Welcome to Lisson Grove & Woolwell Medical Centre
Please remember that we are still open as are most areas of the NHS. Of course the way the GP practice is running is different, especially with no walk in available, but we are still working via phone and video consulting. Whether you have a routine or urgent concern, medical or administrative, please don't hesitate to ask us for help.
Visiting the surgery for an appointment:
Following government guidance and in line with other health settings please wear a face covering when visiting.
Details on how to wear and make masks can be found here.
You will be advised which door to use when the appointment is made, please knock once and wait.
Visiting the surgery for other reasons:
Our inner doors are closed but there is an intercom in the foyer, one person only in the foyer please.
Please use phone or eConsult where ever possible to avoid having to come to the surgery in person.
Whilst eConsult does give some automatic or self help answers, where appropriate, the majority of eConsults go through the same triage process as a phone call and may still result in an appointment being made.
We also highly recommend that you download the NHS App which you can use to check symptoms, order repeat prescriptions, use eConsult, access your notes and more. Signing up for this service will also allow us to grant you access to our full online services through SystmOnline.
If you care for a child we recommend that you download the HANDi App designed for helping to care for children and any conditions or problems.
FAQs for patients in response to the Corona Virus – this will be regularly updated as the situation develops and answers change.
Please read before contacting us as many of the most commonly asked questions are below.
Face Coverings - we are unable to provide letters for Face Covering Exemptions.
Please review the Government Guidance regarding exemptions at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#when-you-do-not-need-to-wear-a-face-covering
Employers can view the guidance for Face Coverings in the Work Place here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#face-coverings-at-work
Working – we cannot give advice as to whether it is safe for you to work at your place of employment, that is a role for your employer’s Health and Safety or Occupational Health departments.
Accessing the surgery – please continue to contact via phone or eConsult, our doors remain closed unless you have a pre-booked appointment.
Surgery services – the vast majority of our services are still running, albeit often in different formats. Some services are being delayed but please contact us anyway and let us make the best decision for you.
Staff – Are still working as close to normal as possible, although many are working remotely or with some changes to roles.
Surgery hours – Remain unchanged.
We are still here for you and encourage you to contact us if you have any concerns or worries about new or on-going health issues.
Phone: 01752 205 555
Latest news: All our latest news will be put out via Facebook first then web page and other methods as appropriate. You do not need a Facebook account to view the details. https://www.facebook.com/LissonWell
Register yourself as high risk by visiting:
https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
You will be asked for your NHS number but you do not have to provide it. You can register for help with grocery shopping and prescription collections by this website. Call 0808 196 3646
Need help?
Contact NHS Volunteers on their patient referral form available here from goodsamapp.org/nhsreferral
Call 0808 196 3382
Pharmacies: Please note that we do not have access to pharmacies and will be unaware of any shortages or delays in your prescriptions. Within the surgery we are currently clearing all prescriptions and getting them to the pharmacies well within three working days. However, we are aware that pharmacies are under huge pressure at the moment so they may have a delay of a week or more, this is changing daily and we do not have any reliable updates to pass on.
Caring for Plymouth Support Hub
Corona Virus – do not go to GP, Pharmacy or hospital if you think you have symptoms: See link for 111 online or call 111 https://111.nhs.uk/
People say that they are having difficulties getting through on the phone to 111: This is a national issue. We know that the NHS have increased the call handlers but there is huge demand and they are encouraging people to use in NHS 111 online which can be a quicker and more efficient way of getting through.
Coronavirus - NHS guidelines in 60 languages click here
Appointments: We are only giving surgery access to patients who have a pre-booked appointment or have been requested to attend by a clinician. Everything else needs to be done remotely please or delayed. Most new appointments will initially consist of a phone call. We are under a lot of pressure but this will help protect patients, staff and the integrity of the service.
Cancelling appointments: If you no longer need your appointment please cancel so clinicians can be freed up for other work.
Urgent appointments: All being triaged by a phone call and in a minority of cases you may be asked to attend the surgery.
