Coronavirus (Covid-19) Notification

PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY IF YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS.

Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, ALL of our initial GP consultations are by telephone, if the GP needs to see you face to face they will inform you during the initial telephone call.

In an emergency dial 999

St. Luke's Dispensary Notification

Due to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic we are currently accepting telephone requests for repeat medications, this is to reduce the number of patients walking in to the surgery, please note that the Dispensary will ONLY take telephone calls between 12:00 and 15:00 (please do not call the Dispensary at any other time).

The Beckington Family Practice is a medical practice covering an area of about 100 square miles, including the rural area north of Frome and the town itself and extends over the borders into BANES and Wiltshire. We have two surgeries, St. Luke's Surgery, Beckington and Fromefield Surgery, Frome. There is a car park adjacent to the buildings with marked disabled parking bays, and there are no steps into the buildings or to the consulting rooms.

We are a dispensing practice. Those patients who live more than one mile from a pharmacy and who have registered as dispensing patients may have their prescriptions made up immediately after seeing the doctor at Beckington surgery and obtain their repeat medication there.

NHS COVID-19 VACCINATION AND BOOSTER PROGRAMME UPDATE

Across Somerset the NHS and its partners are working extremely hard to roll out the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme to our communities.

All adults are eligible from Monday 13 December, and you will be able to book via the National Booking System from Wednesday 15 December.

You can book your booster for 3 months from the date of second vaccine, and you can access the National Booking System to book the appointment from 2 months.

Appointments will be added to the National Booking System and so we encourage everyone who is aged 18 and over, is yet to have their booster and who is approaching 3 months from your second vaccine to use the National Booking System to arrange your appointment when you are able to do so.

Shape Mendip Vaccination site is managing the COVID-19 booster vaccine programme for our patients.

Shape Mendip will be inviting Patients by Text message, or by telephone or letter for those without a mobile number on their record.

Please do not contact the practice, if you have any queries relating to the booster vaccine please contact Shape via email at the following email address - Shape.Mendip@nhs.net.

These will be appointment only at the start for this phase and any walk-in availability will be advertised on the Shepton Hub FB page, the National Grab-a jab- or NHS walk in Service Information pages.

For more information on the NHS Vaccination programme please visit: https://www.somersetccg.nhs.uk/health/local-services/health-services-during-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccinations-in-somerset/

Thank you for your patience.

For general advice and guidance on Coronavirus (COVID-19) please visit the NHS website:  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

COVID Vaccine Status Certificates

We are unable to issue COVID Vaccine Status certificates here at the practice.

Please see the information regarding the vaccine status certificates on the GOV.UK website here.

Proof of your vaccination status will be available on the NHS app, The NHS app can be downloaded from here for iPhone or here for android.

Alternatively you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine, the letter may to take up to 5 days to reach you.

At Beckington Family Practice we offer additional appointments outside of our normal working week including some Saturday mornings; this is on a rotational basis between St Luke's and Fromefield.

Please contact reception for dates and times of available appointments.

Our practice now offers a range of online services through Patient Access, a few of the services we offer are, ordering prescriptions online, requesting non-urgent medical advice and viewing your medical record.

If you do not have online access but wish to register then, please read the GP Online Services Information Leaflet, then download and print the application form.

Bring the application form along with the 2 forms of ID (1 photo ID and proof of address i.e. recent utility bill) to reception for verification.

The Admin Team will then process your application and will contact you with the details to complete the Online Registration process.

Please be aware that this initial process may take up to 2 weeks.

Planning ahead for a time when you may become less well and writing an Advance Care Plan may be something you have considered but are unsure how this can be done?

The Mendip Symphony of GP practice's across the Mendip area and the Health Connections Team can support you and talk about your wishes and preferences for the future.

We all deserve the opportunity to consider what might be important to us towards the end of life, click Planning for the future for more information.