Bishopgate Medical Centre
Reception Hours are 8.00am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday
No telephone access from 1pm -2pm -
AS COVID CLINICS ARE INCREASING THE NUMBERS OF CLINICIANS AVAILABLE FOR "NORMAL" GP WORK IS SEVERLY UNDER PRESSURE - PLEASE ONLY CALL US FOR URGENT ISSUES - PHONE LINES ARE INCREDIBLY BUSY AND RECEPTION STAFF ARE REDUCED IN NUMBER AS THEY ASSIST WITH THE COVID CLINICS. PLEASE TRY TO ORDER YOUR REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS ONLINE RATHER THAN CALLING US.
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE INFORMATION - UPDATED TUESDAY 16th February 2021
65-69 YEAR OLDS WILL HAVE RECEIVED LETTERS TO BOOK ONLINE OR VIA 119 TO ATTEND A MASS VACCINATION CENTRE
WE ARE NOW VACCINATING COHORT 6 THE 18-64 YEAR OLDS WITH UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS SUCH AS DIABETES, COPD, "SEVERE" ASTHMA, KIDNEY DISEASE, DEMENTIA, SEVERELY OVERWEIGHT, LOWERED IMMUNITY.
FORTHCOMING CLINICS
WEDNESDAY 17TH FEB PFIZER AT AUCKLAND MEDICAL GROUP 8AM- 1PM
THURSDAY 25TH FEB PFIZER AT AUCKLAND MEDICAL GROUP 1.30 - 6PM
SATURDAY 27TH FEB OXFORD/ASTRA/ZENECA AT BISHOPGATE 8AM - 12PM
PLEASE DO NOT CALL US TO BOOK IN FOR THESE CLINICS WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH YOU. NO WALK INS ALL BY APPOINTMENT ONLY
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.
Remember if you do receive one of the national letters inviting you to book a slot then Knights Pharmacy which is within the Station View practice on Escomb road in Bishop is closest and offers a range of dates and times as they have a slightly different supply to us. Please don't book appointments with them and also with us.
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
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 16/02/2021)