for them for the vaccination.

Face Coverings withing Healthcare Settings – July 2021

The government announced that legal restrictions requiring the public to wear face coverings indoors will be eased from 19 July along with rules concerning social distancing and the number of people you can meet indoors.

Health and care leaders say while restrictions are being eased in some public places, strict infection control measures need to be followed in healthcare settings.

This will reduce the risk of vulnerable people from becoming infected and help prevent Covid-19 outbreaks that could result in the temporary closure of a surgery.

As such patients and visitors to GP practices across Suffolk and north east Essex will be required to wear face coverings.  Any patient who fails to observe these protocols will be asked to do so.

Treating all patients, especially those who are clinically extremely vulnerable, in a clinically safe environment is our top priority and we will do everything we can to ensure this happens.

It will remain a legal requirement for people to self-isolate if they test positive or are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace.  Please therefore stay away from the practice if you do test positive for Covid.

Outpatient Phlebotomy Service West Suffolk Hospital

 

Did you know, you can now collect your free Lateral Flow Test kits at the Woolpit Health Centre Pharmacy?

About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can still infect others.

Getting tested regularly is the only way to know if you have the virus. If people test positive and self-isolate, it helps stop the virus spreading.

The test for people without symptoms of COVID-19 is called a rapid lateral flow test.

This usually involves rubbing a long cotton bud (swab) over your tonsils (or where they would have been) and inside your nose.

The test can give you a result in 30 minutes. If your result is positive, you must book a PCR swab test to confirm the diagnosis by visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling NHS 119. You must also isolate as a household until your results are available.

Lateral flow tests are not recommend for people who have COVID-19 symptoms (new onset of a cough, fever, loss of smell or taste) and a PCR swab test will need to be requested instead.

Please speak to a member of our Pharmacy Team to request your Lateral Flow Test kit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Terracycle Medicine Packet Recycling Programme

You can now recycle your empty medicine blister packets at Woolpit Health Centre Pharmacy. Simply bring your empty blisters to the pharmacy and we will recycle them for you. Please note that this is not a replacement for the Disposal of unwanted medicines service, and this only applies to EMPTY blisters. By sending off these packets for recycling, we will gain Terra Points which can be redeemed into financial donations for a chosen charity or school. More information can be found here https://www.terracycle.com/en-GB/brigades/medicine-packet-uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Information from the National Primary Care Covid-19 Vaccination Programme – AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and blood clots

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said the available evidence does not suggest that blood clots in veins (venous thromboembolism) are caused by the COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca. This follows a detailed review of report cases as well as data from hospital admissions and GP records. This has been confirmed by the Government’s independent advisory group, the Commission on Human Medicines, whose expert scientists and clinicians have also reviewed the available data.

A further detailed review into five UK reports of a very rare and specific type of blood clot in the cerebral veins (sinus vein thrombosis) occurring together with lowered platelets (thrombocytopenia) is ongoing. This has been reported in fewer than 1 in a million people vaccinated so far in the UK and can also occur naturally – a causal association with the vaccine has not been established.

The MHRA’s advice remains that the benefits of being vaccinated continue to outweigh any risks and that the public should continue to get their vaccine when invited to do so.

The European Medicines Agency has concluded their review and stated that the benefits of vaccination still outweigh the risks despite a possible link to rare cerebral blood clots with low blood platelets. A review into whether the vaccine could be the cause of this rare type of cerebral blood clot alongside low blood platelets is ongoing and the EMA, working alongside the MHRA, will continue to investigate this.

Information for patients and the public

• Thrombotic events in veins are common in the general population and have not previously been associated with vaccination.
• From the millions of people already vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine, there is no evidence of an increased incidence of blood clots in veins (DVT) higher than that seen in the general population.
• There are no confirmed issues related to any batch of vaccine used across Europe, or the rest of the world. Additional testing has, and is, being conducted by AstraZeneca and independently by European health authorities and none of these re-tests have shown cause for concern.
• The MHRA is advising, as a precautionary measure, that anyone vaccinated who develops a headache that lasts for more than 4 days after vaccination or if they develop any bruising beyond the site of vaccination after a few days, should seek medical attention.
• Mild flu-like symptoms remain one of the most common side effects of any COVID-19 vaccine, including headache, chills and fever. These generally appear within a few hours and resolve within a day or two, and not everyone gets them.

