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Telephones Fixed - THANK YOU!

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 09:34:33 GMT

Telephones Fixed - THANK YOU!

We are very pleased to announce that our telephone lines are now fixed, and we are once again able to offer a full service. We would like to take this opportunity to say a massive THANK YOU to our wonderful patients for being so kind and understanding during this time.

Important Information Regarding Patient Correspondence

Wed, 04 Mar 2026 16:47:22 GMT

Important Information Regarding Patient Correspondence

We appreciate that many patients find it helpful to write letters or notes to their GP to explain their symptoms or concerns in detail. To ensure we provide the best possible care, please be aware of our practice policy regarding incoming correspondence:

1. Inclusion in Your Medical Record

Any letter, email, or written note addressed to a GP or the practice will be scanned and saved directly to your permanent NHS medical record. This ensures a full history of your communication is available to any clinician involved in your care.

2. Reviewing Your Correspondence

Please be aware that your GP may or may not have the opportunity to read your letter prior to your scheduled appointment.

Our clinicians handle a high volume of clinical data daily. While we strive to review all information, your letter will often be reviewed during your consultation to ensure the details are discussed with you directly.

3. Important Safety Notes

Urgent Issues: Please do not use letters to communicate urgent medical concerns. If you require immediate medical attention, contact the surgery by phone, call 111, or in an emergency, dial 999.

Length: To help your GP provide the most effective care, please try to keep written communications concise and focused on the main reason for your visit.

Third Parties: If your letter contains sensitive information about other people, please be aware that this will still become part of your legal medical record.

How to make the most of your appointment:

If you have written a letter, please mention this at the start of your consultation so the GP can locate it on your file and discuss it with you.

Telephones Offline

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 12:23:35 GMT

Telephones - Update 04/03/2026

We are still experiencing an ongoing problem with our phones lines and are currently operating on a slightly limited service. We would like to reassure patients that we are doing everything we can to rectify this. Our service provider is working around the clock to try and resolve this issue and we hope to have a fully functioning telephone system again very soon. If you need to contact us in the meantime, you can do this by phone or by completing an online consultation on the website. Alternatively, for urgent assistance please contact 111 or in an emergency, 999. We would like to take this opportunity to apologize for the inconvenience that this has caused and to thank our patients for their continued support during this time.

We’re proud to support our veteran community as a #VeteranFriendlyGP practice this Remembrance Day.

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 17:01:28 GMT

We’re proud to support our veteran community as a #VeteranFriendlyGP practice this Remembrance Day.

We’re proud to be a Veteran Friendly Accredited GP practice and to support our veteran community this Remembrance Day.

We know that this Remembrance Day is likely to be particularly challenging for the many veterans in our community and we want you to know that we are trained and committed to effectively identifying and supporting your health needs.

As a Veteran Friendly Accredited practice, our team:

recognises the importance of identifying veteran patients within our community
understands the unique health needs that veterans may have
strives to provide veterans with the very best care and support
knows about the specialist veteran healthcare services that exist
undertakes regular training and development to ensure we’re able to deliver the very best care to veterans in our community and meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant

If you’re a veteran patient, please do let us know that you have served so that we can make sure you receive the most appropriate and best care, if and when you ever need it.

You can learn more about the accreditation and how it supports veteran patients, here: rcgp.org.uk/veterans

Support and information for families waiting for autism and ADHD services in Sussex

Tue, 20 May 2025 13:53:24 GMT

Waiting for an Autism or ADHD referral?

Please click on the link to our further information page for support for patients and the families/carers of those waiting for an Autism or ADHD referral.

NEW Women's Health Hub County Oak Medical Centre

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 17:24:59 GMT

Women's Health Hub at County Oak Medical Centre

A small amount of funding has been secured to pilot a model for a Women’s Health Hub in Brighton & Hove for six months. The pilot will be starting at County Oak Medical Centre for one session per week but we may be able to expand to a second site over the next three months.

The purpose of this pilot is to provide a one-stop shop for women presenting with multiple health needs. The benefits of this approach are multiple, but the two main advantages are:

Women only have to travel to one appointment to address multiple needs

Women will only need to be examined once for multiple issues, reducing the discomfort/embarrassment of undergoing multiple intimate examinations

The core clinical services are:

menstrual problems assessment and treatment

menopause assessment and treatment

contraceptive counselling and provision of the full range of contraceptive methods including LARC

preconception care

breast pain assessment and care

pessary fitting and removal

cervical screening

screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections (STIs)

HIV screening.

This service will be staffed by GPs with extensive Women’s Health experience and DFSRH and FSRH Menopause qualifications.

All patients attending an appointment will also have a BP and BMI check.

Patients can request an appointment by completing the self-referral from on our website: Patient Services .

Patients will then be triaged and an appropriate appointment length arranged for them based on the issues they wish to discuss.

