We are closed. Call 111 for urgent advice out of hours.
PLANNED CLOSURE FOR URGENT BOOK ON THE DAY OR EMERGENCIES: Wednesday 13th March FROM 12PM ONWARDS TRAVEL VACCINES: Do you need vaccinations for travel? Planned closure for Emergencies from 12pm onwards New entrance to the practice PLANNED CLOSURE FOR TRAINING: Wednesday 24th January from 12pm-6.30pm Update on our Pilot on Access 22/1/2024 Reduction in waiting times and improving access Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year Children in Need 2023 THE NHS APP AND ACCESS TO YOUR ONLINE RECORDS
Update on our services following announcement of third lockdown as a result of COVID-19 6.1.2021
Following the annoucement by the Prime Minister regarding a third lockdown from the 6th January for a minimum of six weeks we would like to reassure all our patients that we are making no new changes to the way we currently work.
Our practice remains open for face-to-face appointments PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL YOUR APPOINTMENT.
Please rest assured we continue to see patients who need to be seen every day and have done so since the beginning of the outbreak. Our doors may be closed but all you need to do is call us and we will do all that we can to help you.
Nurse appointments (blood tests, wound dressing, smear tests, ear irrigation clinics, baby clinics and immunisations)
Making appointments
Appointments requests can be made via the patient access APP or email by simply sending an email to portcullis.surgery@nhs.net or by calling the reception team as usual on 01584 872 939. The reception team will then book your appointment directly (for smears, bloods, dressings etc) or can book an initial telephone call with a nurse or Doctor who then consults you and decides if a telephone call, video consultation or photo will be enough to assess the medical problem or if a face to face appointment is needed. Usually the face to face appointment will be on the same day as your call.(Dr Beanland is demonstrating this service with a member of staff with full consent for this photo)
Extra provision to our nursing home, residential and hospital patients.
We continue to offer a telephone and video-consulation service to all our vulnerable patients in care homes. We have instigated alternate week phone calls and video consultations in order to continue providing high quality care to our residents while minimising the number of visits needed to the home. In addition we continue to provide enhanced services to patients at the hospital.
Increased use of email for electronic prescribing
We are now managing all prescriptions either via the national Patient Access online service, or the Shropshire POD telephone or email service. You can nominate a family member to order medicines on your behalf on both these services. To register for Patient Access please call our practice or visit our website. To access the POD service please call POD on 0333 583509 e-mail: shropshire.pod@nhs.net If you still have problems please call us or email us and we will do what we can to help you.
Hot room for seeing patients with possible COVID-19 symptoms
If patients with possible Covid-19 symptoms, need to be seen in person, our practice has a room to see these patients. With the help of local builders we opened up a separate entrance to our practice directly into a “hot room” in order to assess these patients safely and separately from other patients coming into the practice. We have worked with local suppliers in order to ensure we have the PPE we need and clinicians wear a facemask, apron and gloves for every face to face appointment. Our practice has also helped to organise a hot hub in Shrewsbury for patients to drive in and have an assessment in their cars, should this become necessary in the future.
Special reserved appointment times for our Shielded patients
In order to reassure our Shielded patients and allow them to access their medical care as normal, we have set aside specific slots early in the morning and at lunchtimes for these patients to be seen at the practice safely and separately from other patients if we cannot manage their care in other ways. In addition, only specific doctors and nurses see these patients and they do not see patients with Covid-19 symptoms at all. All our shielded patients have been sent a detailed letter from the practice this week with information about services. We have also allocated each high-risk patient a named nurse so they have someone to speak to about any medical concerns and give them advice about help they can access in the area.
Increased visiting capacity for patients unable to come in who need to be seen
Many of our patients would normally come to see us with their relatives but are currently not able to do so as their relative is unwell or self-isolating or unable to travel to see them. Many can be managed over the phone with the help of their carers but some need to be seen so we have worked with our nursing and doctor team and are now providing increased capacity for visits if needed for patients who cannot come in as they normally would.
We continue to provide counselling services and have increased capacity
We continue to provide counselling appointments and support via our counsellors Mary and Siri who have continued to provide appointments over the phone or via video-consultation. Many mental health services are currently greatly reduced, so the availability of local provision has been invaluable.
We continue to provide extended hours service on Monday and Wednesday evenings and have now increased our provision on weekends.
We continue to provide evening and Saturday appointments which can be either telephone, video or face-to-face consultations. We are fortunate that all our clinicians are committed to continuing services and some clinicians have increased their days of work in order to provide some additional support. Please continue to ask for an evening or Saturday appointment if you need it.
Volunteer Work with Pulling Together Ludlow
Our practice has provided support and help in the past for Pulling Together Ludlow; members of our team – Judith, our care coordinator and Ted, Rosie and Isabel from our admin and reception teams have supported the organisation by manning the phones, helping with registration of volunteers, coordinating the befriender teams and liasing with counselling support. Dr Beanland has also provided ongoing medical support for the organisation. We are very proud of our role in this amazing community effort. If you need help please call Pulling Together Ludlow on 01584 817250.