A campaign is under way for use within general practice to help to support patients to understand how best to access GP service.
1. The NHS is open and has been offering a range of appointments throughout the pandemic
2. Primary care, along with mass vaccination sites and pharmacy sites, have been delivering the Covid vaccinations to many patients
3. Practice staff continue to work extremely hard. Please treat your local GP practice staff with kindness and respect.
4. Primary care is busy and will ensure that patients are able to speak to the most appropriate person based on clinical need
5. Contact may be by telephone, video consultation or through face to face contact
6. The COVID-19 virus is still in circulation and the safety of staff and patients is our priority
7. Your community pharmacy can help with a number of minor ailments. Your GP will soon be able to make an electronic referral to your pharmacist for minor ailments. This communications plan will be updated when NHS national guidance on GP services is issued
8. Reassure the public that general practices will continue to offer a range of appointments as it has done throughout the pandemic
9. Manage patient expectations and demand for face-to-face appointments.
10. Improve patients’ understanding of what they will and will not experience when accessing primary care
11. Promote the work that primary care has already done throughout the pandemic including reminding patients that practice staff have been integral in the delivery of the vaccine
12. Remind patients to treat practice staff with kindness and respect