10th September: we appear to be having intermittent problems with the internet and our telephone lines today - this is being investigated but please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

Flu Season - 2021

We have now taken delivery of our flu vaccines and invitations are currently going out to our eligible patients to book their vaccinations.  Clinics are available to book now so please do so online if at all possible.  Thank you.

Covid Boosters 

We are still awaiting information with regards to boosters and will let you know as soon as we know! (03/9/21)

Please click below for instructions on how to book an appointment via the NHS App

NHS App appointment booking (including flu)

Coming Soon - a new website is in the pipeline and will be with us soon!

From 19th July NHS Patients, staff and visitors must continue to wear face coverings in healthcare settings - please click on link for full details

NHS England » NHS Patients, staff and visitors must continue to wear face coverings in healthcare settings

COVID Vaccination Status

From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available from: 

• the NHS App which you can download from app stores 

• the NHS website

• 119 - by requesting a paper letter

You will need to register to use the online services, if you have not already. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified.

If you cannot access the online services, and you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel outside the UK in the near future and have had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take up to 7 working days for the letter to arrive.

This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service.

When you're planning your travel, you should check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is enough time to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel.

Help Us to Help You - Be Kind!

Following the launch of a nationwide campaign we are sharing a local official statement highlighting the abuse that general practice reception staff can face on a daily basis.  Please click on the link below to read and watch the national youtube video.  Thank you.

Help Us to Help You

Dear Patients

You may have seen on the news that from Monday 17th May, doors at GP practices are 're-opening'.  As you will know, our GP practice has been open throughout the pandemic, offering patients telephone and online appointments, with face to face consultations available for those who need them.  This was in line with national requirements to keep patients safe whilst COVID infection rates were high and before the vaccination was widespread.

GP practices are now encouraged to offer patients a choice of whether they would like a remote or face to face consultation.  However, before we have more people coming into the surgery to see us in person, we need a bit of time to put in place measures to keep everyone safe.

As we await further national guidance on doing that, we ask that patients continue to contact us by phone or online consult as you have been doing.  We are facing unprecedented demands for our services and will need to continue to adjust how we use our clinicians' time to best support our patients - particularly those who need us the most.

We will keep you updated as soon as we are clear about how we can re-open our reception areas safely.  

Thank you for your continued support.

Patient letters regarding recent changes at the surgery - please click on the link below:

Letter 1

Letter 2

Please click on the "Learn More" link above to complete your online form to submit to the practice.  

When using Online Consult, if you are asked to send photographs of your problem, please email them via confidential.vinehouse@nhs.net.  Thank you.

Appointments

When you call to make an appointment with a GP or nurse we will ask you to tell us why you need medical help. This will help us decide how best we can help you.  The majority of our appointments are "on the day" but we are now offering a small number of advanced booking appointments

If appropriate, we will book you a telephone consultation and the GP will call you back the same day. The GP may offer you a video consultation or, if they need to see you face to face, they will arrange this with you. DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY UNLESS THE GP ASKS YOU TO. 

Please do not contact the practice for medical help linked to coronavirus.  Simply follow the latest Government advice on coronavirus further down this page.

Online services

At present you are unable to book appointments on line but please do use other online services, including:

• Ordering repeat prescriptions – please only order what you need 

• Checking your medical record
  

   

AccuRx Video Consultations

The Practice is using AccuRx to carry out video consultations.  The consultation is not stored or recorded within the AccuRx system, the clinical staff member is required to record observations and outcomes of the consultation directly into patient records in the same way as a face to face consultation.  (as of 12/03/20)

Photographs 

Please note, if the GP requests that you send in photographs relating to your condition, these will be saved securely on your medical record.  Please do not send photographs of an intimate nature.

Repeat Prescriptions

We aim to send all prescriptions, including repeat prescriptions, through the electronic prescription service (EPS) to your nominated pharmacy.  If you do not have a nominated pharmacy you can choose one online or ask your usual pharmacy to set this up for you.  If you currently manage you own prescription requests and your prescription cannot be sent through EPS to a nominated pharmacy, you will need to contact the practice either online, via the telephone or by completing a request slip and placing it in the secure box in our front lobby. 

Home Deliveries - Please be aware that home deliveries by community pharmacies is not an NHS funded service and you may be charged. 

COVID INFORMATION

AstraZeneca Vaccine Update

With all that is going on in the news regarding the AstraZeneca Vaccine, we would like to give some reassurance to our patients. 

