Welsh Government press release: Simple steps to help your GP Practice help you

As the coronavirus pandemic continue to progress, pressure on all our NHS services will increase. We have put together five simple steps to help you get the right healthcare and support, while also helping your local GP practice.

1. Follow the latest coronavirus advice and do not visit your GP practice if you or anyone in your household has symptoms – a high temperature or a new and continuous cough. There is no need to inform the surgery if you have these symptoms.

2. GP surgeries have changed they are working – they have adopted new measures to protect staff in the surgery. Doors are now closed and will be open to let those people in who have an appointment. Face-to-face appointments with a healthcare professional will only be confirmed after an initial telephone or video consultation.

3. Everyone with a routine or pre-booked appointment will be contacted on the day by a qualified clinician to assess whether you have coronavirus-related symptoms. If you don’t, your appointment will go ahead as planned.

4. If you need a repeat prescription, please don’t go to your surgery. Make the request online if you have registered for the service; by phone, if the surgery has agreed or put the request in the drop box the surgery has identified. If you are phoning, please ensure you have your existing list of medications to hand. All GP practices have been asked to let people know what their arrangements are for ordering repeat prescriptions. The time needed to process a repeat prescription request may be longer than you are used to so please consider this when ordering. If you are self-isolating, please ask someone else to collect your prescription on your behalf.

5. For routine enquiries, do not call your surgery first thing in the morning – call later in the day when the practice will have more time to handle your enquiry. The surgery might be short staffed so please do not call to chase up repeat prescriptions unless it is urgent.

6. We are asking everyone with symptoms of coronavirus – a high temperature or a new and continuous cough – to stay at home and do not leave your house for seven days from when your symptoms started. If you live with someone who has symptoms, you should also stay at home for 14 days. You do not need to tell your GP or call 111. If your symptoms worsen or if you are not better after seven days visit NHS 111 online or call NHS 111. If it is an emergency dial 999.

7. There is no routine community testing for coronavirus. This may change – we will let you know if and when this happens.

 -ENDS-