GP surgery’s begin to halt face-to-face appointments due to coronavirus
There are reports that some GP practices are halting face to face appointments and will instead adopt a telephone triage service to protect against the corona virus.
Ferryview surgery in Woolwich is one such example which is undergoing a deep clean from tomorrow for a number of days. This does NOT mean there are any cases of corona virus reported on site.
Another surgery with patients who have contacted me is All Saint’s in Plumstead.
With cases of corona rising this is likely to become more common in coming days and weeks which will place additional strain on A&E. The near future will be extremely testing for the NHS if the experience of other nations is any guide.
You can ring 111 for help and advice not just on corona but also seeking appointments. The Government have announced the hiring of more staff to handle increased call volumes.
The two surgeries at Eltham Palace Hospital have now introduced this with barriers up in reception.
I guess every precaution has to be taken to try and contain the corona virus and stop the virus spreading to quicky if a patient at the surgery did unfortunately develop the corona virus symptons. Just as you would with some other illnesses like MRSA, Norovirus, E.coli and C.Diff
for example.
The Ferry View Health Centre in Woolwich sees a lot of the Boroughs homeless people so I guess some kind of service will continue to be provided for them.