Winter viruses

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 14:02:15 GMT

Winter viruses - norovirus and flu

The NHS is also reminding everyone about norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, and flu – which is high in our communities at the moment.

Norovirus symptoms usually last between 12 and 48 hours. During this time, those affected are advised to rest, stay hydrated, and minimise contact with others while symptomatic.

Anyone experiencing norovirus should stay at home and avoid contact with others until at least 48 hours after symptoms have stopped. This includes refraining from visiting workplaces, social gatherings, and healthcare settings, unless strictly necessary.

If you have flu, or flu symptoms, please help stop the spread of the virus. Flu is very infectious and easily spread to other people. You’re more likely to give it to others in the first five days. To reduce the risk of spreading flu:

wash your hands often with warm water and soap
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze (if you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze into the bend of your elbow, not into your hand)
bin used tissues as quickly as possible

Staying at home helps prevent the spread of the virus and protects vulnerable individuals.

Help us help you make the right choice

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 13:59:01 GMT

Choosing the right healthcare provider for your needs in 2025

We would like to wish all our patients and their families a very Happy New Year.

Whilst we sincerely hope 2025 is a healthy year for us all, we would like to encourage you to ensure you are aware of the services available to you. By understanding the best options for non-life threatening conditions, people can receive faster care while helping to keep our emergency departments free for those in critical need.

New Service - Register with a GP Surgery

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 17:43:49 GMT

Register with a GP Surgery

We are using a new online service called Register with a GP Surgery that makes it easy to register with this GP surgery

Just fill in this quick online form to start the process. You do not need proof of address or immigration status, ID or an NHS number.

The service is designed and run by the NHS, so your personal information is safe. It cuts our administrative workload and makes it easier for you to register.

Paper forms are still available if you need one

Contact our reception team for more information

Service update Monday 22nd July

Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:55:05 GMT

Impact of IT Outage Monday July 22nd

We are pleased to announce that our clinical system and messaging service has been restored following the global IT outage on Friday.

The disruption has unfortunately caused a backlog of administration, such as results and correspondence that will need to be processed. In order to allow our team time to work through this, we kindly ask that you do not call us unless you have an urgent issue. If we receive any important information for you, you will be contacted.

Once again, we really appreciate you working with us to ensure the people needing our help receive it in a timely fashion, and for your consideration to our reception team whilst managing an increased workload.

Thank you

Sat, 20 Jul 2024 08:59:31 GMT

Impact of IT Outage on Friday 19th July

We would like to express our sincere thanks to our patients affected by Fridays IT outage for their patience and understanding. Our clinical system was completely out of action and we were unable to offer some services that relied on access to your medical records. Unfortunately our text messaging service was also disrupted, which is why we were unable to communicate this to you directly.

Thanks also to our fantastic team who managed to transition to a manual process almost immediately and were able to keep the telephones and surgery open to deal with as many queries as possible.

We do anticipate that there will be ongoing disruption on Monday and into the week ahead. Our clinical system provider is working continuously to restore service, and there will also be a backlog of data arriving in that we didn't receive on Friday, such as test results and hospital letters that will require processing and reviewing by the clinical team.

We therefore kindly request that you do not contact the surgery on Monday unless it is an emergency and you have an urgent need that cannot wait. If we receive any results or information that requires your attention, a member of the team will contact you. Alternatively please call NHS111. Please do not visit A&E.

with thanks

Your privacy matters

Sun, 16 Jun 2024 18:37:09 GMT

Speak to us in confidence

We recognise that some patients visiting our practice may feel uncomfortable having to verbally share the reason for their visit with the receptionist.

We have therefore decided to introduce 'privacy slips' to allow patients to write down a brief reason for their visit on a piece of paper. Once your information has been dealt with, the receptionist will either return the slip to you, or dispose of it immediately in the confidential locked waste bin for shredding.

Patients can either fill out the slip in reception or print here or from using the link in Appointment and Medical Assistance Out of Hours

Information regarding testing

Tue, 21 May 2024 09:46:59 GMT

Infected blood inquiry

Following recent media coverage about the Infected Blood Inquiry , we understand that some people may be concerned about their own health.

Please see the dedicated NHS webpage for key information about this and signposting on where to find support: https://nhs.uk/infected-blood-support

Since 1991, all blood donated in the UK is screened and distributed by NHS Blood and Transplant following rigorous safety standards and testing to protect both donors and patients.

Since testing has been introduced, the risk of getting an infection from a blood transfusion or blood products is very low.

All blood donors are screened at every donation and every donation is tested before it is sent to hospitals. Blood services and blood safety has been transformed, not only in terms of technological advances in testing but also in the way donors are recruited and checked they are safe to donate.

