COVID-19 VACCINTAION PROGRAMME UPDATE - 21/04/2021

A massive thank you to all the Westhoughton patients, staff and volunteers. As a network we are delighted to have delivered over 12,000 vaccines.

Please see below for the current information as of 21/04/2021.

SECOND DOSES

We are now contacting our original cohorts to confirm second dose vaccination dates.

These dates have been slightly amended due to vaccine delivery schedules.

Those patients who were vaccinated in January should have been invited already for their second dose. We now have 2^nd vaccine delivery dates for those patients who were vaccinated on 9^th and 16^th of February and will be in touch (either via message or phone- possibly a private number call). You must confirm your second dose appointment to secure your vaccine. These are being released in batches. Please be patient.

Please remember for full protection you need 2 doses of vaccine.

Please note the Pfizer vaccine CANNOT be given as a home visit so as per your first dose (unless there is a significant clinical change) then you will need to attend Peter House.

If you have a mobile and don’t have access to the internet on your phone- then you can TEXT your INITIALS and DOB to our hotline number and we will get back to you (may be a private number)

07730 765245.

Please be assured we have a list of everyone on the original clinics and are doing our upmost to ensure you are booked in for your second!

We are aware regarding the publicity surrounding some potential concerns surrounding the Astra Zeneca vaccine- below is a really useful link. AZ clinics are continuing to go ahead as we know this vaccine saves lives! Please- if you had your first dose and were fine then you can have your second dose- even if you are under 30. Please just don’t turn up- contact us if you aren’t sure.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/976880/PHE_COVID-19_AZ_vaccination_guide.pdf

FIRST DOSES

Nationally there are two ways in which patients are being contacted for their first vaccine.  If you are 45 years old or older, and well, you will have received a letter or text from NHS England inviting you to be vaccinated at a site alternative to Peter House (a ‘mass vaccination site’). You can also arrange your own vaccine at a mass vaccination site via the link below providing you have received your letter.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

The second way you can get vaccinated is via your GP surgery- these invites are being run in parallel to the mass vaccination sites.

If you are aged 50 and over and prefer to be vaccinated at Peter House then we have invited you via text message if we have a mobile number for you. Otherwise we have contacted you on the phone.

If you are over 50 or 16-64 with certain underlying health conditions or main carer for an elderly or disabled person (cohorts 1-9) and have not had or arranged your vaccine yet, please text “COVID” plus YOUR INITIALS and DATE OF BIRTH to the vaccine hotline number 07730 765245 and we will contact you with an appointment (this may be a call from a ‘private number’). If you are unable to text, please contact the surgery directly. If you are truly housebound and in these groups then let us know and we can arrange to see you at home.

Vaccinations for the under 50s

In Westhoughton we have recently informed NHS England that we intend to vaccinate our younger patient population (18-49). We await further details as to when we can commence first doses for these patients. This will depend on national instructions and vaccine supplies.

Should you wish to be vaccinated at your GP practice rather than a mass vaccination site then please be patient and await your invite.  

We will be shortly sending out invites to our 45-49 year-old patients with a clinic planned in early May.

GP practices and alternative sites are both getting the same vaccines so rest assured it doesn’t matter WHERE you get your vaccination. But be mindful that your second dose will need to be at the same site where possible.

Where possible, please do not contact the surgery with vaccine queries as it stops poorly patients getting through on the phone.

Please follow our social media for the most up to date information regarding our vaccination programme.

Westhoughton PCN Facebook

Westhoughton PCN Twitter

Once again, a huge thank you to everyone involved in this, the biggest vaccination programme in NHS history.

SURGERY OPENING UPDATE

We are pleased to be able to inform you that GP services have been re-directed back to our Blackrod surgery.

Please use our online consult facility for any non-urgent issues.

Please call 01204 697229 for any urgent enquiries.

If you require urgent medical assistance, that cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please call 0161 763 8940.

If you have a life-threatening medical emergency, please dial 999

From

The Partners at Unsworth Group Practice

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.

We currently have our main surgery in Westhoughton and branch surgery in Blackrod.

We are confident that our website will provide clear and concise help and give our patients the information they require in an easy and convenient format. It has been designed with the patient’s needs at the forefront of everything, from checking surgery times to letting us know what you think of us.