Dear colleagues,
Our local hospitals are experiencing a high level of demand and challenges with getting people back home when they are well enough. This is putting significant pressure on services across the trust.
We know practices are also under pressure so please remind patients if they are not able to get an urgent appointment at your practice to call the new NHS 111 Clinical Assessment Service, to get urgent advice from a nurse, paramedic, pharmacist or GP if needed. Urgent same day GP appointments are also available at our GP hubs every day (6.30pm-10pm on weekdays, and 8am-8pm on weekends), which can be booked by calling 020 3770 1888, or NHS 111.
Please within your practice continue to do all you can to help care for patients locally and do not refer patients into Queen’s and King George hospital Emergency Departments (A&E or the Urgent Care Centre) unless it is absolutely essential.
If you have a patient that you think may need urgent or emergency care, but you’ve not able to see or clinically assess them, please refer them/call NHS 111 rather than 999 in the first instance - unless you have been able to clinically assess that the patient needs an ambulance. The new NHS 111 Clinical Assessment Service has clinicians available 24/7 to make assessments and can arrange an ambulance for the patient if needed.
We are also aware of a number of cases of norovirus in the community (diarrhoea and vomiting). Please can we ask that you do all you can to avoid sending patients with symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting to hospital unless absolutely necessary.
We would also urge you to ensure that colleagues, patients and relatives are paying extra attention to hand hygiene at this time to help limit the spread. Washing hands thoroughly and frequently with soap and water is by far the most effective method as alcohol gels do not kill the virus.
The same communications are being reiterated to all staff within the hospital trust and care homes, so any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks for your continued support.
Dr Jagan John
Dr Atul Aggarwal
Dr Ani Mehta
Chairs BHR CCGs
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