Covid Vaccinations
The current patients are being offered the Covid -19 vaccination:
Who can get the COVID-19 vaccine
The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus.
In England, the vaccine is being offered in some hospitals and pharmacies, at local centres run by GPs and at larger vaccination centres. More centres are opening all the time.
It's being given to:
- people aged 50 and over
- people at high risk from coronavirus (clinically extremely vulnerable)
- people who live or work in care homes
- health and social care workers
- people with a condition that puts them at higher risk (clinically vulnerable)
- people with a learning disability
- people who are a main carer for someone at high risk from coronavirus
or Ring 0115 883 4640
We know that patients are anxious to get their vaccination but please be patient and wait until your group is called for.
'NEW Contact us online'
You can contact us about a medical, administrative or prescription issue by clicking HERE . Answer a few short questions and we will get back to you within 2 working days. Please DO NOT use this online form for urgent or emergency requests. The submitted forms will only be read during working hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm. The forms will not be read on the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) or on bank holidays. They will not be read Monday-Friday between the hours of 5.00 pm - 9.00 am
Please also note that if you ask for a specific time that you wish to be contacted, unfortunately we may not always be able to comply with this.
Coronavirus & Covid Testing - latest advice 08.03.21
Although the Covid-19 vaccination programme has begun in the area for the 'over 50 cohort' patients will be called for externally to be vaccinated when it is your turn. We are hearing a lot of patients passing the number to call on to friends and family, patients should wait to be called rather than taking this approach.
We do not have any Covid vaccines within the practice to give to any patients, when we do we will be in touch and let you know clinics will be run so please avoid contacting the practice.
In Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, a few different health and care organisations including hospitals, GP practices, care homes and others are working together on the Covid-19 vaccination programme. This means when it is your turn to be vaccinated, this may not be at your GP practice. You will be told where to go for your appointment and how to book.
In line with expert guidance, the first priority for vaccination is care homes residents and staff, people over the age of 80 and frontline health and care workers.
We understand a lot of people want to be vaccinated and would like to reassure you this will happen. Please be patient and wait to be contacted.
For further information on why you are being asked to wait for your Covid-19 vaccine, please read the information on the GOV.UK website or this leaflet.
How we are Currently Operating still
We would like to thank our patients & our hard working staff for adhering to the changes we have made over the last few months with regard to Coronavirus, these certainly have been challenging times. We hope you are continuing to follow Government Guidelines and being sensible with social distancing.
Unfortunately, we still a long way from providing 'normal' services as we did before. We have put measures in place such as 2m distancing before entering the practice, had screens put up in our reception area, distanced our waiting area chairs, completely changed our way of working through telephone & video consultations to name but a few. We would also encourage patients that are attending for an appointment to wear a mask, scarf or face covering. The press have unfortunately perceived general practice as not seeing patients face to face, we would like to enforce if there is a clinical need to see a patient we will ask you to come down to the practice, this has been the case since March. It is not clinically necessary to see all patients face to face hence the reason for a telephone consultation first or a video consultation.
We can still only have a limited amount of chairs in the waiting area that can be of use, this means we are doing our very best to distance anyone attending surgery by staggering patient appointment times as we are already seeing patients for urgent bloods, dressings, cytology, continuing to see antenatal and postnatal ladies and children's vaccinations but this is understandably difficult to go back to providing routine care. Unfortunately we will be unable to do ear-syringing at the moment and some minor procedures.
As you can appreciate we are unable to provide pre-bookable appointments yet, we will continue to deal with all appointments by triaging patients over the phone and if the clinician wishes to see you, an appointment will be given at a suitable time. Please do not come down to the practice to be seen without speaking to a clinician first, you will be turned away as this is a risk to yourself and others. If you are worried about cancer symptoms please do not delay in ringing and speaking to us.
If you are given an appointment please arrive on time (not early) and preferably on your own (if you can) this also helps with distancing control measures.
We thank you again for your continued support and help during these unprecedented times.
