Welcome to Albany Surgery

MASK EXEMPTION FOR AIRCRAFT

Dear patients

We have recently been made aware that airlines are directing you to your GP to get medical certificates/letter/notes to exempt you from wearing a face covering on the aircraft.

YOUR GP/NURSE WILL NOT BE PROVIDING THIS.

Please respect that we are extremely busy with an already overbearing workload and your GP’s and healthcare professionals are NOT in a position to facilitate these requests.

The British Medical Society are currently speaking with government to stop the airlines from sending out these communications to the public.

Source pulse magazine: ‘The BMA has said the Government should remind travel companies that people do not require proof from a doctor, ‘especially amid the huge workload pressures facing practices, and as overseas travel increases over the summer’.

Continually working hard to maintain and improve our high standards of patient care

IMPORTANT MESSAGE REGARDING DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEWS FOR CHILDREN BORN JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER 2021, AND FEBRUARY, MARCH 2020

Devon County Council have published the following information regarding delays and temporary changes to the routine developmental reviews offered to children around their first birthday. The changes will affect the reviews of children born in the above months. Please read the following extract:

“As you are aware, we usually offer all children a developmental review just before their 1st birthday and also between 2 years 3 months and 2 years 6 months.

Unfortunately the impact of Covid 19 Pandemic on our service means we have currently not been able to achieve this and therefore children are experiencing a significant delay in seeing us for these reviews.

To resolve this delay as soon as possible, we are having to introduce some temporary changes to service delivery for children born in July, August and September 2021 and
February and March 2020.
• All children classified as vulnerable will receive a face to face developmental review appointment.
• All other parents/carers of children in the above cohorts will be sent a letter which will include links to information about developmental milestones and an online questionnaire for them to complete. Families who raise concerns about their child’s health and/or development will be offered a shorter telephone appointment. Depending on the complexity of the concerns, a face to face follow up appointment may be offered.

Parents and carers can continue to access advice from us regarding their child on the above number (0333 234 1901), email (southernphnhub@devon.gov.uk) or via the Chathealth texting service and there is also useful information about the health of young children on our website: https://healthforunder5s.co.uk/devon”

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM TORBAY RADIOLOGY

Torbay Radiology kindly request that, due to the shortness of staff and high demand in referrals being received by the service, patients leave A MINIMUM OF 48 WORKING HOURS to call and book X-rays and ultrasound scans once they have spoken to their GP.

Radiology are receiving a large number of patients calling straight after speaking to the GP who referred them; unfortunately they do not have the staff to process the referrals faster than the given 48 working hours.

Albany Surgery is situated in a purpose-built premises in Scott Close, the surgery has been providing medical services to the community of Newton Abbot and nearby villages for many years.

We are part of NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, their website can be found here.

Our healthcare team includes doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants, phlebotomist, pharmacist, paramedic, social prescribers, administration staff, midwives and health visitors. This website contains information about the surgery which will help you to make the most of the services that we offer.

FACE COVERINGS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING

Although the government has lifted the restriction of wearing masks as of 24th February 2022, the NHS are asking when visiting GP surgeries to please wear a face covering. This is for the safety of patients who can be unwell, medical staff and yourselves due to the environment we work in.

Many people may feel uncomfortable at the thought of wearing a face mask but there are good reasons for doing so and people are urged to remember that this will help us to defeat the virus. Face coverings are required not to protect the wearer, but for those they come into close contact with, as many people can be Coronavirus positive but have no symptoms. You could feel fine but pass the virus to someone who may suffer severe health consequences or even die. There are a few exemptions, but you should not ask your GP for proof you are exempt. This is not a good use of a doctor’s time or NHS resources in the current circumstances. It is up to individuals to demonstrate they have a valid exemption.

What is Healthy Start? 

With Healthy Start, you get free vouchers every week to spend on milk, plain fresh and frozen fruit & vegetables, and infant formula milk. You can also get free vitamins. If you have children under 4 or are pregnant, and your family receive qualifying benefits you may be eligible – you can quickly find out here.

https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthy-start-vouchers/

Applying is easy, you can print of an application form from the Healthy Start website and post to the Healthy Start office.

Click here to visit their website for further information. 

Latest News

Posted on June 29th, 2022

Due to rising COVID cases in the local area amongst our staff and in the local community please wear a […]

Posted on April 13th, 2022

On the 6th April the government introduced a new fit note template that no longer requires a signature from the […]

Posted on February 22nd, 2022

Please be aware we do not yet know whether the rules for the NHS will change in the near future. […]

Posted on January 17th, 2022

Please order your prescriptions on-line (link) or via the systmone app. (link) We can no longer take prescription requests over the phone unless you […]