04 July 17.25 pm
Due to significant staff shortages due to illness our telephone line will be closed at 17.30 pm this evening.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 111 or 999 if it is life threatening.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Our lines will be open from 08.30 am in the morning.
"Have Your Say"
From the 1st October 2022 we will be offering extended hours for our registered patients.
We would like to hear from you as to what your preferred opening times would be and ask that you take 5 minutes of your time to complete a questionnaire.
Please click on the image below to take part. - Thank you
Forget-me-not Cafe
Cancer Early Diagnosis
Please click on the image for more information
My Planned Care - Helpful information and guidance for patients waiting for a hospital consultation, treatment or surgery
The My Planned Care website gives advice and support whilst you are waiting for a hospital appointment, an operation or to have treatment.
This site will also inform you of the average waiting times and any other useful advice that you may need.
Family, Carers and Friends can also access this information for you.
Please click on the image below for more information.
We are supporting May Measurement Month! Do you know your numbers?
OVER 10 MILLION LIVES ARE LOST EACH YEAR DUE TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
YET ONLY 50% OF PEOPLE AFFECTED ARE AWARE THEY HAVE IT
GIVE YOURSELF A SQUEEZE AND GET YOUR BP CHECKED
Did you know some local Community Pharmacies can measure your blood pressure and follow up with 24 hour measurement if it out of range and also refer you directly to the Health Centre for follow up? Blood pressure - visit - YouTube Speak to your local Pharmacist to find out more.
You can also measure your blood pressure in our waiting rooms at St Margaret’s surgery or Winsley Surgery.
If you prefer, blood pressure monitors are also available to purchase from many retailers.
For Home Use - British and Irish Hypertension Society | Registered UK Charity No. 287635 (bihsoc.org)
Message from Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham Health Partnership
We are sorry to announce due to increased demand for appointments, together with high rates of staff sickness, we are operating on medical emergencies for the remainder of this week.
Our staff are currently working hard to continue providing a high level of care for you, we will always prioritise the most unwell patients and ask that if you have a minor illness please consider accessing advice in other ways including local pharmacies.
We are still open and doing our best to answer all your queries, but ask for your patience and understanding during this time. If you have a pre-arranged appointment this week please attend the Surgery as planned.
Thank you for your support towards our staff.
Unpaid carers are now able to order PPE as needed through a new PPE portal
Unpaid carers are now able to order PPE as needed through a new PPE portal.
If you require PPE – for example to care for someone who lives in a different household, or if you or the person you care for has been exposed to Covid – it is now possible to order it through a new portal.
To find out more please click on the image below.
April was Bowel Cancer Awareness Month
Please click on the images below for more information
Additional information also found on the NHS website
Covid vaccinations for 5-11 year olds
Are you a parent or carer of a child aged between 5 and 11 years old?
You can now arrange for your child to receive a covid vaccination at Spencers Sports and Social Club in Melksham by booking now.
Please click on the image below.
Retirement News
We are sorry to have to inform you that after 25 years as a Partner at Bradford on Avon and Melksham Health Partnership Dr Nell Wyatt will be Retiring as a Partner on 31st March 2022.
We are however delighted to tell you that Dr Wyatt is not retiring from Medicine or from the Practice completely.
She will continue to lead the Clinical Research of the Practice and will also do some limited Clinical work including Diabetes care.
It is time however for Dr Wyatt to work more flexibly and as she will not be here on a regular basis she will no longer be holding a patient list.
The patients who are currently registered with Dr Wyatt will be transferred to a colleague and you will be updated in due course of your new Registered Doctor.
“It has been an enormous privilege to be a Partner at our Practice and I have very much enjoyed the last 25 years. Working as a GP is a great honour and during the last 25 years I have met many of our patients and their families and have been able to play a small part in supporting them through some of the biggest challenges of their lives.
The last two years of the Covid Pandemic has been extraordinarily challenging for each and every person that we know and I am sorry that due to the Pandemic I won’t be able to say ”Goodbye” to you in person. I will miss you all greatly."
Dr Nell Wyatt
Patient update: Covid-19
The government announced an end to COVID restrictions from today, Thursday 24th February.
Please note that the rules for the NHS are not changing.
So, please continue to:
- wear your mask in the surgery
- social distance when in the surgery
- arrive no earlier than five minutes before your appointment time
- tell us if you have covid symptoms or are covid positive when you have an appointment
That way we can keep all patients and staff safe - including those who cannot be vaccinated or whose immune systems are compromised and weak.
Thank you for your continued support.
For further information please click here.
Don't Ignore Your Cervical Screening Invite
For more information please click on the poster below
Community Urgent Eyecare Service
Please click on the poster below for more information
Rape and sexual assault referral centres
Please click on the poster below for more information.
NHS Healthy Start Scheme
Please click on the image below to find out more.
.jpg "NHS Health Start Scheme")
At Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham Health Partnership, patients are required to continue to wear a face covering/mask
At Bradford-on-Avon and Melksham Health Partnership, patients are required to continue to wear a face covering/mask, use hand sanitiser, maintain social distancing, and only enter the building only where necessary, such as for an appointment, or to drop of a sample at the front desk.
The surgery is not the same as public transport, a restaurant or the supermarket. Visitors of the surgery are unwell, vulnerable and therefore may not be vaccinated due to medical reasons.
We have experienced several absences due to staff contracting covid or been in close contact outside of work with someone who has covid and this affects our ability to answer the phones and provide appointments for you.
Continuing the appropriate infection control procedures protects our patients and their health and protects our primary care team to help you – we need a fully functioning team to continue to deliver a safe, effective, and responsive service to you.
