LATEST NEWS
Our Mission Statement
To deliver high quality health care to our community with purpose and kindness, ensuring easy access to excellent patient services. Providing an open and supportive environment for patients and staff, promoting a culture of fairness and equality to all.
We are always happy to welcome new patients from people residing within the practice boundary. See our Registration page.
George Cross Medal awarded to Garstang Medical Practice
We are very excited to be able to announce that, following nomination by one of our lovely patients, Angela Mather, we have received the George Cross Medal from the Queen!! 🎉🥳🍾
This honour was given to the NHS as a whole last year, but only those who are specifically nominated receive their own George Cross Medal.
Angela Mather applied for our medal in appreciation of the great work we do. She especially recognised our contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination programme.
Thank you Angela! We are overwhelmed by your support and this great honour. 💙
Patient Feedback
We are very pleased to have received excellent feedback in the August Friends and Family test. The themes are summarised in the tag cloud above, 93% of patients were either 'extremely likely' or 'likely' to recommend our services. To read more please visit our Patient Feedback page.
Important Patient Updates
Autumn Vaccination Clinics - Flu & Covid
This year we will be co-administering the Covid booster at the same time as the annual Flu vaccine for those who are eligible to receive them.
Appointments will be available, here at the surgery, on the following dates:
Saturday 1st, Saturday 15th and Saturday 29th October
Appointments are available to book via:
- Patient access app
- MyGP app (from September)
- Vaccination booking line - 01995 607370
When booking online please ensure you book the correct appointment depending on your age/eligibility group ie, Aged 65 years and over OR Aged under 65 years in an AT RISK GROUP.
This year the vaccines will also be available to those aged 50 – 64 years who are not in an at risk group. Appointments for this group of patients will only be available from 29th October.
Please do not book an earlier appointment if you are aged 50-64 years and NOT in an at risk group.
To check if you are in one of the at risk groups please visit:
Flu vaccine - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Whilst we would encourage all those who are eligible to receive the Covid booster to take up the offer, we understand there may be a minority of patients who prefer not to have the Covid booster but do want to have the annual Flu vaccine. We will therefore be offering some appointments for Flu vaccination only.
It is very important that you book the correct type of appointment so please do read the appointment description carefully when booking online.
Right Person, Right Care
Did you know general practice has a range of healthcare professionals who can help with health issues? Practices across Lancashire and South Cumbria are supporting the #RightPersonRightCare campaign.
General practice now offers much more than just being able to see your GP. From advanced nurse practitioners to pharmacists and physiotherapists to social prescribers, these specialists can give comprehensive advice on specific health issues.
Our trained receptionists may offer you an appointment with a healthcare professional other than your GP. This could mean you get the right, specialist care for your condition, save you time waiting for an appointment with a GP and help your local NHS manage the current extraordinary demand.
If you think another healthcare professional can help, please mention this to our reception team when getting in touch.
Find out more by visiting https://healthierlsc.co.uk/primarycare .
Appointment Cancellation Line
We are still seeing a high volume of missed appointments, with 167 appointments not attended in the past month. We have, therefore, been looking at ways to make it easier for patients to cancel unwanted appointments. Along with the methods detailed below, we have now introduced an Appointment Cancellation Line. This can be accessed via our main phone line by pressing option 1 for the Surgery, followed by option 4 for the Cancellation voicemail. Please leave your name, date of birth and details of the appointment you wish to cancel. Please note, this is a cancellation line only. If you wish to rearrange your appointment, please call the surgery and speak to a receptionist to make a new appointment.
You can also cancel your appointment:
- via Patient Access or the myGP app.
You can cancel appointments here even if they were not booked via online services
- by responding 'CANCEL' to your text message reminder
Please ensure we have your current mobile phone number so that text message reminders of your appointments can be sent. For any patient aged 0-15 years, please provide a mobile number for a parent/guardian.
- or by calling reception on 01995 607399.
To cancel an Evening & Weekend appointment, arranged with the Extended Access Service, please contact 01253 952950.
Home Visit Requests
Please note that you do have the option to press 2 to request a home visit. This is to assist our more vulnerable patients. Please do not use this option for anything other than to request a home visit for a housebound patient.
Macmillan Cancer Support Clinics
Macmillan aim to help everyone with Cancer to live life as fully as they can. They offer a range of support for patients, families and carers and can provide information and support services; emotional and practical support; financial support and benefit advice.
Macmillan Information and Advice Service are looking to bring their service into the community and will commence monthly clinics at Garstang Medical Practice on the second Monday of each month starting 11th July 2022. If you are not able to come into surgery, telephone appointments are also available.