Given the time that has elapsed since the last use of infected blood products, most of those who were directly affected have been identified and started appropriate treatment. However, there may be a small number of patients where this is not the case, and particularly where they are living with asymptomatic hepatitis C. If you are worried about risk of hepatitis C, you can order a confidential test online through the NHS website: http://hepctest.nhs.uk .

Patients who want more details about the safety of blood from donations in England can find more information here: https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/further-information/your-safety/

See Waiting List times for hospital appointments in your NHS App

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 12:23:11 GMT

Hospital appointment estimated waiting list times

While you are waiting for your hospital appointment or treatment, you can now use the NHS App to get the information you need while you wait to be seen.

A new NHS App feature has been launched for patients to view an estimated waiting time for your hospital treatment. You will know you are on waiting list and how long you may have to wait for treatment.

NHS App users can also view your hospital referrals and appointments in one place and see a single point of contact and supporting information for your appointments.

For more information including how to download the NHS App, please visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-app

Digital Prescriptions in the NHS App

Wed, 07 Feb 2024 11:56:55 GMT

Digital Prescriptions in your NHS App

You can now see and access your prescriptions electronically in the NHS App, allowing you to:

easily see the details of medicines/ items healthcare professionals have confirmed for you
use a prescription barcode to collect your medicine if you don’t have a nominated pharmacy, without needing to collect a paper prescription

This functionality is being rolled out gradually and will be available to all patients in England in early 2024.

For help and support, visit prescriptions in the NHS App

Online Access to your Health Record

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 14:10:51 GMT

The NHS wants to give people better ways to see their personal health information online. We know that people want to be able to access their health records. It can help you see test results faster. It also lets you read and review notes from your appointments in your own time.

We’re now letting you see all the information within your health record automatically. If you are over 16 and have an online account, such as through the NHS App, NHS website, or another online primary care service, you will now be able to see all future notes and health records from your doctor (GP). Some people can already access this feature, this won’t change for you.

This means that you will be able to see notes from your appointments, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records. This only applies to records from your doctor (GP), not from hospitals or other specialists. You will only be able to see information from Wednesday November 29th. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won’t need to do anything.

Your doctor (GP) may talk to you to discuss test results before you are able to see some of your information on the app. Your doctor (GP) may also talk to you before your full records access is given to make sure that having access is of benefit to you. There might be some sensitive information on your record, so you should talk to your doctor if you have any concerns.

These changes only apply to people with online accounts. If you do not want an online account, you can still access your health records by requesting this information through reception. The changes also only apply to personal information about you. If you are a carer and would like to see information about someone you care for, speak to reception staff.

The NHS App, website and other online services are all very secure, so no one is able to access your information except you. You’ll need to make sure you protect your login details. Don’t share your password with anyone as they will then have access to your personal information.

Community NHS health checks coming to your area!

Sun, 14 May 2023 17:47:34 GMT

Community NHS health checks coming to your area!

We’re working with local community healthcare providers “Here (Care Unbound)” to bring NHS Health Checks to a local venue near you!

If you’re between the ages of 40 – 74 and haven’t had a health check in the last 5 years you may receive a text, call, or letter from our partners inviting you for this. Texts will come from GPAccess with a link to accurx.nhs.uk, this service is free.

More info on Health Checks (including full eligibility criteria) is available here:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check/

e-CONSULT - important information about contacting your doctor online

Wed, 10 May 2023 16:10:53 GMT

Requesting medical assistance online

Please click on the image above to access the e-consult service to complete a consultation request. We aim to respond within two working days. Please note, this service may be temporarily unavailable if demand exceeds our capacity to respond.

Please do not use this service to request an appointment to speak to someone. Your request will be triaged by our trained receptionists to the most appropriate service to suit your needs

Phlebotomy: Important information regarding blood test appointments

Tue, 09 May 2023 12:50:27 GMT

Changes to routine blood test appointments

Please be advised we are now holding Phlebotomy Clinics for patients requiring a blood test. These appointments will be 5 minutes only. We ask all patients to arrive promptly and be aware the nurse will not be able to accommodate requests for any other service.

Late arrivals may be asked to rebook to avoid disruption to our other patients.

Alternative phlebotomy clinics are held at:

Hove Polyclinic . This service is open Monday - Friday from 8.00am - 4.00pm for persons over 16 years of age. Booking is by appointment, by calling 01273 265580 or via email SC-TR.phlebotomybrightonhove@nhs.net. Please include your name, date of birth, and available hours to attend an appointment. We can provide you with the blood test form to take with you.
Community Diagnostic Hub, Falmer. This is by referral, which the reception team can arrange
Extended Access Service, Weekend Clinics . These clinics are held at a number of local GP practices in the city on a Saturday and Sunday. The reception team can arrange the appointment for you

Community Pharmacy Appointments Available Now

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 14:37:10 GMT

Community Pharmacist Consultation Service

The NHS Community Pharmacist Consultation Service (CPCS) was launched in October 2019 to ensure people are seen by the right healthcare professional by using the skills and medicines knowledge of our community pharmacists. CPCS helps to improve access to primary care services and provides more convenient treatment closer to patients’ homes.

