Noticeboard

Sickness Certificates

The first 7 days of sickness do not require a certificate from your GP. If your employer insists on a sickness form, complete a Self-Certification form, which can be found here

Please ask staff to issue the usual sick notes, NOT the GP's.

We do NOT do sick notes for suspected Coronavirus

Sick Notes do NOT need to be SIGNED. We will text them to you, as we do not want you to come to surgery to pick them up. You can print them or email them to your employer.

We are not allowed to write letters telling your employer that you should be allowed to work from home. That's your HR department's decision, based on what medical conditions you declare to them. If they don't believe you, we can write a letter confirming your medical problems for £30 in advance. We have been overwhelmed with such requests, understandably, and we cannot deal with them all.

Keep Your Details up to Date
Please do update your contact details ("Your Contact Details" box at the bottom of screen) with home & mobile & email. You will receive appointment reminders and occasional requests for information by text.

PHONE CALLS may be recorded for your protection.

THE CHESSER SURGERY WELCOMES NEW PATIENTS!

THE CHESSER SURGERY, WITAMY NOWYCH PACJENTÓW!

THE CHESSER SURGERY, NOI BUN VENIT PACIENTII NOI!

THE CHESSER SURGERY, ПРИВЕТСТВАМЕ НОВИ ПАЦИЕНТИ!

THE CHESSER SURGERY, МИ ВІТАЄМО НОВИХ ПАЦІЄНТІВ!

We have been in practice for nearly one hundred years. The surgery was founded by the Chesser family. We have always had personalised lists and our patients should be aware of their registered doctor. If you are unsure, please ask at reception.
We have around 7000 patients whom we feel we treat very well, especially in recent years, where budget cuts have heavily affected the NHS.

Services on Saturday 16^th and Sunday 17^th January between 8am-8pm.

We have put on extra services over this weekend if you need urgent medical help that is not a life-threatening 999 emergency.

This is to help local hospitals and the ambulance service as they are extremely busy at the moment.

To access these services in Sutton Borough please telephone 0333 332 4360 where you will be assessed by a clinician and offered an appointment if clinically required. This may be a video appointment or a face to face appointment.

Outside of these hours please call 111.

Cancellation of 2nd Dose of Covid vaccination click HERE for further information

COVID VACCINE please don't ring & block the phones.
Staff have been asked to respond briefly to any phone queries by sending a text.

Government has assigned priority groups to all patients in UK.
As of 11Jan, staff are ringing group1 patients (nursing homes or over 90's) to book their vaccination at the local centre.
We cannot change your group/priority, regardless of your medical condition.
We hope that with the roll-out of the second vaccine (Oxford), which can be kept in a surgery fridge, we can ramp up the vaccinations. Watch this space!

Dr.Healy has RETIRED, end Sept. She'll be sorely missed. (see DrDitri's tab on the Right)

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Do you need a COVID-19 test? click here

The practice does not have access to any form of COVID-19 testing so please do not call the practice in regards to testing as we will not be able to help you!

The Vaccine

COVID Guide for adults

COVID Guide for Healthcare Workers

COVID - What to Expect After

COVID - Why do I have to wait?

BE AWARE!

A local surgery have been notified by a patient, when invited to book their Covid vaccine, that they have already booked into a clinic in Basildon. This is undoubtedly the result of a scam call!

A similar incident was noted by Wirral Council as follows….

Warning of vaccine scam phone calls

Scammers are using the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine to try to con people out of money, a council has warned.

Wirral Council told people to be on their guard after residents of New Ferry were prompted to book non-existent "vaccine appointments" in a recorded phone message.

Those receiving the calls are then asked to confirm by pressing a button on their phone - which results in them being billed by their provider.

Elderly people have been targeted by the calls, the council said.

We are also aware of other scams where patients are being called up and charged for ‘so called’ vaccination appointments and, of course, the elderly and vulnerable are the prime targets..

Watch our Sky News video clip recorded at the COVID vaccination site click HERE

If worried about CoronaVirus, please go to:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

If concerned you've been in close contact with or may HAVE coronaVirus:

https://111.nhs.uk/service/covid-19

Face coverings are now compulsory on TFL public transport, shops/supermarkets and in the surgery. If you feel you are unable to wear a mask due to a health issue, you may find some helpful information here, here and here.

Long term Conditions SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES 29June

social distancing and 'shielding' vulnerable patients. Shielding Testing

Sutton Council Help difference between Shielding & Social Distancing

VULNERABLE PATIENTS & ADVANCED CARE PLANNING
However upsetting it is to think about, the worst may happen.

IF you catch Covid, and IF your vital signs indicate that Covid is attacking your Lungs, then we need to deal with that.

Your choices would be to go to hospital where they would initially hydrate you and think about simple things like intravenous antibiotics. But this might be best they could do for you. You might not be appropriate, with your existing lung conditions, for a Ventilator. In which case, they would give you supportive therapy, away from your relatives, in conditions that might not be the ideal for passing away in dignity.

