Fylde coast GP surgeries take action to protect patients and staff

Some temporary measures have been put in place by various practices, but patients should call their GP surgery with any queries or for updated information.

Lockwood GP surgery in the civic centre on Breck Road in Poulton informed patients that from Monday March 16, all GP and nurse practitioner appointments will be changed to telephone consultations.

The surgery said it will be contacting patients with arranged appointments in due course to change them, to "reduce the amount of people coming into the practice."

The Thornton Practice on Church Road, Thornton is also limiting the amount of people visiting the surgery by asking all patients to book appointments or order prescriptions by phone.

The surgery added that patients will not be invited for routine appointments, unless they are medically required and can only be done in person, and these new rules will be implemented at both its Thornton and Carleton receptions.

The Crescent surgery on Kelso Avenue in Cleveleys will not be inviting patients in for routine appointments unless medically required. Patients have been asked not to visit the surgery to book appointments, or order and collect prescriptions. These services will be provided by phone, online appointment booking is unavailable, and patients have been asked to nominate a pharmacy to ensure prescriptions do not need to be picked up from the surgery.

Broadway medical centre in Fleetwood has asked patients to only visit the practice if asked to do so by a GP or member of staff. Staff will be contacting anyone with an existing appointment to change it to a telephone appointment.

Patients with Layton medical centre have been asked not to visit the Kingscote Drive surgery unless an allocated time has been given by a member of staff.

Marton medical practice on Whitegate Drive, Blackpool said it will be changing all arranged appointments to telephone consultations, and asked patients not to come in to the surgery in the meantime.

Bloomfield medical centre on Bloomfield Road, South Shore has advised that patients will still be offered telephone appointments, but only those without a cough or a fever, or who has not been in contact with anyone who has confirmed coronavirus, will be allowed to go into the surgery for an appointment with a GP.

Waterloo medical centre on Waterloo Road, South Shore has confirmed it will be open as usual, but asked patients with a cough or a fever to self-isolate for seven days, following NHS guidelines.

Arnold medical centre, St Anne's Road, South Shore asked patients not to enter the surgery if they have shown any of the coronavirus symptoms or have recently travelled to any of the affected countries.

Stonyhill medical centre on Lytham Road, South Shore, assured patients that it will contact them if their planned appointment is subject to change.

The surgery said that as of today (March 12) routine appointments with all healthcare providers will no longer be booked, but it will continue to run an emergency on-the-day appointment system for the acutely unwell. All patients will be assessed by phone beforehand.

Ash Tree House surgery on Church Street, Kirkham asked all patients not to come into the surgery, but to call to book appointments or order prescriptions going forward.

Garstang medical practice on Kepple Lane advised that it would put a temporary stop to booking advance GP and nurse appointments, and that appointments already booked may be changed to a phone consultation instead. All patients with a respiratory illness, whether linked to Covid-19 or not, will be assessed by telephone first.

It added that all patients requiring wound care would be encouraged to self-care at home where possible. GP and nurse appointments will still be available to book on the day and up to 48 hours in advance.

Holland House surgery, which is situated in Lytham primary care centre, assured patients that it was not closed, but that it had temporarily removed pre-bookable appointments and replaced them with on-the-day phone consultations. If patients are in need of a face-to-face appointment they will still receive one following a phone consultation.

The first case of the Covid-19 coronavirus was confirmed by Public Health England yesterday. (March 12)