PLEASE SEE THE HOME PAGE OF THIS WEBSITE UNDER THE SECTION LATEST NEWS FOR HEALTH INFORMATION AND ADVICE DURING THE CORONAVIRUS. FOR UP TO DATE ADVICE ABOUT COVID 19 PLEASE GO TO PATIENT ACCESS ON THE HOME PAGE AND CLICK ON REGISTER NOW AND THEN SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE.

AM I AT RISK?

Government guidance indicates the following patient groups are considered ‘high risk’ and these patients should have received a letter from the government:

Solid organ transplant recipients

Cancer – patients undergoing

chemotherapy or radiotherapy for lung cancer
leukaemia, lymphoma or myeloma
Immunotherapy or antibody treatment for cancer
Targeted cancer treatment affecting the immune system
Bone marrow or stem cell transplant within the last 6 months or who are still taking immunosuppressants

Severe respiratory conditions – CF, severe asthma, severe COPD

Rare diseases/metabolic disorders (sickle cell etc)

Taking immunosuppressants

Pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired

Other patient groups deemed to be at risk are:

Patients over 70 years old with or without underlying health conditions

Chronic respiratory disease

Chronic heart disease

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic liver disease

Neurological conditions –

Parkinson’s disease
Motor Neurone Disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Cerebral Palsy
Learning disabilities

Spleen problems/splenectomy

Decreased immunity – due to conditions such as HIV/AIDS, long term steroid use or chemotherapy

Over-weight, BMI >40

Pregnant

We are asking the patient groups who are at high risk to self isolate for a minimum of 12 weeks to ensure you remain safe. Those patients who are considered the most high risk will be receiving a review phone call from the clinical team in the near future.Disclaimer | Cookies

MENTAL HEALTH & WELLBEING

Every Mind Matters If you are struggling with low mood or other aspects of your mental health, in addition to speaking to your GP, you can also access advice and support to manage your mental health online at:

http://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

NHS Wellbeing

www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/improve-mental-wellbeing/

You can also call Healthy Minds – 0300 123 0907 (Option 2) Mon-Fri 9-5pm or outside of hours, select option 1.

DIABETES AND CORONAVIRUS

If you have diabetes, you are considered to be ‘at risk’ with regards to the Coronavirus. Please follow this link for more information & advice:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/17MI9J5nL8IrkuOGsv4pe_u_KvdmxRrpLT4aXdtDoeOE/edit?usp=sharing

If you have any concerns or queries then please ring to speak to one of our GPs. You can also access more information from Diabetes UK:

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about_us/news/coronavirus

BLOOD PRESSURE

If you have high blood pressure, we would encourage you to purchase a blood pressure machine if you do not already have one and record your blood pressures for us over the course of a week. You can then post your readings through our letterbox and they will be analysed by our clinical team. Blood pressure machines can be purchased from any Pharmacy or online from the British Heart Foundation Website.

www.giftshop.bhf.org.uk listed below are some of the machines that are recommended

Omron M2 basic blood pressure monitor.

Omron M2 blood pressure monitor.

A & D UA-611 blood pressure monitor.

ASTHMA

If you have asthma, we would encourage you to purchase a peak flow monitor if you do not already have one and monitor your peak flow if you feel you are struggling with your breathing. You should contact the surgery if this is the case.

EAR SYRINGING

Due to the pandemic COVID-19 we are unable to offer ear syringing at the moment. Listed below are ways that you can treat earwax build-up yourself at home:

Do not use your fingers or any objects like cotton buts to remove earwax. This will push it in and make it worse.

Earwax usually falls out on its own. If this does not happen and the wax blocks your ear, then put 2 to 3 drops of olive or almond oil in your ear twice a day for a few days.

Over 2 weeks lumps of earwax should fall out of your ear, especially at night when you are lying down. There’s no evidence that ear candles or ear vacuums get rid of earwax.

A pharmacist can help with earwax build up. They can give advice and suggest treatments to help you such as chemical drops to dissolve the earwax. The earwax should fall out on its own or dissolve after about a week.