Coronavirus vaccine
***UPDATED 08/04/21***
Second dose clinics are under way. As previously, please watch out for a text message inviting you to book.
Those of you needing to contact us by phone to book- PLEASE AVOID RINGING at our busiest times (8:30-11, 2-2:30). Call volumes at these times have been impossible to deal with - leading to more frustration for us all.
Groups 7-9 (ie anyone over 50) are now being invited for first doses- watch out for texts and please respond! If you have booked a vaccination at another site that is fine - but please let us know via the online service - or decline our Accurx invite if possible?
If you are over 50 and have not yet had your first vaccination or heard from us then please feel free to phone the surgery and our team can book you a vaccination.
For adults under 50 the NHS will be contacting you after most of the country's over 50s have had their first vaccine. Vaccinations for under 50s will be offered by mass vaccination centres and pharmacies, rather than GP teams.
Please read these links before attending for your vaccine.
Information for adults about the vaccine
Why do I have to wait for vaccination?
What to expect after the vaccination
Patients are being contacted directly in priority order by the NHS by text, phone and letter.
We are unable to offer the vaccination at the practice, but are working with other local surgeries to offer the vaccine in Royston, at Royston Health Centre. We started vaccinating our patients last month, focussing initially on patients over the age of 75. To date we have tried to contact all those over the age of 70 to book an appointment.
Over 90% of groups 1-4 have already had their first dose. If you are over 70 or shielding and think you have been missed then we hope this is not the case but please do now contact us to enquire further.
If you have received an invitation letter from the NHS, you also have to option to contact the phone number or book online and arrange vaccination at one of the large vaccination centres such as the Cambridge Grafton Centre, Biggleswade, Newmarket or Stevenage.
Ensuring we have a current mobile number for you would be helpful. (use the contact us online button below).
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The NHS is now able to offer vaccinations to priority groups 5 and 6.
This is a large group of patients so the NHS is sending letters to the 65-69 age group (group 5) asking them to book appointments at the large vaccination centres (Cambridge, Stevenage etc) whilst our local hub vaccinates group 6. If there are compelling reasons you are in group 5 but would prefer to be vaccinated at Royston then we can arrange this, but each request will add to our administrative burden (and impact on our ability to immunise group 6) so please bear this in mind. Please use our online query service and ensure you provide a mobile phone number within the request.
Please note that the criteria for group 6 are similar BUT NOT IDENTICAL to those who are usually eligible for a flu jab. Specifically, many patients with asthma do NOT qualify (at the time of writing). The guidelines are in table 3 (currently page 10) of this chapter in ‘The Green Book’ (the immunisation bible) which is regularly updated (helpful, but does mean that some advice detail is forever changing). WE CANNOT OVERRIDE THESE.
Patients in group 6 aged 16 or 17 would ideally be booked in a clinic with the Pfizer vaccine. The NHS has now advised us it will not be sending any more Pfizer stocks to us for first doses. The Astra Zeneca Oxford vaccine appears safe and effective in this age group, despite only currently having a license for patients over 18. We are happy to offer AZ vaccine to this group after discussion with the individual patients concerned- or can try and find a location with some Pfizer vaccine available (but there would be a further challenge to get the second dose of Pfizer 12 weeks later!). Please do contact us to have this discussion.
Our next clinics are being booked for the second half of April 2021.
More clinics will become available but can only be planned when vaccine supply is confirmed. The NHS may give us only 2 days notice that 1-2000 doses are arriving - and need to be used within 72 hours.
Vaccinating 2000 patients over 2 days is a huge task and risks spreading coronavirus unless strict social distancing occurs. PLEASE DO NOT queue or socialise at less than 2m apart with masks on.
Need transport? Options are here.
Second doses 11-12 weeks after the first will commence from early April. The plan will be to offer you the same vaccine as you had initially with us. We will update the website when booking texts are being sent - and know there will be some patients who need to book again via the Surgery. Please keep sending in mobile numbers - especially if you have one but did not get a text last time. At present please do not phone about second vaccines - and please do plan to have your second vaccine from the same provider who gave the first. The logistics of patients going elsewhere and adequate supplies following any changes in demand are something the NHS supply chain is simply unable to manage.
Housebound patients should be vaccinated for their first doses by a community nursing team. If you are truly housebound then we probably already know this- but feel free to remind us so we can ensure your record is coded correctly. If there is any chance you can get to a vaccination centre then please let us know. Our community staff are already stretched and you will probably get vaccinated sooner! Second doses for housebound patients are likely to be organised directly via the Surgery and we hope that this will be simpler all around.