Through the CPCS, patients can access a same day consultation with their community pharmacist for help with a minor illness following a referral from their general practice (or via NHS 111).

· Our practice is working closely with local pharmacists to support you with certain minor health conditions.

· It may be more appropriate to have your NHS consultation with a pharmacist instead of the GP practice.

· You can choose to have your consultation with any pharmacy convenient to you.

· The pharmacist consultation will be confidential.

· Pharmacists are highly skilled healthcare professionals who have trained in medicines and can give health advice and help you manage your condition.

· If treatment for symptoms is required, the pharmacist may suggest an over the counter medicine.

· If the pharmacist thinks you need to see another healthcare professional, they will help arrange it.

· With your consent, the pharmacist will ensure your medical record is updated with the outcome of your consultation.

· Find out more about how pharmacies can help at:

www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/pharmacies/

Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

NHS Act FAST Stroke Campaign 2023

Sun, 19 Feb 2023 19:51:54 GMT

Act F.A.S.T.

On 13 February 2023, NHS England, in association with the Stroke Association, relaunched their Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign.

Act F.A.S.T.

Call 999 if you see any single one of the signs of a stroke. The Act F.A.S.T. (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) acronym provides a way of identifying the most common signs of a stroke and shows the importance of acting quickly by calling 999.

Think and Act F.A.S.T. if you see any one of these signs of a stroke:

• Face – has the person's face fallen on one side? Can they smile?

• Arms – can the person raise both arms and keep them there?

• Speech – is the person's speech slurred?

• Time – even if you’re not sure, call 999.

When Stroke Strikes Act F.A.S.T. Call 999.

A stroke is known as a ‘brain attack’. It is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention as every minute is vital. That is why calling 999 is so crucial. Early recognition of symptoms can give stroke patients those extra precious minutes, enabling faster access to specialist treatment and increasing the chances of a recovery which could reduce the long-term effects, such as a disability.

There are around 100,000 strokes in England, Scotland and Wales every year, with around 33,000 stroke related deaths each year, as well as being a leading cause of disability. Black people are twice as likely to have a stroke than white people, on average, people of black African, black Caribbean and South Asian descent in the UK have strokes at a younger age.

Caring for carers

SCN02032 — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 12:22:17 GMT

Are you a carer? Social Prescribing support available

Are you a Carer, or help look after someone? Could our PCN Social Prescribing service help you? If you are 18+, you can access free support from one of our Social Prescribing Link Workers.

Social Prescribing is a non-medical service that aims to improve health and wellbeing by connecting people to the information, services, groups and activities which focus on the things that matter to them.

Carers can access help on assessments, benefits advice and respite support, connecting to emotional and peer support, and connecting to vital health screening opportunities and services such as NHS Health Checks, cancer screening, and flu, Covid-19 and pneumococcal vaccinations for carers and those they look after.

Find out more on our PCN website .

Wed, 21 Dec 2022 12:19:00 GMT

Important Information about your GP Surgery

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

Dear patient,

Re: Changes affecting Ship Street Surgery

I am writing to inform you about changes that affect Ship Street Surgery, Brighton.

You do not need to do anything.

Your care will not be affected and any pre-booked appointments will continue to take place.

All patients can continue to access care in the same location.

What change is taking place?

The contract to run the practice is changing.

Earlier this year Doctor Adolfo Gracia announced that he would be retiring after almost 30 years of caring for patients in Brighton.

Dr Gracia also announced that Integrated Care 24 (IC24) would be taking over the contract to ensure you can continue to receive care from the surgery.

At IC24 we are very experienced in delivering NHS services in Sussex. We currently deliver a home visiting service across Sussex, which operates out of hours. We also operate a Primary Care Hub in Hastings, which is a nurse-led service that provides ‘on the day’ appointments for patients and supports vulnerable members of the community.

IC24 is a not-for-profit social enterprise, which means any surplus or profit generated is reinvested back into delivering the service to improve patient care, rather than being distributed to shareholders. Some more information about IC24 can be found here https://www.ic24.org.uk/

What will happen during the transfer?

The team at IC24 is completely committed to ensuring a seamless transition of the service and ensuring that you can continue to access care when you need it.

Under the new contract, services at Ship Street Surgery will continue and staff will continue to provide high-quality and safe care to patients.

Dr Gracia’s retirement means that new GPs will join the team so you will continue to be able to access care from a doctor, although you may not always see the same doctor.

Further questions?

We understand that you may have questions, and we are happy to answer any queries you have. Please speak to a member of the practice team and we will ensure that any queries or questions you have are answered.

