We want to help our patients to get the best out of the practice. The COVID 19 pandemic has meant that we have had to introduce new ways of working to keep our patients safe and to meet the increased demand on our services.
Face to face appointments now comprise a tiny fraction of the work we undertake. The sources of our increased workload are multiple and include:
- Concerns about COVID 19 illness/symptoms
- Queries about COVID vaccinations
- Psychological impact of COVID 19 (employment, isolation, anxiety ,stress and depression)
- Queries about delayed hospital appointments/operations
- Hospitals requesting we do tests for them as many patients now not attending appointments in person
- Stored-up issues that patients have not mentioned hitherto because of the pandemic
We need our patients to help optimise use of our appointments. Where possible, please consider the following alternative sources of advice rather than contacting us:
- 111 – for general health queries
- 119 – for COVID advice
- Hospital appointments/results – please contact the relevant hospital/clinic for information
- Local pharmacies – for any medication query or advice about minor ailments
- Abingdon/Witney Minor Injury Unit – for cuts/possible fractures
- Talking Space (website or call 01865 901222) – any mental health query
- Healthshare – for ongoing muscle/joint problems.
If you feel you need to contact the GP we encourage you to use the website eConsult facility which allows you to explain in some detail the exact nature of your query. Alternatively, you can call reception and provide details of your query (but there are longer than usual queuing times due to increased demand).
Be reassured ll patient queries are passed to the most appropriate team member who will reply to you within a reasonable time frame. This may comprise a text message, a telephone call, an appointment with another clinician, a face-face appointment with a GP.
As a practice we really appreciate the support and understanding that we have had from our patients during this challenging period.