Covid vaccine priority order
Please be patient, and if you have not been advised you can book a vaccine appointment then please DO NOT contact GP surgeries about the vaccine at the present time.
Volunteers to help with parking, patient flow etc should click here.
SCAM phone calls and texts
are already happening. The covid vaccine is free, and the NHS will never charge for this; you CERTAINLY will NOT be required to give credit card details. It is NOT available outside the NHS. Be careful!
It's not clear to us yet why some more patients are now considered clinically extremely vulnerable. This calculator is the one used, but doesn't clearly explain everything... (If you've ever had diabetes when pregnant this may trigger the letter- even if recent checks for diabetes have been negative, which would mean the letter is likely to have been sent in error).
This offers more insight, with clicking the 'List of QCovid® risk factors in approximate order of weighting' helping further - but still does not allow us to unpick the decisions.
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March 2021 at Harston Surgery...
Unfortunately we know that Coronavirus is circulating and affecting our locality, and (like many practices) we have cases and fatalities as a result. Please do stay safe and observe the government's advice.
Dispensary 09:30-12:00, 15:00-17:00
Doors 09:30-12:00, 15:00-17:00
Phones 08:30-13:00, 14:00-18:00
ALL appointments are by phone triage initially.
DO NOT come to the surgery building if you have any symptoms of coronavirus.
Our dispensers are still working evenings and weekends to try and keep up with a huge increase in requests yet stay safe at work. Please be patient and only request NECESSARY medication. If there is a queue to collect medication then you must (please!) stay 2m apart and well away from anyone who needs to access the surgery for medical care.
Do please use the 'Contact us' button for any queries - administrative, prescriptions, or non urgent medical advice.png "online")
and we will do our best to respond. Pictures can say 1000 words... (file sizes around 1Mb are ideal). The more and clearer the information you provide, the easier it is to respond quickly. Make sure you confirm your name and date of birth and give a mobile number if possible.
Coronavirus medication remote delivery update
CLICK HERE
Mental Health concerns?
2021 not quite shaping up how you'd like? Not much of a surprise after 2020, but if things are difficult they merit help!
Do you have concerns about stress, anxiety (general, social, health), panic, depression or low mood, phobias, OCD, PTSD?
By all means discuss things with your GP, but if you are over 17 feel free to self refer to this service for psychological support as it is the same one that we will direct you to and self referral is expected!
If you are acutely struggling and in crisis then 111 option 2 is a direct line to mental health support available 24 hours a day.
Emotional & Wellbeing Support for Children & Young People
More information can be found on the Website including how to self refer: Chums
Other resources for this age group include Keep your head, and Kooth.
Coronavirus testing is not done at the surgery; click here for self referral information
IF YOU’RE COMING INTO THE SURGERY, FOR WHATEVER REASON, A FACE COVERING MUST BE WORN. A FACE COVERING CAN BE A MASK, A SCARF OR EVEN A HIGH NECK JUMPER PULLED UP TO COVER THE MOUTH AND NOSE.
The safety and wellbeing of our patients is at the heart of Harston Surgery and any changes we have made are to protect all of us.
The Dispensary
The dispensary will now be open from 9.30am - 12pm & 3-5pm Monday through to Friday.
This is to try to allow the staff in dispensary to keep up with the prescription requests. In order to do this, our staff have begun working night shifts. Our night shifts begin at 5pm every week day. To ensure we have enough time to clean the surgery between shifts; we have to close our doors at 5pm promptly. Please make sure you get here in good time as we must close our doors at 5pm.
Since the government issued the lock down our medication requests have somehow increased! Obviously, it is our duty to supply our patients with their medication as fast and efficiently as we can and we are doing our upmost to fulfil our patient’s needs, but please, try to be patient with us and only order your repeat medication when you have one weeks supply left.
If you are in desperate need of a medication and it is unavailable, you can ask for a paper prescription and collect it at a near by pharmacy, or a doctor may be able to offer you an alternative medication.
We can only issue one month’s supply of any medication as per the governments’ advisement.
Please order medication one week in advance only.
The Surgery
Currently the surgery doors are open from 9.30am – 12pm & 3 - 5pm Monday to Friday.
Our phone lines are open as usual from 8.30am - 1pm & 2 - 6.00pm.
We are no longer booking face-to-face appointments with our doctors. You can book a telephone appointment, or if you have a smart phone, we can do a video-call consultation. If the doctor feels that they need to see you in the surgery they will do so, but this is only at the doctor’s request.
