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Welcome to Faversham Medical Practice

Our mission statement:

"At Faversham Medical Practice we aim to provide health care in a professional and compassionate manner and we are committed to delivering a high quality service to our patients."

Do I have Cancer?

If you are concerned that you may have symptoms that could point to cancer please visit the following website. If you have a risk of a particular type of cancer that is greater than 3% it does not mean that you have cancer, or even that you need further tests, but you may do, and so you should arrange an appointment with your GP to discuss it further.

World Cancer Day- 4th February 2021. See this link for more info

COVID Vaccination Update

We are pleased to announce that between the two Faversham GP Practices (FMP & NP) we have now completed the first vaccination for over 5,000 of our Faversham residents. We have either vaccinated or invited in for vaccination all patients in Groups 1-4 (see below).

1.    residents in a care home for older adults and their carers
2.    all those 80 years of age and over and frontline health and social care workers
3.    all those 75 years of age and over
4.    all those 70 years of age and over and clinically extremely vulnerable individual
5.    all those 65 years of age and over
6.    all individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality
7.    all those 60 years of age and over
8.    all those 55 years of age and over
9.    all those 50 years of age and over

Who we are doing next

We are now calling all patients in Group 5 & 6 for vaccination. Please note that we are trialling an online booking service-we may contact you by text message on your mobile phone to arrange the appointments.

Patients in Group 5 (65-69 years old)

Patients in Group 5 can either wait for us to contact them to book in, or they can book in to one of the local mass Vaccination Centres directly.

Please do not ring the practice to enquire about your vaccination as we will contact you directly.

You can also book your vaccination here (at one of the mass Vaccination Centres) if you are 65 years or older, or if you have had a previous Shielding (clinically extremely vulnerable) letter or are an eligible frontline health or social care worker.

Please note that you are likley to get your vaccination done quicker at the Vaccination Centre as they have larger quantities of vaccine supplies.

There is no need to inform us of your vaccination as we will be informed directly by the Vaccination Centre. However, if you have been given an appointment with us and you then decide to get the vaccination done at the mass Vaccination Centre, then please cancel your appointment with us, so we can offer your appointment to someone else. We do not want to waste any vaccines.

If you need to contact us to cancel your appointment or you wish to alert us of any change to your telephone number or address, please email us on kmccg.fmp@nhs.net

Patients in Group 6 (16-64 years old with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality )

These are adults aged 16 to 64 years in an at-risk group as below.

We have run automatic searches for these patients based on their computer medical records and so we have already identified eligible patients and will be contacting them directly over the next few weeks.

Please do not ring the practice to enquire about your vaccination as we will contact you directly.

If you need to contact us to alert us of any change to your telephone number or address, please email us on kmccg.fmp@nhs.net

• Chronic respiratory disease
  • Severe lung conditions, COPD, Bronchiectasis, Cystic Fibrosis, Interstitial lung fibrosis, pneumoconiosis and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
  • For Asthmatic patients, you must have had x3 prescriptions for oral steroid over a 3 month period (each prescription must fall within separate individual month windows) or have been admitted to hospital with a serious asthma attack
• Chronic heart disease and vascular disease
  • Congenital heart disease, chronic heart failure, ischaemic heart disease, atrial fibrillation, PVD and venous thromboembolism
• Chronic kidney disease
  • CKD 3-5, nephrotic syndrome and kidney transplantation
• Chronic liver disease
  • Cirrhosis, biliary atresia and chronic hepatitis
• Chronic neurological disease
  • Stroke, TIA, neurological conditions causing compromised respiratory function, including cerebral palsy, severe or profound learning disability, Down’s Syndrome, motor neurone disease, hereditary and degenerative disease of nervous system or muscles, severe neurological disability.
• Diabetes mellitus
  • Type 1 and Type 2 (on medications or on diet only)
• Immunosuppression
  • Patients undergoing chemotherapy, radical radiotherapy, organ/bone marrow/stem cell transplant recipients, HIV infection, myeloma or genetic disorders affecting the immune system
  • Patients receiving immunosuppressive or immuno-modulating biological therapy such as anti-TNF, alemtuzumab, ofatumumab, rituximab, protein kinase inhibitors, PARP inhibitors, cyclophosphamide and mycophenolate mofetil.
  • Patients on oral steroids for more than a month at a dose equivalent to prednisolone 20mg/day for adults.
  • Patients with a history of haematological malignancy (leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma), or with rheumatoid arthritis/SLE/Psoriasis on immunosuppressive medication.
• Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
  • Splenectomy
  • Homozygous sickle cell disease, thalassemia major and coeliac syndrome
• Morbid obesity
  • BMI > or = 40kg/m2
• Severe mental illness
  • Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or mental illness causing severe functional impairment
• Younger adults in long-stay in-patient, nursing and residential care settings
• Adult carers
  • Those who are eligible for a carer’s allowance, or those who are the sole or primary carer of an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of COVID-19 mortality and therefore clinically vulnerable.