Please also visit LIVE WELL for advice and tips on healthy eating/exercise/alcohol and a whole host of help and ideas to help you make the best choices about your physical health, mental health and wellbeing during lockdown.
Covid Safety Netting Advice
Please see link for isolation advice: https://www.england.nhs.uk/coronavirus/primary-care/isolation/
Post or Long Covid - where to get advice
Post-COVID Syndrome or ‘long COVID’ can affect your physical and mental health. There is support available and lots of things you can do to help yourself.
For more information on managing your symptoms visit our NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG webpage: Your COVID recovery - NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG (nottsccg.nhs.uk)
To request this information in another language or format please contact the Engagement Team at: nnccg.team.engagement@nhs.net or call or text 07385 360071. If texting or leaving a message please provide your contact details and a member of the team will get back to you.
Please share this link widely with your communities and networks.
Kind Regards,
NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Communications and Engagement Team
Complete our latest Survey Oct 2020 Click here
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Vulnerable groups and Volunteers - click below for help and information: Poster - Help and Volunteering
Help for Carers
Please click on the two ways that help is available to you:
Access to virtual support:
Take part in research:
Germ Defence
We are letting you know about a very useful website called Germ Defence which was created by a team of doctors and scientists to give you advice that has been proven to reduce the spread of viruses in the home. It can help you plan how to protect yourself and members of your family from infection by COVID-19 and ‘flu.
It’s easy to use and only takes 10 minutes - just click on this link:
www.germdefence.org/index.html?src=C84051
(If this link does not open when you click on it, please copy and paste it into your web browser.)
Please pass details of the Germ Defence website to your friends and family.
There’s a button at the bottom of the Germ Defence website for sharing by social media.
If you’d like to know more:
Over 20,000 people previously took part in research about Germ Defence
People who followed the advice in Germ Defence had fewer and less severe illnesses - and so did the people they lived with
Results of the study were published in The Lancet medical journal
Defence has been updated with COVID-19 advice to help prevent a wave of COVID-19 and ‘flu this Autumn/Winter
Information about how the Germ Defence website is being evaluated is available here.
Trans-Adults: 
Covid-19 Research:
NEON Trial - Mental Health
Neon Trial
Shielding Letters- Frequently Asked Questions
We are currently getting a considerable amount of queries regarding the clinical risk letters which were sent out to patients. this link gives some answers to the some frequently asked questions Patient FAQ's
Isolation Notes
If you require an isolation note please click on this link https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/
Asthmatics
We have been made aware of some posts on social media saying that if you have a respiratory/lung condition, your GP will issue a rescue pack of steroids and antibiotics.
For people with asthma, it is not recommended as standard management. If someone's asthma is bad enough to consider steroids they should be assessed by a health care professional.
Further information can be found on https://www.asthma.org.uk/
Rescue packs may be part of the agreed management plan for some people with COPD. If you NORMALLY have a rescue pack to treat your lung condition its a good idea to check that you have one.
Please bear with us, your help and understanding is appreciated.
ORDERING AND COLLECTION OF PRESCRIPTIONS
Due to the current Coronavirus pandemic Orchard Medical Practice will be introducing a system called Electronic Repeat Dispensing for some patients. This process will allow you to order your repeat medication via your regular pharmacy, rather than through the practice. For more information on Electronic Repeat Dispensing please visit this link - https://psnc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/eRepeat-Dispensing-leaflet.pdf
To keep patients to a minimum coming down to the practice to order and collect prescriptions please sign up to a pharmacy of your choice so we can send your prescription directly to that pharmacy, they can also order your prescription too. This would be really helpful to you, the practice and the public.
Try the new NHS App
If you’re a patient at our practice you can now use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.
You can use the NHS App to check your symptoms and get instant advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP medical record and more.
If you already use Systmonline you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.
For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp'
And in other news at the practice ……….
Our new GP Registrars (Doctors in training to be GPs) this quarter are:
Dr Fatima Asif (female)
Dr Ahmad Ibrahim
Dr Stephen Adili