To reduce increasing call volumes/footfall to our GP practices about vaccination status, please help cascade messages through your networks advising residents that their COVID-19 vaccination status can be accessed through the NHS App from 17 May.  The service will not require data provided through the GP record.

• Those without a smartphone are being asked to call the NHS helpline on 119 from 17 May and ask for a letter to be posted to them.
• Please encourage use of 111 in the first instance for urgent care so that residents can be directed to the best local service for them and they can have a pre-arranged time allocated to attend A&E as part of the NHS111 First scheme.
• Specialist support to adults experiencing mental health crisis can be accessed 24/7 by dialling 111 at any time and select the option for mental health crisis (option 2).
• Community pharmacy teams are an important local resources to support residents care for themselves whether minor illness or injury
• Where injury or illness is life-threatening then 999 should continue to be utilised

Please also find below latest resident newsletters with lots of additional information that we are keen to share across our communities.  If you are able to include these in any PPG newsletters or perhaps help us to get this information on the practice websites / social media channel, we’d be most grateful.
https://issuu.com/cprccg/docs/living_well_-_castlepoint

Amanda Shears – Patient Engagement Officer