COVID-19
Please find information about changes to our practice procedures to ensure the safety of patients & staff
Due to the risk of COVID19 community transmission, we have made a number of changes to how the practice will run for the foreseeable future. We need your support and adherence to these changes if we are to remain open during the pandemic. The practice doors are remaining locked and are only accessible by ringing the doorbell.
PLEASE DO NOT ENTER THE SURGERY IF:
You have ANY respiratory symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, runny nose, sore throat, loss of taste or smell
OR
You have been in contact with a case of COVID-19
If you cannot get through to the surgery and it is an emergency please call 999 or 112 for an urgent ambulance.
If you suspect you may have developed symptoms of Coronavirus (respiratory symptoms similar to flu, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, headaches, fatigue), please self-isolate immediately and contact us as soon as possible on 0579351225 and we will arrange for a GP phone consulation to discuss your issues.
General Information - Covid-19
The Tullamore Medical Centre remains open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
We have put protocols in place to ensure the safety of patients and staff in line with Public Health guidelines.
We have changed the way we manage GP consultations. Initially, you will have a telephone consultation and then the doctor will arrange an examination at the surgery, if medically necessary.
To comply with Public Health guidelines your visit to the surgery will be less than 15 minutes as your medical history will have been taken at the telephone consultation.
We will continue to deal with everyday medical issues that occur during this period including routine pregnancy care, childhood vaccinations, and urgent blood tests/investigations.
We understand that this is a very challenging time. Your patience is appreciated while we adjust to this new working environment.
If you cannot get through to the surgery and it is an emergency please call 999 or 112 for an urgent ambulance.
Please note when booking an appointment, please consider whether you actually need to attend the practice - many illness are mild self-limiting viruses that do not require treatment.
We are trying to reduce the risk of spreading any illnesses around by asking patients only to book appointments if necessary. Our reception staff will ask about this when you call. Appointments are generally not needed for repeat prescriptions.
Appointments
We are offering phone or video consultations as well as face to face consultations -please consider if your query could be dealt with by phone/video when booking
Our consultation slots will be a maximum of 15 minutes. Where before we had some leeway for these to run longer, we need to stick to this to manage the number of patients in our waiting room
Our staff have been instructed to ask about the nature of your patient queries - this helps us to triage your query to deal with it in the most appropriate way
Prescriptions
Prescriptions can now be sent by email to your local pharmacy
Please give 72 hours notice when ordering prescriptions
Private prescriptiosn must be paid for in advance before they are sent to the pharmacy
For further information on requesting a repeat prescription, click here
Attending the practice
It is compulsary that you wear a face mask - we can provide one for you if needed
Face-visors are not acceptable - you must wear a mask
Please wash your hands using alcohol gel provided at the entrance
We can fit a maximum of 3 people in our waiting room at one time
If the waiting room is full, we may ask you to wait outside/in your car.
We can fit a maximum of 2 people in the consultation room at once, please do not bring small children with you if possible
There are a number of simple steps that can be taken to help protect yourself and others from Coronavirus:
Regular hand-washing using warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. If not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing by coughing into your elbow/sleeve and or using a tissue
Dispose of used tissues in bins/wash your hands
Clean and disinfect touched objects and surfaces – standard household surface cleaners and disinfectants are sufficient
Avoid close contact with people with any respiratory symptoms
Follow local public health guidance and travel advisory information
Wearing a mask to protect yourself is not necessary unless you are personally at high risk of contracting the disease due to being in a high-risk area and having underlying medical conditions
As this situation is rapidly evolving, public health guidelines will change and be updated frequently. It is important to familiarise yourself with these guidelines as they develop