COVID-19 Update for all patients

All GP practices have been asked to prepare to deploy staff into hospitals and urgent care services to support the whole NHS through the COVID-19 crisis.

We ask all our patients to support us and other services during this difficult time.

Please:

• DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY UNLESS ABSOLUTLEY NECESSARY – this is a danger to you, to our staff and to the patients who really do need to be seen.  However, we do have GPs and Nurse Practitioners available to give advice and guidance over the telephone for those who have concerns about illness or treatments that are not related to Coronavirus.  Please contact the surgery by phone and ask for a telephone appointment.
• Get an online account set up – ask the GP or nurse after your telephone consultation
• Order your prescriptions online or over the phone NOT IN PERSON.
• Do not ask for extra medication - there is no need to do this. Stockpiling medicines is bad for everyone in the same way we have seen toilet paper being stockpiled.

Please be polite and understanding to everyone involved in your care - we are doing the best we can under very difficult circumstances.  Please also remember that the NHS includes all our receptionists, pharmacy staff, district and community staff, care home staff, paramedics, cleaners and all the other amazing people keeping us going.

We also have to plan for our staff being deployed elsewhere; this includes some temporary measures that will cause some disruption for you. We apologise in advance if this does inconvenience you in any way but it is necessary at this time:

• We will be open in on Good Friday and Easter Monday, this will be a normal working day for us and you can call us and arrange appointments as usual.
• We are working towards stopping all paper prescriptions and requests in the box at the surgery. All prescriptions will be issued electronically to your pharmacy. We ask that you all make the arrangements you need so that you can put in your requests by phone or online and that you have selected a nominated pharmacy.

Some tips that may help you

• Try the 111 website (https://www.nhs.uk/) - it is much quicker than the phone number for advice
• Please don’t ask for inhalers you don’t need or haven’t had in the last year. It won’t help with COVID-19 and if you are experiencing breathing difficulties then you need assessment
• The advice from NHS England is not to issue rescue packs for your asthma/COPD unless you have previously been assessed as needing one
• We cannot issue prescriptions for paracetamol for COVID-19
• Very high risk patient will be advised about self isolating, by letter or from the practice. All other patients with concerns about if they should self-isolate should check the government guidance, and have a conversation with your employer and look at the 111 website. 

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

We thank you for your understanding and support. By working together we can save lives!

Our surgery website is a way of presenting to all our patients an up to date resource for all information relating to our practice. We will keep it current with any news, developments & details that are relevant to the practice & our patients.

As well as a source of information about our Practice, the staff & the services we provide, we hope you use the website as a useful resource with links to other reliable websites for health related information. If there is topical health information we will also add this to the website.
Have a look around our website and please do send us some feedback. We can use your thoughts to improve our online services & further develop the website to make it a more useful, practical application for our patients.

To all patients at New Seaham

 

Dr Usha Dusad and Dr Raj Dusad want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your very kind words and wishes that have been pouring upon us for our retirement.

 

It has been a pleasure being GP in Seaham for nearly 38 years!!

 

We have enjoyed working here and are now looking forward to the next phase in our lives.

 

Kind regards

 

Usha and Raj

Opening Times

Where patients have an urgent need for same day care, there is extended access to healthcare professionals through the Extended Primary Care Service at: Seaham, Easington and Peterlee. Weekdays 8am-8pm, Weekends and Bank Holidays 8am-1pm.

Access to appointments is by contacting NHS 111 or practices can book appointments if necessary.

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