Letter to Patients via text message
You may have received a text message asking you to click on a link to access further information regarding the medication Pregabalin. This has only been sent to a small number of our patients who fit into a certain criteria.
The link should bring you to this page so that you can access the letter here
If you have any difficulties in opening the link please contact the surgery and we will send you a paper copy of the letter.
COVID–19
Everyone accessing or visiting healthcare facilities must continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules, despite COVID restrictions ending in many other settings in England from 19 July.
This means that staff, patients and visitors in GP practices, hospitals, dental practices, optometrists and pharmacies, are expected to continue to follow social distancing rules as well as using face coverings and other personal protection equipment to ensure patients and staff are protected.
Chief Nursing Officer for England, Ruth May said: “Face coverings and social distancing measures will remain in place across healthcare settings so that the most vulnerable people can continue to safely attend hospital, their GP surgery, pharmacy or any other healthcare settings for advice, care and treatment.
“And it is important for the public to continue to play their part when visiting NHS and care settings to help protect our staff and patients, particularly those who may be more vulnerable to infections.
“As restrictions are lifted in many places on Monday everyone has a part to play in helping to control Covid by getting vaccinated and acting responsibly.
“It is vital that in healthcare settings, we do all we can to reduce the risk of infection for those working in our services and those who need our care.”
Fiona Taylor, chief operating officer at South Sefton and Southport and Formby CCGs said: “We are still in the third wave of the pandemic and there are rising cases of the Delta variant in Sefton.
“We are urging people to keep working together to keep safe. By wearing face coverings, we can protect ourselves and those around us, as we could be carrying COVID-19 but not showing symptoms.
So, continue to wear a face covering, washing your hands and keeping your distance in GP surgeries and other healthcare settings and in busy indoor places. Continue to get tested regularly, whether you have symptoms or not and please, get vaccinated as soon as you can.”
“We’ve all worked so hard and come so far in this pandemic and we’ve got to keep working together to ensure that staff and patients are kept safe.”
Getting vaccinated is the best way of keeping you and those around you safe – for details on where you can get vaccinated click here.
Norwood Surgery, in common with all other GP surgeries in England, will be legally required to extract and upload a copy of your full (historic) GP record to NHS Digital on 1st August (originally 1st July 2021) 2022, & daily thereafter, as part of the GP Data for Planning & Research (GPDPR) scheme. NHS Digital becomes the data controller for all such uploaded information & will use the uploaded information for purposes beyond direct medical care, so-called “secondary uses”; such as commissioning, planning, population health management, & research.
Please click here to visit the GPDPR page on the NHS Digital website for more information.
Please click here to see the GP Practice Privacy Notice for GPDPR, which we will incorporate into our own Privacy Notice at its next update.
By law, we are required to inform our patients of such processing and of their right to opt-out of this extraction, should they wish to. The opt-out is the standard one used to prohibit use of your GP records for secondary purposes, the “Type 1 Opt-Out”. If you have already expressed such an opt-out (e.g. you previously opted out of the abandoned care.data scheme) then it remains in force & will prohibit this extraction.
There are 2 types of opt out:
Type 1 Opt-Out prevents information being shared outside of a GP practice for purposes other than direct care.
Type 2 Opt-Out prevents information being shared outside of NHS Digital for purposes beyond the individual’s direct care. (This is known as National Data Opt-Out)
For a visual summary of how a Type 1 Opt-Out & the National Data Opt-Out differ & work in practice, please click here.
Please note that the National Data Opt-Out (such as you can set via the NHS App) will not prohibit the extraction & the uploading of your personal information held by your GP surgery to NHS Digital for the GPDPR scheme - please click here to find out how to make that choice.
If you do not want any of your information to flow to NHS Digital as part of the GPDPR scheme, then you need to express a Type 1 Opt-Out before 31st July 2022. If you opt out after 1st August then your GP record will have been extracted, & whilst no new information about you will be uploaded, the copy of your GP record, as now held by NHS Digital, will not be automatically deleted. It remains uncertain as to whether and if so, how an individual will ever be able to get their personal information deleted.
To submit a Type 1 Opt-Out for you or one of your dependents, please complete this form and place into the white letter/prescription box at the front of our building.
Please do not telephone our reception to make this request, as we need to ensure that patients trying to contact us for medical help are not delayed.
Walking For Health
Norwood Surgery has a "Walking for Health" group. Click here for details
Get Well, Keep Well
Of course, we’re not just here for when you are unwell. Our team of healthcare professionals and back-up staff offer a number of clinics and services to promote good health and wellbeing whatever your medical condition.
Our walking group meets every Thursday at 1:30 by the café in Hesketh Park – it’s free and we would love to see you there. Find out more here Norwood Walking Group
Norwood Surgery is a certified parkrun practice. Southport parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am in Hesketh Park. Why not come down and run, walk or volunteer? It’s free. Find out more at: Southport parkrun
Many of our patients have inspirational stories of how parkrun has changed there lives…..
here’s the links: https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2018/12/10/gp-stories/ and https://blog.parkrun.com/uk/2019/12/10/where-my-heart-is/
Join In
We hope you enjoy having a look around the site and familiarising yourself with some of the online features such as ordering a repeat prescription. Whatever your thoughts, be sure to let us know via our feedback function. Comments and suggestions are always a great way of helping us continue to enhance the way we look after you.
Access
The surgery has disabled car parking space adjacent to the treatment room at the rear of the building. Wheelchair access is available to the main building via external and internal lifts. A disabled WC is also available in the nurse’s treatment room adjacent to the disabled parking space. If you need assistance please arrange with reception.