Yours faithfully,

Vickey Watts Dr David Supple

Practice Manager Director of Primary Care and Education

Ship Street Surgery Integrated Care 24

Introduction to Primary Care Networks

SCN02032 — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:32:10 GMT

An Introduction to Primary Care Networks

A new GP contract was published in early 2019 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. A key element of the new contract is the development of Primary Care Networks (PCNs) which bring GP practices together with other local services - such as community, mental health, social care and the voluntary sector - to look after local populations.

Our practice is part of Deans and Central Brighton PCN.

For more information on the PCN and its services, please visit https://deansandcentralbrightonpcn.gpweb.org.uk/

Extended Access Information

SCN02032 — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 11:04:45 GMT

Extended Access Information

Through our partnership with Brighton and Hove Federation, patients now have access to additional appointments from 18.30 to 20.00 weekdays and 09.00 to 17.00 Saturday and Sunday. These include remote and face to face GP appointments as well as appointments with a nurse, pharmacist or health care assistant. Specialist clinics are also being planned (e.g. menopause). Please refer to the Federations

Access the website https://www.brightonandhovefed.co.uk/enhanced-access for updates. Access to these clinics is by contacting the surgery in the normal way. These appointments might be held at a different location to the surgery and are subject to availability.

Retirement Notice

SCN02032 — Sun, 16 Oct 2022 15:13:12 GMT

Ship Street Surgery communications – Dr Adolfo Gracia

After almost 28 years of providing primary care to patients in Brighton, Dr Adolfo Gracia has announced his plans to retire at the end of October.

Dr Gracia has been a GP partner at Ship Street Surgery for twelve years and has been providing outstanding care to patients in Brighton since 1994.

We thank Dr Gracia for his care and commitment to patients at Ship Street and wish him all the best for the future.

Patients can be reassured that their care will not be affected. From 1 ^st November 2022, Integrated Care 24 (IC24) will be taking over to run GP services at the practice.

You do not need to do anything, all patients will remain registered at Ship Street Surgery and patients can continue to access care in the same location, during the same opening hours.

In order to ensure a smooth transition, Dr Gracia will remain working at the practice until the end of the year on a part time basis, before handing over fully.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the practice on: 01273 778622

About IC24

IC24 is very experienced in delivering NHS services and currently delivers several primary care services across the county including another GP practice in Brighton, a primary care hub in Hastings and a home visiting service in Sussex.

Some more information about IC24 can be found here https://www.ic24.org.uk/

The change in contracts is supported by the NHS. It is also supported by the NHS Sussex who commissions (pays for) primary care services in the city which includes paying for GP practices.

Surgery News November 2021

SCN02032 — Sat, 12 Jun 2021 15:10:49 GMT

Lockdown easing - what it means for the Surgery and Patients

There has been a lot in the national media recently about how GP practices are working, and we wanted to take the opportunity to share with you, what you can expect at the current time as one of our patients.

Firstly, we want to say thank you. Thank you for your support over the past year for working with us in such uncertain times. Like many, we had to change the way we work very quickly and that has only been possible because you – our patients – have adapted to these changes. We’d like to reassure you that we are open and still want and need to know if you are unwell or worried about your health.

We are providing face-to-face appointments, as well as supporting people over the phone or online. Face-to-face appointments will be offered when they are medically needed, and can be with a range of health professionals currently working within the practice depending on the support you need. Using a mix of face-to-face and phone appointments allows us to keep the number of patients and staff on site to a minimum. This ensures we can all socially distance if you do need to come into the practice.

We are asking that if you need our help and support, you still call us first if you are able. We know that some people have struggled to get through to us on the phone or had a long wait and we thank you for your patience. Talking to you helps us understand what kind of support you need and how urgent it is, and means we can work out the best way for you to receive help.

We have seen an increase in calls since the start of the year and we are working to try to meet this demand and support all of our patients. We know that some people have put off seeking medical support, including to protect the NHS, and we are committed to making sure all of our patients who need our help can receive it.

Whilst we recognise that not everyone has access to a computer, smartphone or tablet, we do want to make you aware of:

eConsult – you can use this from the front page of our practice website www.shipstreetsurgery.co.uk Requesting our help via eConsult is the same as booking an appointment at the practice. There is no need to phone the practice as well and we will deal with your request based on your medical needs within 48 hours.

The NHS app (is owned and run by the NHS, it is a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services, including ordering prescriptions, validating your vaccines.)

Online access to order your repeat medication. Form available to register via www.shipstreetsurgery.co.uk

If you do not have access to these, you can make your request for a repeat prescription in person into the box at the practice or speak to your local pharmacist, and together we will action this as soon as we are able.

If you have a question about the Covid-19 vaccine, please visit the information on our website and www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/keepsussexsafe/sussex-covid-19- vaccination-programme/

if you are able in the first instance. These websites have answers to common questions and where you can get help in relation to specific queries.

