The Old School Surgery

If you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus

Follow this advice if you’re told by the NHS Test and Trace service that you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus (COVID-19).

There is separate advice about:

• self-isolation if you or someone you live with has symptoms of coronavirus
• the NHS Test and Trace service if you have tested positive for coronavirus

Stay at home for 14 days

If you’re told you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus:

• stay at home (self-isolate) for 14 days from the day you were last in contact with the person – it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear
• do not leave your home for any reason – if you need food or medicine, order it online or by phone, or ask friends and family to drop it off at your home
• do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family – except for essential care
• try to avoid contact with anyone you live with as much as possible
• people you live with do not need to self-isolate if you do not have symptoms

If you live with someone at higher risk from coronavirus, try to arrange for them to stay with friends or family for 14 days.

If you have to stay in the same home together, read about how to avoid spreading coronavirus to people you live with.

If you get symptoms of coronavirus

If you get symptoms of coronavirus (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste):

• use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do and get a coronavirus test – call 111 if you cannot get help online
• anyone you live with must self-isolate until you’ve been tested and received your result

What to do when you get your test result

If you test negative (you do not have coronavirus):

• keep self-isolating for 14 days from when you were last in contact with the person who has coronavirus – as you could get symptoms after being tested
• anyone you live with can stop self-isolating if they do not have symptoms

If you test positive (you have coronavirus):

• self-isolate for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started – even if it means you’re self-isolating for longer than 14 days
• anyone you live with must self-isolate for 14 days from when your symptoms started

Read more about when to self isolate and what to do.

If you do not get symptoms of coronavirus

If you do not have any symptoms of coronavirus:

• you can stop self-isolating after 14 days
• you do not need to have a test

How NHS Test and Trace will contact you

You’ll be contacted by email, text or phone.

Text messages will come from the NHS. Calls will come from 0300 0135000.

Children under 18 will be contacted by phone wherever possible and asked for their parent or guardian’s permission to continue the call.

You’ll be asked to sign in to the NHS Test and Trace contact tracing website at https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk.

If you cannot use the contact tracing website, they will call you.

Important

The NHS Test and Trace service will not:

• ask for bank details or payments
• ask for details of any other accounts, such as social media
• ask you to set up a password or PIN number over the phone
• ask you to call a premium rate number, such as those starting 09 or 087

Information:

More about NHS Test and Trace

GOV.UK: NHS Test and Trace – how it works

During the current situation with COVID-19 we are aware it has been difficult for patients who have been advised to shield themselves to access healthcare due to concerns of exposure.

We have decided to trial some dedicated times for shielding patients to come to the surgery. These will be:

Tuesdays 08:00-11:00
Wednesdays 08:30-09:30

The first of these sessions will be on Tuesday 26^th May. Patients who are shielding can access appointments during these sessions by calling our reception team on 0117 965 3102

These time slots have been selected as the times we can provide the most stringent levels of infection control to maximise patient safety in these higher-risk groups. The Old School Surgery will continue to monitor the effectiveness of this, as with all our processes, during the challenging times we are currently presented with. As always, we are grateful for the patience and understanding shown to us by you and we continue to work hard to provide the best quality healthcare for all our patients.

This notice describes how we may use your information to protect you and others during the Covid-19 outbreak. It supplements our main Privacy Notice which is available here.

The health and social care system is facing significant pressures due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Health and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support health and social care services and to protect public health. Information will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the outbreak. In the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations.

Existing law which allows confidential patient information to be used and shared appropriately and lawfully in a public health emergency is being used during this outbreak. Using this law the Secretary of State has required NHS Digital; NHS England and Improvement; Arms Length Bodies (such as Public Health England); local authorities; health organisations and GPs to share confidential patient information to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak. Any information used or shared during the Covid-19 outbreak will be limited to the period of the outbreak unless there is another legal basis to use the data. Further information is available on gov.uk here and some FAQs on this law are available here.

During this period of emergency, opt-outs will not generally apply to the data used to support the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the public interest in sharing information. This includes National Data Opt-outs. However in relation to the Summary Care Record, existing choices will be respected. Where data is used and shared under these laws your right to have personal data erased will also not apply. It may also take us longer to respond to Subject Access requests, Freedom of Information requests and new opt-out requests whilst we focus our efforts on responding to the outbreak.

In order to look after your health and care needs we may share your confidential patient information including health and care records with clinical and non clinical staff in other health and care providers, for example neighbouring GP practices, hospitals and NHS 111. We may also use the details we have to send public health messages to you, either by phone, text or email.

During this period of emergency we may offer you a consultation via telephone or videoconferencing. By accepting the invitation and entering the consultation you are consenting to this. Your personal/confidential patient information will be safeguarded in the same way it would with any other consultation.

We will also be required to share personal/confidential patient information with health and care organisations and other bodies engaged in disease surveillance for the purposes of protecting public health, providing healthcare services to the public and monitoring and managing the outbreak. Further information about how health and care data is being used and shared by other NHS and social care organisations in a variety of ways to support the Covid-19 response is here.

NHS England and Improvement and NHSX have developed a single, secure store to gather data from across the health and care system to inform the Covid-19 response. This includes data already collected by NHS England, NHS Improvement, Public Health England and NHS Digital. New data will include 999 call data, data about hospital occupancy and A&E capacity data as well as data provided by patients themselves. All the data held in the platform is subject to strict controls that meet the requirements of data protection legislation.

