Practice Mission Statement
Craneswater Group Practice prides itself as being part of the Southsea community, responsible for providing friendly, caring and timely medical services to all our patients.
Our vision is to offer safe and high quality patient-focused care, delivered by a team of dedicated, professional and enthusiastic staff.
Confidentiality, compassion and continuity are at the heart of our practice ethos.
GP Pressures 2022
GP Practices in Portsmouth are under extreme pressure 
Local NHS services are currently experiencing some of the most severe pressures in its history.
GP practices in Portsmouth have been facing rising demand for services, alongside escalating COVID-19 case numbers (a 65% increase) with cases in Hampshire higher than the rest of the UK. This rise in cases also means increased staff absences because of sickness, isolation requirements, or needing to care for unwell children.
This week, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) and Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust (PHU) declared critical incidents, due to significant and sustained demand for services.
We are actively supporting our NHS colleagues in urgent and emergency care during these critical incidents and partners across Portsmouth and South East Hampshire continue to work together to help to alleviate some of these pressures.
However, we know through modelling that demand and prevalence of COVID is likely to increase over the coming weeks, with a peak of COVID-19 cases and NHS system pressures expected over the Easter period.
Our practice team has been working tirelessly throughout the pandemic and, like all practices in Portsmouth, we have been at the forefront of the NHS response, delivering the hugely successful COVID-19 vaccination roll-out while maintaining day to day medical care for our patients.
We are all working longer and harder than ever before to provide the very best care we can, under intense pressure.
To make sure people can get access to care safely and quickly, we aim to deliver a range of different ways of having an appointment to provide you with more choice and more convenience. These include phone consultations, online consultations or video consultations.
Face-to-face appointments are still available if you need them, however we will be prioritising urgent appointments over the coming weeks to ensure access to care is the best it can be.
We ask for your continued understanding and support as we strive to face these pressures. This may mean that you have to wait longer for a less urgent appointment or experience some delays. We thank you for being patient and kind to our staff if you need to wait longer to have your enquiry dealt with.
Please continue to limit the spread of COVID-19, the pandemic hasn't gone away and we need your help to manage it. If you can, please take a COVID-19 test before coming into the surgery to limit the spread and keep our staff safe and able to work.
Message to our patients – update on the COVID-19 booster programme
Across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight the NHS and its partners are working extremely hard to roll out the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme to our communities.
You can book your booster from three months after your second vaccine, and you can access the National Booking System to book the appointment from two months. We are working at pace to increase the availability of appointments so that there are plenty of options for people . Some local vaccination services will also contact patients directly. New appointments are being added and we will be working to take further steps to increase what we can offer, including opening later and on more days. We encourage everyone who is aged 18 and over, is yet to have their booster and who is approaching 3 months from your second vaccine to either book an appointment with us or use the National Booking System to arrange your appointment when you are able to do so.If you are yet to have your first or second dose of the vaccination, then please do come forward and have these.
In terms of any planned appointments with Craneswater Group Practice there are no changes at the current time, and everyone should attend your planned appointments as normal. If we need to make any changes, we will contact you directly.
We urge you keep our phone lines free for patients to call with non-vaccination healthcare needs. The NHS will share details on other ways to access booster appointments across our communities as soon as possible.
See more about the vaccination programme in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including the vaccination services: www.hampshiresouthamptonandisleofwightccg.nhs.uk
Thank you.
Covid treatment
As you may be aware there are now treatments available in the community, for people testing positive for Covid-19 who are deemed to be at the highest risk of having a severe illness.
If you are in this group you should have already been informed of this by a Government notification.
If you do have an eligible condition and have a positive PCR test for Covid-19, you should be contacted automatically within 24 hours to discuss whether treatment is appropriate for you. This is arranged by a local Covid Medicine Delivery Unit, and not by your GP Surgery.
If you are eligible to consider treatment but are not contacted automatically, your GP surgery may be able to refer you, so please call the surgery reception team to discuss. If you do not have an eligible medical condition, but have online access, and are over 50 years old or have another medical condition making you more clinically vulnerable (the group who would usually be invited for an annual flu vaccine), you can apply to join the PANORAMIC study if you have a positive PCR test withing 7 days and have been unwell for less than 5 days.
To find out more information, please visit the PANORAMIC website: www.panoramictrial.org
19th July onwards Social Distancing & Face Masks Update
From the 19th July onwards we will continue to require all patients and visitors to the surgery to wear a face mask.
We have decided to keep our current policy in place because of the risk to vulnerable patients; the risk to staff and their families and the risk of serious disruption to our services if staff having to isolate. We have also been informed by NHS England that the current operating procedures for infection and prevention control remain in place and there are no planned changes to the current ways of working.
We will continue to ask that all visitors remain at a social distance when inside the surgery building.
If you do not wish to or are unable to wear a mask whilst in the surgery building a member of staff will ask you to wait in your car or outside the surgery. A clinician will come and assess the risk to themselves and others before then deciding how to proceed.
We understand that not everyone will agree with this policy we ask that all visitors to the surgery respect our decision which was taken to keep everyone safe both inside the surgery and in the local community. Please respect every member of staff whenever you have contact with them. We will review the policy after the flu season has passed or if the National situation changes substantially and there is a significant fall in the infection rate for a prolonged period of time.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and we are sure that you will continue to cooperate with the surgery to keep yourselves and our staff as safe as possible.
Information regarding appointments.
