COVID-19 vaccination update

How to access your COVID-19 vaccination status.

We are unable to provide letters showing Covid-19 vaccination status. You can access your Covid-19 vaccination status through the free NHS App from 17th May onwards. You can access the app through mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet. Proof of your Covid-19 vaccination status will be shown within the NHS App. We recommend that you register with the app before booking international travel.

If you do not have access to a smartphone and know that the country you are travelling to requires Covid-19 vaccination status, you can call the NHS helpline on 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you've completed your course of the vaccine. We expect the letter to take up to 5 days to reach you.

What vaccine for COVID-19 is currently available?

Both the Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are now available. Both vaccines have been shown to be safe and offer high levels of protection and have been given regulatory approval by the MHRA.

Will vaccines still be provided/can I still attend my appointment during the national lockdown?

Yes. Getting the COVID-19 vaccine, or any other vaccine, is an important medical appointment and so is within the rules wherever you live. Vaccinations will continue as normal in all areas through the national lockdown and beyond. If you have booked or are offered an appointment, please attend it.

Why are you postponing second doses?

The UK's Chief Medical Officers have agreed a longer timeframe between first and second doses so that more people can get their first dose quickly, and because the evidence shows that one dose still offers a high level of protection after two weeks.

This decision will allow us to get the maximum benefit for the most people in the shortest possible time and will help save lives.

Getting both doses remains important so we would urge people to return for it at the right time.

More Vaccine Information:

Please do not contact the practice to ask for a COVID-19 vaccination. You will be contacted when you are eligible. To make sure everyone gets the vaccine in a safe and controlled way, a prioritisation list has been established so the vaccine can be given to those who need it first. We will contact you when you are eligible to receive the vaccine and provide you with information about location and date, so please don’t contact the practice to ask for a vaccine before then.

We are aware that some people are receiving suspicious calls and text messages offering the COVID-19 vaccination. Coronavirus vaccines are only available on the NHS. You can be contacted by the NHS, your employer, or a GP surgery local to you, to receive your vaccine. Remember, the vaccine is free of charge. At no point will you be asked to pay.

• The NHS will never ask you for your bank account or card details.
• The NHS will never ask you for your PIN or banking password
• The NHS will never arrive unannounced at your home to administer the vaccine.
• The NHS will never ask you to prove your identity by sending copies of personal documents such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips. 

If you receive a call you believe to be fraudulent, hang up. If you believe you have been the victim of fraud or identity theft you should report this directly to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040. Where the victim is vulnerable, and particularly if you are worried that someone has or might come to your house, report it to the Police online or by calling 101.

We are very busy at the moment vaccinating people against both COVID and flu and also supporting our patients with routine and urgent health requests so we are unable to answer questions about the Covid vaccination. We have created a list of frequently asked questions which may be useful to you. There is also more information on the NHS website.

Important information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)

The NHS in Manchester and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

The latest information on symptoms of coronavirus infection and areas where recent travel may have resulted in a high risk of exposure can be found on

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

NHS 119 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

Use this service if:

• you think you might have coronavirus;
• you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Use the online portal: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19

or Call 119 if you need to speak to someone

Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.

Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict guidelines. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals and returned home also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority, and are encouraged to attend all appointments as usual.

Symptoms to look out for:

• Cough
• High temperature/Fever
• Sore throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of taste/smell

If you are concerned that you may have been exposed or feel you have become infected with the novel coronavirus and feel unwell with breathing problems and have a fever, stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with other flu viruses; and call NHS 111 to inform them of your symptoms.

Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:

• Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

For further information:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIheXdxK7J5wIVhbHtCh3vGAH4EAAYASAAEgImZfD_BwE#advice-for-travellers

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-specified-countries-and-areas/covid-19-specified-countries-and-areas-with-implications-for-returning-travellers-or-visitors-arriving-in-the-uk

Our Complaints Procedure explained

If you have a complaint or concern about the service you have received from the doctors or any of the staff working in this practice, please let the Practice Manager Leisa Ebere or Office Manager Janette Wood know. We operate a complaints procedure as part of a NHS system for dealing with complaints.  

The Doctors and staff of this surgery want to provide you with an excellent service. However sometimes things do go wrong, and you may want to complain, or maybe just tell us about your concerns or suggest improvements. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let us know using the box at reception, our website or NHS choices website.

If you feel that you wish to raise a matter of concern without making a formal complaint please ask to speak to the Practice Manager or a request a complaints/comments form from the reception staff. Your suggestions, compliments and complaints will help us to provide you with a better service.

Please be assured that all your comments and complaints will be handled with complete discretion and that confidentiality will be maintained at all times. All information regarding your complaint will be handled in compliance with the Data Protection Act 

If you do decide to make a formal complaint, we will:

• Acknowledge receipt of your complaint within 3 working days.
• Investigate your complaint.
• Offer to meet with you to discuss the matter in more detail, if this is appropriate.
• Offer a full, written explanation within a reasonable timeframe up to 6 months. If for any reason we are unable to obtain all the necessary information within that time scale we will keep you informed of the reasons for delay.