Byhowbeck
You must contact the surgery *before* attending for any reason
You need to contact the surgery *before* attending for any reason, please do not attend the surgery unless you have spoken to a member of our team first.
- If you have a medical query you can use the patient access app – This allows you to send messages and order your regular medication .We have switched off the appointment booking facility but hope to get this working soon for telephone appointments.
This link enables you to register: https://app.patientaccess.com/registration/create
Or phone the surgery and a member of our team will either arrange a telephone consultation with a clinician for you or they will send your doctor a note and they will get back to you. The clinician will arrange a video consultation or make other arrangements with you if they feel they need to see you in person to assess your query.
- We will be posting out all sick notes (sick notes for self-isolation are arranged through 111, not from the surgery)
- If you are a dispensing patient please phone the surgery and select option 2 to arrange a time to collect a prescription
- Repeat prescription requests can be posted through our letterbox to the left hand side of the door.
- If you would normally collect a prescription please call reception and inform them of a pharmacy that you would like it to be sent to and we will arrange this
- If you need to change your address, telephone number or email address please do one of the following;
Use patient access – you can change these details on their website or app and it will be approved by the surgery
if you do not have patient access please email balancestreet.practice@nhs.net with your name, date of birth and postcode that we hold on file to enable us to find you on our system then you will need to inform us of the changes that you would like to be made in the email and we will action this.
Thank you for your patience and understanding at this difficult time and please follow Government guidance and stay safe.
Byhowbeck
How to get an isolation note for your employer
This service, at nhs.uk, is for those who have been told to stay at home because of coronavirus and you need a note for your employer.
This service is only for people who:
- have symptoms of coronavirus and have used the 111 online coronavirus service
- have been told by a healthcare professional they have symptoms of coronavirus
- live with someone who has symptoms of coronavirus
If you are not sure if you need to stay at home, get the latest NHS advice on coronavirus.
If you have to stay at home but feel well enough to work, ask your employer if you can work from home. If you can work from home, you will not need an isolation note.
You can also use this service for someone else.
Byhowbeck
Coronavirus – Latest Advice
The NHS in Cheshire and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to protect patients, our community and NHS staff while ensuring as many services as possible are available to the public.
If you have symptoms associated with coronavirus including a new continuous cough and a high temperature, you are advised to stay at home for 7 days.
Please do not book a GP appointment or attend your GP practice.
If you live with other people, they should stay at home for at least 14 days, to avoid spreading the infection outside the home. After 14 days, anyone you live with who does not have symptoms can return to their normal routine.
But, if anyone in your home gets symptoms, they should stay at home for 7 days from the day their symptoms start. Even if it means they’re at home for longer than 14 days. The most up-to-date public guidance is always online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.
If your symptoms are serious, or get worse, NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need further medical help and advise you what to do.
Only call 111 direct if you are advised to do so by the online service or you cannot go online.
Byhowbeck
Coronavirus – Latest Advice
Following the latest Coronavirus advice, if you are experiencing resent onset of:
- new continuous cough and/or
- high temperature
However mild, do not attend the surgery or leave your home for 7 days from when your symptoms started.
You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online. If you have no internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
At this time we are not offering appointments without going through a screening process of questioning with a clinician.
We are experiencing a high number or calls; if you have access to our online services you can send a message directly to you GP.
Byhowbeck
Changes to appointment bookings due to Coronavirus
In order to minimise the spread of Coronavirus, until further notice we will initially offer our patients a telephone consultation with a GP or ANP, we have also removed the facility to book appointments online. This is a precautionary measure to minimise the amount of patients sat together in our waiting room.
We would also ask patients to call the surgery when booking an appointment rather than booking an appointment at the reception desk.
Thank you for your co operation .
Byhowbeck
Now is the time to quit – National No Smoking Day
Today marks National No Smoking Day, aiming to bring awareness to the dangers of this addition and highlight resources available to you to help you quit!
Every cigarette causes real harm and with quitting you’ll be amazed at how quickly you’ll see the benefits. You’ll breathe more easily, feel fitter, your skin will look better, your sense of taste will come back and it can improve your fertility. If you have kids, you’ll be protecting them from the risk of asthma attacks, ear infections and cancers. You could also be around £250 a month better off too – that’s £3000 a year – just think what you could spend that on!
If you are ready to take that big step and quit, you can find advice and support to help you at:
Byhowbeck
Novel Coronavirus – Important Advice for Returning Travellers
You may need to get medical advice if you’ve recently travelled to the UK from somewhere with a higher risk of coronavirus.
These places are:
- Cambodia
- China
- Hong Kong
- Iran
- Italy – only northern Italy (anywhere north of Pisa, Florence and Rimini)
- Japan
- Laos
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Myanmar (Burma)
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- Tenerife – only the H10 Costa Adeje Palace Hotel
- Thailand
- Vietnam
If you’ve been to one of these places in the last 14 days, find out what to do using the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
For more information on Coronavirus including symptoms and how it can spread visit the NHS.uk Coronavirus page.
Byhowbeck
Don’t miss the signs – Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Over 7300 cases of Ovarian Cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year, but do you know what signs to look out for?
Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common form of cancer death in women, after breast lung and bowel cancer. But the average GP will see only one case of ovarian cancer every five years.
Most women are diagnosed once the cancer has already spread, which makes treatment more challenging.
The current five-year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 46 per cent. If diagnosed at the earliest stage, up to 90 per cent of women would survive five years or more3. This is why early diagnosis is so important.
What to look out for
Symptoms are frequent (they usually happen more than 12 times a month) and persistent, and include:
- increased abdominal size/persistent bloating (not bloating that comes and goes)
- difficulty eating/feeling full
- pelvic or abdominal pain
- needing to wee more urgently or more often
Other symptoms can include unexpected weight loss, change in bowel habits, and extreme fatigue.
If you regularly experience any of these symptoms, and that’s not normal for you, it’s important that you see your GP. It’s unlikely that your symptoms are caused by a serious problem, but it’s important that you get checked.
For further information, visit the Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month website.