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Welcome to the Garden City Practice
We are located at Birdcroft Road, Welwyn Garden City, Herts AL8 6EH
The practice is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care and has a strong team of GPs, nurses, a healthcare assistant all supported by a fantastic team of receptionists and administrators.
This surgery website has been designed to make it easy for you to access the information you need from opening times to being able to book an appointment online and a wide range of health related information. Please have a look around and feel free to send us feedback as we can use this to develop and improve the information we provide.
We would also be grateful for reviews to be posted on Google - please click here.
Covid-19 Spring Booster Campaign April - June 2023
Covid Vaccaintion Spring Booster (14 March 2023)
The Spring Booster Campaign for covid vaccinations will start with those patients in care homes from 3rd April and from 17th April this will be extended to patients who turn 75 before 30.06.2023 (this means that some patients aged 74 will be offered the vaccine), and those aged 5 and over who are immunosupressed. The campign will end on Friday 30 June 2023. The practice is currenty working on a plan for putting on additional clinics to provide this service; further details will be posted when available.
A guide to the COVID_19 spring booster camapign can be found via the link below:
Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS)for Covid-19 vaccinations
The Vaccine Data Resolution Service (VDRS) for correcting incorrect or missing records for COVID-19 vaccinations is currenlty paused and will be changing. Please use the link below for furher information:
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/covid-19-services/nhs-covid-pass/problems-getting-an-nhs-covid-pass/
Recording Overseas COVID vaccinations in the National Booking Service
The practice is unable to record covid vaccinations that have been given overseas. The service is changing to an email service and you will not need a face to face appointment. Please use the link below to get further information:
Practice Education and Training
Practice Education Event next date Tuesday 18 April 2023
To allow administrative and clinical staff dedicated time to undertake education and mandatory training, it has been agreed with the training Hub of Herts and West Essex ICB that the practice will be allowed to close for one afternoon per month. The practice and phone lines will be closed from 1.30 - 5.30pm, we are sorry that we will not be able to deal with routine queries on these afternoons.
If you have an urgent medical need when we are closed please contact NHS 111 for assistance.
Future dates agreed so far are:
|
Date |
Day |
|
18th April 2023 |
Tuesday |
|
17th May 2023 |
Wednesday |
|
15th June 2023 |
Thursday |
|
11th July 2023 |
Tuesday |
|
13th September 2023 |
Wednesday |
|
12th October 2023 |
Thursday |
|
14th November 2023 |
Tuesday |
|
17th January 2024 |
Wednesday |
|
15th February 2024 |
Thursday |
|
12th March 2024 |
Tuesday |
We thank you for your co-operation to enable the practice to undertake this essential training.
eConsult
Due to the increasing numbers of eConsults that we were receivng, the practice has taken the decision to limit the number of eConsults that can be submitted each day.
We have a limited number of appointments each day and to enable patients to access appointments via the telephone, at the reception desk and via eConsult we have had to limit the numbers of eConsults. We are reviewing this on a regular basis so as not to disadvantage those patients with no digital access as demand for appointments is greater than capacity we can offer every day. Once the limit has been reached a message will show that says "you can submit a consultation from 8am tomorrow......."
Guidance on covid infection preventon and control at the practice
Legal COVID restrictions have ended, but for now measures to prevent the spread of COVID remain in health settings to keep staff and patients safe.
People who have symptoms of COVID and a temperature should remain at home and avoid contact with other people while they have a temperature but can still seek health services if needed.
It is important that you let the practice know if you have any symptoms of COVID before you attend a face-to-face appointment. If you have symptoms of COVID and you need a face-to-face appointment, we will continue to offer an assessment at the Scarlett Room to the rear of the building.
We will also continue to ask you to wear a mask when you visit the practice. This will help to reduce the risk of staff absence in the surgery and also to help keep our patients safe.
Thank you for your understanding.
Extended Access
Patients are now able to access extended GP services between 6.30-8.00pm Mondays to Fridays, and between 8.00am to 4.00pm on Saturdays and from 8.00am to 2.00pm on Sundays. This service is open 365 days of the year, including Bank Holidays. These extra appointments will all be at Spring House Medical Centre (across the road from the QEII Hospital - Ascots Lane AL7 4HL). To find out more, or to book an appointment, please speak to one of our reception team or visit the following website:
Ephedra Healthcare Ltd - www.ephedrahealthcare.co.uk
It is likely that you will not see/speak to a GP or nurse from this practice at one of these appointments, but be assured they have full access to your notes and can complete tasks as if working from our practice. Do ask our reception team when you call if you would like one of these Extended Access appointments. There are a few same day appointments on Saturday and Sunday at the Extended Access hub - please call 01707 294358 to book these.
