ECONSULTS - If you have more than one medical problem you wish to discuss with a GP/Nurse please submit an econsult for each problem. This will allow the GP/Nurse to allocate sufficient time to discuss these with you.
IMPORTANT CHANGES TO OUR ROUTINE AND NON-URGENT BLOOD TEST APPOINTMENTS
There is a national shortage of blood bottles within the UK until further notice. This means all UK GP practices are affected by the current shortage and we are taking urgent steps alongside our hospitals to prioritise their use. This means currently we are taking appointments for URGENT blood tests only.
We have been given national guidance on how to manage this shortage and this will take effect from Tuesday the 24 August 2021. As a result we will be cancelling or delaying any ROUTINE or NON-URGENT blood tests and only blood test booking in URGENT blood tests. If you already have a routine or non-urgent blood test booked in, we will be in touch shortly to cancel your appointment. This will be done via phone or by text message.
Please be assured we will reschedule your appointment once the situation has improved and in-line with government guidance.
Please do not call us or contact us with regards to booking in any ROUTINE or NON-URGENT blood tests. Our clinicians will continue to evaluate your medical need for these tests and will allocate you an URGENT blood appointment if needed. Currently we are experiencing exceptional levels of demand on our service and appreciate your support through these challenging times.
These changes are likely to be in place for at least 4 weeks. We will continue to update you via our website and Facebook page as to any changes to our national situation. We fully understand the frustration this is likely to cause and apologise for any inconvenience.
FLU VACCINATIONS
All patients aged 50 and over can now contact us to book the flu vaccinations. You can also book if you are aged 50 and under and are eligible/at risk (see list below). If you are able to do so please email; flu.w95046@wales.nhs.uk to book an appointment. If you do not have access to email please phone but be aware the phone lines are very busy at the moment.
Eligible at risk criteria (People aged six months to less than 50 years with a long-term health condition)
Chronic respiratory disease such as asthma requiring regular inhaled steroids, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Chronic heart disease. Chronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5 Chronic liver disease. Chronic neurological disease such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease. Learning disability. Diabetes. Immunosuppression due to disease such as HIV/AIDS or treatment such as cancer treatment (and household contacts of at risk individuals). Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen. Morbidly obese (class III obesity), this is defined as those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or above, aged 16 or over. All pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy (first, second or third trimesters). Carers - Those who are the unpaid carer, including young carers, of a person whose health or welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill, including those who receive a carer’s allowance. The carer need not reside with, or be related to, the person being cared for
COVID VACCINATION CERTIFICATION
PLEASE SEE LATEST NEWS (RIGHT HAND SIDE OF PAGE) FOR DETAILS REGARDING COVID VACCINATION CERTIFICATION
Changes to eConsults - from 16/8/21
THE SURGERY IS CLOSED BANK HOLIDAY MONDAY - 30TH AUGUST 2021
UPDATE ON OUR SERVICES – general routine and same day urgent work
We have been using eConsult for patients to access routine services for over a year. Most of our patients use their smart phones to make these requests. For those patients who do not have access to the internet we have been offering routine telephone consultations. By using eConsults patients get a response by the next working day. We feel privileged to be able to offer such a service.
We have been listening to the feedback regarding our service. Patients booking a routine telephone consultation have felt unfairly treated as they are not having a next day response. eConsults are only a way of requesting help and the problem is not resolved by the next day. Following an eConsult request the majority of patients are booked a routine telephone or face to face appointment at a later date. To allow for everyone to be treated the same, patients without access to the internet will be asked some extra questions when they phone in order to complete an eLite form. This will allow for all requests to be assessed and have a response by the next day. Patients who can reasonably complete an eConsult will be redirected to this service and not have an eLite completed for them.
We have never completely stopped our routine work including health screening and chronic disease management. General practice is now being asked to increase activity by the Welsh Government. In this restart and recovery phase for the NHS following the pandemic we need to be able to better manage our workload.
From Monday 16/08/2021 the eConsult service can be accessed between 6am and 12pm Monday to Friday. This should not disadvantage anyone. In the same way, anyone phoning to make a routine request will have to do so before 12pm.
We will continue to run our same day urgent service. This is a telephone triage first and not a walk in service. Anyone making an inappropriate urgent request will be redirected to our routine service.
Prescription queries continue to place a significant burden to telephone access to the surgery. Please do not phone the surgery to enquire if your prescription is ready. Whether you request your prescription personally online, in writing or through a pharmacy, it takes us two working days to prepare the prescription for collection. Please remember that you can register with my health online to order repeat medication, register with a pharmacy to reorder your repeat medication or make requests with stamped addressed envelope. We are not responsible for a prescriptions whereabouts after it has been collected from the surgery.
