WELCOME TO BRIDGE STREET MEDICAL PRACTICE

Due to the new strain of coronavirus, from the 30th November 2021 we would respectfully ask that our patients continue to wear a face mask when they visit our Practice. Patients who are medically exempt from wearing a mask will politely be asked to wear a face shield.

It is a mandatory requirement to wear a face mask or a face shield when attending the surgery. If you do not have one, please speak to the receptionist and they will be able to supply a face covering.

Since March 2020 we have done everything possible to keep Bridge Street as safe as possible for patients and staff. In accordance with guidance on Infection Prevention and Control our staff will continue to wear masks and this is to allow us to continue to see patients within the GP Practice.

We have a duty of care to our patients and our staff and we will continue to protect everyone who attends and works within our Practice.

Further information will follow.

                PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE SURGERY IN REGARDS TO THE COVID VACCINE OR BOOSTER - PLEASE REFER TO INFORMATION BELOW.                                                                                        

                                                     We are still open and here for you

We are continuing to provide services as we have been doing throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We are prioritising delivering of care and services based on clinical needs

If you need medical advice or treatment, please ring us on 01509 261843 or, for non-urgent advice or treatment, visit our website and send us your query – our phone opening hours are:

Appointment line 1 - 8.00am - 6.30pm

Prescriptions line 2 - 10.00am - 1.00pm 

Results line 3 - 10.00am - 1.00pm 

Secretaries line 4 - 10.00am -2.00pm 

VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund

As part of the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund, we are currently funding a helpline which has been established to provide support to parents of new-borns and young children in managing coughs, colds and chest infections.

This winter, the Boloh helpline is supporting parents of newborns and young children in managing coughs, colds and chest infections. Barnardo’s has partnered with the RCPCH to provide a support, advice, and signposting service to all worried parents, with a particular focus on Black, Asian and minoritized communities. The support we can offer includes:

Speaking to trained advisors about your concerns Practical support for food vouchers, digital equipment, and more..

Housing and finance advice

Understanding signs and symptoms, and appropriate care in the home when your child is unwell Information on how and where to access health support Accompanying you to speak to NHS111 and 999 Registering with GPs Parents and carers can call Boloh helpline on 0800 151 2605. Professionals can also refer their service users to the helpline and a helpline advisor will contact them. Referrals can be made via this link, and a helpline advisor will call them back: https://helpline.barnardos.org.uk/professionals/boloh_referral_form

Our helpline advisors are trained to provide advice about respiratory illnesses in children aged 0-3. Our advisors can provide a service in English, Punjabi, Hindi, Urdu, Albania, Polish, Luganda, Ruyankole, Rukiga, Rutooro and Kinyarwanda. Interpreters can be provided for other languages.

You can find information on Barnardo’s website: https://helpline.barnardos.org.uk/

You and your GP practice

 A campaign developed by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland CCGs to help patients get the care they need from their GP practice.

You and Your GP Practice: Treating minor ailments

You and your GP practice is a campaign developed by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland CCGs to help patients get the care they need from their GP practice.

People’s relationship with their GP practice is constantly evolving and it can be confusing to work out what to do to get care. The campaign is designed to guide patients in how best to use their practice now. Over the coming weeks, the campaign will introduce several themes.

Supporting you to look after minor ailments

Our role is to look after all aspects of your health, either by providing that care ourselves and arranging specialist care where needed. We also have a role to play in supporting you and building your confidence to look after your own health, where appropriate.

Treating minor conditions yourself, avoiding the need to attend a GP practice, is also known as self-care. It also encompasses self-management of long-term conditions and prevention of ill health.

You will find links below to several animations, developed by the local NHS, that give you good advice about looking after common minor ailments yourself, without needing an appointment at the practice:

• Blocked sinuses
• Vomiting bug
• Coughs
• Colds and flu
• Chest infection
• Sore throat
• Back pain

A survey of local patients carried out by the CCGs earlier this year, showed that people would like more support to look after their own health.

If people are generally in good health, there is no reason why they can’t look after minor ailments themselves. In most cases the illness will get better by itself and so an appointment at the practice isn’t usually required.

If you are suffering with any of these ailments, we would advise you to use the links above and follow the advice before contacting the practice.

People with long term conditions are generally advised to still contact the practice for advice if you develop a minor illness. This doesn’t need to be with a GP. There are a wide range of health professionals in practices nowadays and at this practice we have physician associates, clinical pharmacists, MSK specialist & social prescriber who are well qualified to advise you and are often specialists in managing long term conditions. When you contact the practice we will be able to advise who will be best to see.

Patients can find out more information about self-care and get advice about treating minor ailments by visiting www.leicestercityccg.nhs.uk/treating-minor-ailments.

You can also get fast and convenient advice about treating minor ailments at a local pharmacy. They are very knowledgeable about which medicines are best and whether they will conflict with any existing medication you are taking. If they think you need an appointment at the practice, they will tell you. Most people live near a pharmacy and they are often open in the evenings and weekends.

COVID vaccination information

Please book your Covid vaccination / booster through the below link: 
https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/pre_timescreen.php?id=$2y$10$LCHwVfLrruwrvDONu5jpTOWXWkgHgALJeuj3Y7F8GKCmTHR8RYRgC

 Third doses of the Covid vaccine for people with suppressed immune systems

 People aged 12 and over and who had severely weakened immune systems at the time of their first or second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine are eligible to receive a third dose. They may not have generated a full immune response to the first two doses and therefore may be less protected than the wider population.

