FLU - Thank You to Everyone Who Has Attended Our Flu Clinics This Year

Practice Update – November 2018

FLU - Thank you to everyone who has attended our flu clinics this year.

As you will have no doubt seen in the press, it has been particularly difficult to plan this year, with a complete change to vaccines for ‘Over 65’s’ and uncertainty around deliveries with an untested sole supplier to the whole of the NHS, Seqirus. We were also caught up in this, as we had to wait until mid-November for our main delivery and then we didn’t receive sufficient quantities of the new ‘Over 65’s’ vaccine, which arrived less than 24 hours before our final Saturday clinic. We were able to provide the new vaccine to all over 75’s as per the priority guidelines published by NHS England, and we are still trying to source more supplies. If more stocks are not forthcoming and local pharmacies do not have any either, then we still offer the second line recommendation flu vaccine. Please ask our nurses for more information about this, as it is far better to have this protection than none at all. There is plenty of time as Flu outbreaks usually peak in January, and we continue to offer vaccination until March.

STAFF UPDATE – Dr Jane Barnard has settled in to her routine Thursday morning clinic and has GP specialist knowledge in ENT. We recently welcomed Becky back to our dispensing team after a break, and we said goodbye to Pauline who has moved on after 8 years in the dispensing team. We all wish her well in her new Healthcare Assistant role at the Heatherwood hospital.

OTHER SERVICES:

MSK PRACTITONER - Our Specialist Orthopaedic Service has been running for a year now, and Paul Browning is available on-site every Tuesday for Orthopaedic issues. Please book with Paul via reception or online.

AAA CLINIC – New to Crondall - The Aortic Abdominal Aneurysm Screening Team are providing their service here at Crondall for the first time. In England, screening for AAA is offered to men during the yearthey turn 65. Please take up the offer of screening and for more information see

SHARED EVENING CLINICS – For the past year, patients have had the option of being seen in the evening and at weekends in the 8-8 Extended Service. It is shared between us and two other Fleet practices, with Fleet Medical Practice joining the service next year as well. You could be offered an evening appointment with a GP at Richmond Surgery in Church Crookham, or at Branksomewood Surgery in Fleet, or you could request a Sunday appointment with a GP working at Frimley. Equally, the other practices’ patients may be seen at Crondall in an extra clinic on our Tuesday late night. This service has increased the available appointments for our patients as well.

E-CONSULT – If planning and making appointments is difficult and you have internet access, please use this option - from the home page of our website – select‘eConsult’. These go to a GP and are responded to within 2 working days. You may still be asked to make an appointment, depending on the problem, but at least 50% of the time, the issue can be dealt with without the need to be seen.

for News, eConsults and more information about our services.