We know that we don’t always get things right the first time, but our team is working hard to be the best we can be. We welcome feedback from our patients so that we can share when things go well and learn when - and how - we can make things better. We welcome your suggestions which can be communicated via https://www.shipstreetsurgery.co.uk/contact-us

We do ask that as we are here for you, please continue to be respectful and kind to our teams both when you are speaking to them and with regards to personal comments online and on social media. We want to enable a culture of mutual respect and have a zero tolerance policy on verbal and physical abuse. No patient, carer, visitor, staff member or volunteer should ever be subjected to abusive or anti- social behaviour or language. Appropriate action will be taken if this does occur. We thank you for the respect and the care you show our team, we hope you experience the same in return.

Thank you for your support.

Over 75s Vaccination

SCN02032 — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 16:20:45 GMT

75 and over - booking your Covid vaccination

Get the latest information booking a vaccination for those 75 years or older HERE

Fraud Alert for COVID Vaccinations

SCN02032 — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 16:16:28 GMT

Fraud Alert for COVID Vaccinations

Fake Scam NHS Text Message

Reports have been received of fraudulent text messages being sent to the public informing them that the COVID-19 vaccine is available to them. These falsely claim to be from the NHS.

Fake Vaccination Centre

In a second scam, a GP Practice has reported that a patient noticed that there was a sign on a building offering the COVID-19 Vaccination. The patient spoke to a man who took him inside and apparently injected a vaccine, although the patient didn’t feel any injection on his arm and there was no visible mark. The patient paid for the vaccine and then left the building without being provided with any further information. Days later the building was cleared and the vaccination sign had been removed.

PLEASE STAY AWARE - More information HERE

Elderly and vulnerable to get free/discounted travel to the vaccination sites

SCN02032 — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 17:21:58 GMT

Elderly and vulnerable - get free/discounted travel to the vaccination sites

Free and discounted transport to the Racecourse site - Here

Getting to and from the Brighton Racecourse Vaccination Site. Current Government guidelines state that you are permitted to travel to get your Covid 19 vaccination, on foot, by vehicle or public transport.

hereweare.org.uk

COVID-19 vaccination programme - Brighton Racecourse

SCN02032 — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 18:32:14 GMT

Brighton Racecourse Vaccine Centre Announced

SEE BELOW LINK FOR LATEST VACCINE NEWS

Message from Dr Tim Caroe
Chief Medical Officer for the Sussex NHS Commissioners

Across Sussex, more and more GP-led vaccination services are going live this week to add to those that have already started vaccinating patients in their areas. This is in addition to the hospital hubs that have been vaccinating and we are also stepping up vaccinations to care homes.

As a GP, I know how hard my colleagues have been working to step up the GP-led vaccination services as quickly as possible and they have made remarkable progress in the very short time we have had to mobilise this collective effort.

We recognise there has been some confusion around how GP-led vaccination services operate as it is a new way of working for practices. They involve groups of local GP practices and community teams working together to provide the vaccination to eligible patients across their local area at a location that has been carefully and specifically chosen as the most appropriate to administer the vaccination. This is a way of working that has been decided nationally and we have been working hard to step it up as quickly as possible across our local areas.

We recognise that some people who are eligible for a vaccination will have to travel further than others to a GP-led vaccination service. However, this way of delivering the vaccination is necessary at the current time due to the supply of vaccination available.

It should also be highlighted that it is vital for our population that, alongside the vaccination programme, general practice services continue to be available. There is a high volume of patients who need treatment and care across GP practices, as you would expect at this time of year. Some practices are not able to provide the vaccine and continue to provide general practices services, due to the nature of their practice. So this way of working allows some GP practices and community teams to deliver the vaccination for populations, while others can concentrate on continuing to provide other services to patients.

This way of providing the vaccination may change as different types of vaccine become available but for now the NHS is working within the national guidelines to ensure as many people as possible get the vaccine as quickly as possible.

It is fantastic to see more and more people who are currently eligible get vaccinated every day which is a real testament to the hard work and commitment of Primary Care and wider NHS staff.

Dr Tim Caroe
GP and Chief Medical Officer for the Sussex NHS Commissioners

Further information here...

COVID Vaccinations - important information

SCN02032 — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 17:44:24 GMT

Vaccinations - important information

The phased roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is continuing across Sussex.

As we roll out vaccines, we’d like to remind people of 3 things:

The NHS will contact you when it’s your turn, so please do not contact us beforehand
Please act on your invite when it comes
Remember Hands, Face, Space. It will save lives and help the NHS

In Sussex, the vaccine is currently available from three ‘hospital hub’ sites and from 15 GP-led local vaccination services, covering 56 practices,

with many more due to start offering the vaccine over the coming weeks.

External Link for Further information

COVID Vaccination Programme

SCN02032 — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 17:45:13 GMT

Vaccination Programme

The NHS has now started to deliver a vaccination programme in England so that those patients who are most vulnerable are vaccinated first.

