GP practices in Kent and Medway have been asked to prioritise services which support the response to the coronavirus pandemic and Covid-19 vaccination programme.
These include:
- giving vaccinations
- support for patients with Covid-19
- care home support
- serious acute illness and deterioration in long term conditions
- support for people with mental health needs, learning disabilities and autism
- support for digitally excluded/extremely clinically vulnerable patients with appointments
- essential drug monitoring
- palliative and end-of-life care
- high risk or poorly controlled long term condition care
- postnatal care
- blood tests for medicine monitoring to support high-risk long-term conditions.
Immunisations, vaccinations and cervical screening (smear tests) will also continue.
To give clinical teams the time and space to provide the support needed, GPs have been asked to suspend temporarily some non-essential services.
NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group’s Clinical Chair Dr Navin Kumta said:
“General Practice has an essential role to play in supporting the pandemic response; both with the vaccine and in caring for people with Covid-19.
“This is a practical step at an extremely busy time for the whole NHS. It will maximise how GP teams can focus on responding to the pandemic.
“People will still be able to contact their GP practices, but the following services are being suspended temporarily:
- IUCD checks and change
- pessary change
- new patient checks
- medication reviews in stable patients
- frailty and over 75 routine annual review
- minor surgery
- non-urgent investigations
- vitamin B12 injections unless clinically indicated
- non-core and locally commissioned services, unless clinically deemed essential.
“The suspension is planned until the end of March 2021 but will be kept under review.”
Please note that GP phone lines are very busy at the moment, but if you have specific queries about how these changes may affect care you are receiving, please contact your surgery.
For more information about local services click here.