Second Vaccination Doses

As per Government and Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advice, second doses will be administered 11-12 weeks after the first dose. You would already have been given a provisional second vaccination date at your first vaccination appointment.

Please get your second dose done at the same site as your first dose. Different vaccinations sites may be offering vaccines from different manufacturers and you should get the vaccine from the same manufacturer for both vaccine doses.

Coronavirus Vaccination Scams

We are aware of some scams involving COVID vaccinations. COVID vaccinations are FREE of charge on the NHS and cannot be obtained by any private means in the UK.

The NHS:

• does not ask for your bank details or card details
• does not ask for your pin or banking password
• does not ask for copies of personal documents to prove your identify such as your passport, driving licence, bills or pay slips.

Pregnant or Breastfeeding women

The coronavirus vaccines have not yet been tested in pregnancy, so until more information is available, those are pregnant should not routinely have this vaccine. Non-clinical studies of both the Pfizer's and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines have raised no concerns.

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recognised that the potential benefits of vaccination are particularly important for some pregnant women. This includes those who are at very high risk of catching the infection or those with clinical conditions that put them at high risk of suffering serious complications from COVID-19.

In these circumstances, you should discuss vaccination with your doctor or nurse, and you may feel that it is better to go ahead and receive the protection from the vaccine.

There are no data on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in breastfeeding or on the breastfed infant. Despite this, COVID-19 vaccines are not thought to be a risk to the breastfeeding infant, and the benefits of breast-feeding are well known. Because of this, the JCVI has recommended that the vaccine can be received whilst breastfeeding. This is in line with recommendations in the USA and from the World Health Organisation.

Further advice about the vaccination can be found here.

Adult Flu clinics

We are very pleased to be offering free flu vaccinations to our eligible patients. In an effort to reduce the pressure on the NHS this winter we would encourage patients to use the services we have put in place to achieve maximum coverage. The government has also widened the pool of people eligible for the free injections and we are preparing to administer a significant number of extra flu injections due to the age of eligibility being lowered to 50 years old, but further guidance on this age group is still awaited.

It is vital that patients take up the opportunity to have their flu vaccinations to ensure they and their loved ones are protected during these challenging times. The government changes to age eligibility coupled with the requirement to maintain strict standards of infection prevention, control and social distancing has resulted in some logistical challenges we are working hard to make sure patients and staff are safe during the flu vaccinations campaign.

We have had to rethink how we deliver the flu vaccination programme this year. We have set aside dedicated appointment times during the week, including evenings, and weekends where patients will have timed appointments for their flu vaccinations.

• We plan to vaccinate our over-65 years old patients, those under-65 years old who have an underlying health condition, pregnant women and health and social care staff first.

• If you are aged between 50 and 64 years old you can now book for a flu vaccination from the 19th December as part of this year’s expanded flu vaccination programme.

• We will be arranging appointments to coincide with delivery of new vaccine stock. Please be patient as we make plans for this and wait to be contacted. Please remember that vaccinations will continue throughout the winter season.

• If you are in an at-risk group, you remain a priority for vaccination and should contact us as soon as possible for your free flu vaccine.

• We have a range of measures in place to keep you safe from Covid-19.

• We are also offering the Child Flu vaccinations to all children aged two and three years old whose birthday falls between 1^st September 2016 to 31^st August 2018 and children up to age 18 years old who have an underlying health condition.

