What you can expect from Coquet Medical Group
For patients of Coquet Medical Group we are fully aware that the last 6 months have been very difficult.
The pandemic of Covid19 has had a huge impact on people’s lives and this will continue to unfold over the coming months.
Delays in routine care, illness and fear from Covid and changes in day to day life, combined with financial uncertainty for many has taken a significant toll.
Amble Health Centre
Moving into Autumn/Winter many of you will be wondering what services you can expect from Coquet Medical Group.
• The Practice is open as it has been throughout, but the doors will remain closed for the safety of both you (our patients) and our staff.
• All appointments will be triaged by phone. Please always ring before you attend.
• All patients must wear a mask or face covering that covers both your nose & mouth.
• A one-way system is in operation at the surgery sites.
• Your doctor or nurse will be wearing a mask.
• For safety we will aim for you to be inside the practice building for the minimum amount of time. Your doctor or nurse may even meet you in the car park.
• As we move into Autumn/Winter certain patients with possible Covid will be assessed in the car park assessment areas and some will be seen in a dedicated portakabin.
• It is important that if you have a cough of any kind please use the 111 on line symptom checker here before you try to speak to a nurse or doctor.
• We have started to reintroduce more of the standard clinical services that Coquet Medical Group offer, such as minor surgical procedures. However, these services will be suspended if Covid pressures become extreme.
• Home visits will only be performed when people are either palliative or too unwell to attend surgery. In all other circumstances patients will be expected to attend the surgery if needed.
• We are keen to hear from any patients with new serious symptoms such as weight loss, lumps or masses in your neck, breasts, testicles or abdomen, problems swallowing, night sweats or a change in bowel habit. These may be an indication or cancer.
• We will, of course, always be there to help parents who have a child who seems unwell.
• Many patients have experienced deteriorating mental health over the last 6 months and we would encourage you to discuss this with a doctor (GP) or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) if it is affecting your daily life.
• Please do keep in mind that if you feel you may need counselling you can access this yourself, directly through Northumberland’s NHS Talking Matters service on Tel: 0300 303 0700.
• Please also remember that if you or a family member is experiencing a mental health emergency, the Crisis Team can be contacted directly on Tel: 0303 123 1146.
• Many older patients have benefited significantly from focused social input and occupational health involvement.
This can help with the ability of frail patients to cope with matters such as washing/ mobility / cooking / shopping.
This can be accessed without involving your doctor by simply calling the Northumberland One Call service on 01670 536400 and requesting a needs assessment.
• For those with musculoskeletal problems such as back pain, knee pain or shoulder pain can access the JMAPS advanced physiotherapy service directly by calling Tel: 03301 244 652
• Finally, please remember that if you have a cough please use the 111 symptom review site here https://111.nhs.uk/covid-19/ before you contact the surgery.
If you need to arrange a Covid test for you or your family then dial 119 or use https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/get-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/
Future services
We greatly appreciate your understanding. There is no doubt that Autumn/Winter will be a very busy period for our doctors and nurses and your patience will be greatly appreciated.
We are hopeful that by early 2021 our understanding of how we move forward and the services we can provide safely will have developed significantly.
The most important message is that if you or a family member of yours is genuinely unwell then we will always be there for you and we have a Duty GP on-call every morning and afternoon.
New staff member
Dr Julia Lamberth has joined our team as a Salaried GP who will be working 3 days a week mainly based at Amble Health Centre. Dr Lamberth previously worked at our practice a few years ago as a GP Registrar (Dr Julia Barnes previously) and will be a great addition to our Practice Team.
Coquet Medical Group
Well done the Ambler for publishing this information from Coquet Medical Services. My concern is to know what measures Coquet are taking to direct these matters to the percentage of their patients who have no access in any way to internet services. Are these people, often the most vulnerable & in need in society being forgotten/overlooked in the fast increasing reliance of the medical profession on the media.
Thank you for your comments.
By encouraging those patients that have access to the internet services to use them in the first instance, we are trying to improve access to our services for those that do not. We are still here to be contacted by telephone initially.
We are aware that our telephone lines are very busy and we understand the frustration this may cause patients who are trying to contact the Practice, so if we can reduce the number of calls by promoting internet services, this should then make it easier.
We welcome your feedback.
There is no point in ringing the Amble surgery to speak to a doctor,unless the receptionist deems it to be an ’emergency’.Even if they say its an emergency,you are told to phone an ambulance,andput even more pressure on them as well as the hospital staff.If a doctor or nurse at a hospital has to see a patient in a room or in A&E,why can’t a doctor in the surgery see a patient in his room ?