Welcome to Unsworth Group Practice

We aim to deliver, via our professional multi-disciplinary team, a high quality patient-focused service that is effective, safe and responsive to the needs of our patients and their families.

Our Online Consult service gives you access to round the clock medical guidance – allowing you to check symptoms, receive medical advice and contact the surgery 24-7 through our online portal. You will gain access to a wealth of medical information including articles and videos. By filling in a simple health enquiry form you will be able to read information on how to treat your symptoms and what to do next. The form will then come through to the surgery where we will review the information provided and we aim to respond to you within two working days.

Current CQC Practice rating

FLU SEASON 2020-21 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION-

The surgery is following strict social distancing rules for both staff and patients. It is requested that anyone who attends the surgery premises for any reason, must wear a face covering whilst on the premises, this is to protect both our patients and our staff.

You can follow this link to read Government advice on when and how to wear face coverings and how to make your own

British Lung Foundation specific advice about using face coverings with breathing conditions (including a printable exemption note)

PUBLIC TRANSPORT - PRINTABLE FACE COVERING EXEMPTION CARDS 

Here are some links to sources of printable face mask exemption cards... 

Printable face mask exemption cards (specific reasons) 

First Transport printable face mask exemption cards (generic reasons) 

KeepSafe website – printable face mask exemption cards (fairly generic) plus lots of other plain and simple COVID-19 guidance factsheets – including in other languages

We thank you for you co-operation.

UPDATE (14/8/2020) - Blackrod surgery

The partners wish to inform our Blackrod patients that from Monday 17^th August access to Blackrod Health Centre building will recommence with the following safety measures :

• Limited number of persons in communal areas, and the wearing of face coverings will be mandatory.
• To ensure patient and staff safety, all appointments will remain as telephone consultations in the first instance, with any face-to-face appointments limited, and decided upon, by the GP or clinician only.
• ALL booking of appointments will be made via telephone (not walk-in)
• Use of on-line prescription ordering and use of nominated pharmacy will continue to be promoted / suggested
• Our staff are taking prescription requests over the telephone for any of our patients who are unable to access/use the online services
• We have been gradually re-introducing Nurse Reviews, screening appointments and phlebotomy – and this will now be offered at our Blackrod branch
• Child immunisations will continue at Westhoughton for the time being.

We are constantly reviewing our operating procedures and will modify in line with government and NHS England guidance.

Please help us to keep each other safe

Dear Patients,

Letters requesting people to shield have been sent either directly from NHS England or more recently, from the GP surgery on advice of NHS England.

These letters have been sent to patients with a variety of underlying health conditions which may make patients significantly more at risk of complications related to COVID-19.

Identifying patients is, unfortunately, not an exact science and there may be some inclusions or exclusions of patients from this list.  But please be assured that we are doing all we can to identify our most at risk patients to help them stay as safe as possible.

Shielding at this time is for your own personal protection.  It is your choice as to whether you follow this guidance.  Should you choose to shield, this letter can be used for evidence for your employer and support from the Government.

Please consult the Government website using this link for further detailed information relating to shielding.

Thank you for your understanding at this concerning time

Stay at home – Protect the NHS – Save lives

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

To reduce the spread of COVID-19 and to maintain the provision of safe healthcare for patients and staff,

there will be NO access to the surgery building

We continue to operate behind closed doors

IMPORTANT - IF YOU ARE ABLE TO CHECK YOUR CONTACT DETAILS PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YOUR MOST CURRENT MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBER AND EMAIL ADDRESS - THIS WILL HELP US IMMENSELY WHEN WE NEED TO GET IN TOUCH AT THIS MOST CRUCIAL OF TIMES 

APPOINTMENTS

ALL APPOINTMENTS are now TELEPHONE APPOINTMENTS

Online appointments have been suspended until further notice

If you would like to book a new appointment please ring the surgery:

Westhoughton – 01942 812525                  Blackrod – 01204 697229

Please do not attend the surgery unless you have been advised to do so

PRESCRIPTIONS

The doctors are urging patients to utilise the online service to request ALL medication

You can register for online services by clicking here-  Systmonline

(after following the link, please click on the  box - Request access to the online service with Unsworth group Practice)

• We no longer require Photographic ID (at this critical time)
• You will receive an email or text message with a user name and password
• We urge you to then nominate a pharmacy you wish us to send your prescription to once ordered
• Then order your prescription - You will not be able to attend the surgery to collect any paper prescriptions

ALTERNATIVELY: You could download the NHS App to REGISTER AND ORDER your medication.

If you have any difficulty, please contact the administrative team for support: -01942 812525

Other ways to order (but these may take longer)

• Ring the surgery number (however our phone lines will be VERY busy)
• Email sms.p82015@nhs.net
  

Useful website for coronavirus advice: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Useful link: Self Isolation  Covid Privacy notice

Please protect yourself and others

STAY SAFE

THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT & CO-OPERATION DURING THIS PANDEMIC