KEEPING OUR PATIENTS AND STAFF SAFE
In order to keep our patients and staff safe during this challenging time, we have been adapting to new ways of delivering care to patients throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. These changes will be with us for the foreseeable future and we are grateful for the way that patients have co-operated and embraced the new ways of working.
TELEPHONE CONSULTATIONS
We have had to reduce footfall within surgery to minimise the spread of infection between staff and patients. So that we can implement social distancing, we have moved to conducting consultations by telephone where we can. For routine long term condition reviews this means that we will be asking you to organise your blood test at a local blood clinic and obtain home blood pressure readings and weight prior to your telephone consultation. Blood tests are available at the surgery by the community phlebotomist on certain days, but these appointments are reserved for our most vulnerable patients requiring urgent bloods, unfortunately there is not currently capacity for routine blood tests.
BLOOD TESTS / CLINICS
Blood tests can be arranged at local blood clinics, the nearest ones are at Royal Derby Hospital or London Road Community Hospital. To help reduce patient waiting times and to support social distancing we strongly advise all patients to use the new online appointment system before attending for a blood test. The new service helps patients, their carers, and family members to plan their trip to a blood clinic, helping to reduce clinic waiting times and enabling patients to be seen much more quickly. Online bookings can be made using the following website: www.swiftqueue.co.uk/uhdb.php.
BLOOD PRESSURE READINGS
We are encouraging patients who need regular blood pressure monitoring, to purchase their own blood pressure machine and send us 3 days readings (morning and evening) which can be sent back via post or logged through this website on the home screen under the Health Review section. Please do not phone these results through. A clinician will review your results and contact you only if further action is required. There is good evidence that home readings give more reliable results and reduces the requirement for high doses and multiple medications. Blood pressure monitors can be purchased online, and it should be a machine which goes around the upper arm and NOT around the wrist, see this website for recommendations: www.bihsoc.org/bp-monitors/for-home-use/
Thank you for working with us to keep everyone safe!