COVID-19 vaccination status
You will be able to access your COVID vaccination status via the NHS app: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/
You do not need to attend or phone the surgery to register for the App 👍
https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/online-services/nhs-app/
Get an NHS COVID Pass
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/nhs-covid-pass/get-an-nhs-covid-pass/
Update 28 March 2023
Demand at the practice continue to be high, and we are working hard to put systems in pace to support our patients. We are looking at the appointment system and due to he number of failed attempts for telephone consultations creating additonal work we are looking at reverting back to face to face consultations for the majority of appointments. Please pass any feedback to the Practice Manager about this.
Our phones are always busy between 8.30am and 10.30am so if you can please call outside of this time. Remember appointments are a set amount of time and we can only safely discuss 1 or 2 health issues, if you need more time please speak to the receptionist when booking your appointment. Please be patient with the receptionists - they are dealing with a wide range of enquiries as quickly as they can.
The doctor may not be the best person to help you. We have Clinical Pharmacists, Advanced Nurse Practitoners, Practice Nurses, HCA, Mental Health Nurses, Social Prescribers and First Contact Physiotherapists, please answer the questions asked by the receptionists so they can book you with the most appropriate healthcare professional.
If your issue isn't urgent you can complete an online consultation from the practice website. This is a NHS approved system and has to have a range of questions, even if they don't seem appropriate they are there for a reason.
If you need health help urgently contact NHS 111 online or by phone. NHS 111 is free and available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Contacting NHS 111 first makes it easier to get the right advice or treatment. If the practice is busy NHS 111 can help and if they thnk you need tobe seen they can book you inwiththe practice. NHS 111 can also support with a mental health crisis if you select option 2.
Please call 999 for serious emergencies such as a heart attack or stroke.
Your local pharmacist can also help with minor ailments such as hayfever, coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy troubles and aches and pains. Many are open late evenings and weekends; they can advise if you need to seek further help. You can get trusted health advice from www.nhs.uk too.
For adults with mental health problems including depression and anxiety, you can refer yourself directly to the local wellbeing service, via their website: https://www.hpft.nhs.uk/contact-us/
If you’re experiencing a mental health crisis, call this freephone number: 0800 6444 101.
There is a new NHS funded service for children and young people aged 10 to 25 in Hertfordshire starting on 1st April, The Sandbox, to help with their mental health and wellbeing.
https://sandbox.getcerebral.co.uk
The Sandbox provides access to internet enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT), or one to one support from professional therapists by text, phone, online chat or video call, based on a triage of the young person’s needs
We have listed some links for websites and services but please see our self-help resouces link on the website
HertsHelp: https://www.hertshelp.net/HertsHelp.aspx
Advice re minor illness: https://www.hct.nhs.uk/children-and-families/minor-illness/
Contraceptive pill: age 16 years or older, order on-line though the SH:24 contraceptive service via https://sh24.org.uk/contraception/order Discreet delivery to your home.
Emergency contraception: age 16 years or older, order free and confidential emergency contraception on-line from SH:24 https://sh24.org.uk/ec_now_order/age_and_postcode/new Discreet delivery to your home.
Testing for STIs with no symptoms: order a free test through the SH:24 home testing service https://sh24.org.uk/orders/new Discreet delivery to your home. Please note that low risk individuals will be sent tests for Chlamydia / Gonorrhoea but not HIV / Syphilis as these are less likely to be necessary.
HIV/Syphilis Testing: order online from Free Testing HIV https://freetesting.hiv/
If you have symptoms contact Sexual Health Hertfordshire on 0300 008 5522 as soon as possible. If anyone is under 18 or unable to use online services please call 0300 008 5522
Thank you very much for your support
Teaching
Our team is committed to teaching and feel we have a responsibility to help develop the next generation of doctors, nurses, and allied health care professionals. We are an accredited training practice and have a variety of trainees throughout the year including foundation doctors, GP Registrars, medical students, and trainee nurses working here.
GP Registrars are fully qualified doctors who have usually completed a minimum of three years of hospital work after qualifying. As part of their training for General Practice they are required to spend a year working at a practice. Foundation doctors are recently qualified doctors currently spend 4 months with us as part of their training.
As part of their training GP registrars need to video some of their consultations as part of their assessment. These videos are only used for teaching purposes and only seen by doctors. Physical examinations are not video-taped. If a video session is taking place you will be given a form at reception, which explains what is happening. If you agree to be videoed, please sign the consent form - you have the right to change your mind at the end of the consultation and the tape will be erased. If you do not agree to be videoed the video recorder will be turned off before you enter the room. It will help us greatly if you do agree to be videoed, but we understand if you do not wish to consent to this. At no time will this decision prejudice your care with us.