Know where to go when feeling unwell
Please note that E-Consults submitted over the weekend will not be seen until Monday morning at the earliest. Local doctors and nurses are on duty while we are closed, so if you need help for something that is medically urgent and won't wait until we re-open, please call 111.
Oakley Health Group Vaccination Update
- Friday 18th June 2021
Aged 18yrs or older?
Not had your jab yet? Contact Us to book for your Pfizer vaccination or simply click on the link we have sent to your Smartphone !!
We are now booking second doses for eight weeks after the first dose for those in Groups 1 - 10 (mainly over 40's). This is following advice from the JCVI, aimed at tackling rising cases of the COVID-19 B1.617.2 variant and ensuring people across the UK have the strongest possible protection from the virus at an earlier opportunity.
We are offering clinics throughout the week, including evenings and on weekends. Invitations are now being sent to smartphones so you can chose a convenient time. Please contact us if you have not received a link and book in asap so we can get as many as possible in the local community vaccinated and start getting back to normal!
Please remember that we are offering vaccinations to patients registered at Oakley Health Group. If you are not registered, then registration forms can be downloaded from our website. https://www.oakleyhealth.org/website/X82206/files/gpregistration1.pdf or contact Reception so that we can help you get your vaccination.
COVID19 Vaccination Q&A Factsheet
General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDfPR)
The data held in the GP medical records of patients is used every day to support health and care planning and research in England, helping to find better treatments and improve patient outcomes for everyone. NHS Digital has developed a new way to collect this data, called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection.
NHS Digital will not collect patients’ names or addresses directly. Any other data that could directly identify patients (such as NHS Number, date of birth, full postcode) is replaced with unique codes which are produced by de-identification software before the data is shared with NHS Digital (a process known as pseudonymisation).
Further information about the service can be found here , and in the "Medical Record" section of our website.
This collection will now start on 1st September 2021 so if you do not want your data to be shared with NHS Digital please register your Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice by 31st August 2021.
Once your information has been uploaded, you will not be able to get it deleted by NHS Digital.
Opt out form:
You can email your opt-out form to us. If you prefer, you can opt-out via eConsult (as at the top of this page), just mark your consultation as "Administrative" and ideally for the attention of Dr Neil Bhatia:
The National Data Opt Out - that you can set online or via the NHS App - will not work to prohibit this data extraction for your GP record.
You need the Type 1 opt-out to do this.
You can opt back in to secondary uses, including GPDPR, at any time.
If you have any questions about GPDPR, data sharing, the confidentiality or privacy of your GP record, or opting out of data sharing, then please contact the surgery’s Caldicott Guardian and Data Protection Officer, Dr Neil Bhatia.
An easy way to prove your COVID-19 Vaccination status is via the NHS App
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad
You can download the app here:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/
Access to your vaccination status (the so-called "digital vaccine passport"), via the NHS App, does not require you to contact the surgery - it is automatically provided (from 17th May) once you have self-certified your identity. You only need to contact the surgery if you want access to further/detailed information from your GP medical record.
More information about the NHS App, and secure online GP services in general, can be found on our website, or in our factsheet.
There are other ways to prove your vaccination status, without needing either a smartphone or the NHS App, if you so wish:
- You can view and download your COVID-19 vaccination status online
- You can call 119 and ask for a letter with your COVID-19 vaccination status to be posted to you
And other apps are available (such as Patient Access and Evergreen Life).
But please not contact the surgery about your COVID-19 vaccination status.
We cannot provide letters showing your vaccine record.
We cannot provide letters confirming “freedom from infection”.
How can we help you?
Getting the care you need
Appointments
We are operating a "total triage" system. That means you need to have a discussion with a clinician who will try and help you. If a face to face appointment is needed, they will arrange for this to happen at a time and place which keep you and us safe.
Use our e-consult system at the top of the page.
If you cannot use e-Consult, call us and let us know what you need. A doctor or nurse will call you back and video consultations are available too. If you call and our lines are busy, you can send us an email on NEHFCCG.OHG@nhs.net requesting a call and a Receptionist will call you back. Please DO NOT email us with clinical concerns as this is not safe and often wastes time by not providing sufficient clinical details - please use e-Consult which has built-in safety features and has been deigned by doctors to collect the right information to get you the best help.
Face to face appointments are currently happening at Yateley Medical Centre and Hartley Corner Surgery. Patients with Coronavirus symptoms will be seen in our "Hot Zone" at Yateley Medical Centre, separate from other non-symptomatic patients.
Please do not come into any off our sites without an appointment.
All patients who need to be seen face to face should arrive wearing a face covering, to help keep staff and other patients safe.
Prescriptions
To request a prescription:
- Post your request into our post boxes at any of our sites
- Email us on NEHFCCG.OHG@nhs.net
- Request via Online Access
- Download the NHS App
- Use the e-consult service
- call us (our least favourite option - only as a last resort please !)
Your prescription request, once prescribed, will be sent to your nominated pharmacy for you to collect. Please order in good time, and avoid "urgent prescriptions" whenever possible.
Self Care
If you think you might be able to help yourself, our e-consult system can point you in the right direction. Alternatively, the NHS website www.nhs.uk and the NHS App both have symptom checkers and sensible advice. A particularly good site for concerns about children is www.what0-18.nhs.uk
Routine Care
We are doing our best to provide as many of our services as possible for our patients and being as resourceful as we can in these unprecedented times. The list below is just an indication so e-consult, email or call us to discuss you needs further.
Baby Immunisations - a clinic has been running throughout the pandemic, combining mum and baby's 8 week check with baby's first vaccinations. Pre-school boosters are also taking place as normal.
Blood tests including warfarin monitoring - blood tests are available including those needed for hospital appointments. As a consequence, we are not doing some routine monitoring of patients with stable conditions, who may safely delay these checks under clinical guidance.
Cervical Screening - up and running again - contact us for an appointment
Diabetes - Specialist Nurse advice available
Family Planning - contact us with your requirements, ideally using e-Consult
Mental Health Support - we recognise the addition strain that many are feeling under lockdown and telephone appointments are available with our Mental Health Practitioners, Tatenda Makombe and Sharon Burns. You can self-refer for free NHS CBT, counselling and therapy contact Talk Plus or for more information about Crisis Services, Learning Disabilities, Services for Older Adults or services for Children and Young People click here
Orthopaedic Practitioners - available for muscular-skeletal advice and guidance - their preference is to be contacted by e-Consult if possible
Respiratory, including Asthma and COPD - Specialist Nurse advice available
Other Concerns
We are aware that some of our patients are concerned about aspects of their health but do not want "to bother the doctors" at such a busy time.
If you have any of the following symptoms, then you should contact us straight away:
- Lumps, bumps or swelling
- Blood in your pee, poo or coughing up blood
- Unexplained pain
- Change in bowel habit
- Extreme tiredness
- Weight loss (unplanned)
- Cough lasting over 3 weeks, especially if you have ever smoked
We are your local GP practice; we’re working very hard and doing things differently but are still here.
If you need our help – contact us!
The NHS test and trace service – be aware of scams
Oakley Health Group has a factsheet for our patients explaining how to spot genuine contacts from the service - and how to avoid scams:
Beware of scams - the NHS Test and Trace service
(Site updated 18/06/2021)