Patient News

Emerade Device Recall — due to potential device failure (alternatives available)

• Please contact your doctor or pharmacist (via telephone) now to get replacements for you or your  child's Emerade 500 micrograms or Emerade 300 micrograms auto-injector(s) - also referred to as Emerade pen(s).
• The MHRA, in conjunction with the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC), has established  that there are sufficient supplies of alternative auto-injectors to allow for a recall at patient level.
• Once you have two replacement pens in a different brand (EpiPen or Jext), return your Emerade  500 micrograms or Emerade 300 micrograms pen(s) to a pharmacy, even if they are still in date.
• When you collect your new device make sure you receive training on how to use it It is  vital that you receive training to ensure you are completely familiar with how the new  device works. This is because each brand of adrenaline auto-injector works has a different  action.
• Patients should continue to carry two devices at all times.

For further information please read the entire leaflet here.

Please view the newsletter here.

In February, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advised a spring dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for:

• adults aged 75 years and over
• residents in care homes for older adults
• individuals aged 12 years and over who have a weakened immune system

The NHS will contact those who are eligible to make a spring booster appointment, so people should wait until they hear from the NHS. The NHS will prioritise those whose clinical need is greatest, as it has throughout, starting with those who have had a bigger gap since their last dose, then working through the cohort to invite others who have waited less time. Everyone who is eligible will be offered a top up between three and six months over the Spring and early Summer.

Vaccinations for 5-11 year-olds at-risk

• The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has advised that 5 to 11-year-olds who are either in a clinical risk group or are a ousehold contact of someone who is immunosuppressed should be offered two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with a minimum interval of eight weeks.
• This means around half a million children nationally will soon be invited to take up their jab.
• The JCVI has set out criteria for determining who should be offered vaccination within this group and clinicians will be responsible for identifying children in their care who are eligible.
• Information on eligibility can be found in the Green Book, chapter 14a in the section on children aged 5-11 years and tables 3 and 4.

How will I know if my child is eligible?

• GPs and hospital specialists have been asked to identify 5 to 11-year-olds who are eligible. For children eligible as a household contact, we will write directly to the person who is immunosuppressed.
• Parents and guardians will be notified if their child should get the vaccine and told how they can book an appointment. The NHS will be in touch in the coming weeks if your child is eligible, so it’s important that parents wait to hear from us and do not contact their GP.

EMIS Health have received reports from both Patient Access users and people who have never registered for the service, that they have received Covid passport emails purporting to be from Patient Access.

They would like to share the following guidance from Patient Access:

• EMIS Health advise users of Patient Access to check the name and email address of the sender; all emails from Patient Access will come via an email address that ends in @patientaccess.com.
• EMIS Health advise users never to click on any log in links that you receive via email but to visit the site via the address bar of your browser instead so that you know you are on the genuine Patient Access log in page. You can find more information and guidance on our information security page here: https://www.patientaccess.com/security
• EMIS Health strongly advise users to set up their Memorable Word security feature, as well as using biometrics (fingerprint ID) if they use the app.
• Email addresses used to register for Patient Access account are secure. They do not share any data and no data is ever saved or stored on any device you use to access Patient Access.

You may have received a text from the NHS national booking service to book your Covid-19 booster vaccination. 

Please be assured your local vaccination team will also be providing this service and will be in touch very soon so there is no need to contact your GP practice. 

And don’t forget your booster will only be given six months after your second dose.

We look forwards to seeing you soon at your local vaccination centre. 

The government has announced that all children aged 12 to 15 in England will be offered one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine. Invitations for the vaccine are expected to begin next week (20-26 September). 

The vaccination programme for this age group will be delivered through schools, not via GP practices. Parents and guardians of those eligible will be contacted when it’s their turn to get the vaccine. 

Covid-19 booster jabs are expected to be offered to eligible groups in the coming weeks.   The booster jab should be given at least six months after your second dose of the vaccine. 

The NHS will contact you when it is your turn to get the booster vaccine, so please don’t contact the NHS. If you are invited, it is vital you attend so that you have the best possible protection against Covid-19.

The highest priority for the NHS remains the safety of staff, patients and visitors. While COVID restrictions will end in many settings in England from 19 July, everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering (unless they are exempt) and follow social distancing rules.

Public Health England’s infection prevention control guidelines and hospital visiting guidance are therefore set to remain in place for all staff and visitors and across all health services including hospitals, GP practices, dentists, optometrists and pharmacies to ensure patients and staff are protected.

Read the infection prevention control guidance for further details.

Your health records contain a type of data called confidential patient information. This data can be used to help with research and planning. You can choose to stop your confidential patient information being used for research and planning. You can also make a choice for someone else like your children under the age of 13. NHS Digital will never sell your data. There are strict rules about how NHS can use your data. It’s only shared securely and safety. Shared data helps the NHS.

If you’re happy with your confidential patient information being used for research and planning, you do not need to do anything.  Any choice you make will not impact on your individual care. Please click on this link below to find out more and opt out if you wish to do so.

To opt out please download the form by clicking here and return it to the practice.

Please do not contact the surgery to enquire about covid vaccination certificates.

We are unable to issue this certificate at the practice.

Please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad for further information.

Proof of your vaccination status will be available on the NHSapp, which is also valuable for accessing your health records and ordering repeat prescriptions. Refer Online Services page to download it.

Alternatively you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you've completed your course of the vaccine, the letter may to take up to 5 days to reach you.

If you are in touch regarding concerns about the Oxford Astra Zeneca, Public Health England have produced a patient information leaflet that is available here.

Newsletter Jan 2021