The NHS will contact you when you are eligible to receive the vaccine and provide you with all the information as to where and when to have it. At the moment our practice is unable to provide the vaccine so you will be given an alternative location as to where to receive it.

Please do not contact the surgery in regards to receiving the vaccination as this puts significant pressure on our phone lines - we are sorry but we are unable to provide you with any more information at this time. When we are updated, we will update our website and also SMS our patients who have provided us with a mobile phone number.

Please continue to abide by all the social distancing, face covering and hand hygiene guidance, which will still save lives.

Living Well

SCN02032 — Tue, 08 Dec 2020 18:23:39 GMT

The Living Well Programme

The Living Well Programme is a free self-management course for adults living with long term health conditions – physical and/or mental – to learn the skills of self-management of a long term health condition. The courses are led by volunteer tutors, all of whom have long term conditions and therefore have lived experience of the common problems faced by participants, and how to manage them. The courses run online with around 10 participants over 6 weeks, with regular weekly sessions of 2 hours. When it is safe to resume face to face contact the courses will start in the community again.

More information about the service, and contact details for self-referral can be found here:

Living Well Programme at Sussex Community services

Vitamin D

SCN02032 — Wed, 02 Dec 2020 15:36:11 GMT

Vitamin D supplements

During the autumn and winter months everyone is advised to take a supplement of vitamin D every day to support general health and in particular for bone and muscle health. Many of us have been indoors more than usual this year and so might not have been making enough vitamin D from sunlight. You can find general advice on vitamin D here: https://www.nhs.uk/vitamin-d

This advice is particularly important for people who have been shielding this year due to COVID-19, or who are living in care homes, because they are most likely to have been indoors over the spring and summer and so may not have been able to obtain enough vitamin D from sunlight.

The Government is offering a free 4-month supply of daily supplements of vitamin D for all adults who are clinically extremely vulnerable to support general health and in particular for bone and muscle health. If you would like to opt-in to receive your free supply of vitamin D, you will need register your details between 30 November 2020 and 4 January 2021 at the following link: https://www.nhs.uk/get-vitamin-d

You do not need to opt-in to receive the vitamin D supplements if:

· You are already taking, or are prescribed, a vitamin D supplement by your GP or healthcare professional

· You are currently living in a nursing or residential care home as we will provide these direct to the home where you live.

We expect to start distributing the vitamin D supplements from January 2021. Further guidance on how to safely take vitamin D supplements will be provided during the opt in process.

News about over 50's Flu vaccinations

SCN02032 — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 17:55:17 GMT

Over 50's flu vaccinations

The government announced earlier today that people aged between 50 and 64 years old (who are not in a clinical at-risk group) will be offered a free flu vaccination in clinics operating across Sussex this December. GP practices are now working with the NHS and partners to finalise plans to deliver flu a fresh round of clinics to this cohort safely during the pandemic.

GPs have a list of everyone who is registered with them aged 50 to 64 and will invite them to a clinic directly, at from their GP or pharmacy.

People in Sussex that are aged 50 to 64 year’s old do not need to take any action and are asked wait for contact from their GP, and not call their practice about the flu vaccine at this stage, while they finalise plans for further vaccination clinics. This will help ensure GPs and their staff are free to help those in immediate need – you will be contacted directly and do not need to take any further action.

With COVID-19 circulating, GPs have been working hard to ensure everyone eligible can get their free flu vaccine, including implementing big changes this year to the way the NHS is providing the free flu jab due to the pandemic. The local NHS wants to reassure everyone that getting the flu vaccine is safe during the lockdown, and there is plenty of time for everyone eligible to book and get their flu jab. Providers of vaccination will take all necessary measures to keep you safe, including wearing protective equipment and staggering clinic appointment times.

Some people aged 50 to 64 years old are entitled to a flu jab sooner:

• If you are aged 50 to 64 and are in a clinical at risk group which is eligible for the flu vaccination, for example you have a health condition which puts you at risk

• Anyone of any age, including those between 50-64, who is a household member or a carer of a shielded patient

Thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation.

2020 Flu Vaccination

SCN02032 — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 17:40:16 GMT

Important information about flu vaccinations

Please note that, if you are aged between 50 and 64 and not in a clinical at risk group, the earliest you will be offered a flu vaccination is November, providing there is sufficient vaccine. No appointments will be offered for people in this age group until then. This is to ensure that those who are most at risk are vaccinated first. If you are aged 50 to 64 and are in a clinical ‘at risk’ group which is eligible for the flu vaccination, for example you have a health condition which puts you at risk from the flu, you will be invited earlier.