We are booking essential appointments only with our nurses. This includes; INR blood tests, baby immunisations, essential dressings etc. If you are unsure if your appointment is essential please do give us a call.
Thank you for all our lovely messages and many sweet and savoury treats – it is truly appreciated and really does keep us going!
We know that this is a difficult time for all of us but especially our most vulnerable. This can be a time for great anxiety and loneliness for many and so we ask all of our patients to band together, to help each other out and to offer kindness to one another; after all, we are all in this together.
Wishing all of our patients health and happiness.
Kind regards,
All the team at Harston Surgery
PLEASE NOTE ONLINE ACCESS TO APPOINTMENT BOOKING HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED DUE TO THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS SITUATION
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause - you can still order your repeat medication and access your coded record.
PARKING
The proprietors of the Queen's Head pub have kindly agreed that patients may use their car park when visiting the surgery before 12:00 midday and 3:00 to 5.30pm. Busier surgery consultation periods fit nicely around their needs for customers to be able to park for lunch and in the evenings.
Please make sure you don’t leave cars in the pub car park at lunch time (12-3pm).
We appreciate their offer and understand it would have been even more convenient for patients if staff had been able to park in the pub - but leaving staff cars there all day would not work for the pub!
For those on regular medication there are 13 x 28 day periods in a year, making it cheaper to purchase a pre-payment certificate than pay per item each month. A prepayment certificate covers any other medications you might need and we would encourage patients to use this wherever possible (unless entitled to maternity or other medical exemption)
PATIENT ACCESS
Patient Access lets you use the online services of your local practice. These include, repeat medication, arranging appointments and updating your details. We are working towards the government mandated target of enabling most patients who wish it to have secure access to view their coded medical summary online.
If you wish to use Patient Access you will need to ask for a registration letter from reception. Please note we will require some valid photo ID in order to provide this. The Patient Access website can be found by clicking HERE.
Minor eye condition service
This is a free NHS service available from specially trained Optometrists in the Cambridge area. This is available for patients over 16 years of age with the following conditions:
* Red eyes, red lids
* Dry, gritty, uncomfortable eyes
* Irritated, inflamed eyes
* Sticky discharge, watering eyes
* Ingrown eyelashes
* Foreign bodies in the eye
* Some types of flashes/ floaters
* Recent and sudden loss of vision.
Where can I go?
* A & I Lask - 42 Chesterton Road, Cambridge, CB4 1EN 01223357303
* Anglia Ruskin University Eye Clinic - East Rd, Cambridge, CB1 1PT 01223698070
* Boots Opticians - 20-21 Lion Yd, Cambridge, CB2 3NA 01223360006
* D Murphy Optometrists, 34 Newmarket Road, Cambridge, CB5 8DT 01223351819
* Specsavers, 13-15 Fitzroy Street, Cambridge, CB1 1ER 01223305241
* Specsavers, 30 Lion Yd, Cambridge, CB2 3NA - 01223366805
If you require immediate onward referral for a serious eye condition this can be arranged DIRECTLY from the clinic without needing a GP referral.
PHARMACY 2U
Dear Patient
It has been pointed out to us that a company called Pharmacy 2u have been writing to our patients offering their dispensing services. You certainly have the choice of which provider you choose to dispense your prescriptions, but we are concerned that the letter seems to implicate that this company it is part of the NHS. It is not, it’s a private company that seeks to make money for profit.
One of the ways in which our practice can maintain income to sustain your services, is by supplying medication to our patients. Doing this helps make the practice financially sustainable during these very uncertain times of GP closures and amalgamations. Using other services will threaten this.
We really appreciate your support. Thank you.
Unfit? Overweight?
Not sure where to start? Worried about looking out of place? Got some medical issues that might hold you back?
The Active and Healthy 4 Life exercise referral scheme is a personalised 12 week fitness programme drawn up and supervised by qualified instructors, making it easy for you to take up regular exercise. Funding from the council helps keep costs low for participants.
It is for anyone with an existing condition such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, depression or anxiety, and some types of arthritis, who would gain health benefits from a more active lifestyle.
Ask at your GP or Practice Nurse appointment if you think you might benefit and they haven't suggested it first. If you brought along a copy of the referral form with your details already completed that would make things easier!
Carers
Are you a carer? Could you in fact be a carer and not
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO TAKE OUR 'FAMILY AND FRIENDS TEST' PLEASE CLICK ON THE PATIENT SURVEY BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE
(Site updated 08/04/2021)