Selsey Medical Practice

We are still open and here for you, and we are still operating in a COVID-secure way. Appointments are being delivered face-to-face, by telephone, or using video calls and messaging to your mobile or computer – the practice team will assess and discuss what is most appropriate for you.

We are still asking patients not to come to the surgery unless you have an appointment or have been asked to attend by a member of staff.

When you arrive:

• Please wait at the door until you are called in by a member of staff
• Please wear a face mask
• Use hand gel from wall mounted dispensers when you enter and when you use touch screens
• Take your temperature when you enter, using the wall mounted thermometer just inside the entrance (put your forehead or wrist in front of it)
• Check in using the touch screens (reception staff can assist if needed)
• Preferably stand if you are able; if you need to use a chair, wipes are available
• Please maintain social distance at all times
• Staff will be wearing masks, some will be behind screens and will be wearing PPE
• We are operating a one-way system and ask that you to exit through a side door and not the same way you came in.

If you have a disability or condition which means you cannot wear a face covering or cannot communicate with someone who is wearing a face mask, or require other adjustments before your appointment, please let the surgery know ahead of your arrival.

If you need urgent medical advice or treatment, please ring us on 01243 608201 – our opening hours are 8:00-18:30 Mon-Fri, or, for non-urgent advice or treatment, visit our website. Here you will find lots of self-help information, resources and links to local services, which might mean you don’t need to consult us. If you can’t find the answer or you have a non-urgent enquiry you can use the e-Consult service to send us your query.

When you phone or go online, you will be asked to provide some information about your healthcare need. This will help the practice healthcare team assess the most appropriate way to provide your care (which may include a face-to-face consultation), and ensure it is provided by the most appropriate person. Face-to-face appointments are available to all patients where there is a clinical need.

Online consultation requests (e-Consults) can be completed for non-urgent help and administrative queries. They will be responded to as soon as possible, usually within two working days.

Alternatively, visit your local pharmacy for clinical advice on minor health concerns.

For urgent issues or out of hours, you can also call the NHS on 111 or go online to seek NHS advice 111.nhs.uk

In summary:

• Face-to-face appointments are available to all patients where there is a clinical need. You will be asked to first discuss your conditions over the phone or online with a member of the healthcare team to assess what would be most appropriate for you and which practice member would best provide it.
• We are also offering online consultations and video consultations, as well as telephone consultations. These can be convenient and flexible ways to receive healthcare. Where patients need to be seen by a health professional face-to-face, this will be arranged.
• Please be reassured that if you need medical attention, we are here for you and will determine how to best support you, based on your symptoms.
• Please be polite and respectful, your GP and practice team are available and working hard to support you, your family and friends’ health and care needs.
• Visit our website or speak to the local pharmacist for clinical advice on minor health concerns.

 Please remember there are Four ways to seek healthcare advice from a GP 

1. Visit our website and complete a confidential e-Consult form to request advice or treatment. You will receive a response as soon as possible, usually within two working days. Online forms should not be used for very urgent medical problems. 
2. Call the surgery on 01243 608201, to arrange an appointment. You will usually be assessed by a clinician on the telephone first, with face-to-face care arranged if clinically needed. If you have a preference about how to access care you can discuss it with your practice. 
3. For urgent issues or out of hours, you can also call the NHS on 111 or go online to seek NHS advice nhs.uk
4. Download the NHS App to order repeat prescriptions and get health advice.

Selsey Medical Practice is very pleased to be involved at the forefront of the National COVID Vaccination Programme. To find out the latest news about the roll out of the vaccine for our patients please click here to visit our Vaccination Page.

Covid 19 Survivors' Group

Follow this link to this FaceBook Group, where you can share information and discuss your experiences. There is more information at their website.

As you may have heard, the Government have announced that we can now offer second doses at 8 weeks after the first, rather than the previous 11-12 weeks. The teams at the Selsey and Tangmere Centres have been working hard to reschedule their planned early June clinics and deliveries at short notice. They are now able to offer you some new dates, earlier than you may have been expecting.

Selsey will be open this Thursday 20^th all day and next Wednesday 26^th in the morning. Tangmere will be open Friday 21^st in the afternoon & Saturday 22^nd all day.