Face mask exemption

Sun, 19 Jul 2020 12:15:51 GMT

Rules on face mask exemption

Please note that we are unable to provide a GP certificate for patients requesting an exemption to wearing a face mask - please follow the guidelines in the link below:

Face Mask Exemption

Covid-19 and Brighton & Hove City Council Community Hub

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:43:31 GMT

COVID-19 and the Brighton & Hove City Council Community Hub

Brighton & Hove City Council COVID-19 Community Advice and Support Hub

Vulnerable people who do not have any friends, family or a support worker to help you can get additional COVID-19 related support from the community advice and support hub.

Types of help available include:

Finding help with shopping, collecting prescriptions and other support - because you or someone in your household has symptoms or are considered especially vulnerable at this time and you do not have anyone who can help you.
Emergency food bank referrals – basic packages of (usually) non-perishable goods are available from food banks for those in most critical need.
Support to keep active and well and to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness – we can put you in touch with organisations who can provide advice and support with keeping active, and keeping in touch with others

If you, or someone you know needs support, go to: new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/coronavirus-help

If you have no way of getting online and no one to help you, call 01273 293117, and press option 2 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm)

If you need information about changes to existing council services because of the COVID-19 situation visit: www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/coronavirus

More information HERE

Coronavirus latest - 17th March - Please click here to read the latest advice on the Coronavirus..

Tue, 17 Mar 2020 15:01:45 GMT

News about Surgery appointments

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 14:29:15 GMT

News about Surgery appointments

Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, and to safeguard our staff and patients, we are changing our appointment system to limit as much person to person contact as possible. Therefore, with immediate effect (Monday 16th March) all appointments with our Clinical staff will be changed to an initial telephone consultation. We will then triage to decide whether you need to be seen face to face in the Surgery, in which case you will be given an appointment to come in and be seen.

Contacting the 111 Online Service for latest Coronavirus advice

Sun, 08 Mar 2020 18:57:44 GMT

Contacting 111 Online Service

All patients should be aware that that due to the NHS "111" Service being extremely busy due to the Coronavirus, it is best to contact the Service Online via the links below:

Coronavirus further info

111 NHS

Surgery Fax Machine

SCN02032 — Sun, 08 Mar 2020 18:27:49 GMT

1st April 2020

Please be aware that from the 1st April 2020 we will be retiring our trusty old fax machine and line - guess it just couldn't compete in the digital age! Farewell Fax - we are hoping to donate our machine to the Science Museum!

Coronavirus: latest information and advice

Mon, 10 Feb 2020 15:15:20 GMT

Coronavirus Important Information

Following advice from NHS England, if you develop symptoms within 14 days of travel from China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan or Thailand please stay indoors and avoid contact with others were possible. You should ring 111 or call your GP (DO NOT VISIT THE SURGERY). For more information, please click HERE.

Shingles Vaccinations

Sun, 01 Sep 2019 12:56:00 GMT

Important Shingles information

Please see the latest information from NHS Choices below. You can book your vaccination by calling the Surgery.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/who-can-have-the-shingles-vaccine/

What is Shingles?

Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox – the varicella zoster virus. When you recover from chickenpox most of the virus is destroyed but some survives and lies inactive in the nervous system. This can then reactivate later in life when your immune system is weakened by increasing age, stress or conditions/treatments that reduce your immunity.

Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin that it serves, resulting in clusters of painful, itchy, fluid-filled blisters. These blisters can burst and turn into sores that eventually crust over and heal.

These blisters usually affect an area on one side of the body, most commonly the chest but sometimes also the head, face and eye.

Shingles can be very painful and tends to affect people more commonly as they get older. The older you are, the worse it can be.

Extended Hours

Sat, 31 Aug 2019 12:08:46 GMT

Information regarding new extend hours service..

"Extended Hours Appointments" is a pre-bookable NHS service where you will be offered an appointment at an alternative Medical Practice site to see a GP or other healthcare professional during the evenings or weekends.

Evening and weekend appointments are now available to book via our main reception number 01273 778622 (during our normal opening times).

In order to utilise one of these appointments, you will be required to give consent for a health care professional to access your medical notes.

The clinician will be able to view your health history and will be able to add to your notes so that your usual GP will have a record of this consultation. They will be able to prescribe medication if deemed appropriate.

Appointment times will be between 18:30 - 20:30 Monday to Friday, Saturday 08:00 - 14:00 and 9:00 -13:00 Sunday’s.

Same day appointment will be available on weekends only. Please call NHS 111 who may offer you an appointment at one of the Extended Hours hubs.

The Hub we are working with is based at The Broadway Surgery Wellsbourne Health Centre, 179 Whitehawk Road, Brighton BN2 5FL.

The site has free onsite parking. Also accessible by buses, nearest stop is on Whitehawk way in Whitehawk (site is a few minutes walk).

Cancellation or amendments to extended hours appointments must be made via the Cancellation line: 07540 745 730 or website: http://www.extendedhoursservice.co.uk/