Patients are now able to book blood test appointments online - Please click the link below
https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/search.php
Facebook
To keep up to date with Practice Information please join the Chafford Hundred Medical Centre Facebook Page.
Important News Regarding Text Messages
You may be aware that the new General Data Protection Rules will be coming into force from 25th May 2018.
If you wish to continue to receive text messages from this surgery ( for appointment reminders , health messages etc) you will need to ensure that we have your consent to do so .
Please speak to a receptionist who will record your consent or dissent.
Notice to Close
For the purposes of Staff training this surgery, along with others in the Thurrock area, will be closed on the afternoon of Tuesday 11th February 2020. Please note we shall be closed from 12.30pm.
During closure an Emergency Only service will be in operation and you are asked to telephone 01375 480000 where a contact number will be provided.
The surgery will open as normal on Wednesday 12th February 2020
Whilst we hope you will agree that there is already a high standard of patient care in Thurrock we are committed to further improving Primary Care services. Supporting protected learning time for GPs and Practice Staff will assist us in doing this.
Notice to Close
Please note this surgery will be closed from 12.30pm to 1.30pm on Wednesday 22nd January 2020
Appointments
In July 2017 the Practice conducted a review of the appointments system and a new more simplified system was agreed. This was implemented from September 2017 and then reviewed after 6 weeks when it was agreed to continue. The appointments system will of course be reviewed regularly.
Every day the doctors’ sessions will consist of a number of Routine appointments* and a number of Emergency appointments. Requests for emergency appointments will be triaged by a Doctor who will then book an appropriate appointment. Requests for afternoon Emergency appointments should be made after 11am on the day.
Routine appointments can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance (by telephone, in person or using the PatientOnline service).
* At times when we have limited Doctors in attendance (ie school holidays) Routine appointments may not be available and all appointments will need to be made on the day.
We always appreciate feedback from patients and if you wish to comment please do so using the Suggestions box in Reception.
Anticoagulant Medication (ie Warfarin, Marevan, Phenindione, Acenocoumarol) - Change in Procedure
If you are requesting a repeat prescription for this medication you are now required to provide your current INR level along with the date of your latest blood test, due date of your next blood test and the current dosage of medication.
Practice Registrations
Due to the increased numbers of patients currently registered with this Practice, from 1st April 2016 the Practice will be registering patients from Chafford Hundred only. We recognise the need to be able to provide a consistent level of care to our registered patients and will ask patients moving to an address other than Chafford Hundred to register with another Practice.
Thank you for your co-operation.
Meningitis B Vaccine
A new vaccine to prevent meningitis is being offered to babies as part of the routine NHS childhood vaccination programme. The Men B vaccine is recommended for babies aged 2 months, followed by a second dose at 4 months, and a booster at 12 months.
Which babies should have the Men B vaccine?
The Men B vaccine is offered to babies alongside their other routine vaccinations at:
- 2 months
- 4 months
- 12 months
The vaccine has the brand name Bexsero, and is given as a single injection into the baby's thigh. The Men B vaccine can be given at the same time as other routine baby vaccinations.
Further information is available on the following websites:
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/pages/meningitis-b-vaccine.aspx
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/meningococcal-b-menb-vaccination-programme
Missed Appointments
Due to an increase in the number of wasted appointments through patients failing to attend without informing the surgery, it has become necessary to implement the following policy:
If you fail to attend 3 appointments over a 12 month period you may be removed from the List and have to find an alternative Practice.
If you cannot attend your appointments for any reason please let us know as soon as possible. This will enable us to offer the appointment to someone else.
Please note: If you fail to attend 2 appointments over a 6 month period the Practice will write to you asking if there are any specific problems preventing you from letting us know. If you fail to attend for a 3rd appointment you will be asked to speak to the Practice Manager. Failure to respond to any of the above will result in possible removal from the Practice list.
Named GP
All practices are required to provide their patients with a named GP who will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides to them. This doctor will have overall responsibility for the care and support that our surgery provides to you but this does not prevent you from seeing any GP within the practice.
Electronic Presciption Service
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is an NHS service which allows us to send your prescriptions electronically to a pharmacy of your choice (near to where you live, work or shop). This allows you to collect your repeat prescription direct from your regular collection point without returning each time to your GP surgery to pick up your paper prescription. If you wish to nominate a place for us to electronically send your prescription please speak to any pharmacy or dispensing appliance contractor that offers EPS or someone at the surgery to add your nomination to your records for you. You do not need a computer to use this service. Please remember to let us know of any changes.
Barts and The London, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Academic Unit for Community-Based Medical Education
Feedback from the End of Year Quality and Student Evaluation Reports
Dr Lakhvir Grewal - Nominated for the annual ‘Bruna Carnevale GP Tutor of the Year Award.
The nominating student stated: Dr Grewal and Dr Abela made this a very useful placement despite the long commute. Lunchtime teaching was very good, suitably pitched and relevant. Almost all GPs and nurses in the practice involved you in their sessions and employed techniques such as hot‑seating as well as asking questions about management, history taking and getting students to do examinations. Alongside that the staff at the practice were very welcoming and encouraging. The best GP placement I’ve had in my time at medical school.
TRAVEL NOTICE - Malaria: It Only Takes One Bite!
Ensure you get advice on all the vaccinations required when you travel abroad. Take a look at the Travel Vaccinations page (under Clinics & Services) for more information. Remember to submit your travel forms at least 4 weeks prior to travelling.
Volunteers Wanted for Patient Group
Interested in becoming involved with the practice Patient Reference Group? Please see the Patient Reference Group page for more details.
Online Appointments Booking and Repeat Prescription Ordering
You can now have access to our appointments system online. By using this system you will be able to book an appointment with a GP up to four weeks in advance (no bookings for Same Day appointments). You can also have access to the new Repeat Prescription ordering facility. The new system will allow you to choose the medication from your medical record (repeat medication screen only) rather than you having to type into the current form on the website or an email. You will be able to see a list of your medications with dates when they were last issued to you. Utilising this service will enable you to access both appointments and prescriptions 24 hours a day.
The service also allows you to view your Summary Medical Record which contains details of your medication, allergies and sensitivities. If you already have access to online booking and ordering prescriptions you will need to reapply in order to see your Summary Medical Record.
The new system requires you to have a user name and password in order to log on. To find out more and obtain a user name and password please see one of the Reception Team. You will need Photographic identification in order to register for this service. The service is not available for children under the age of 16.