Blood clots can occur naturally and are not uncommon.  As of 10th March there were 30 reports of clots among almost 5 million people given the vaccine across Europe.  This number of 30 in 5 million people is significantly less than the number that might be expected to happen naturally.

The World Health Organization and the UK's Medicine Regulator have said the vaccine is safe to give.  We will continue to administer the vaccination as per current guidelines.

Please click on the link below for answers to the most frequently asked questions:

Q&A for patients

Your COVID recovery - click on link below for helpful information if you are recovering from COVID:

https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk/

Please click on the links below for further information:

Adult Covid-19 Vaccination Guide

This leaflet explains about the COVID-19 vaccination, who is eligible and who needs to have the vaccine to protect them from Coronavirus

What to expect after your Covid-19 Vaccination

Information for people who have had their first COVID-19 vaccination

Isolating at Home Patient leaflet

This leaflet contains important information to keep you safe while isolating at home.

Accessing your GP

To support general practice, Primary Care have created an animation video to help explain to patients how you can continue to access GP services, including how to get in contact, the different ways care may be delivered and how face-to-face appointments have changed. Please click on the link below

YouTube video

111 First

The 111 First campaign asks people to call 111 first for non-emergency issues, rather than heading straight to hospital. 111 can assess the situation and book patients in to their local emergency department, urgent treatment centre or refer to the GP.   Please click on the links below for further information:

111 First YouTube video

111 First article

Using the NHS and Other Health Services during Coronavirus

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/using-the-nhs-and-other-health-services/

We have answers to lots of questions and concerns about COVID testing, self-isolation, schools and work.  Please click on the link below:

https://hertsvalleysccg.nhs.uk/your-health-and-services/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-know/coronavirus-QandA

Important information for patients

We are open for booked appointments only.  It is not possible to book appointments or discuss queries through the front door so please call the surgery on 01923 262363 and a receptionist will be happy to help you.  Should you need to provide a urine sample, bottles and forms can be picked up and returned to the basket in our lobby, along with repeat prescription requests.  Please ensure that if you come into the surgery you wear a mask, or scarf.  Thank you.

Information for Cancer Patients with specific advice relating to Covid-19:

• Macmillan

https://www.macmillan.org.uk

• East of England Cancer Alliance Patient Information

https://www.canceralliance.co.uk/patient-information.aspx

• Cancer Research UK

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer

• Cancer Care Maps

https://www.cancercaremap.org/​

• Healthwatch Hertfordshire

https://www.healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk/

Cervical Screening Update

During Covid-19 routine cervical screening was put on hold, however it is now up and running again.  Many women may be concerned about delays to their screening and you may find the links below helpful.  They offer advice and reassurance including FAQs and videos from the Jo's Trust website.  Please be reassured that the risk from delaying screening by a few months is very small but we do recommend that all those on recall do now attend. 

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/coronavirus/videos

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/information/coronavirus/faqs

https://www.jostrust.org.uk/coronavirus

Latest government advice on coronavirus

If you or anyone in your household has a high temperature or a new and continuous cough or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of smell or taste, even if those symptoms are mild, you should all stay at home. Don’t go to your GP or hospital; instead go to nhs.uk to check your symptoms and follow the specialist medical advice.

For medical help linked to coronavirus you can also contact the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.

Only call 111 if you cannot get online.

If you need medical help for any reason, do not visit the GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.  For advice if a child is unwell or injured click on the following link:

Covid-19 Advice for parents when child is unwell or injured

If you need help or advice not related to coronavirus:

• for health information and advice, use the NHS website or our surgery website

• for urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service – only call 111 if you're unable to get help online

• for life-threatening emergencies, call 999 for an ambulance

Results of National GP Patient Survey 2019 - click here - Survey Results

NHS England updated information for patients around continuity of medicines supply in the event of a no-deal EU exit. (on nhs.uk) Medicines Supply

Opening Times

*open for booked appointments only between 07.00-08.00. The surgery will fully open at 08.00.

Early opening - one week per month we open at 07.30. The surgery will fully open at 08.00.

We are leading Watford Extended Access opening on Saturdays and Sundays with pre-booked appointments most weekends:

Saturdays between 08.00 and 19.00, Sundays between 09:00 and 13:00 and some weekday evenings up to 10.00 pm. These appointments can only be booked by a receptionist as they use a different booking system.  These will be telephone appointments unless, following telephone triage, the GP asks you to attend the surgery.

If you need to cancel your appointment at short notice on the day when the surgery telephone lines are closed, please call 07478 306994.

Please ask at reception for further details.

My care Record - privacy notice and opt out form - please see "news"