Consultations will continue to be offered by telephone / video and then followed up face to face where clinically appropriate. We are increasing the number of face to face consultations for routine conditions. Our Practice Nurses and Doctors have seen patients face to face throughout the pandemic.
It is worth noting that we are consulting with higher numbers of patients than we ever did before the pandemic, whilst also having played a big part in the PCN COVID-19 vaccination programme delivery. We have always been open throughout the pandemic
We hope you will understand why we need to continue with these measures and keep the practice as safe for everyone as we can. We have all come so far in trying to minimise the impact of covid, let’s continue to stay safe together.
Thank you for your continued patience, understanding and support.
The Melksham and Bradford on Avon Primary Care Network Covid Vaccination team are thrilled to have been voted ‘Melksham’s group of the year 2021
The Melksham and Bradford on Avon Primary Care Network Covid Vaccination team are thrilled to have been voted ‘Melksham’s group of the year 2021’. It is truly wonderful to receive this award which recognises the incredible contribution of so many local people who has given their time so generously over the last 12 months to make the vaccination programme such a success. In addition, this award reflects the achievements of Giffords, Spa and Bradford on Avon surgeries who have delivered an uninterrupted primary care service throughout 2021 as well as the vaccination programme.
So many of our local community have come forward to support the vaccination drive in a bid to get as many people as possible vaccinated and protected against Covid and what an amazing job they have done! We have nearly 200 volunteers who between them have contributed to the delivery of 87, 000 covid vaccinations. These wonderful people have manned the car park (in all weathers), welcomed and guided people, manned reception, sorted IT issues, mixed, and managed vaccines as well as delivering the all-important covid vaccine into arms. They have done all this with a willingness, commitment and sense of humour that has made the clinics such a rewarding and happy place to work.
Our thanks go to the Spencer’s committee for their ongoing support and flexibility in providing such an excellent venue for the programme.
Knowing the vaccine drive has protected so many of our local community against serious illness from Covid 19 keeps the Covid vaccination team driving forward. 2022 see’s the vaccine centre continue at Spencer’s with numerous weekly clinics. Our best reward is seeing people of all ages (over 12yrs) continue to book their boosters or come along and get their first or second dose of vaccine. So please spread the word and book an appointment on the National booking service or just walk in to one of our clinics.
I know I speak on behalf of the whole team in saying how proud and grateful we are to have won this award- thank you to all those who nominated us and to the panel for making us the lucky recipients of this super local award.
Dr Abby Burgess
CVP lead Melksham and Bradford on Avon PCN
Kickstart your Health for 2022
For more information click on the picture below
Enter your location to find NHS services near you
Click on the image below and add your postcode to access these services and much more
Are your children at Secondary School or College?
Click on the image below for more information
GET BOOSTED
Click on the image below for more information
How to get the NHS COVID Pass and demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad and domestically at events and venues in England.
Please click on the link here.
Prescription Requests
We are reverting back to our pre-pandemic policy of not accepting prescription requests over the telephone (apart from exceptional circumstances). This is in the interest of patient safety and in addition we are looking reduce the number of telephone calls to the Practice which will improve telephone access for those in need of emergency help, advice or making an appointment.
How to Order Your Repeat Prescription
You will be able to order your Repeat Prescription in the following ways:
- Online via SystmOnline: to register for this please click here.
- Via the NHS App
- Via your pharmacy if applicable
- Via paper request in our letter box
- Via batch prescriptions- Did you know we offer batches of prescriptions that are authorised by your GP to be dispensed regularly by the pharmacy?
This means that you only need to visit your pharmacy when you are running low. You will not need to request from us while the batch is still running.
For more information visit: eRD information for patients | NHSBSA
If you would like this, please speak to a member of the Prescriptions team at the surgery or your pharmacy.
COVID-19 gathers like smoke.......
Do you have asthma?
Do you sometime worry about the carbon footprint of your inhalers?
If so please read on......
New dedicated out of hours line for domestic abuse
Wiltshire Council will be operating a dedicated line from 5pm weekdays and all over the weekend for people who want to report concerns or seek help.
DO YOU LOOK AFTER SOMEONE? Are you 16 - 25?
Current vacancies:
To view our current vacancies click here.
Practice Newsletter - July 2021 - click here
NHS Data Sharing
For information about how the NHS uses data for planning and research click here.
To 'opt out' click here (Please note the deadline for opting out has now been delayed to 1st September).
Alternatively, call 0300 303 5678 (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00 excluding bank holidays).
Considering a foreign holiday this year?
Need to demonstrate your vaccine status?
Guidance on demonstrating your COVID Vaccine status when travelling has now been published:
You will be able to access proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status through the free NHS App from 17th May.
It is recommended that you register with the app before booking any international travel.
Please do not contact your GP surgery about your COVID-19 vaccination status.
GPs cannot provide letters showing your COVID-19 vaccination status.
Vacancy for Honorary Treasurer of the Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG)
The management committee of the PPG have a vacancy for the position of Honorary Treasurer due to our Treasurer's retirement from the committee.
We will be very pleased if any patients could contact us to volunteer to join the PPG Committee in this valuable and rewarding position. The Honorary Treasurer is responsible for the administration and operation of all PPG financial matters.
Main duties included in the position:
- Organise and operate the PPG bank account
- Compile annual finance report and updates for committee and general meeting
- Organise the administration of any fund-raising activities for the PPG
- Organise the administration of donations, subscriptions and expenses
Further details will be provided.
All those interested in this position please contact the PPG Secretary, Denise, who will be very pleased to provide further information. Please email: ppgboam@gmail.com
Did you know the practice now has physio assessment appointments?
Book an appointment to speak to our specialist physio, Amy, today.
Our website is currently under construction. Please bear with us whilst we improve and update our information. We welcome your feedback.