Conditions which mean you might have had a suppressed immune system include:

• a blood cancer (such as leukaemia or lymphoma)
• a weakened immune system due to a treatment (such as steroid medicine, biological therapy, chemotherapy or radiotherapy)
• an organ or bone marrow transplant
• a condition that means you have a very high risk of getting infections
• a condition or treatment your specialist advises makes you eligible for a 3rd dose

Please check the full list here to see if you are eligible. You will receive correspondence via letter or text message. For any further enquiries please contact the practice.

This third dose is part of the primary course of vaccinations. It is not the same as a booster dose, which is given later to extend the duration of protection after the primary course of vaccinations.

Vaccinations for children aged 12-15 who are at increased risk from Covid-19

Children who are classed as clinically extremely vulnerable to Covid-19, or who live with someone who is more likely to get infections, can now get their Covid vaccine. Two doses of the vaccine will be given.

If your child is at increased risk from Covid-19 and you haven’t already been contacted to book your appointment, please contact the practice for further information.

Conditions that mean your child may be at high risk and can get vaccinated include:

• a severe problem with the brain or nerves, such as cerebral palsy
• Down’s syndrome
• severe or multiple learning disabilities (or they’re on the learning disability register)

• haematological malignancy
• sickle cell disease
• type 1 diabetes
• congenital heart disease

• a condition that means they’re more likely to get infections (such as some genetic conditions or types of cancer).You can find a complete list of conditions here.Children aged 12-15 who are not classed as clinically extremely vulnerable are not eligible to receive their vaccination at the practice. They will receive a single dose of the vaccine via other routes, for example at school.  

PLEASE VISIT GOV.UK/CORONAVIRUS FOR MORE INFORMATION

Regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol a week risks damaging your health.

The recommended weekly limit of 14 units is equivalent to 6 pints of average-strength beer or 10 small glasses of low-strength wine.  New evidence around the health harms from regular drinking have emerged in recent years.There's now a better understanding of the link between drinking and some illnesses, including a range of cancers. The previously held position that some level of alcohol was good for the heart has been revised.

To keep health risks from alcohol to a low level if you drink most weeks:

• men and women are advised not to drink more than 14 units a week on a regular basis 
• spread your drinking over 3 or more days if you regularly drink as much as 14 units a week
• if you want to cut down, try to have several drink-free days each week

If you're pregnant or think you could become pregnant, the safest approach is not to drink alcohol at all to keep risks to your baby to a minimum.

Cutting out alcohol benefits

Week 1. Sleep might change 

While alcohol might help some people get to sleep, for most, it reduces how long they for, as well as sleep quality, thus having a negative effect on energy levels. The reason being, if you drink before you go to sleep your body experiences 'micro-awakenings' during the night.

Week 2. Fitness levels should go up

Alcohol is a diuretic – meaning that your kidneys produce more urine –which can lead to dehydration. If you keep on drinking lots of water when you exercise, without alcohol in your system your hydration levels will be far easier to maintain – resulting in improved blood flow which is essential for circulating nutrients and oxygen to your muscles. 

Week 3. increased deep sleep

Alcohol can exacerbate certain sleep conditions, like snoring, and without it you should be getting a better quality of sleep – making you more energetic and active.

Week 4. You'll feel more motivated

Whether you used to drink more at the weekend or not, with this new found energy you are now more likely to make the most of your Saturdays and Sundays, swapping a long lie in for a long walk or gym session 

Week 5. You should be feeling better mentally

Alcohol has been described as the UK’s favourite coping mechanism and many of us do drink to try and help manage stress, anxiety, depression or other mental health problems. Overuse of alcohol can contribute to the worsening of symptoms of many mental health problems. In particular, it can lead to low mood and anxiety.' Meaning? That when you dry out, you could well feel less easily shaken, or that your moods are more steady.

Week 6. Skin should look healthier

Drinking alcohol can leave the skin looking tired and puffy, and dryness is a common side effect.With no alcohol in your system and a good amount of exercise, by now you should be noticing that any redness or blotchiness has started to fade.

Week 7. Your liver should be happier

Although the liver has great regenerative powers, this is not limitless. It will be very grateful for the downtime.

Week 8. Focus will increase

With your sleep cycle back in balance, your body's ability to store glycogen will improve and this crucial energy source will provide you with greater endurance, and make you feel more alert

week 9. You'll finding it easier to reach your goals

Now that alcohol's a distant memory, your improved training regime will be in full swing, and it should be much easier than before to keep on track with any fitness goals that you have set.

Also, you can expect big improvements in both metabolism and muscle recovery, as your endurance and body's ability to convert carbohydrates to usable energy improves.

Week 10. Your skin might glow

After an alcohol-free month, your body is able to absorb more vitamin A, increasing cell turnover and leaving your skin looking considerably healthier and younger. You will also see a returned brightness to your eyes.

Helpful links:

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/alcohol-support/

https://alcoholchange.org.uk/get-involved/campaigns/dry-january/sign-up-for-dry-january

Download the Drink Less NHS app: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/drink-less/ 

The NHS App is now available on iOS and Android on the NHS App you can:

-  Get up to date advice about coronavirus
-  Order repeat prescriptions
-  Book appointments
-  Get health advice
-  View your medical records
-  Register your organ donation decision

                                                                                                        CLICK ON THE PICTURE BELOW TO DOWNLOAD THE APP TODAY >