The clinics planned for early June at each centre are now cancelled.

If you received your first AstraZeneca vaccination at one of these centres you should be sent a text to book your second dose soon. If you don’t hear anything, please telephone 0333 370 4111 to book. Please share this information with anyone you think may be waiting.

Pfizer Vaccinations

These clinics have now delivered their final Pfizer vaccination.  If either:

• you received your first Pfizer vaccination at one of these sites and are still awaiting your second, or
• you received a first Pfizer vaccination elsewhere but have now moved into the area and are still awaiting your second,

please try to book this second Pfizer vaccination via the national booking service at  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or telephone 119.

If you are unable to book via the national booking service, please forward your contact details to sxccg.vaccineenquiries@nhs.net, explaining that you require a second Pfizer vaccination.

AstraZeneca Vaccinations

The Tangmere and Selsey centres are still running a limited number of AstraZeneca clinics.  If you received your first AstraZeneca vaccination at one of these centres and have not yet arranged your second, please telephone 0333 370 4111 to book.

Vaccinations for Under 40s

If you have already received your first Covid vaccination from the Tangmere Centre or Selsey Centre, and are awaiting your second, please follow the guidance above.

First Vaccinations

If you have not had your first vaccination but are currently eligible for the vaccine, please book this via the national booking service at  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or telephone 119.

If you are unable to book via the national booking service, please forward your contact details to sxccg.vaccineenquiries@nhs.net, explaining your circumstances and that you require a Covid vaccination. 

Please do not contact Selsey Medical Practice as we do not have the ability to book you into any of these clinics.

As many people have now had their first or second doses of COVID 19-vaccine, we are being asked about proof of vaccination and “vaccine passports” for travel and access to events. The small cards issued at the time of vaccination are just a record and do not count as proof.

There is now a way of demonstrating evidence of your vaccination status via the NHS App:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/

(Search for “NHS App”)

The NHS App is separate to the NHS COVID-19 App, which is used for contact tracing.

We have tried this ourselves and found that once you have downloaded the App and registered (you will need your NHS Number to do this - which is on your vaccination card, and also be able to upload a picture of your photo ID and also a video of you so they can confirm it is you), you can view your vaccination status.

You can generate an IR code to show on your phone or download a pdf vaccination certificate which you can print out. If you don’t have access to the correct technology the webpage tells you alternative ways of how to register but these take longer. A message came up telling us to expect to wait up to 7 days but within a few minutes, we were registered and could see our status.

There is still no “vaccine passport”, but evidence of this vaccination status is what you will need at the moment to show you have had the vaccine.

The Government website suggests that “You can show your COVID-19 vaccination status as proof of your status when travelling abroad. Currently, there are not many countries that accept proof of vaccination. So, people will still need to follow other rules when travelling abroad, such as getting a negative pre-departure test.”

The NHS App is nothing to do with General Practice and the Practice are unable to provide help or technical support, however many GPs are reporting an increase in the number of calls about it because patients are now starting to think about travel etc.

If you need help with the NHS APP, please visit their website: 

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/nhs-app-help-and-support/

If you are visiting the practice for any reason you must now wear a face covering.

This is to help reduce the risk of spreading the Coronavirus. 

The face covering can be made from cloth and should cover your mouth and nose while allowing you to breathe comfortably.

It can be as simple as a scarf or bandana that ties behind the head.

If you have symptoms or suspect you may have Covid 19, or if you wish to arrange a test, there is a new NHS number to ring - 119.

Please use this number (not 111) for Covid 19 related concerns.

Are you a carer? Are you being cared for? Have you notified your GP? Do you know what services are available to support you?

Please contact us to notify us if you are a carer or being cared for and we will update your records. The practice maintains a register of carers and people being cared for, if you feel you should be on this register please let us know. We are not able to offer any specific help ourselves, but it is helpful for us to know that you have this additional responsibility to cope with and we are able to signpost you to organisations who can help.

Also as a carer you may be entitled to additional health services such as vaccinations, so it is important that we have you registered as a carer on our clinical system so that you don’t miss any invitations.

If you have any questions or not sure if you should be listed as a carer, please contact the practice via our email address cwsccg.selsey-selsey@nhs.net or you can call us on 01243 608201 and we will be happy to advise.