NHS App Allows you to do many things without having to call or visit the surgery. Book appointments (currently suspended), order repeat prescriptions, check symptoms, view medical record and much more. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/the-nhs-app/ We strongly encourage you to sign up now in case you need it in the future.
Not sure what to do when your child is unwell?: HANDi Paediatric app: advice for common childhood conditions. The HANDi Paediatric app gives up-to-date advice about common childhood illnesses and how to treat them. https://devonccg.nhs.uk/health-services/children-and-young-people/handi-app
National guidance: Some links are below, please do not contact to ask questions about national guidance, we are not making the decisions but will be following that advice. Please ignore rumours and half-truths and check these sites before making any decisions
Overview of the Corona virus from NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Overview of the Corona virus from the government: https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response
Stay at home: guidance for households with possible coronavirus (COVID-19) infection: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-households-with-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection
Please note this is national advice and we are unable to comment or try to apply to specific cases.
COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees
Please note this is national advice and we are unable to comment or try to apply to specific cases.
Fit (Sick) notes: We cannot issue notes if you are self-isolating neither can we give information about self-isolating. We only issue notes if you are confirmed as sick and have been assessed by a clinician. Where ever possible we will email these out. Notes are not required for the first 7 days of any sickness. Please see https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note for national isolation notes.
Requesting extra medications: Please do not request extra medications, repeat medications ahead of normal time or new medications in order to stockpile. If you have had items in the past but have recovered sufficiently to have not needed them in the last six months then we will not issue without full clinical review and then only if deemed necessary. Unless there are very strong clinical reasons these will not be granted and will do nothing but put extra strain on the practice, pharmacies, drug companies and risk the health of other patients.
Prescription ordering: This can be done by our online system, NHS App, the POD (See below) or if no other alternative on paper to the surgery post box. You must nominate a pharmacy to collect from; we are no longer allowing collection from the surgery, this pharmacy can be changed as required. This means you only have to visit pharmacy to collect rather than collect from us, drop off at pharmacy and then collect from pharmacy.
Prescription Ordering Direct (POD): Text ‘REPEAT’ to 66777. The NHS Prescription Ordering Direct (POD) service provides patients with a new and convenient way to order repeat prescriptions by texting ‘REPEAT’ to 66777 for a call back within one working day. Standard network message charges apply. As with other ordering methods you will need to nominate a pharmacy. Please note phone lines are currently suspended but they will call back if you text them.
Rescue packs: Whilst such a thing does exist it is only for a limited number of patients who would have been identified previously. They are nothing to do with the Corona virus and do not protect against it. Please do not contact us about them as we will not be able to help and please ignore the false information on many social media.
Contact details: Where possible please ensure we have a mobile number and email address for you this is the fastest way for us to inform you about your health care. If you speak to a clinician or reception please let them know what they are.
There's lots of resources through social media and online information around this virus but where can people get trusted sources of information about this? Two main sources we would recommend is first the NHS website, which has a whole area which is regular updated in relation to coronavirus and also Public Health England (website). You could also download and register yourself on the NHS App which links to the most up to date NHS information as well as key parts of your own GP record.
Myths: The virus cannot be killed by drinking hot drinks, drowning by sipping water or burnt away from your body by direct sunlight.
Do: Follow government guidelines and wash your hands very regularly.
How much do people really need to worry if they get this virus? For the majority of people there isn't a great worry, in that over 80% of people will have very mild symptoms and make a full recovery. Some people will not even have any symptoms. A lot of the measures being put in place are designed to protect those who have chronic diseases or older people and very importantly stop hospitals being overloaded which will impact severely on other care they need to give.
We know that older people and those who have other underlying health conditions are more at risk as their symptoms of the virus could be more severe. Young, usually well people are usually experiencing very mild symptoms.
13-3-20
Dear patient
Due to the predicted escalation of Corona Virus/Covid 19 and after working through the advice from national health bodies we have had to make some decisions about how we operate over the coming weeks.