 

 Goodbye Dr Martin

We sadly say goodbye to Dr Martin who left the Health Centre on the 9th February 2021. She has been a fantastic addition to our team and we wish her the very best for the future.

Welcome Dr Hopkins-Jones

Dr Hopkins-Jones joined the Health Centre in February 2021 and will be holding surgeries on Mondays and Wednesdays.

COVID Vaccine Scam Alert

Sadly, we have been made aware of numerous different scams relating to COVID vaccinations.

The COVID vaccine will always be available free of charge and the NHS will never ask you to share your bank details to confirm your identity or ask you to pay for a vaccine.

We kindly ask that you make your elderly or vulnerable friends and family aware of this.

COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out

Please click here for further information and updates regarding the COVID-19 vaccine for people living in Essex and Suffolk.

Roadworks Information – From Saturday 5th December 2020

*Planned Road Works affecting Heath Road, Church Road, Elmswell Road, Old Stowmarket Road*

We have been notified that there will be planned road works and a limited number of overnight closures from Saturday 5th December. Please be aware that this may cause potential disruptions and delays to your journey to the Health Centre. Please visit https://www.suffolk.gov.uk/…/road…/roadworks-in-suffolk/ for further information

 Roadworks Information

We have been notified of some works being carried out at the road crossing and pedestrian entrance to the Health Centre.

This should begin within the next week and take approximately a week to complete. The contractors have confirmed pedestrian access will not be affected.

Thank you.

CCG Shutdown Event – 4th November – REMINDER

PRACTICE CLOSURE FOR STAFF TRAINING

From 12:30 to 18:30 on Wednesday 4th November, the practice will be closed for important clinical education and training purposes:

Emergency cover will be provided, please telephone 111 to access these services:

Telephone triage

Face-to-face appointments at Drovers House

Repeat prescription requests will not be dealt with during these times so please ensure sufficient notice is given to enable your practice to provide these for you prior to practice closure dates.

Thank you.

CCG Shutdown Event – 4th November

PRACTICE CLOSURE FOR STAFF TRAINING

From 12:30 to 18:30 on Wednesday 4th November, the practice will be closed for important clinical education and training purposes:

Emergency cover will be provided, please telephone 111 to access these services:

• Telephone triage
• Face-to-face appointments at Drovers House

Repeat prescription requests will not be dealt with during these times so please ensure sufficient notice is given to enable your practice to provide these for you prior to practice closure dates.

Flu – Final Reminder

Dear all,

This is a final reminder to ensure patients are aware of what they are required to bring along and where they need to be.

Firstly, please only arrive if you telephoned to book an appointment. We will have two checks along the route to ensure patients have a valid appointment. If you have not booked an appointment, you will be turned away.

Please ensure you have your letter/slip with you. The only necessary part is the bottom half of the letter. Without this letter, we will be unable to vaccinate you. If you arrive without the letter, you will be asked to retrieve it. Please ensure you are wearing a face covering when speaking with marshals or clinicians.

The flu clinic will be taking place in the rear car park of BUUK Infrastructure, Windmill Avenue, Woolpit Business Park, IP30 9UP. There is signage at the entrance of the Business Park and throughout. There will also be marshals along the route carrying out checks and giving directions. Please stop for the marshals if they request you to do so. It would be very helpful if patients could arrive and depart in the direction of the flyover towards the A1088, which will help with traffic flow.

Finally, we ask for your patience on the day. This is a large-scale project for us, which has never been attempted before. The planning of the clinic has been carried out with patient safety at the centre throughout. We will administer the vaccinations as quickly and safely as possible to ensure wait times are kept to a minimum.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow.

Thank you.

Flu – 2nd Reminder

As per yesterday’s reminder, we will be unable to vaccinate any patients who do not bring their slip/letter along with them. We are also unable to vaccinate any patients who have not booked an appointment.

We will implement a cut-off of 14:00 for patients to contact us for an additional copy of their invitation letter.

