Here at Chastleton, we have continued to see patients face to face on a medical need basis throughout the pandemic. Accessing the surgery has been in a different way but the changes we have made were brought in to protect patients and staff and to ensure continuity of service to our patients.

Every member of our team has worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure that our patients receive the best possible care that we can deliver. We have continued to provide general medical services alongside the delivery of the COVID19 vaccination programme, one of the biggest vaccination programmes in our history.   

We understand our telephone lines continue to be exceptionally busy.  We have seen our call volume nearly quadruple since February 2021. 

We have put additional capacity into the system where we are able to and our Reception Team are answering calls as quickly as they can and are doing their best with the availability they have.

Our staff come to work to care for others, and it is important for all members of the public and our staff to be treated with courtesy and respect.  There is a zero-tolerance policy across the NHS for patients who are abusive and/or violent to staff.  At Chastleton, we take this policy very seriously and aggressive or violent behaviour towards our staff will not be tolerated under any circumstances. 

The scale of physical violence, racial, sexual and verbal abuse has risen significantly this year.  To highlight this issue the Institute of General Practice Management have launched a campaign video to end abuse in GP Practices - "If I die it will be your fault".  Please follow the link to watch the campaign video:  https://youtu.be/3ru4QhVZ2a8

We do understand times are frustrating but please be patient and kind with anyone you come in to contact with at the surgery.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Chastleton Facebook Page

We now a Facebook page!  We will update the page on a regular basis with practice news, vaccination and health promotion updates:

https://www.facebook.com/Chastleton-Medical-Group-101763855637949/

Are your contact details up to date?

Its more important than ever that we can keep in touch!  If you are unsure, or think your number may have changed, please let us know. 

You can do this by sending an eConsult, selecting the option for 'administrative help' or alternatively post your details through the postbox to the left of the front door.

Please include:

Your name and date of birth

First line of your address

Contact number

Consent to contact you by text

Thank you!

General Practice Referral to Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS)

Did you know…?

We are participating in a new approach to improve access for patients to GP appointments. The aim is to direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare professional, which may be a GP or a pharmacist. From 1 December 2021 if your symptoms could be resolved by a booked consultation with the pharmacist instead of the GP, you will be given a same-day referral to a pharmacy of your choice. Your local pharmacists are highly trained and skilled clinicians experienced in treating minor illnesses.  This will also help us to free up GP appointments for people with more complex health needs and ensure that everyone gets treated at the right time, by the right healthcare professional.

Support your surgery so it can be there to support you

GP's their teams and patients have faced an extremely challenging time during the COVID19 pandemic.  For more information on the challenges being faced and how you can help, please view the Support your surgery so it can be there to support you poster.  

Please see the attached leaflet regarding the change in waiting time after your COVID vaccination:

Waiting after your COVID Vaccination

eConsults

We also offer an eConsult service.  The eConsult will ask you questions about your issue and one of the practice team will contact you by the end of the next working day usually by email.  However, in our experience, most requests will result in advice to book an appointment via our reception team as further information is needed.  The eConsult facility is not intended as a method of accessing face to face or telephone appointments bypassing reception and we cannot reply electronically with confidential or sensitive information.  Therefore we only advise using eConsult where you feel the problem will be solvable without speaking to or seeing a clinician.  

General Practice Data for Planning & Research   

For an update and further information please see NHS Digital's Website.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Please be kind.  Abuse towards staff at Chastleton will NOT be tolerated.  Remember it is not okay:

• To raise your voice
• To physically threaten
• To swear or intimidate

At Chastleton, our staff come to work to care for others, and it is important for all members of the public and our staff to be treated with courtesy and respect.

In line with the rest of the NHS and to ensure this is fully observed, we support the NHS Zero Tolerance Policy. This means that aggressive or violent behaviour towards our staff or any member of the public within our Practice premises will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Where unacceptable behaviour occurs, either in person or over the telephone, a letter will be sent from the Practice Manager advising that this behaviour will not be tolerated.

Any future violation of this policy will result in removal from the Practice patient list.

We feel sure that you will understand that proper behaviour is absolutely necessary for our staff and patients and that non-observance will not be accepted.

#pleasebekind

Armed Forces Veterans 

Chastleton Medical Group are looking to actively improve the care provided for Armed Forces Veterans. Please let the Doctor or Receptionist know if you are a veteran. Please follow the link for more information. Priority NHS Treatment for Veterans