Covid Vaccination Notification
We have now been made aware that patients can now receive invitations via Text message. This will read as follows:
Dear Mr *****
You have been invited to book your Covid-19 vaccinations. Please do not book if you have tested positve in the last 28 days, you will be contacted again.
Please click the link to book your vaccination times: LINK
The Hastings Centre.
This will be from NHS No reply.
19/01/21 - Our Practice leaflet and Covid-19 addendums have been updated and can be found at the bottom of the page under 'Practice Leaflet'.
The NHS is currently offering the COVID-19 vaccine to people most at risk from coronavirus.
At this time, the vaccine is being offered in some hospitals to:
- some people aged 80 and over who already have a hospital appointment in the next few weeks
- people who work in care homes
- health care workers at high risk
The vaccine will be offered more widely, and at other locations, as soon as possible.
The order in which people will be offered the vaccine is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).
Read the latest JCVI advice on priority groups for the COVID-19 vaccination on GOV.UK
Vaccination status certificate for international travel
At present there is no official certification process to prove that you have had the Covid-19 vaccine, and GPs will not be required to provide these when they do become available. Please keep the card you were given at the time of the vaccination if you need evidence that you have had the vaccine. If you require a GP letter then this is classed as private work and will be charged accordingly.
How to treat coronavirus symptoms at home
There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19), but you can often ease the symptoms at home until you recover.
Information:If you're concerned about your symptoms and need medical advice, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
Treating a high temperature
If you have a high temperature, it can help to:
- get lots of rest
- drink plenty of fluids (water is best) to avoid dehydration – drink enough so your pee is light yellow and clear
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you feel uncomfortable
Treating a cough
If you have a cough, it's best to avoid lying on your back. Lie on your side or sit upright instead.
To help ease a cough, try having a teaspoon of honey. But do not give honey to babies under 12 months.
If this does not help, you could contact a pharmacist for advice about cough treatments.
Do not go to a pharmacy
If you or someone you live with has coronavirus symptoms, you must all stay at home.
Try calling or contacting the pharmacy online instead.
For more information go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/self-isolation-and-treatment/how-to-treat-symptoms-at-home/
Text Messages from the Surgery
We use text messaging more widely now for many different reasons. Not all of the messages we send out require a response from the patient. Please only respond to the messages which specifically ask you to. Please do not add any extra information other than that requested, as the incoming responses are electronically processed and are not actually monitored by staff. If you want to cancel an appointment, please just text 'CANCEL' - nothing else. If you add additional information, then the computer may not pick up your cancellation message, and you may be sent a 'did not attend' letter.
Thank you.
06/01/20 - Care Coordinators
We at Beaconsfield Road Group Practice, recognise that there are individuals who are socially isolated, lonely and need help within the community. Often these individuals have multiple health conditions, including learning difficulties or memory loss, and may often have limited networks of care or support.
In order to support such patients, the Practice has expanded its services to support the development of a new role called the Care Coordinator. The focus of this role is to help patients by coordinating support, signposting on or referring to other services which may help them to cope better with their every day lives. The support may be provided by the NHS directly or the voluntary sector. Eunice and Abbie have jointly taken on this role and would welcome contact from any patient or carer of a patient of the practice to see if they can offer help and support. Please contact us if you have a vulnerable relative/friend who is registered with us whom you feel may benefit from additional support, and we will look at their needs and assess them accordingly.
Covid-19 Lockdown 05/01/20
National lockdown: Stay at Home
Coronavirus cases are rising rapidly across the country. Find out what you can and cannot do.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home
We appreciate that patients may have queries regarding the latest lockdown. However, please bear with us whilst we learn more. The GOV.UK website has the latest information and is regularly updated. Calls and online queries regarding shielding will delay us in dealing with other medical and health issues. As was made clear in the announcement, if you had to shield in the previous lockdown then you are asked to shield again, and you will receive a letter from NHS England with further guidance and information all in due time.
We ask that you check the available information on GOV.UK and NHS.UK.
Help us to help you.
Thank you.
COVID-19 vaccination scam alert
We are aware that some people are receiving fraudulent calls and text messages offering the COVID-19 vaccination. In some cases, people are asked to press a number on their keypad or to send a text message to confirm they wish to receive the vaccine. Doing so is likely to result in a charge being applied to their phone bill. In other cases, callers are offering the vaccine for a fee or asking for bank details.
People are warned to be alert to these scams.
The vaccine is only available from the NHS and the NHS will contact you when it is your turn. At present, appointments are only being offered to members of the public over 80 years old.
The NHS will:
- NEVER ask for payment for the vaccine or for your bank details.
If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft you should report this directly to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Where the victim is vulnerable, report it to Sussex Police online or by calling 101.
Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccination programme in Sussex.
The pressures on GP Surgeries are exceptionally high at the moment. In order for us to help you, please ensure that you use all the information available online before you send in a query, as we find that a great many answers can already be found on our website, or the NHS.UK or GOV.UK pages.
Please do not ask us for a Covid-19 test. We are not involved in organising these. You can find out how to get one by going to the correct website or ringing 119.
We are open for business, albeit in a different way than you are used to. To allow us to deal with incoming medical issues, please do not use the surgery as the default option if you have a question about Coronavirus; use the NHS.UK and GOV.UK websites for all Covid-19-related queries. This is the same information which we have access to. There are no fast-track options by ringing the Surgery to get a test - we have no influence over this.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us to help you 
15/12/20 - From Your Patient Participation Group (PPG)
'We are writing to you as patients who are on the practice Patient Participation Group.
The Doctors, staff providing access to services, and staff who provide other health care at the practice, are all facing many additional demands on their work during the pandemic. They are having to rapidly adapt and change how they work in order to keep everyone safe and target limited resources effectively.