Please do not attend the clinic site (BUUK Car Park) if you have not booked an appointment, or if you are not in possession of your letter/slip.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday.

Flu – REMINDER

Please ensure you bring your invite letter (including barcode) along to the clinic on Saturday. Any patient who does not bring their letter along will NOT receive a vaccination. We need the physical copy and not a photograph of the barcode.

If you have lost your letter, please get in touch with us or email the team on wsccg.woolpit@nhs.net and we can resend/reprint the letter.

The address for the clinic is as follows:

BUUK Infrastructure, Windmill Avenue, Woolpit, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP30 9UP.

Please do not arrive on the day if you have not booked an appointment in advance as we will not have any vaccines for you.

Thank you.

Flu – Text Message

Dear all,

We have been notified of a text message sent over the weekend confirming an appointment time for Saturday’s flu clinic.

Please ignore the text message and arrive at the time booked with our Receptionist.

We will send another text message asking patients to ignore the original message for those that do not have access to the website or social media.

Apologies for the confusion.

Thank you.

Flu Update – IMPORTANT:

Please be advised that we have now exhausted our stock of the vaccine for 18-64 year olds.

Only those who have booked an appointment will be accepted at the drive-through, therefore it is vitally important that only those who have booked an appointment arrive on the day. Any patients who arrive and have not booked an appointment will be refused entry.

Those that have booked MUST bring their slip with them otherwise they will be refused a vaccination.

We are waiting for further updates as to when we are able to access further vaccines, therefore please monitor the website/social media for further updates.

Thank you.

Flu Update – IMPORTANT:

Please be advised that we have now exhausted our stock of the over 65 flu vaccine.

Only those who have booked an appointment will be accepted at the drive-through, therefore it is vitally important that only those who have booked an appointment arrive on the day. Any patients who arrive and have not booked an appointment will be refused entry.

Those that have booked MUST bring their slip with them otherwise they will be refused a vaccination.

We are waiting for further updates as to when we are able to access further vaccines, therefore please monitor the website/social media for further updates.

Thank you.

Flu Line Issue – UPDATE

We have managed to implement the call queue which should eradicate any further issues. We will keep this line open until next Friday in order to ensure all patients have adequate opportunity to book their flu vaccination.

Thank you for your continued patience.

Flu Clinic

Thank you.

CCG Shutdown Event – 22nd September (Final Reminder)

PRACTICE CLOSURE FOR STAFF TRAINING

From 12:30 to 18:30 on Tuesday 22nd September 2020, this practice will be closed for important clinical education and training purposes:

Emergency cover will be provided, please telephone 111 to access these services:

• Telephone triage
• Face-to-face appointments at Drovers House

Repeat prescription requests will not be dealt with during these times so please ensure sufficient notice is given to enable your practice to provide these for you prior to practice closure dates.

Patient Photographs

28 July 2020

As we need to minimise contact as much as possible, we are conducting as many of our appointments remotely as possible. This means that we will not be able to examine you the same way we would if we were face to face. To help with this sometimes it can help to receive an image to help establish diagnosis, and aid assessment.

Sending an image is optional, particularly if it is of an intimate nature. If you feel uncomfortable or under pressure then please know that there are other options available. You can request a face to face examination if you would prefer. It is important to know that refusing to share an image does not prevent you from accessing care and treatment and it will not result in you receiving an inferior standard of care.

If you do send an image this will only be viewed by those involved in your direct care. This may include administrative staff who may be triaging.

The image will only be used for the purposes of providing your direct care. It cannot be used for any other purpose without express permission from you. There may be times when your doctor needs to share your image with another clinician, perhaps for a second opinion. Again, this will not be done unless they have your express permission.

The image may be saved to your clinical record. This may be because it may be needed again in the future. If this concerns you and you would rather the image was not saved to your record please speak to your doctor. If it is stored, it will be kept as part of your clinical record and will be destroyed, along with the rest of your record, ten years after your death.

Face Coverings

17 July 2020

Important reminder

Please remember that when you visit Woolpit Health Centre , we require all visitors to wear a face covering that protects your mouth and nose. This could be a mask that you have bought, a scarf or a homemade face covering. These measures are in place to reduce the risk of infection and to protect other patients and our staff during these challenging times.

