Message from Penny Short, Community Emergency Co-ordinator:

I have set up a new Facebook Group called Garvald Community for the purpose of providing practical information and support to get our community through this difficult time. It is a private group to enable us to share information which will not be passed on to anyone else other than, if necessary, the Council’s Emergency Planning Team. This is a Group set up by volunteers and is not intended to take the place of professional organisations such as the NHS and Government agencies.

Please join the Group, make yourself familiar with the rules and some information will be posted shortly.

Further information can be found on:

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

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Please note: The same arrangements will apply across all 3 Newtonport practices

Due to the ongoing situation with Coronavirus, we are taking measures in line with guidance shared by Public Health authorities to minimise risks associated with the virus. In order to protect our patients and staff and we are asking our patients support with this.
What does this mean for you?

Appointments:
We are asking all patients not to attend the practice without prior agreement from a member of our clinical team. From Monday 16th March 2020 we want to minimise the number of patients attending the Practice for face to face appointments. This means that all patients are required to contact the practice by telephone to request an appointment, providing details of their need. A member of the clinical team will then phone you back to discuss your need, and wherever possible this need will be met over the telephone. If the clinician deems that you require a face to face appointment, you will be asked some screening questions to determine whether there is a need for a coronavirus assessment. If this is the case you will be asked to self-isolate for 7 days. If there is no risk you will be given a face to face appointment.
Existing appointments:
All pre-existing appointments are being reviewed by the clinical team. If it is deemed that your appointment is not urgent this may be cancelled and re-scheduled at a later date by the Practice. If the appointment needs to go ahead, wherever possible this will take place over the telephone. If your appointment is being cancelled or changed to telephone, our administrative team will contact you to advise you of this. If the appointment needs to be face to face you will be contacted prior the appointment and asked some screening questions to ensure it is appropriate for you to attend the Practice.
Access to the Surgery:
Access to the building will be restricted to the patients who have been invited for an appointment by a Clinician.
Anyone who attempts to gain access to the surgery who has not been invited will be asked to leave the premises.
Only the patient with the appointment will be allowed into the building, unless you are accompanying a very unwell or frail friend or relative.
For children, only one parent/guardian will be allowed to accompany the child.
If you are entering the building please stay behind the marked line at the front of the reception desk.
Prescriptions:
Paper requests for repeat prescriptions have temporarily been suspended, again to avoid the spread of the virus, and you will not be able to collect your prescription from the surgery. Our administrative team will contact arrange to have your prescription sent to the pharmacy of your choice for collection. To order a repeat prescription, please either:
Request using Vision Online Services. If not registered please contact the surgery to register for online prescriptions.
We arranging for our web ordering service to be reactivated. This should be available in the next day or two. If absolutely necessary we will accept requests over the phone between 11am and 2pm.

Remember to use the hand sanitiser provided when entering the building or wash your hands in the patient toilets.
Please remain courteous to our staff at all times. This is a very challenging time for us all and we would appreciate your co-operation during this period of uncertainty.
Our priority is the health and safety of all our patients and staff.
Thank you for your understanding
The same arrangements will apply across all 3 Newtonport practices

Message from Penny Short, Emergency Resilience Co-ordinator:

There is currently a huge amount of information circulating concerning the Coronavirus. At this stage there is no need to panic but it is sensible to take some precautions & plan ahead in case the virus reaches Garvald and Morham. The Coronavirus is not life-threatening in normal circumstances but it can cause more severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people and those with long-term conditions such as diabetes, cancer & lung disease.

The best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to the virus. The usual general principles to prevent the spread of viruses should be followed including, of course, washing your hands often, especially after taking public transport or being in any busy public area. People who feel unwell should always stay at home and should not attend work and should avoid any public places. If you feel unwell & decide to self-isolate and need assistance with anything, including, shopping, then please fill out the contact form, below. It is sensible to have enough supplies in the house for at least two weeks in case you do need to self-isolate. Additionally, if you are vulnerable or have a weakened immune system and need some help, please fill out the contact form below and someone will get in touch with you.

If you are worried about any symptoms or those of a child, family member, neighbour or colleague please call NHS 111. Please do not go directly to your GP or any other healthcare environment.

Health advice is available with regular updates from NHS Scotland at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/coronavirus-covid-19

Message from Penny Short, Emergency Resilience Co-Ordinator:

You will have heard of course about COVID-19 which is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways and it is caused by a virus called coronavirus. At this point there is no need to worry but sensible precautions can be taken to reduce the risk of any infections. The NHS have published some information to help people understand this virus and important points are included below.
Advice from NHS regarding Coronavirus (COVID-10) – Published 2 March 2020

Use the 111 coronavirus service

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital if you think you may have this virus. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.

Getting help in Scotland: call your GP surgery or call 111 if your surgery is not open

What’s the risk of coronavirus in the UK?
The UK Chief Medical Officers have raised the risk to the public from low to moderate.
Health professionals are working to contact anyone who has been in close contact with people who have coronavirus.

What’s the risk of coronavirus for travellers?
There are some countries and areas where there’s a higher chance of coming into contact with someone with coronavirus.
See our coronavirus advice for travellers.

