Newsletter - April 2021

Published: 10 March 2021

A&E is not an alternative to a GP appointment. If we are closed, please call 111.

Easter Closures
The surgery will be closed on Friday 2nd April (Good Friday) and Monday 5th April (Easter Monday).  Please ensure you have enough medication for the holiday weekend. Please order from Dispensary no later than Tuesday 30th March.

Contact Details
Please ensure the surgery has your most up to date contact details including your mobile number and home phone.  We are using the details on your medical record to invite you for your covid vaccine as soon as you are eligible.  If we cannot get hold of you by phone, we will write to your home address.

Covid Vaccination Programme
The surgery is under immense pressure as we continue to support the local GP hub in collaboration with neighbouring practices.  Please only contact the surgery about the vaccine if you have been invited.  We are getting a vast amount of queries about medical conditions which are exhausting our already stretched resources.  We will contact you when it is your turn.

Some patients will receive a letter from NHS England and Public Health inviting them for vaccine before the surgery has been in touch.  This is because the large vaccination hubs are able to provide more appointment availability and can work through the eligible cohorts at a different pace.  These letters will provide a website address or ask you to call 119 to book an appointment, and divert you to vaccination centres within a 40 mile radius (the most local being centres in Cambridge and Chesterton).

You can choose to wait to be invited by the GP to the local hub in Over, but we cannot indicate time scales as to when this will be.  Please do not contact the surgery – we will contact you when it is your turn.

Second vaccinations will soon be due.  The surgery will contact you when it is your turn.

Dr Stevens maternity leave
Dr Stevens has now started her maternity leave and will be due back in the surgery later this year.  Dr Bhandari and Dr Rej will regularly attend the surgery to cover Dr Stevens.  We will provide an update when the baby arrives!

Travel Vaccinations
Due to the travel restrictions, the surgery have a number of specialist vaccinations in stock which need to be used.  If you believe you will need Hepatitis A or Typhoid boosters this year, please contact the surgery to make an appointment with a nurse.

Hearing aid maintenance and batteries
Cambridge Hearing Help (CAMTAD) are still unable to return to the surgery for hearing aid maintenance, however they continue to provide batteries in the post and maintenance/re-tubing service appointments at other locations as part of a limited service.

If your Hearing Aid needs cleaning and maintenance, they have launched a ‘drop-off and pick-up 20 minutes later’ service at local Hearing Aid Maintenance Centres.

For further information please see www.cambridgeshirehearinghelp.org.uk, or call 01223 416141.

Carers' Meeting
Due to the pandemic, the carers' meetings are still currently postponed until further notice.  They will be reinstated as soon as it is safe to do so.  In the meantime, we would like to continue to support carers in our local community in any way possible.  If you are a carer for someone and need advice and financial or emotional support, please contact Sue Lawson at susan.lawson7@nhs.net or 01954 260230.