If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to complete the form below and return it to the surgery. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

It is important to complete this form between 6 and 16 weeks before you travel as any vaccinations required need to be completed at least 2 weeks before you travel. Please do not submit your form more than 16 weeks in advance as travel guidance can change with little notice.

Only the following vaccines are available on the NHS.  You will need to attend a private health clinic for anything else required.

• UK childhood vaccinations
• Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio boosters
• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• MMR catch up

Travel Vaccination procedure for Ryeland Surgery

• Please fill in the surgery travel questionnaire
• A separate form is required for each person travelling
• Please allow 7 working days where upon you will be contacted by the surgery

NHS App

If you would like to gain access to your test results, you can do so, by using the NHS App, a simple and secure way of accessing your health records as well as ordering your repeat medication.

This will enable health and care professionals to have better medical information about you when they are treating you at the point of care. This change will apply for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic only. Unless alternative arrangements have been put in place before the end of the emergency period, this change will be reversed. 

All patients registered with a GP have a Summary Care Record, unless they have chosen not to have one. The information held in your Summary Care Record gives health and care professionals, away from your usual GP practice, access to information to provide you with safer care, reduce the risk of prescribing errors and improve your patient experience.

Your Summary Care Record contains basic information about allergies and medications and any reactions that you have had to medication in the past.

Some patients, including many with long term health conditions, have previously agreed to have additional information shared as part of their Summary Care Record. This additional information includes information about significant medical history (past and present), reasons for medications, care plan information and immunisations.

During the coronavirus pandemic period, your Summary Care Record will automatically have additional information included from your GP record unless you have previously told the NHS that you did not want this information to be shared.

There will also be a temporary change to include COVID-19 specific codes in relation to suspected, confirmed, Shielded Patient List and other COVID-19 related information within the additional information.

By including this additional information in your SCR, health and care staff can give you better care if you need health care away from your usual GP practice:

• in an emergency
• when you’re on holiday
• when your surgery is closed
• at out-patient clinics
• when you visit a pharmacy

Additional information is included on your SCR

In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic we are temporarily removing the requirement to have explicit consent to share the SCR additional information. This change of requirement will be reviewed when the pandemic is over.

You can be reassured that if you have previously opted-out of having a Summary Care Record or have expressly declined to share the additional information in your Summary Care Record, your preference will continue to be respected and applied. 

Additional information will include extra information from your GP record, including:

• health problems like dementia or diabetes
• details of your carer
• your treatment preferences
• communication needs, for example if you have hearing difficulties or need an interpreter

This will help medical staff care for you properly, and respect your choices, when you need care away from your GP practice. This is because having more information on your SCR means they will have a better understanding of your needs and preferences.

When you are treated away from your usual doctor’s surgery, the health care staff there can’t see your GP medical records. Looking at your SCR can speed up your care and make sure you are given the right medicines and treatment.

The only people who might see your Summary Care Record are registered and regulated healthcare professionals, for example doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and staff working under their direct supervision. Your Summary Care record will only be accessed so a healthcare professional can give you individual care. Staff working for organisations that do not provide direct care are not able to view your Summary Care Record.

Before accessing a Summary Care Record healthcare staff will always ask your permission to view it, unless it is a medical emergency and you are unable to give permission.

Protecting your SCR information

Staff will ask your permission to view your SCR (except in an emergency where you are unconscious, for example) and only staff with the right levels of security clearance can access the system, so your information is secure. You can ask an organisation to show you a record of who has looked at your SCR – this is called a Subject Access Request.

Opting out

The purpose of SCR is to improve the care that you receive, however, if you don’t want to have an SCR you have the option to opt out. If this is your preference please inform your GP or fill in an SCR opt-out form and return it to your GP practice.

Regardless of your past decisions about your Summary Care Record consent preferences, you can change your mind at any time. You can choose any of the following options:

1. To have a Summary Care Record with additional information shared. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see a enriched Summary Care Record if they need to provide you with direct care.
2. To have a Summary Care Record with core information only. This means that any authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals will be able to see information about allergies and medications only in your Summary Care Record if they need to provide you with direct care.
3. To opt-out of having a Summary Care Record altogether. This means that you do not want any information shared with other authorised, registered and regulated health and care professionals involved in your direct care, including in an emergency.

