PRACTICE NEWS

NEW ONLINE CONSULTATION SERVICE - GO LIVE Monday 10 January 2022

We are moving our current online consultation service to a new system called Klinik from Monday 10 January. Please note from now until 'go live Monday' you will no longer be able to access AskmyGP. We hope the new system will help improve access so ask if you can bear with us as we change across. We would like to ask if you could be kind to us over the next few days and only contact us via our telephone service if you cannot wait until next week for care. This will enable us to complete all requests on AskmyGp and move across to Klinik.

Klinik is easy to access via our website and responses come back via text, telephone calls or email. Information on accessing the new service will be added on Monday, you do not need to register to use Klinik just click the link to access or use the QR code provided on this website.

We will endeavour to be open initially from 8 am until 12 noon, Monday to Friday but will need to assess demand going forward to ensure safety. . We aim to respond within 48 working hours. Clinically urgent queries will be prioritised, but we may ask you to contact NHS 111 or A & E if necessary. Non-urgent requests will be dealt with within 5 working days, and we ask you to wait for a response and not submit further requests unless your issue worsens.

The system allows access to more online queries than before so please look at the tiles and select the most appropriate for your needs. The system will ensure you get directed to the most appropriate care , please note this may be GP services, urgent care, self help, a pharmacy or our patient services team. It will also tell you to contact our emergency services if it feels you need more urgent care than available through your GP surgery. Please note it is one problem per request and we would appreciate if you could complete all questions asked.

Thank you all for your support during this period of change.

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COVID VACCINATIONS and Booster

We are pleased to say we are still helping to vaccinate patients with the COVID vaccination. We are with the other practices in Yeovil and surrounding villages offering vaccinations from our site at The gateway , Addellwell Lane, Yeovil. Please use the National Booking Service to book your appointments.. All vaccinations will be carried out at central sites and not currently at any surgery sites.

Please help us by not contacting us to ask about your appointment.

If you have received a letter from the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Booking Service inviting you to book an appointment at a vaccination centre, you can book as advised in the letter.

For information on the vaccination please go to :

Guide for older adults: COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What to expect after vaccination: COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Women of childbearing age, those who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding should read the detailed information on www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.

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GP Community Pharmacy Consultation Service

There is a new, same-day, GP Community Pharmacy Consultation Service to help you receive quality care and support for minor health conditions, more quickly through accessing care via your community pharmacist. This is for minor illnesses and injuries such as: ankle, foot, knee, lower leg or arm swelling or pain, athlete's foot, allergic reactions, bites or stings, coughs and colds, eye infections, headaches, lower back pain, mouth ulcers and blisters, rashes, sore throats and shoulder pain.

Now, when you contact us regarding a minor condition, after discussing your conditions, where appropriate, Patient Services will offer you the option of having a same-day appointment with your Community Pharmacist.

Community Pharmacists are highly qualified and experienced in providing clinical advice and care (including recommending over the counter treatments) for minor injuries and conditions. They will offer you a same-day consultation via the phone, or in person, which can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you.

Your Pharmacist will take your medical history, ask about your symptoms and any current medication you might be taking. Following the consultation, the pharmacist will offer you self-care advice and if appropriate, offer you an over-the-counter product. The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome of your consultation and send it to your GP.

If having given you advice/treatment, your pharmacist identifies you need further specialist help, your pharmacist will be able to refer you back to your GP or onto another health service for support.

Community Pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor condition, following a call to NHS 111 and through GPs around the country who have been piloting this service. Evidence from these pilots shows advice provided by Community Pharmacists results in the same outcome, as if the patient went to see their GP, or attended an emergency department.

CQC