NHS Diabetes Advice Helpline

5th June 2020 

NHS England and NHS Improvement have launched a new helpline in response to disruption to normal diabetes services due to the COVID-19 pandemic and response.

The service is for adults living with diabetes who use insulin to manage their condition and require immediate clinical advice.

Whether you or a member of your household have caught the virus, or routine care has been disrupted, the helpline is available for immediate clinical advice to help you understand how to effectively manage their diabetes.

You can access NHS Diabetes Advice via Diabetes UK’s support line on 0345 123 2399 Monday-Friday 09:00-18:00.

Face Coverings

4th June 2020

Following new guidance anyone coming to the surgery for an appointment must wear a face covering. Please do not purchase surgical masks as this may cause a shortage for clinicians.

Carers Week

3rd June 2020

Carers’ Week is 08-14 June 2020. Are you a carer? Am I? Is your colleague?

Carers don’t wear a badge and may not even label their role, but they’re vital to our world. This Carers’ Week, recognise our county’s carers for the role they play in our homes and communities. Have a look at what’s going on here

Join a COVID-19 Clinical Trail

1st June 2020

The PRINCIPLE trial aims to find treatments that reduce hospital admission and improve symptoms for people with COVID-19. You could be eligible to join if:

• You have had these symptoms for fewer than 15 days
  • A continuous new or worsening cough
  • A high temperature
• You are aged 50 to 64 with a pre-existing illness
• You are aged 65 and above

Find out more here.

Antibody Testing

1st June 2020

In line with national guidance, antibody testing (to see if you have had Coronavirus) will be rolled out in Suffolk and North East Essex in a safe and phased way. It has begun with NHS hospital staff.

We will keep you updated as to when this test is available to different staff and patient groups. Meanwhile, please may we request that you do not ask your GP about availability or adding the test onto routine bloods, as it is currently not available. This will help us to help you with all other urgent calls.

We will make an announcement as soon as we can.

Pharmacy

28th May 2020

A reminder that our pharmacy is still open and fully stocked for any over the counter medication that you may need.

Bank Holiday Opening – Friday 8th May

4th May 2020

Woolpit Health Centre (and other practices in Suffolk) will be open on Friday 8th May.

We will be running a small than normal team but please contact the surgery by phone for any urgent problems.

Woolpit Health Centre will be open from 08:00 to 18:30 and the Pharmacy will be open from 08:30 to 18:30.

Reminder – Saturday Surgery Suspended

24th April 2020

A reminder that, until further notice, there will be no Saturday emergency surgery at Woolpit Health Centre.

This is to reduce the risk to our staff and patients and to help us manage staff absence.

The pharmacy will be open on Saturday morning (as per our normal hours) offering standard pharmacy services and medication advice – if you need clinical advice or medical help over the weekend then please call NHS 111 (or use online NHS resources). In a medical emergency dial 999.

Computers Back Online

24th April 2020 – 15.53

Our computer network is now back online and we have full access to our systems once again. Thank you for your patience this afternoon.

IT Failure – Update

24th April 2020 – 14.31

Our IT provider is continuing to deal with our computer failure as an urgent priority but we have been advised it may take several hours until the issue is resolved.

Our phone lines are operational but without access to records we can only offer basic assistance. Please only contact us if you have an urgent problem you need help with immediately – NHS 111 will also be able to offer assistance.

Further updates will follow.

In an emergency please dial 999.

IT Failure – Update

24th April 2020 – 13.21

The practice computer system is still down following a network failure.

Our IT provider is dealing with this as an urgent priority. Thank you for your patience.

If your call will wait please try us later. In an emergency dial 999.

IT Failure

24th April 2020 – 12.05

We are currently experiencing a surgery-wide computer failure. This is being investigated and will be resolved as soon as possible. If you are planning to contact us today and your call can wait then please leave it until later.

In a medical emergency please dial 999.

Further updates to follow.

Reminder – Saturday Surgery Suspended

17th April 2020

A reminder that, until further notice, there will be no Saturday emergency surgery at Woolpit Health Centre.

This is to reduce the risk to our staff and patients and to help us manage staff absence.