They follow national guidance on how to provide care and on what services come first.
We recognise that it can be very hard for you to experience delay or difficulty in accessing health care which you may be very much in need of. We ask at this time for your patience, understanding, and support of the practice GPs and staff who are working very hard and doing their best in difficult circumstances.'
Patient Participation Group (PPG)
The PPG have been busy holding virtual meetings and you can find out more by following the 'Have Your Say' tab at the top of this page. The latest minutes can be found here: https://www.beaconsfieldroadsurgery.co.uk/ppg.aspx?t=4
The way you access your GP has changed to ensure you get the best possible care safely and quickly. We only want people to attend the practice when they need to, in order to keep you and our staff safe from coronavirus. This video explains how you can contact your GP practice and the different ways care will be delivered to keep you safe. Your general practice is here for you. Help us help you. For more information visit https://www.nhs.uk/health-at-home
Message from Dr Tim Caroe, Chief Medical Officer for Sussex Commissioners and GP in Eastbourne
“I would like to assure everyone that the NHS is working extremely hard to continue to provide the care and support that people need during this pandemic.
GP practices are one of the main NHS services which people use when they need medical help.
Our GP practices are open.
Every GP practice across Sussex is working hard to continue to provide care, to work to catch up from earlier this year and in some cases to do all this with reduced teams due to staff being unwell or self-isolating.
This is a very different situation to what most of us in the NHS are used to.
Just as we are having to continue to adapt our personal lives as a result of the pandemic, so are we having to adapt how we are working and how we are looking after our patients.
Your GP practice is having to provide regular services, protect patients and staff, and support our health and care partners to maintain care for our patients – all whilst maintaining social distancing and following intense infection control processes.
This means we need to work in new ways – we are asking patients not to just turn up to the practice building but instead to telephone or contact the practice online in the first instance. This means we can keep people in the practice buildings to a minimum which keeps everyone as safe as possible.
We are also triaging more than we used to. This means when you tell us what is wrong, either on the telephone or online, we consider the best way to help you.
This may be seeing a doctor in the way you used to, but it may also mean a conversation on the phone, or a video consultation, or perhaps there’s a problem that can just be dealt with by sending a simple text.
For many people these new ways of working has made it much easier to get the help and support they need.
And perhaps someone other than a doctor might be the best person to help – other people working in the practice might be most appropriate, for example a nurse, paramedic, or a pharmacist.
By working in this way, it means we can help more effectively, so in fact often actually increasing the number of people we are supporting.
All this does not mean that GPs are not seeing people – you will absolutely get a face to face appointment with a doctor if you need it.
And it’s not just GPs seeing people, our health care assistants and nurses are seeing patients and also delivering flu vaccinations to protect patients ahead of the winter season.
I know that these different ways of working sometimes mean that it takes longer than it would have previously to get through to your GP practice on the phone; our receptionists are working very hard to manage the increased number of calls and are trying to reach everyone as quickly as they can.
If your practice has an online offering, why not consider using it so that you can free the phone system up for someone else who may not be so digitally minded.
I understand how difficult and worrying it can be when you are ill and you are trying to get help. I know that people can sometimes take their frustrations out on people who are only trying to help them.
As we head into the winter months when things are likely to get even busier, I would like to ask everyone to be kind to each other. It goes a long way.
GP practices may be working differently and you may get support in a different way but it is still the right place to go for concerns about your health.
Please work with your GP practice as they work to help you.”
Getting the right treatment at the right time in Sussex has just got easier
Unless it is a medical 999 emergency, the NHS in Sussex is urging everyone to call 111 to help people get the care they need.
From the start of this month, people who call 111 will be able to speak to a range of health professionals and if needed can be given a time slot for services including A&E and the Urgent Treatment Centres.
It is designed to support people to receive care from the most appropriate service for their needs. It also helps to prevent over crowding in NHS services and ensure hospitals can maintain social distancing in waiting rooms.
No one will be turned away from an A&E or Emergency Department and you will be assessed in a timely way by a clinical member of the urgent care team and will receive emergency care and treatment if you need it.
If your healthcare needs are not urgent, you may be invited to contact NHS 111 at the hospital to be directed to the most appropriate healthcare setting for your needs.
You should continue to use 999 if you have a serious or life-threatening condition or accident.
However, when you think you need A&E, call NHS 111 first. It may well save you a trip to the hospital, and if you do need to attend it is likely to reduce the time for you to be seen.
Find out more https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/news/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km9Ov6dANOs
NHS 111 First
TELEPHONE OPTIONS
Please be aware that the telephone options have now changed. Please listen carefully to the new message when you phone the Surgery.
The new options are as follows:
1 - Results line (11am-1pm)
2 - Prescription queries (10am-11am & 2pm-3pm) *
3 - Fairlight Road site
4 - Beaconsfield Road site
*We have introduced a new facility for prescription queries. Please ring during the appropriate times to raise prescription queries, eg: medication changes, side effects, stock/availability problems, etc.
If you are simply checking to see if your prescription has been processed, please ring your allocated pharmacy in the first instance.
Thank you.
WAITING ROOMS
As the weather becomes colder, please be aware that if you are attending our sites for appointments, it may be prudent to wear an extra layer as our waiting room windows are open.
Thank you.
FACE MASKS - There is no requirement for people to have evidence of exemption, it is sufficient for an individual to self-declare this, and there is no requirement for General Practitioners to provide such letters. Please visit the Government website: -
NHS COVID-19 TRACK & TRACE APP
Protect your loved ones with the official NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app for England and Wales.
It's the fastest way of knowing when you're at risk from coronavirus (COVID-19). The quicker you know, the quicker you can alert your loved ones, and your community.
The more of us that use it, the better we can control coronavirus.
Protect your loved ones. Please download the app.