The Government’s announcement to lift Covid restrictions puts the NHS in general and us as your primary care provider in particular in a difficult position. The current dangers and risks posed by the epidemic are still around us and their characteristics will not change despite this.
Our primary concern as a GP practice is to provide a safe and responsive service to every registered patient on our list.
We are aware that many patients are feeling anxious about the easing of restrictions and unsure if they should be wearing a mask or not. By the nature of our business, patients who make use of our services may be unwell, vulnerable, at risk or deprived. Therefore, to safeguard them we will continue to ensure that we take all necessary steps to reduce risks to our patients, our staff and doctors so that we can continue to provide the services you expect.
This means that we will continue to telephone triage appointments first, establish the need or not for face to face consultation and then invite patients to the surgery if a personal attendance is medically necessary.
We will also expect patients attending the surgery to continue to wear face masks and to inform us before visiting the surgery whether they are suffering from possible Covid symptoms, awaiting the result of a PCR Covid test or live with a person who is Covid positive.
We have not come to this decision lightly; we understand and share people’s desire to live a normal life again but as doctors we cannot ignore the scientific evidence and must look beyond what is politically expedient. We reached this decision based on the Government’s own advisory body, SAGE and our professional body, The BMA.
We are very grateful for your continued support and understanding during this crisis.