The pharmacy will be open on Saturday morning (as per our normal hours) offering standard pharmacy services and medication advice – if you need clinical advice or medical help over the weekend then please call NHS 111 (or use online NHS resources). In a medical emergency dial 999.

We do have a team of our staff on call who are ready to help local services at the weekend if things get very busy: as we were asked to open over the Easter weekend. If this happens then we will make announcements via social media.

Easter Opening

09 April 2020

NHS England has asked all GP surgeries in England to open on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Woolpit Health Centre (and many other practices in Suffolk) have decided we will be open all Easter weekend.

We will be running a smaller than normal team but please contact the surgery by phone FOR URGENT PROBLEMS that won’t wait until after the bank holiday weekend.

The health centre and pharmacy will be open from 8am to 6.30pm on Good Friday, Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday.

Delivering Prescriptions to Vulnerable Patients

08 April 2020

If you are self-isolating or you are classified as a vulnerable patient, please make this clear when you are ordering your prescription. We have a team of volunteers in our surrounding villages who we will be able to put you in touch with to get your prescription delivered.

Suffolk Constabulary Fraud and Scam Warning

25th March 2020

Suffolk constabulary have reminded all residents to remain extra vigilant from scammers and fraudsters during these unpredictable times.

Sadly there are people who are hoping to use the current public health emergency to take advantage of vulnerable people. Examples include calls from people posing as healthcare workers claiming to be testing for the virus, selling masks or offering to collect shopping and taking money.

Suffolk constabulary give the following advice:

• Only accept help from people you know and / or trust. Never deal with unexpected cold callers
• You do not have to agree to anything you don’t feel comfortable with
• Police, health workers and others will not and do not call at your house to test for coronavirus or ask for money regarding investigations
• Check the person calling at your door has valid identification, even if they are dressed in uniform
• Do not transfer any money across to someone who calls you over the phone, banks will not ask for your personal security details
• Do not trust anyone asking for money transfers or cash over the phone
• Do not make shopping purchases from a company or person you do not know and trust. Use a credit card to pay to protect yourselves.

If you feel in immediate danger call 999 or if you know someone is vulnerable and has been a victim of fraud, please contact Suffolk Constabulary on 101 or Action Fraud at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.

Updated Government Guidance

23rd March 2020

The government has, this evening, stepped up the strength of its guidance on what the population needs to do to limit the spread of Covid-19.

The single most important action we can all take to limit the spread of the virus, to protect the wider community and to help the NHS cope is to stay at home.

Do not leave home unless it is absolutely essential; for example to buy food, for medical reasons or for essential work. The government also will permit people to undertake one episode of exercise outside the home per day (alone or with other members of household).

*New* COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information Page

20th March 2020

We have published a dedicated information page regarding COVID-19 for our patients today. We hope it is a useful resource and answers some common questions.

Saturday Surgery Suspended

20th March 2020

Until further notice we regret that there will be no Saturday emergency surgery at Woolpit Health Centre.

This is to reduce the risk to our staff and patients and to help us manage staff absence.

The pharmacy will be open on Saturday morning as per normal hours offering standard pharmacy services and medication advice – if you need clinical advice or medical help over the weekend then please call NHS 111 (or use online NHS resources). In a medical emergency dial 999.

Link Worker Appointments Cancelled

20th March 2020

Our partner organisation Suffolk Wellbeing has advised us that all face to face appointments in primary care have been cancelled until further notice.

If you had an appointment booked with our Link Worker (Mental Health Nurse) Sarah Miller then this has been cancelled as of today – Reception and/or Suffolk wellbeing will contact affected patients to let them know.

If you are in need of psychological support (whether you had a Link Worker appointment or not) then please contact Suffolk Wellbeing directly on their website or call them on 0300 123 1503 to discuss what they can offer to help.

Staff Absence and Prescription ordering

19th March 2020

We currently have members of our team off work as a result of being unwell or self-isolating. This clearly affects our ability to maintain our service. Please be patient with staff who are doing their very best.

We are receiving very large numbers of requests for medication – much more than we would normally expect. Many of the requests are a long way ahead of when they are due. Please DO NOT order medication too soon and please do not stockpile. Patients who are ordering too much or too early are putting the health of others at risk.

