Bishopgate Medical Centre
Reception Hours are 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday
No telephone access from 1pm -2pm
NEW PHONE SYSTEM INSTALLED SUCCESSFULLY on 22nd April - in just over 1 week we have answered 6501 incoming phone calls.
The prescription line is now back to 9am-12pm monday to friday or you can drop your slip in the post box or even better register for online ordering and you can then order 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
The message will also change once all appointments are filled for the day enabling only patients with urgent same day need to remain on the line to speak to a receptionist.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SURGERY IF YOUR HOSPITAL APPOINTMENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED BY THE HOSPITAL AS WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO CHANGE THIS. SIMILARLY GIVEN THE CURRENT GLOBAL PANDEMIC WE CANNOT BRING HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS FORWARD
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE INFORMATION - UPDATED FRIDAY 30TH APRIL 2021
If you are under 30 and entitled to a jab please ring 119 to see if there is a mass vac site that has any stocks of Moderna or pfizer as we only have the Oxford jab at present which is now not advised in the under 30s. We will hopefully receive some more Pfizer for 1st doses at some point in May but this is not confirmed yet.
Over 40 YEAR OLDS WILL HAVE RECEIVED LETTERS OR TEXTS TO BOOK ONLINE OR VIA 119 TO ATTEND A MASS VACCINATION CENTRE - IF LONG WAITS OR TOO FAR TO TRAVEL PLEASE GIVE US A CALL
IF YOU ARE AGED OVER 42 AND NOT YET BOOKED OR RECEIVED YOUR JAB OR TELEPHONED BY US THEN PLEASE CALL US TO GET BOOKED IN
FORTHCOMING CLINICS
Sat 24th April at Bishopgate 2nd dose AZ appointments for those that received that jab 6th February at Bishopgate
Sat 1st May at Bishopgate 2nd dose AZ appointments for those that received that jab 13th February at Bishopgate
Sat 8th May at Auckland Medical Group 2nd dose Pfizer for those that received that jab on 17th February at Auckland
Sat 15th May at Auckland Medical Group 2nd dose Pfizer for those that received that jab on 25th February at Auckland
NO WALK INS ALL BY APPOINTMENT ONLY - Give us a ring if you need to book into any of the above clinics.
BISHOPGATE VACCINE TAKE UP RATES AS AT 22.4.2021 - THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS HAD THE VACCINE SO FAR
CARE HOME RESIDENTS 98 PATIENTS 96.1% TAKE UP
AGED OVER 80 IS 523 PATIENTS 97.2% TAKE UP
AGED 75-79 IS 427 PATIENTS 97.5% TAKE UP
AGED 70-74 IS 697 PATIENTS 97.3% TAKE UP
COVID HIGH RISK IS 540 PATIENTS 93.4% TAKE UP
AGED 65-69 IS 601 PATIENTS 96.3% TAKE UP
AGED 16-64 WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS IS 1312 PATIENTS 88.4% TAKE UP
AGED 60-64 IS 486 PATIENTS 91.9% TAKE UP
AGED 55-59 IS 643 PATIENTS 92.3% TAKE UP
AGED 50-54 IS 600 PATIENTS 87.8% TAKE UP
AGED 40-49 IS 437 PATIENTS 36.1% TAKE UP ( JUST STARTED THIS AGE GROUP)
IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALL PATIENTS ONLY ATTEND AT EXACTLY THEIR APPOINTMENT TIME AND WAIT OUTSIDE UNTIL INVITED IN BY A MARSHALL.
EVERYBODY MUST WEAR A FACEMASK EVEN THOSE WITH EXEMPTIONS - WE CANNOT RISK THE SPREAD OF COVID WHEN LOTS OF ELDERLY OR CLINICALLY VULNERABLE PATIENTS ARE PRESENT. IF YOU CANNOT WEAR ONE FOR THE 5 MINUTES YOU WILL BE IN THE PRACTICE THEN YOU MUST MAKE US AWARE OF THIS WHEN SPEAKING TO THE RECEPTIONIST WHEN MAKING THE APPOINTMENT SO ALTERNATIVE ARRANGMENTS CAN BE PUT IN PLACE.