Thank you for your ongoing support.
https://111.wales.nhs.uk/.../choos.../choosewell-english.pdf
REPEAT AND ACUTE MEDICATION ORDERING TO BE DONE IN YOUR USUAL WAY, not via econsult
Use the following links for a demonstration of eConsult.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1-LQI1f0TI
AGE CYMRU - CLICK BELOW FOR HELP WITH TECHNOLOGY
Help With Technology Information
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PLEASE SEE "LATEST NEWS" UNDER QUICK LINES FOR INFORMATION AND LINKS TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR HEALTH
Welcome to Tonyfelin Medical Centre Online
We have all had to learn to live and work differently in the past few months. We thank all our patients for their understanding and support during this time. We have had to learn and do the majority of our work over the telephone, using email and video consultations to help deliver primary medical care to our patients. This has resulted in lengthy waits to get through to us on the telephone and likewise for us to get back to patients.
We have learned that... not all our patients need to wait to be seen in the surgery. Many needs can be met safely and quickly without seeing a GP, with the satisfaction of patients. We have continued to see patients whom we need to both in the surgery and at home. Social distancing requirements mean we can only have 9 patients in the surgery waiting room at any one time. This is a far cry from past numbers.
We now have eConsult. For those of you who have tried the demo at https://demo.webgp.com/, thank you. The site has been down but is up and running again.
eConsult is now active and available to our patients. It will be our preferred method of contact from Monday 22nd June 2020. This will allow patients to seek medical help at their convenience and allows patients to take their time when putting their needs and concerns across. Following a request via eConsult we will get back to patients by the end of the next working day. This is far speedier than historical waiting times for routine appointments. We will reply using the contact details provided by either email, text or telephone.
We will continue to see patients both at the surgery and visit the housebound as needed.
We understand not all our patients will have internet access. You can still phone through but you will be required to give more information than you may have in the past. This allows us to prioritise patient care according to need. No contact method gives any patient priority over others.
The following patient groups do not need to or will not be allowed to use eConsult:
- Emergency or COVID related problems
- All requests concerning children under 6 months
- Children under 18 years unless the request is sent by a parent
- Patients we see as vulnerable and at risk and patients who will have difficulty understanding or accessing the system
- Other healthcare professionals
You may be stopped during the eConsult process and asked to phone the surgery directly if your problem is deemed to be urgent. You will still have to give some information for why you are contacting us so that we can prioritise a response to you by the end of the same day.
There are 4 main options when you start to use eConsult:
- “I want help for my condition”, this starts with self-help options and leads to an eConsult if it does not meet your needs
- “I want general advice” this leads to an eConsult for yourself
- “I want help for my child”, this starts with self-help options and leads to an eConsult if it does not meet your child’s needs
- “I want administrative help” this leads to help with test results, sick notes, referrals, forms etc.
You can choose which best suits your needs. The form may seem repetitive or tedious but it is designed to be safe. If you feel that the eConsult is not progressing as you expected, you have the option to go back and change your answers.
To free up the telephone lines for our vulnerable patients and those who do not meet the
criteria for using eConsult we will no longer be taking prescriptions queries or orders over the phone. If you are on repeat medication then please use MyHealth online to reorder your medication. You can apply for this via our website in the prescriptions area. You can also make requests via your usual pharmacy. You can still drop your requests at the surgery, via letter, fax, email or using the enquiries form on our website.
We will continue to re-assess our service and make changes for the better. We welcome feedback but please provide this via post or email. For confidentiality please avoid replying to the Facebook posts.
Follow Welsh guidance and stay safe.
https://youtu.be/j1-LQI1f0TI
SEE LATEST NEWS & NOTICEBOARD FOR COVID UPDATES & HELP
ALSO: HOME MONITORING INFO. FOR BP
SHIELDING PATIENTS
The practice is here to support you through the current pandemic that is affecting so many of us.
We understand that you may be more anxious if you have to attend the surgery if you have had a shielding letter or are in the vulnerable category as defined by the Government. We would like to reassure you that your safety is paramount to us. Please do not delay seeking help for medical problems because you are worried about attending the surgery. If you have a medical problem please contact the surgery on 02920 887831. A GP will phone you back and if appropriate arrange for you to be seen at a time and place that is safe for you. Please be assured if you have to attend the surgery, we have social distancing measures in place and all face to face contacts with health professionals are undertaken with staff wearing personal protective equipment for your safety.
Local Authority Contacts:-
Caerphilly County Borough Council
Address: Tredomen Park, Ystrad Mynach, Hengoed, CF82 7PG
Tel No: 01443 815588 or 01495 226622
Website: www.caerphilly.gov.uk
Situated at the centre of Caerphilly close to the castle, the practice provides general medical services as well as a range of other medical services.
Please note that we operate a 'care navigation' system.
We offer clinics for the management of chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes and a wide variety of other medical services including antenatal and postnatal care, minor surgery, childhood vaccinations and well-person check-ups.
In addition, the practice is a teaching practice, teaching 1st and 3rd year medical students on a regular basis. The practice also participates in research studies, where we believe our participation will result in benefits to patients.
You can book a routine 10 minute appointment with a GP on-line. You will need to register at the practice for this service and will need to bring in a photo-ID, i.e. new-style driving licence or passport in order to register and receive secure log-in details. Once registered, please click on 'Access the appointment system' below. For further details, please see our 'On-line appointments' page within 'Appointments'.
(Site updated 13/10/2021)