Some of you may make the choice, depending on your clinical condition, to stay at home. We have set up a special unit of GPs/Nurses to deliver such Supportive Care in your own home, if it is clinically judged that hospital could do no more for you.

GPs have been asked to contact the most vulnerable patients and ask what they would prefer to happen to them, should the worst happen.
In the absence of a documented Patient Preference, any ambulance & AE would be obliged to get you to hospital, which is not perhaps what you would have wanted.

My experience is that most of my patients have a preference, but just haven't told us.
But some are worried that we're giving up on them. This clearly isn't the case: it's simply about you telling us what YOU would like to happen, IF the worst happens.
IF you'd prefer not to talk about it, we'd completely understand. No matter how sensitively we try to bring up the subject, it will be an upsetting thing to talk about for ALL of us.

We would ask which Category of Fitness you'd consider yourself.
ADL=Activities of Daily Living. Cognitive=able to think & reason clearly

volunteers! volunteers 2

Patients with temperature over 37.8C & continuous cough, or loss/change in taste or smell MUST self isolate at home

DON'T WALK INTO THE SURGERY!
Household contacts are advised to Self Isolate for 14days. This is because the incubation period of the virus can be about 5days, so you can be infected and spreading the germ before you even have symptoms (fever/cough).

Those patients over 60yrs age, or younger with HealthConditions with fever/cough ask for telephone consultation with GP for assessment after reading the 'coronavirus tab' and 'over 65s' tab on the right hand side.

please see tab on right hand side labelled 'coronavirus' for advice for patients with cough/fever.

Face masks & TFL

It is now compulsory to wear a mask/face covering on public transport. If you are unable to wear a mask, please click here to obtain an exclusion card you can carry around with you.

Repeat Prescription requests - please do not bring your repeat prescription requests into surgery.
Please order your prescriptions online. If you are not signed up to online access yet, why not? It's a much more efficient way to organise your health and you can even sign up NOW!

If you can't, you can drop your requests in to our letterbox outside the surgery or ask your pharmacist to order your medication on your behalf.
Even in these difficult times, we can't take requests over the phone because mistakes do happen, and also because it ties up the phone preventing other patients reaching us. Thank you

If you are a COPD patient, you will receive a Rescue Pack from us. Please see here for more information.

RECEPTION We are trying not to have people walking in unnecessarily, to reduce spread of Coronavirus Covid. Please telephone first. If you have been asked to come down to Surgery, there is a buzzer and intercom at the door so you can speak to staff.

CONSULTATIONS: we have been asked by the government to deal with patients by phone.
Smart phone users can video (using a text link). Examples

If doctor feels you need examination, they will then arrange a visit to surgery:
we hope the Waiting room will be nearly empty, and certainly if you see anyone coughing, do tell reception. No one with an 'cold' should be sitting there! Our duty is to protect ourselves, our staff & other patients. Anyone who has lied about cough/temperature will be asked to leave & ring 111.

For those with suspected Covid, they will be let in through the back door & straight into our Covid Room (which is bare, away from other patients, and easily de-contaminated). Depending on clinical situation, patients may be examined outside or in their cars.

HomeVisits will be uncommon, and again will need to be vetted by 2 GPs: we have a duty to protect ourselves and also not to infect you with Covid. We expect patients & their relatives to record basic Vital Signs to watch for possible signs of Covid.

SELF HELP if you have any symptoms of anything, a first start is 111 or DoctorLink, or your Pharmacist.

APPOINTMENTS You'll be able to book Telephone Appointments Online using your App, or phone reception to do it for you.
Just as if you were waiting in Surgery, doctor can get behind, so be patient.

MANAGING BREATHLESSNESS

There's a lot you can do to help the feeling of breathlessness, assuming you've been assessed medically & other treatable causes of breathlessness have been ruled out.

Thinking Energy Levels Handheld Fan Thoughts Mindfulness Positions Relaxation Video

The Chesser Surgery would like to invite you to join DoctorLink.

We have been looking at how we can improve access to Practice services; DoctorLink is our new online service where you can access advice and book appointments online.

Sign-up is simple and you can create an account here https://app.doctorlink.com/chesser/register

For all urgent appointments, we ask that you undertake a symptom assessment through DoctorLink.

The symptom assessment will ask you a number of questions to help to identify your problem.

The outcome of your assessment will direct you to the right treatment, whether emergency care, your GP, nurse or self-care.

If your outcome indicates that an appointment is required at your GP Practice, you simply click on the “book an appointment” button and book your appointment directly.

If no appointments are available, you will see a “request an appointment” button, please click this.

Once the request has been submitted, you will then be contacted by the Practice Team, to arrange an appointment within the identified time frame (as outlined in the outcome of your symptom checker).

The information you provide will be shared with our clinical team (where appropriate) and will assist in providing robust information of your problem to the required clinical team member prior to your appointment.