Whilst we appreciate that there are no confirmed cases in Plymouth we have decided that our response should be done early, in a planned way, rather than having to react to a worst case scenario.
Our priority at this time is to protect our patients, protect our staff and maintain the integrity of the service we offer to ensure that as far as possible we can continue to care for our patients. This will unfortunately come at the expense of making changes to the way that we operate. It is being done for the greater good of everyone but we apologise for any inconvenience it may cause.
With immediate effect (Friday 13th March 2020) we have closed the doors of the surgery and are only letting people in who have an appointment or have been invited in by a clinician.
Please see the below and how it may affect you.
Entry: is only to pre-booked appointments and you will need to answer some questions first via a door entry system.
Express clinic: is closed until further notice please call instead.
Prescription requests: Please submit online or complete in the foyer and put into the box. Please write your nominated pharmacy on them. Please allow 72 working hours for completion.
Prescription collections: Any prescriptions we already have we will allow collection, all new requests will only be sent directly to the pharmacy.
New registrations: Please download forms online and ring to make an appointment to bring them in.
Other appointments or information requests: Please phone: 01752 205 555
Corona virus: If you have been unwell with a new persistent cough or high temperature please do not come in to the surgery or go to any medical facility unless instructed to by a clinician or 111. Please self-isolate at home. If you have travelled recently, had contact with a suspected case of coronavirus or worsening symptoms, please call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk/covid-19 first.
We will keep updating our webpage and Facebook with major changes and Facebook will also have regular minor updates. Please note we do not have the resources to respond to any questions via Facebook.
lissongroveandwoolwellmc.co.uk facebook.com/LissonWell 01752 205 555
Get coronavirus (COVID-19) advice from 111
A Plymouth based General Practice that aims to provide a wide range of high quality accessible services that add value to your lives.
Online Access - Please see online services tab for full details.
We are now live with our new system which is working well. Like all new systems there are some tweaks we need to make over the coming weeks to get it up to full efficiency.
Equally like most IT systems there are also some problems that we haven't yet overcome, the most obvious is that the automatic checking in screens are currently out of action. This means that the queues for reception are often longer than normal but they do move quickly. Please don't worry if you have a time slot and haven't checked in due to a queue, you won't miss your appointment.
Reception and other staff, both face to face and on the phone, are naturally taking a little bit longer as they get used to the new system so thank you for being patient.
As well as normal clinics we also have flu clinics of all types for both sites now available to book, get it done before Christmas to help keep yourself well!
All the staff and clinicians would like to express their thanks to everyone for their support and patience over the last couple of weeks. There have been some very kind words and deeds from patients that have been heartwarming and hugely appreciated.
Our Practice:
The Practice has two surgeries; Woolwell Medical Centre and Lisson Grove Medical Centre.
We have 6 Doctors and 4 Nurse Practitioners who work across both sites and are supported by a wider clinical team. In addition, we are delighted to be able to provide a very experienced mental health practitioner who is available Tuesday and Thursday at Lisson Grove.
We are actively involved in teaching medical students and GP trainees.
The NHS is currently facing its greatest challenge since its inception. To meet this challenge we will need to do more with less, and we will be introducing new ways of working over the coming year. If you have any ideas about how we could meet the needs of you and your family more efficiently let us know here.
Services:
We offer a wide range of high quality services for you and your family. These will provide care for you during acute illnesses as well as supporting you to live well with long term conditions such as diabetes. In addition we provide immunisation, screening services, travel services and a minor operation service.
More details of all our services can be found listed under the "Our Services" tab at the top of this page.
As we look forward to the future we hope to extend the range of services we are able to provide and would welcome any feedback you might have on what you would like to see in the surgeries.
Appointments and Contacting Clinical Staff:
We offer a number of different ways of consulting our medical staff.