Please do not attend the surgery if you are awaiting results of a Covid Swab - we have seen an increase in patients coming down and trying to enter the premises when they should be isolating.
The Health Visitor team now have a virtual baby clinic see further information on the services tab
IN LINE WITH CURRENT NHS GUIDANCE FROM MONDAY 15TH JUNE ANY PATIENT ENTERING THE SURGERY WILL NEED TO WEAR A MASK = NO MASK NO ENTRY
As we are someway from returning to the "new normal" please do not attend the surgery unless you have been instructed to by one of the clinicians - all appointments with the GPs and Advanced Nurse Practitioners are still by telephone at the present time. On some occasions the GP or Nurse Practitioner may decide that they need to see you Face to Face or to have a blood test and they will explain to you how to go about this.
The Practice Nurses and Health Care Assistants are now working normally for vaccinations, smears, blood tests. The only services not yet operating are Ear Syringing & Cryotherapy.
Although the prescription line option is only available from 9 -12 we will accept prescription requests on an afternoon - just press the make appointment option on the phone.
Please do not attend the surgery unless we have requested you to do this. You cannot pick up prescriptions or sicknotes you must nominate a chemist for medications to be sent electronically.
To reduce your chances of catching COVID-19 and reduce pressure on Bishopgate Medical Centre during this busy time, appointments will be carried out over the phone, via video consultations or by e-consultations unless there is a clinical need for you to come into the practice. This will help minimise risk while continuing to ensure people get the care and advice they need.
DUE TO THE DEMAND ON PHONE LINES YOU MAY RECEIVED CALLS FROM US FROM WITHHELD NUMBERS IF YOU HAVE CALLED US AND BEEN INFORMED YOU WILL BE CALLED BACK DURING THE DAY THEN PLEASE ANSWER IF IT SHOWS WITHHELD.
TO HELP US HELP ALL OUR PATIENTS PARTICULARLY THE OLDER GENERATION AND THOSE WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS TRY AND USE ONLINE SERVICES WHERE POSSIBLE
ORDER YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS ON LINE - THIS WILL HELP KEEP THE PHONE LINES FREE FOR THE GPS TO CALL PATIENTS
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A NOMINATED PHARMACY SO YOU DO NOT NEED TO COME TO THE SURGERY TO COLLECT YOUR PRESCRIPTION.
PLEASE TRY TO NOT TELEPHONE THE SURGERY ON A MORNING WHEN THE LINES ARE REALLY BUSY.
111 Coronavirus information https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19
Econsult
NHSBT are asking 18-65 males who've had COVID to donate plasma for new treatment research that could save lives. Find out how https://rb.gy/vptins .
Bishopgate Medical Centre is one of the largest practices in County Durham.
We currently have in excess of 13,280 patients registered with 5 Partners in the practice. We also have 3 salaried GPs - Dr James Carlton, Dr Jenny O'Brien and Dr Emma Donohue. We have 5 part time practice nurses and 3 part time nursing assistants. We also employ 4 nurse practitioners who work alongside the doctors - Charlotte Porteous, Sonia Fendell, Karen Marshall & Rachel Girard. This is an enthusiastic and highly motivated General Practice always seeking ways to improve services for patients within the very limited resources of the NHS.
Within the practice you will be able to access GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Chronic Disease Nurses, Practice Nurses, Health Care Assistants, Midwife Clinic, Heart Disease Clinic, Smoking Cessation, Asthma Clinic, Hypertension Clinic, Diabetic Clinic, Parent Support Group, Childhood Immunisation Clinic, Pain Management Clinic. Unfortunately from November 2019 we are unable to provide a travel service except for those vaccines that are available on the NHS. We are no longer a Yellow Fever Centre.
Parking is free at Morrisons, you no longer need a parking permit but parking is limited to a maximum stay of 3 hours.
(Site updated 30/04/2021)