In such circumstances where you tell us you’re experiencing Covid-19 symptoms we may need to collect specific health data about you. Where we need to do so, we will not collect more information than we require and we will ensure that any information collected is treated with the appropriate safeguards.

We may amend this privacy notice at any time so please review it frequently. More information here: https://digital.nhs.uk/services/summary-care-records-scr/scr-coronavirus-covid-19-supplementary-privacy-notice

• If you need medical help, the NHS is still here for you.
• If you need medical help from your GP practice, contact them either online, by an app or by phone to be assessed.
• If you need urgent medical help, use the NHS 111 online service. If you cannot get help online, call 111.
• If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999
• If you are told to go to hospital it is important that you go to hospital.
• You should continue to attend your appointments, unless you have been told not to attend.

Prescriptions

• You can order your repeat prescriptions on the NHS App and through your GP surgery or pharmacy’s online service, where available.
• If you need to collect a prescription and have coronavirus symptoms or are self-isolating at home – please arrange for a friend, relative or volunteer to collect for you.
• To help us to keep supplying medicines to everyone who needs them, please only order repeat prescriptions in your usual quantities at the usual time.

Routine vaccinations

• It is important that you or your baby or child still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community.
• If the person needing vaccination has coronavirus symptoms or is self-isolating because someone in the household is displaying symptoms, please contact your GP practice for advice.

Cancer Patients

• If you have a symptom that you are worried about, you must contact your GP Practice.
• Your clinician will discuss with you the benefits of starting or continuing your cancer treatment against the increased risks of contracting coronavirus.

Heart Attack Patients

• If you think you or a family member are suffering with the symptoms of a heart attack you must dial 999 immediately.
• If you or a family member develop symptoms such as heavy or tight chest pain that may spread to your arms, neck or jaw, or make you breathless, sick, sweaty or light-headed and that doesn’t go away, this could be caused by a heart attack. Dial 999 immediately.

Stroke Patients

• If you think you or a family member are suffering with the symptoms of a stroke you must dial 999 immediately.
• You can spot the symptoms of a stroke by using the FAST test:
  
• Face – is the face drooping / fallen on one side? Can they smile?
• Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there?
• Speech – is it slurred?
• Time to call 999 if you see any of the above signs

Pregnant Women

• If you are pregnant it is important that you still attend your antenatal appointments and continue to seek advice from your midwife or maternity team.
• If you are worried about your health or the health of your unborn baby, please contact your midwife or maternity team.

Parents of young children

• If you are worried about the health of your baby or child, please call 111.
• If it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency, call 999

Mental Health

• NHS is here to support your mental health during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as your physical health.
• If you are concerned about the mental health of your child, please contact your GP or check online self-referral options for under 18 years olds at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
• If you are facing mental health issues contact your GP or key worker, if you have one, and continue to access your mental health services as usual. We are also still open for new referrals, via your GP or online.
• If you’re experiencing stress and anxiety, you can get further information, including how to self-refer to psychological therapies at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/
• If you are facing a mental health crisis, use the NHS 111 online service. If you cannot get help online, call 111.

Learning Disability and Autism

• If you need medical help reasonable adjustments will be made so you get the right care and support.
• Your local community teams and crisis support lines are available if you are worried or anxious.

Whilst coronavirus is infectious to children it is rarely serious. If your child is unwell it is likely to be a non-coronavirus illness, rather than coronavirus itself. Whilst it is extremely important to follow Government advice to stay at home during this period, it can be confusing to know what to do when your child is unwell or injured. Remember that NHS 111, GPs and hospitals are still providing the same safe care that they have always done.

Please download/open below leaflet to get more information:

During the Coronavirus lockdown you can still get telephone advice.

If you need advice on benefits, debt or money issues, housing, employment or anything else, we can arrange for you to have a Saturday morning telephone appointment with Citizens Advice adviser. Just call your GP Surgery to make an appointment.

Citizens Advice give free, independent, confidential, impartial advice, offer you options and help you find a way forward.

www.bristolcab.org.uk

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PRESCRIPTIONS AND FIT NOTES DUE TO COVID-19

Old School Pharmacy opening times: Mon-Fri 9am-6pm.

Old School Pharmacy will DELIVER monthly prescriptions to all patients 70 years and over.

Please request your repeat prescriptions in good time (at least 1 week before you run out) to give the surgery and pharmacy enough time to process your requests.

If you are requesting a prescription please use the following services as we are no longer accepting paper requests:

• NHS App (available for iOS and Android)
• Patient Access (https://www.patientaccess.com/ , iOS, Android)
• Email: [email protected]
• Ring your usual pharmacy to ask them to request on your behalf
  

PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU NOMINATE A PHARMACY SO WE CAN SEND YOUR PRESCRIPTION ELECTRONICALLY TO THEM

PRESCRIPTIONS REQUESTED TOO EARLY WILL BE DECLINED TO AVOID PEOPLE STOCKPILING MEDICATION

• If you have run out of your medication please contact your local pharmacy for advice.
• We will no longer be able to process same day requests.
• If you are requesting a FIT NOTE for COVID-19 symptoms please ring 111 or go online https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19 for more information
• If you are requesting a FIT NOTE for other medical conditions please email [email protected]