To make these changes, you should inform your GP practice or complete the SCR patient consent preferences form and return it to your GP practice.

Fees

Please note, from 1st April 2024 all requests for private administration services must be paid in full before any administration work is carried out. 

 Sporting or Social Activity Medical Forms

We do not complete any forms to say you are medically fit to take part in any sporting or social activity.  You are able to provide a summary of your own medical history via the NHS App or you will find an alternative private provider to complete the form for you.

Medical Examinations

• We only carry out DVLA medicals if the DVLA contact us directly requiring information regarding a specific medical condition. We will charge the DVLA, there is no charge to the patient.
• We also carry out fostering and adoption medicals. It is usual for the Agency to be invoiced directly for this service.
• We do not carry out private medicals such as HGV, taxi or sports medicals.

For any further information or clarification please speak to our Patient Advisors at Reception.

Seeing a Private Consultant – Key Information

Booking an appointment

Contact the Consultant’s team directly to arrange an appointment. If you have private health insurance, check with your provider for a list of approved specialists.

GP Referral

The consultant may need referral information from your GP, if so, you will need to have discussed this or seen your GP recently to enable them to generate a referral letter.  Please note it may take at least 3 working days for our secretarial team to process the referral letter, which will then be available on your NHS app for you to forward to your private consultant.  If your insurer requires a specific form to be completed, you will be charged for this as it is non-NHS work.

Tests and Procedures

If your private consultant recommends tests or a procedure, they are responsible for:

• Arranging the test and any medications (e.g., sedation).
• Explaining how and when you’ll receive the appointment details.
• Providing and explaining the results of all tests they have requested (not your GP’s responsibility).

All tests must be carried out privately. Your GP cannot organise private tests through the NHS. If you r private consultant suggests this, remind them that all investigations must be arranged privately.

This helps:

• Avoid delays.
• Ensure results go to the Consultant.
• Speed up your care.

Medications

If your private consultant prescribes a new medicine:

• They must provide the first prescription.
• Your GP can only continue prescribing it if your private consultant sends a formal typed request.

It may take up to two weeks for GPs to receive and process such letters.
If the medication is not routinely available on the NHS, your private consultant must continue to prescribe it.

Transferring Back to the NHS

You can return to NHS care after private treatment. This must be arranged by your private consultant, not your GP.

The Consultant should:

• Refer you directly to the relevant NHS clinic.
• Ensure continuity of care.

Asking your GP to do this causes delays and wastes NHS resources.

Fit Notes (Sick Notes)

If you’re unfit to work after treatment, your private consultant should issue a Fit Note covering the expected recovery period.  You don’t need to contact your GP for this unless your condition unexpectedly worsens or lasts longer.

Follow-Up Appointments

The Consultant will decide whether you need further follow-up or can be discharged.
If a follow-up is needed, your private consultant will arrange it. If you don’t hear anything, contact your private consultant’s office—not your GP.

Questions About Your Care

For any queries, contact your private consultant or their secretary directly.

This information is based on guidance from the

British Medical Association and NHS England.

Does Age Affect The Risk Of Flu?

Yes. If you are aged 65 years or over or you are at higher risk.

Who Is At Risk?

• If you are aged 65 years or over 
• If you have a chronic respiratory disease (including asthma)
• If you have chronic heart disease
• If you have chronic renal disease
• If you are diabetic
• If you have a weak immune system
• If you live in a long-stay residential or nursing home
• If you have a chronic liver disease
• If you are a carer

Using the service

If you’re a patient, find out more about appointment booking on the NHS.UK website.

Whether you’re using e-RS for the first time, or an existing user wanting to make the most of the service, NHS Digital provides a range of material for referrers (such as a general practice), providers (a hospital or clinic) and commissioners.

If a vaccine is given when a baby still has antibodies to the disease, the antibodies can stop the vaccine working. This is why routine childhood immunisations do not start until a baby is two months old, before the antibodies a baby gets from its mother have stopped working. This is also why it is important for parents to stick to the immunisation schedule, as a delay can leave a baby unprotected. A delay can increase the chance of adverse reactions to some vaccines, such as pertussis (whooping cough).