Prescription Information

16th March 2020

Due to the increase in the number of prescription requests received in the last few days, our team are now working on a 72 hour turnaround for the foreseeable future.

Our staff continue to work tirelessly to ensure prescriptions are fulfilled in a timely manner, but please bear this in mind when handing in your requests.

Important Notice

COVID-19 Update

We are now in the delay phase of the UK’s response to COVID-19. This entails significant changes to how cases of COVID-19 are being identified and managed.

If you have a new continuous cough or a high temperature (of 37.8° or higher) you should stay  at home and self-isolate for 7 days from the onset of symptoms.

If you have serious symptoms that you cannot manage at home you should use NHS 111 online (or call NHS 111 if you cannot get online).

After 7 days of self-isolation, if you feel better and no longer have a high temperature you can return to your normal routine. If you have not had any signs of improvement after 7 days and you have not already sought medical advice, you should use NHS 111 online (or call NHS 111 if you cannot get online) before you leave your home or let visitors in.

For more information please click here.

Booking Appointments Online

6th March 2020

Important Message:

Following guidance received from NHS England, we have taken the decision to remove the online appointment booking service as a safety precaution to minimise the risk to patients and staff of contracting COVID-19.

Appointments can be made by telephoning 01359 240 298 and selecting option 2.

Telephone System **Update 03/02/20**

The telephone system is currently working, however BT are still investigating a wider scale problem which may lead to some intermittent disruption. We appreciate your continued patience.

Telephone System

We are currently experiencing issues with our telephone lines. This is an external fault and we are receiving updates from our telecoms providers regarding a solution.

We appreciate your patience during this time. If you require medical assistance, please call 111.

Further updates will be issued as we receive more information.

Operational Support Manager

We are delighted to announce that Jess Gaskell will be joining us on Monday 27th January 2020. Jess was previously the Reception Manager at another Practice in Suffolk.

Charity Bake Sale

Amy Hills, Dispenser at Woolpit Health Centre, kindly organised a charity bake sale to raise funds for Target Ovarian Cancer. Staff from the Pharmacy baked a variety of cakes and savouries for staff to donate and fill their plates, particularly Dr McCann!

The total raised by Amy and the team was £235 – well done to all involved!

15/11/19

Patient Survey

Thank you to all of those that took part in our survey; we are very pleased with the results. We have read all of the feedback and will use this to help further tailor our services to our patients in future.

01/11/19

Breast Screening Unit

The breast screening unit will be onsite throughout September in order to help maintain the excellent uptake of breast screening for our patients. Naturally this has a knock-on effect on availability of spaces in the car park. If patients who are able to use other methods of transport, where possible or park off site, as our staff are, to enable frail or vulnerable patients to use the car park we would appreciate it. Please bear with us.

01/09/19

Building Works – Update

The second phase of the building works is in it’s final stages and should be completed by the end of December. Our contractor will be moving their compound next week to ensure that the breast screening unit (see above) will not impact on parking in addition.

Access routes around the Health Centre may alter from time to time in the next few weeks – please be patient as we finalise improving our facilities to benefit all our staff and patients.

We look forward to a grand unveiling in the near future – watch this space!

21/11/18

Automated 24 hour Telephone Booking

Due to low rates of use by our patients we have made the decision to withdraw automated 24 hour telephone booking of appointments. This will be effective from December 2018. Patients will continue to be able to book appointments 24 hours a day, as well as requesting medications and viewing selections from their medical records, using the Patient Access system via this website. If patients require access to this system then please contact our reception team for assistance.

14/11/18

Building Works

The works to improve and extend our facilities are well underway with Phase 1 having reached completion at the beginning of August 2018. This phase used an unused courtyard space to create a new Nursing Treatment Room and extend the Waiting Room along with creating a new integrated ‘Admin Hub’

Phase 2 will result in the creation of an Urgent Care Suite to physically separate Routine and emergency appointments to help patient in navigating the growing building and to ensure the right mix of clinicians working as a team along with the correct equipment to deliver our Emergency surgery. The entire project is programmed for completion in October 2018

SMS and E-Mail

To help to remind patients about their appointments and possibly in the future inform patients of Health Centre updates or test results we would like your permission to send you information by SMS or E-Mail.

