We’re here to help

Dear Patients,

As a practice we are attempting to manage patient demand as best as we can reasonably do so, whilst we will attempt to provide additional GPs, quite often this is not an option as they are simply not available.

This practice has been sourcing alternative clinical staff to ensure that those that need to be seen will be, these are highly trained healthcare professionals, but they may not be a GP.

Please can we remind all that for many years, and well before the COVID pandemic we have been using a triage-based model where the reception teams directed you to the best clinician, this has been the best way to ensure the greatest number of patients are seen and that you are seen by the most appropriate healthcare professional.

We will continue to do this as of course not all patients will need to be seen or spoken to by a GP. So we plead to those patient that demanding to be seen by one in person that not only with this create additional pressures in both clinical and time resources, your family member, friend or neighbour that is more unwell may not be able to be seen as there are only so many appointments to go around.

Currently the demand for any healthcare appointment is at an all time high.

Recently, many patients wanted to protect the NHS by not attending for a new condition, or it could have been that many hospital departments did not see any patients for numerous months or it may be for a number of any other reasons, but now, we are seeing those patients whose conditions have worsened and as such they now need more NHS resources.

This will not be a quick fix, but we are working extremely hard to try and help you.

This is all being delivered when our sickness absences are also higher than normal as we too become unwell.

As a team, please can we at Fell Cottage surgery remind all that we have and will always follow current NHS and governmental guidance to ensure that the very best service will be given.

We are here to help and want to continue to do so, please be kind to us as we are working under extremely difficult conditions.

Your help will be very gratefully received.