Vaccination Schedule

At two months old: 

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

At three months old:

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection 

At four months old: 

• Diptheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) (DTaP/IPV/Hib) – one injection 
• Meningitis C (meningococcal group C) (MenC) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

At around 12 months old: 

• Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and meningitis C (Hib/MenC) – booster dose in one injection

At around 13 months old: 

• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection 
• Pneumococcal infection – pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) – one injection 

Three years four months to five years old (pre-school): 

• Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough) and polio (dTaP/IPV or DTaP/IPV) – one injection
• Measles, mumps and rubella (German measles) (MMR) – one injection 
• 13 to 18 years old: 
• Diphtheria, tetanus and polio (Td/IPV) – one injection

Further reading

There are some excellent websites that will answer all your questions and queries about immunisation and vaccination. If you are worried about giving the MMR vaccine, you should access the MMR site.

• NHS Choices – Immunisation Information
  The most comprehensive, up-to-date and accurate source of information on vaccines, disease and immunisation in the UK. 
• NHS Choices – MMR Information
  This website has been put together to answer any questions you might have about MMR. You can look for information and resources in the MMR library, ask an expert panel a question, and read up on the latest news stories relating to MMR.

Select from the dropdown list and then enter your postcode to search for Services in your local area (within 20km).

Family Planning Services

Contraceptive care, including implants and coil insertions, is provided by the doctors during surgery hours. Our practice nurses provide advice and appointments for repeat prescriptions of contraceptive pills and also give depot contraceptive injections.

Maternity Care: Antenatal

Patients are seen by the midwife at the clinic by appointment and also by the doctors during surgery hours.

Well Baby Clinic

The baby clinics are run by a practice nurse who gives childhood immunisations.

A doctor and health visitor are available for child developmental checks and to discuss other problems.

Minor Surgery

Minor surgical procedures are carried out by appointment and the doctors will be happy to advise you on this. 

Travel Immunisations / Vaccinations

If you require any vaccinations relating to foreign travel you need to complete the form below and return it to the surgery. This will include which countries and areas within countries that you are visiting to determine what vaccinations are required.

It is important to complete this form between 6 and 16 weeks before you travel as any vaccinations required need to be completed at least 2 weeks before you travel. Please do not submit your form more than 16 weeks in advance as travel guidance can change with little notice.

Only the following vaccines are available on the NHS.  You will need to attend a private health clinic for anything else required.

UK childhood vaccinations

Tetanus/Diphtheria/Polio boosters

Hepatitis A

Typhoid

MMR catch up

Travel vaccination procedure for Ryeland Surgery

• Please fill in the surgery travel questionnaire
• A separate form is required for each person travelling
• Please allow 7 working days where upon you will be contacted by the surgery

Counselling

Counselling is available at the surgery. Please ask your doctor for an appointment.

Women’s Health

Any aspect of care, including contraception, menopause management, pre-conception, morning-after-pill, cervical smears, is provided during surgery hours.

We receive frequent requests for prescriptions to delay periods for travel or sports reasons. We are no longer issuing these. If you would like to postpone your period, you can visit a pharmacy website by searching online for ‘delay period pill’, have an online counselling session with a pharmacist and order the medication privately from them. 

Vaccinations

Vaccinations and immunisations, including childhood vaccinations and immunisations, are available.

Shingles Vaccination – There is a lot of media coverage regarding shingles vaccinations at the moment.  Please be advised that shingles vaccinations are available for anyone from the date of their 70^th birthday until the day before their 80^th birthday so please do call the practice if you fall into this category.  Patients born between 01.09.1958 and 31.08.1959 are eligible from the day of their 65^th birthday and an invitation will be sent to you during your birthday month, please do not call the practice to book until this invitation has been received.

Covid Spring Boosters 2024 – Eligibility Criteria: 75 and over on 30th June 2024, living in an older adult care home, severely immunosuppressed.  Our clinic will be held on Saturday 27th April and will be bookable by invitation only.  Texts and letters will be sent out to eligible patients in early April, please do not contact the practice to book before you receive your invitation.  If you are housebound and in the above criteria, we will contact you directly to arrange for your vaccination to be given at home in May 2024.

Flu Vaccinations

An influenza vaccination is particularly recommended for patients with heart, lung or kidney disease, diabetes and residents of nursing and rest homes. Eligible patients will be invited to attend a vaccination clinic in the autumn.