In order to protect our patients and staff as the corona virus spreads we have made the decision to suspend our walk-in surgeries until further notice. From Monday 16th March all patients that want to be seen should telephone the surgery. They will be offered a telephone appointment with a duty doctor to decide on whether they can be managed at home or need to be seen.We have made this decision after much consideration and would ask you all to bear with us during this challenging time.
Primary care is still open and we encourage patients to get in touch for any health concerns that cannot be dealt with by the patient, their family, friends or the local pharmacy. we are also asking patients to not attend the practice without an appointment to help reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus (Covid-19). This is to help protect staff and patients.
- Routine vaccinations and immunisations are important and are available at the practice.
- Please only visit the surgery if you have an appointment. If you think you need to see a doctor, please call the practice to arrange a time to speak to a clinician or use E-consults via this website.
- If you need to be seen face-to-face then you will be given an appointment time to attend the practice.
- Please do not arrive early for your pre booked appointment as we are liming the amount of patients in at one time.
- We recommend you wear a face covering during your time at the surgery.
- We want to discourage people queuing outside a GP practice and waiting in the waiting area, to reduce the spread of coronavirus.
Important information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)
The NHS across Hampshire and Isle of Wight will be better prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases, if the public follows Public Health England advice.
The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of patients and staff which may mean your patient experience is subject to change.
The new advice issued by the Chief Medical Officer is to stay at home for 10 days if you have either:
- A high temperature
- A new continuous cough. Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or a hospital. You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you're staying at home.
- If you are part of the house hold you must at home for 14 days.
Changes to Covid-19 symptoms: The general clinical case definition for COVID-19 has been updated to include loss of or change in smell or taste. It is now:
- New continuous cough OR fever OR loss/change in smell or taste.
Everyone, including health and social care workers, should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or loss of/ change in smell or taste. The individual’s household should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines and the individual should stay at home for 7 days, or longer if they still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell or taste.
Information remains subject to regular change and updates. More information can be found on the NHS website https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
Concerned you may have Covid- 19
You can go to https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 in the first instance for advice. if you call the surgery we will redirect you to this website or ask you to call 119.
Employer Note for Self Isolation
Please follow the link below if you feel you need to stay at home because of Coronavirus and you need a note for your employer (you do not need to request this from your GP.
https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/
Do you suffer from persistent pain?
Self care
We are taking part in Self Care Week 16th -22nd November. This is a particularly challenging time for all of our patients and staff. We would like to encourage everyone to look after their mental and physical health. We have lots of information on our website and will be posting tips and ideas on Twitter throughout the week.
Think self care for life by increasing your health, knowledge and understanding of how to look after your own health.
Information on self care can be found by following this link https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library/
Please click on the Latest News tab to find lots more interesting and helpful guidance on SELF CARE
We endeavour to respond to e-consults by the end of the next working day however during busy periods it may be necessary for this to be delayed after assessment by a member of the triage team. If you feel a more urgent response is required, please contact the surgery reception team. Please be aware due to current demand this service is only available between 8 am -11 am every week day.
Need extra help?
During this current pandemic, if you need help with any shopping, collecting medications or help with basic needs and you are not on the government vulnerable list phone us and let us know. We can refer you to our Social Prescribing Team or put you in contact with the HIVE. Both the Social Prescribing Team and the HIVE will be able to put you in contact with local organisations who will offer you support during this current situation. Even if you just want to have a friendly chat, they can offer this too!
Are you or someone you know experiencing a crisis and need urgent mental health support? Call 111 or visit www.111.nhs.uk and speak to the NHS Mental Health Triage Service.
Our NHS 111 mental health triage service provides advice, support and guidance, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for anyone living in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
The Mental Health Triage Team has a wide range of skills, including on the phone brief psychological support and has access to key services and organisations that can offer mental health support to people in their time of need.
This service can also be also used by GPs and other healthcare professionals, the emergency services, mental health charities and any other organisations that come into contact with people experiencing a mental health crisis.
The Mental Health Triage Service can be accessed by phone by dialling 111 and online at www.111.nhs.uk.
Domestic Abuse Service can be accessed by phoning National Domestic Abuse Helpline Freephone 0808200247 or online at www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk
For local advice contact Safer Portsmouth Partnership on 02392 065494 (Monday - Friday 9am - 9pm, or 10am - 6pm weekends and bank holidays)
or online at www.saferportsmouth.org.uk/domestic-abuse/
Portsmouth Emergency Refuge Accomadation - 24 hours 03300165112
If you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, please call 999.
In an emergency dial 999. If you are unable to speak – dial 999 and then enter 555 this will transfer your call for assistance without you having to speak.
GP Patient Survey
The results for the 2021 GP Patient Survey have been published and once again Craneswater Group Practice have scored highly.
Craneswater Group Practice has received an overall score of 90%, meaning that 90% of respondents would describe their overall experience of the practice as good. This is in comparison to a local average score of 79% and a national average score of 83%.
If you would like to view the full results for Craneswater Group Practice, please visit the GP Patient Survey website at Patient Experience (gp-patient.co.uk)
Thank you to everyone that took part in the survey.
Practice Newsletter
Our twice yearly newsletter has just been published- please have a look at the latest edition here
Please tell us what you think
You can give us feedback about your experience as well as read the comments other patients have made at the NHS Choices site. For Waverley Road Surgery click here and for Salisbury Road Surgery click here
Follow us on Twitter here for all the latest news about the practice
Information for Carers
Please see our Self Referral & Useful Links page for more information about services available locally for carers of people with long term health conditions
(Site updated 15/09/2022)