Noticeboard

*Mask wearing* If you are showing any symptoms of a cold, flu, fever, please ensure you are wearing a mask prior to entering the surgery. 

Important information for patients currently on hospital waiting lists

The NHS has been working hard to address the backlogs built up during the COVID pandemic. As part of these plans, the NHS will be proactively contacting patients who have been waiting a long time for NHS funded treatment to remind them of their right to request to move to an alternative hospital where they may be seen quicker. 

From Tuesday 31st October new digital portal called the Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System (PIDMAS) will be introduced. Patients who have been waiting 40 weeks or more can use this portal to request an alternative choice of hospital.   

Any patient who is eligible will receive either a SMS text message or a letter from their current hospital explaining how to request to choose a different hospital.

Please do not contact the practice regarding this process as we have no information regarding individual patients. 

The hospital will contact you if you are eligible. Please do not contact them either.   

Further information about alternative choice is available on hospital websites. 

* We know that our children and young people are at risk from suffering with viral and bacterial illnesses and this may be worrying for you as parents and carers. https://what0-18.nhs.uk/ is a good website and app to download and use. It gives general health advice for all common conditions and helps direct you to the most appropriate services if your child needs further care and support. There is a specific link if worried about Strep A/Scarlet Fever https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/worried-your-child-unwell/scarlet-fever

                                      

Appointments

Please wear a mask if you are entering the practice.

Face-to-face appointments are available to all patients when necessary, and you may be asked to discuss your conditions over the phone or online first to assess what would be most appropriate for you. We also have an easy to use video consultation system which you may be offered. This has been very successful, the aim of all of this being to provide personal healthcare whilst keeping everyone safe. 

Tockwith Opening times

Whilst we are doing our very best to keep both sites open as normal, due to these difficult times, there have been and will be occasions we regretfully have to close Tockwith.

Please check "Opening Times" at the top of the page to see current opening times.

  We appreciate your patience and understanding.

Thank you

 

Latest News

NHS digital database

You may have seen in the news the NHS digital database, in which anonymised data will be extracted from GP medical records. This information would then be used for planning healthcare and for research purposes. 

On the following link, NHS digital have published information on why the NHS believes the new system is necessary:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/data-collections-and-data-sets/data-collections/general-practice-data-for-planning-and-research/advice-for-the-public

The new system is somewhat controversial because primary care medical records contain a huge amount of confidential information. The information is anonymised but there are always concerns about how data is stored and if the new system is safe. Therefore, it has been delayed until September 2021 at the earliest. There is a BBC article about this here:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-57400902

The NHS is good at keeping records confidential and having such an enormous database is incredibly helpful in healthcare, both to plan services and also determine which treatments work best. The UK is a world leader in healthcare research, partly because of the organisation of the NHS. Confidentiality is crucial but we all hear of data breaches and patients are able to opt out of the process. There is more information about how to opt out here:

https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/manage-your-choice/

Other information: 

Please see our newsletter for latest practice information.

Take a look at our new page here on general wellbeing and local services which help to keep people of all ages fit and healthy.

Extended access to primary care

The Extended Access Service is an extension of your usual primary care practice. It is not a walk-in service – you need to make an appointment.

The Extended Access Service is located at Grove Park Court in Harrogate, Ripon Community Hospital in Ripon, and Beech House Surgery in Knaresborough. You can get appointments here up to 8pm weekdays, as well as appointments on Saturdays and Sundays. Information about the service is available here or contact reception. To download an information leaflet about the service Click here.

 

We have updated our Springbank Privacy Notice here.

 

Health News from the BBC and the NHS

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