We will ask you to disclose the reason for your request. You are not obliged to do so BUT your safety and the quality of care you receive is our prime concern and by doing so the medical staff can triage the calls and ensure all patients are seen at the right time, by the right person. Please be assured all staff have a duty of confidentiality and will handle this information with the utmost discretion.
| Telephone Appointments | Best choice when making first contact about mental health issues as the GP can then arrange more time to see you. Good if you are not sure whether you need to see the clinician, or if you have been seen already and are reporting progress or following up an issue. |
| Leaving messages for Medical Staff | Best choice for paperwork issues like sick notes, letters, chasing up onward referrals etc. Use our contact form here. Try to avoid using the phone for these matters as we are trying to use this mostly for patients who want a same day face to face appointment. |
| Face to Face Appointments | Only to be requested if you think the clinician will need to examine you, take bloods or do other practical procedures.
We have limited capacity for these appointments so if you are not sure, ask for a telephone consultation first. In addition our reception staff are also available to help you with this choice. |
If you or your carer has information and/or communication needs relating to a disability, impairment or sensory loss, please complete our accessible information and communication support request form here or call us on 01752 205555, e-mail us- lissongrove@nhs.net, or pop into one of our surgeries and let our staff know so that we can make sure you have information you can access and understand.
Please note that we use up significant amounts of precious clinical time with dental emergencies which are best dealt with by other service providers.
If you have dental pain and/or a dental abscess you will be directed to your registered general dental practitioner or if you do not have one to the Dental Access Centre which you can find here
For Back and Joint Pains, you can now self-refer to physiotherapy here: Self Refer for Physiotherapy
Minor Illnesses- Information about common complaints and suggestions on self care:
For many of us, it is sometimes difficult to decide when to see your GP. We have started to put together some information on minor illnesses which we hope you will find helpful for making these decisions. Click here to access this information.
In addition, many Minor Illnesses can be managed by your local pharmacist. Go to Minor Illnesses Your Pharmacist Can Deal With for more information.
If there is additional information you think would help let us know by clicking here.
Quick Links:
Your Referrals:
All non-emergency referrals are sent to Devon Referral Support Services. They are then vetted and, if onward referral to specialist hospital care is indicated, you will be contacted within 2 weeks by this service to arrange an appointment with a suitable provider.
If you are unclear what has happened to your referral please contact this service in the first instance at DRSS Information and Help.
DRSS have developed a new website to offer information to patients in Devon to help them make healthcare decisions. http://www.myhealth-devon.nhs.uk
Accessing your medical record:
NHS Summary Care Records
If you are registered with a GP practice in England you will have a Summary Care Record (SCR), unless you have previously chosen not to have one. It includes important information about your health. Please see Summary Care Record for more information.
Important information which you may wish to act upon.
This Practice is part of the local shared care initiative. This means that it will be possible for you to give permission for other health care professionals to view your GP health record when they are providing you with care. Please see Your Health Record for more details.
Your Say Counts:
We are committed to creating a fully inclusive and accessible service. We treat people with dignity and respect, promote equal opportunities, and eliminate all forms of discrimination regardless of race, nationality, gender, disability, age, sexuality, religion or belief, and family status. We welcome feedback on the way we operate. Please contact Chris Pike, the Practice Manager, with your comments in the first instance. Use the feedback form here or NHS Choices.
Why not join our Patient Liaison Group and help the development of the practice and the services it provides? Please click on the Patient Liaison Group.
See How We Are Rated:
If you would like to read our endorsement from the Care Quality Commission following their routine inspection in June 2015 please click here. Their report evidences that the Practice serves its patients well, embraces the ethos of continual improvement, and actively engages with patients to achieve this.
The wider NHS:
The Practice, along with all others in Plymouth, are part of Devon Clinical Commissioning Group. CCGs have been established from 1st April 2013 to involve patients and clinicians in the commissioning (planning, designing and buying) of services for the local population.
Clinical commissioning groups are accountable to NHS England and have replaced Primary Care Trusts throughout England.
If you would like to find out more about Devon CCG, please click on the link to their website: Devon CCG.
https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHSreferral%MCEPASTEBIN%%MCEPASTEBIN%%MCEPASTEBIN%
(Site updated 26/04/2021)