We hope in the first instance this will help to reduce the number of appointments that patients forget to attend or cancel. This would of course enable us able to offer these appointments to other patients

If you are happy to be contacted please fill in the form below and bring it to reception or email it to

wsccg.woolpit@nhs.net

Woolpit Health Centre SMS Consent Form

Goodbye to Dr Riches

Dr Riches left the Health Centre on 17th January. She has been a fantastic addition to our team and we very much hope she enjoys her new role in the East of the county. The staff hope our patients will join her in wishing her the very best for the future.

Christmas Prescriptions

• Are you worrying about getting your medicines over
• the Festive Period?
• Please don’t panic!

Every year the number of requests for prescriptions nearly doubles over the Christmas and New Year period. This leads to a lots of strain on our fantastic Pharmacy and dispensary staff as they try to keep up. This is turn leads to longer queues and waits for patients – something none of us want. Please help us to help you.

Woolpit Health Centre is open as normal over the Holiday period, apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

You can use the ‘managed repeat’ system or the 24 hour collection point if this makes it easier for you.

Please speak to staff for details

Everyone at Woolpit Health Centre would like to wish our patients a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Social Media

Follow us on social media to join in on conversations and keep up to date with the latest information.

Our social media sites are administered by staff and monitored during normal office hours – they are not routinely monitored 24/7. If you require medical assistance you can contact us on 01359 240298.  Always dial 999 in an emergency.

• Woolpit Health Centre Twitter feed – twitter.com/woolpithealth

For advice, guidance and full details of our social media policy click the link below:

Woolpit Health Centre Social Media Policy

Social Media Guidelines

We reserve the right to remove any comments or block accounts that breach our social media guidelines.

Our social media guidelines are:

1.  Do not use social media to ask for medical assistance or make a complaint.
2.  Do not post messages or comments that are deemed to be any of the following:

•  abusive
•  defamatory
•  harassing
•  harmful
•  libellous
•  racially offensive
•  sexually offensive
•  unlawful
•  spam

3.    Do not swear.

4.    Do not make offensive remarks about someone else.

Dr Shephard’s Retirement

Dr Shephard retired on Friday 11 August 2017.  We will miss her and wish her a long and happy retirement.

Dr Nicola Martin, who some patients may recall from her previous time here when she was completing her general practice training will be joining us in October 2017.

We will also be welcoming Dr Victoria Wilson in October.

We will release further details of their surgery days nearer the time.

April 2017 Patient Newsletter

The Patient Newsletter April 2017 is now available

Goodbye Dr Pearson, Hello Dr James

Dr Pearson retired on 16th September 2016 after 32 years at Woolpit Health Centre. We are sure that he will be much missed by all the staff and patients.

Dr Pearson’s named patients will be transferred to our new doctor, Dr Daniel James who joins us from his training in London. Dr James will be holding surgeries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

Farewell to Dr Aung

Dr Aung retired on the 1st April 2016 after 28 years at the Health Centre. We wish his a long and happy retirement. All the staff and patients will miss him greatly.

Dr Shephard will become the named GP for those who used to be on Dr Aung’s list, however patients remain able to see whichever doctor they wish.

Patient Newletters

Click here to view our Winter 2015 Newsletter
Click here to view our Winter 2014 Newsletter

Practice Accreditation Award Evening

Our award was presented to the staff by Dr Dan Poulter MP, Minister for Health and Dr Arthur Hibble of the RCGP.

Drug Driving Law

The law regarding drivers found to be over the limit for driving for certain prescription drugs has changed. Drivers can now be prosecuted from driving under the influence of prescription drugs as well as illegal drugs. This should not usually affect those taking the prescribed amount of their medication.

Talk to your doctor about whether you should drive if you’ve been prescribed any of the following drugs:

• amphetamine, eg dexamphetamine or selegiline
• clonazepam
• diazepam
• flunitrazepam
• lorazepam
• methadone
• morphine or opiate and opioid-based drugs, eg codeine, tramadol or fentanyl
• oxazepam
• temazepam

Further details can be found here