Symptoms of coronavirus
The symptoms of coronavirus are:
a cough
a high temperature
shortness of breath

But these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.

How coronavirus is spread
Because it’s a new illness, we do not know exactly how coronavirus spreads from person to person. Similar viruses are spread in cough droplets.
It’s very unlikely it can be spread through things like packages or food. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live outside the body for very long.

Do I need to avoid public places?
Most people can continue to go to work, school and other public places. You only need to stay away from public places (self-isolate) if advised to by the 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional.

How to avoid catching or spreading germs
There are things you can do to help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading.
Do
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin immediately
wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

Don’t
do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean

Check if you need medical help
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Use this service if:
you think you might have coronavirus
in the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see our coronavirus advice for travellers
you’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus

How to self-isolate if you’re asked to
If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus, you may be asked to stay away from other people (self-isolate).
This means you should:
stay at home
not go to work, school or public places
not use public transport or taxis
ask friends, family members or delivery services to do errands for you
try to avoid visitors to your home – it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food
You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.
Read more coronavirus self-isolation advice.

Treatment for coronavirus
There is currently no specific treatment for coronavirus.
Antibiotics do not help, as they do not work against viruses.
Treatment aims to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.
You’ll need to stay in isolation away from other people until you’ve recovered.

Advice for you and your family

It’s very unlikely to be coronavirus if:
you have not been in close contact with someone with confirmed coronavirus
you have not been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus in the last 14 days – see our coronavirus advice for travellers

If you think you might have coronavirus, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.

How it’s caught and spread
Can I get coronavirus from mail and parcels from China or other affected areas?
There is currently no evidence that you can catch coronavirus from parcels and letters. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live for very long outside the body.

Can I get coronavirus from food or takeaways?
There is currently no evidence that you can catch coronavirus from food. Viruses like coronavirus cannot live for very long outside the body.
But it’s always a good idea to wash your hands in soap and water or use hand sanitiser gel before you prepare or eat food.

What does “close contact with someone with a confirmed case of coronavirus” mean?
A confirmed case of coronavirus means someone who has been tested and found to have coronavirus.
Close contact with a confirmed case means:
living in the same house
contact with their body fluids
face-to-face contact, for example talking for more than a few minutes
being coughed on
being within 2 metres of the person for more than 15 minutes

Prevention
Are face masks useful for preventing coronavirus?
Face masks play a very important role in places like hospitals, but there is very little evidence of widespread benefit for members of the public.

Do I need to avoid public transport, mass gatherings, festivals, concerts or places with crowds?
Most people can continue to go to work, school and other public places.
You only need to stay away from public places (self-isolate) if advised to by the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or a medical professional.

Is there a vaccine for coronavirus?
There is currently no vaccine for coronavirus (COVID-19). The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.
Simple hygiene measures like washing your hands with soap and water often, and avoiding people who are unwell, can help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading.

Do vaccines against pneumonia protect against coronavirus?
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine.
Although the pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccine is not effective against coronavirus, it is still recommended that you have it if offered to you because it can protect against other illnesses.

Can rinsing your nose with salt water (saline) help prevent coronavirus?
There is no evidence that regularly rinsing the nose with salt water (saline) protects you from coronavirus.
There is some limited evidence that regularly rinsing your nose with saline can help people recover more quickly from the common cold. But regularly rinsing the nose has not been shown to prevent respiratory infections.

Self-isolation
How should I isolate myself if I think I might have coronavirus?
If there’s a chance you could have coronavirus, you may be asked to stay away from other people (self-isolate).
This means you should:
stay at home
not go to work, school or public areas
not use public transport or taxis
ask friends, family members or delivery services to carry out errands for you
try to avoid visitors to your home – it’s OK for friends, family or delivery drivers to drop off food
You may need to do this for up to 14 days to help reduce the possible spread of infection.
Read more coronavirus self-isolation advice.

What should I do if I become unwell with possible coronavirus while I’m out and about?
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
If you become unwell in a public place:
Try to find a room to isolate yourself away from others. Ask for help if you need to, but try to stay at least 2 metres away from other people.
Open a window for ventilation if you can, but otherwise touch objects and surfaces as little as possible.
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.

If you become unwell on public transport:
Go back to your home or place of residence immediately.
Try to avoid close contact with other people and touch objects and surfaces as little as possible.
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do next.

Testing and treatment
Can antibiotics treat or prevent coronavirus?
Antibiotics do not work against coronavirus, as they work against bacteria and coronavirus is a virus.
But antibiotics may be given to some people with coronavirus because there’s a risk the virus may make them more likely to get a bacterial infection as well.

Are there any medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus?
There is currently no specific medicine to prevent or treat coronavirus (COVID-19), but there are treatments to relieve the symptoms while your body fights the illness.

Foreign travel
I am about to travel abroad, where can I get the most up-to-date travel advice?
If you’re planning to travel abroad and are concerned about coronavirus, check the country by country travel advice on GOV.UK.

As many people as possible are encouraged to attend.