Following the Prime Ministers announcement regarding the Accelerated Booster Campaign, we wish to inform our patients of changes to appointments for the next few weeks. These changes will help free up time for our Doctors and Nurses to provide vaccinations.
From today, requests for new routine appointments are being put on hold. This includes long term condition reviews with the nurses. All appointments will revert to an ‘on the day’ system and patients will be able to choose either face to face or telephone consultations.
Existing booked appointments will still be seen. However, we ask our patients to consider whether their appointment can be cancelled or delayed to assist us in our vaccine booster drive.
Additionally, we are now requesting that all patients attending the surgery for any reason take at least 1 lateral flow test before their appointment. Those attending with symptoms of a new temperature, cough or sore throat will need to take 2. You may be asked for evidence that the lateral flow tests have been performed.
If any Lateral Flow test is positive, a PCR test should be organised and you should not attend the surgery. This change will help ensure our most vulnerable patients are kept safe whilst sat in the waiting room. Patients unable to perform tests will be offered a telephone appointment initially.
We are waiting on more news from the Cinderford Vaccine centre about how the booster campaign will be coordinated. We hope to keep disruption to our ‘day to day work’ as minimal as possible and will share more news when it becomes available to us.