Patients can check their eligibility to receive the flu vaccination, as well as more information on flu and the vaccine can be found here.

Patients who are eligible for the flu vaccination are asked to contact reception by phone (01795 562011), and not attend in person, to book an appointment. We are also required by NHS England to ask your Ethnicity when booking the flu jab to help the NHS identify patients who are at higher risk of COVID-19 (BAME patients).

Please contact reception to book in for a flu vaccination.

Please remember that there are different flu vaccinations for patients under 65 years and for patients over 65 years. This is calculated on the date that the vaccination is actually given. If you are not in the correct vaccination group on the day of the vaccination, you will be asked to rebook to the correct vaccination group date. The practice will not be reimbursed by NHS England for the vaccination if it is given for the wrong age group.

We appreciate patients booking to get their flu vaccinations done at the practice (rather than elsewhere) as this helps support us to offer other services to patients.

Children's Flu Clinic

At what age should children have the nasal spray flu vaccine?

In the autumn/winter of 2020 to 2021, the vaccine will be available free on the NHS for eligible children, including:

• children aged 2 or 3 on 31 August 2020 – that is, children born between 1 September 2016 and 31 August 2018
• all primary school children
• all year 7 children (secondary school)
• children aged 2 to 17 with long-term health conditions

Who will give the children's flu vaccination?

Given at GP surgery

• Children aged 2 and 3 will be given the vaccination at their GP surgery, usually by the practice nurse.
• Children who are 4 years old are also eligible for flu vaccination provided they were 3 on 31 August 2020.
• Children aged 10 to 17 years old with long-term health conditions

Given by local NHS England Public Health Commisioning team-usually at school or at special community clinics

• Schoolchildren will be offered their vaccination in school.
• Children who are home educated will also be offered the vaccine, provided they're in an eligible age group.
• Children aged 4 years old whose entry to primary school has been deferred will also be offered the vaccine.
• Parents can get information about how to arrange this from their local NHS England Public Health Commissioning team.

Children at higher risk from flu

• Children with long-term health conditions, such as diabetes, serious heart conditions, underlying neurological problems and kidney or liver disease, are at higher risk from flu.
• They're more likely to get severely ill if they catch flu and it could make their existing condition worse. This means it's especially important that they're vaccinated.
• If your child is aged between 6 months and 2 years old and is in a high-risk group for flu, they'll be offered an injected flu vaccine.
• This is because the nasal spray is not licensed for children under the age of 2.
• Some children over the age of 2 who are in a high-risk group will also need to have an injected vaccine if the nasal spray vaccine is not suitable for them.

How is the nasal spray flu vaccine given?

• The vaccine is given as a single spray squirted up each nostril.
• It is needle-free, which is a big advantage for children, plus the nasal spray is quick, painless and works even better than the injected flu vaccine.
• The vaccine is absorbed very quickly. It'll still work even if, after the vaccination, your child develops a runny nose, sneezes or blows their nose.
• Read the patient information leaflet for the nasal spray flu vaccine (PDF, 238kb)

Further information about children's flu vaccinations can be found here.

Please note that for social distancing reasons in the waiting areas; please can only one parent attend with their child and please do not arrive more than 5 minutes early. Please leave a contact number for the day when booking the appointment.

Please contact reception by phone (01795 562011), and not attend in person, to book an appointment.

Certificate of Recognition

Great to get a certificate of recogniton from the Mayor, on behalf of the Town, for all the hard work our team have done during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Faversham Urgent Treatment Centre appointment are now bookable through NHS 111

To ensure that we are able to maintain social distancing and protect patients and staff we have decided to make some changes to the Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) at Faversham Health Centre. The UTC is based within the previous Minor Injury Unit (MIU), and now includes minor illness.

If you feel that your condition or injury does not need immediate attention please call NHS 111 first, so that we can book you an appointment at the UTC.

If you can’t call NHS 111 you may come to the UTC, where you will be assessed. If you need urgent assistance you will be able to enter the UTC to wait and be seen. However if your condition is not urgent, you may be asked to call NHS 111 to book an appointment or you may be asked to come back at a booked appointment time by the UTC staff. This is to help us to maintain a safe waiting area for patients and staff.

The UTC at Faversham Health Centre continues to be open from 8am to 8pm and can treat a wide range of conditions, from to minor injuries and minor illnesses.

Thank you for your support as we work to ensure that local services are operating safely for everyone.

Coronavirus

Please note that due to the Coronavirus situation, we are following national guidance and will be either telephone or online triaging all consultations.

This is being done to keep patients, clinicians and are staff as safe as possible.

Please do not just turn up at the surgery expecting to be seen if you have not first had a telephone or online triage consultation.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during these difficult times.

Please see link for further details about some changes in the way GP surgeries are run which are being rolled out across Kent and Medway to ensure the safety of staff and patients during the Covid-19 outbreak.

We have also included a COVID-19 Privacy notice which describes how we may use your information to protect you and others during the COVID-19 outbeak.

Xray-please note that Xray facilities at Faversham Health Centre have been closed and xray staff have been redeployed to the main hospital sites.

Latest guidance from GOV.UK about the coronavirus.

Black Lives Matter

Faversham Medical Practice stands in unity with the Black Lives Matter movement. We are deeply disturbed by the ongoing discrimination faced by our Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) colleagues and communities.

We are an inclusive and diverse team. There is no place for racism in our NHS or wider society. We will not tolerate racism or discrimination of any kind against our patients or colleagues. We are committed to ensuring that everyone is treated with dignity and respect. 

#BlackLivesMatter #SayNoToRacism

Mental Health Support during the COVID-19 pandemic in East Kent

There are numerous resources available for patients to access during the pandemic. All services are free and you can self refer. Please see link or attached PDF for details.

MH Support

Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of your family during coronavirus

There is also help from the Kent County Council website for young people with mental health issues or anxiety. You can also call 0300 1234496

Electronic Prescription Service

The practice now uses the Electronic Prescription Service (EPS). This will allow us to issue your prescription electronically to a pharmacy of your choice. We may already have a pharmacy recorded for you, but you will need to let us know if you wish to continue to use that pharmacy for this service.

Please see this leaflet for further information EPS Leaflet

Click this link for further information.

Immunisations

Please note that we still doing routine immunisations. It is important that adults, babies and children still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community.

Please speak to reception to book in.

HPV vaccine

The HPV (Human Papillomavirus) vaccine has been offered to all girls in school year 8 for over ten years. From September 2019 the vaccine will also be offered to year 8 boys.

This is because the evidence is clear that the HPV vaccine helps protect both boys and girls from HPV-related cancers (such as cervical cancer, some mouth and throat cancers, and some cancers of the anus and genital areas).

School Immunisation Services will be offering the HPV universal programme in all schools for September 2019. The first dose will be given in Year 8 and the second dose will be given in Year 9.

There is no catch-up programme for boys in the older year groups hence only boys in Year 8 from September 2019 will be eligible for the HPV vaccination.

More details about the HPV vaccination here.

Cervical Smears

We are still doing cervical smears for patients who are due a smear. Please book at reception.

We have been informed from Public Health England that due to a national shortage of screeners, the turn-around time for cervical samples to be processed by the local laboratory is slower.

The laboratory will send you the results of the cervical smear directly and will let you know if any further action is needed.

Your GP practice will not receive the results any quicker than you, and they are unable to get your results processed any faster-please be patient.

Breast Screening

During the initial coronavirus outbreak, there was a pause in NHS breast screening services for women as part of the National Breast Screening Programme (women 50-71 years old) and also self-referral patients for women over 71 years and over. These services have now been resumed. If you are due a mammogram, you will be invited as per the programme.

Shingles Vaccinations

Currently in Kent and Medway, less than half of our eligible population have attended for their shingles vaccine. Vaccination can help patients avoid the pain and complications caused by shingles.

Eligible patients aged 70-76 and 78-79 can have the vaccine (there is a rolling programme to cover all ages from 70-79 years old). A shingles calculator (you will need to open the file in Adobe Acrobat in order to use the fill in date form) is available to help you determine if you are eligible to have the vaccination.

CQC

We are pleased to announce our overall CQC rating as "Good" with several areas as "Outstanding".