If you would like to book an appointment to see or speak to one of the Macmillan Advisors, please contact the surgery on 01995 607399. Alternatively, Macmillan have a phone line which anyone affected by cancer can call where cancer experts can answer people’s questions and worries, or just listen if they need to chat.
Local: Macmillan Cancer Information Centre – tel: 01772 523709
National phone line: 0808 808 00 00
Evidence of vaccination (Digital NHS COVID Pass)
People in England who have satisfied vaccine requirements against COVID-19 can use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate their COVID-19 status.
If you’re aged 18 or over, you can get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic use where certain venues and events in England choose to use COVID-19 certification.
If you’re aged 12 or over you can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel abroad but you should follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. See the GOV.UK website for more information about the NHS COVID Pass for children.
A full course is currently two doses of the Moderna, AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, or one dose of the Janssen single-dose vaccine. Vaccine status will be available through the NHS COVID Pass service from:
- the NHS App which you can download from app stores
- the NHS website
- 119 - by requesting a paper letter
You will need to register to use the online services, if you have not already. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified.
If you cannot access the online services, and you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel outside the UK in the near future and have had your second dose (or one dose of the Janssen single-dose vaccine) more than 5 working days ago. It may take up to 7 working days for the letter to arrive.
This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service.
When you're planning your travel, you should check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is enough time to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel.
Veterans Priority NHS Treatment
All patients who have served in the armed forces are entitled to priority access to NHS care (including hospital, primary or community care) for conditions associated with their time within the armed forces (service-related). This includes veteran-specific services like prosthetics and mental health. Please let the surgery know if you are a veteran so that this can be recorded in your medical record. For further information, see NHS page - priority NHS treatment for veterans.
Garstang Medical Practice is an Armed Forces Veteran Friendly Accredited GP Practice.
Wyre and Fylde Rural Extended Network (WREN)
On 1st July 2019 Garstang Medical Practice officially became part of the Wyre & Fylde Rural Extended Network (WREN). This is a new collaboration between the five practices in Kirkham, Great Eccleston, Preesall and Garstang. The network is part of the new NHS Long Term Plan and aims to develop over the next few years.
The initial stages will focus on building strong working relationships with the other practices to collaborate on improving services and access.
As the network matures we have been asked to develop a better understanding of our shared population. This will allow us to work with our local community health services to improve quality of care to our patients. This will continue to support and extend the WREN Integrated Care Team that is led by our lead nurse Helen Kerrigan-Hawkes.
Within this we have also been asked to work closely with the local authorities and voluntary agencies to improve the health and care of the whole population. Through the ICT we already have good relationships with the agencies and will look to build and strengthen these.
Dr John Miles has been chosen as the Clinical Director for the network and as such has responsibility to work for all of the practices towards these aims and objectives. We will also be sharing learning with the other local networks across the Fylde Coast and working with the wider health economy to ensure that we meet these aims and objectives.
Clinical Practice Research Datalink
This practice contributes to the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD). Information in patient records is important for medical research to develop new treatments and test the safety of medicinces. This practice supports medical research by sending some of the information from patient records to the CPRD.
CPRD is a Government organisation that provides anonymised patient data for research to improve patient and public health. You cannot be identified from the information sent to CPRD.
If you do not want anonymised information from your patient record to be used in research you can opt out by speaking to your doctor. For more information about how your data is used visit the CPRD Website or view our Privacy Notice.
Audiology Screening Service
We are now able to offer a free to access screening service for patients who are suffering from hearing related difficulties. This service is provided by Scrivens Audiology at Garstang Medical Practice. A limited number of appointments are available each week for patients aged 55 years+. If the screening identifies a hearing loss, patients will be referred to the appropriate Audiology or ENT service. If you believe that you are suffering from hearing related difficulties, please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment. For further information, please contact the surgery on 01995 607399 or Scrivens Patient Services on 0800 027 4487.
Medical Records update
Lancashire and South Cumbria has been chosen by NHS England to be a national pilot for the digitisation of Medical Records. Scanning these paper based records and making them digital will enable better utilisation of space, creating more clinical space, staff areas, multi team space and video hubs, removing the need for some practices to build extensions. In addition it will also make your record more easily and speedily accessible to clinical staff within your practice.
Your complete GP medical record will be digital and stored in a secure cloud based clinical system (only accessible by your GP practice) with the paper based records being securely destroyed following BS EN 15713:2009 Secure destruction of confidential material. Your GP will still be able to access your records easily within this system. The scanning and destruction of the paper records will follow strict data protection guidelines adhered to by the NHS. As with paper based records, digital records are stored for the durations specified in the Records Management Codes of Practice for Health and Social Care. For GP patient records, this states that they may be destroyed 10 years after the patient’s death if they are no longer needed.
For more information, please see FAQS. If you wish to discuss the scheme, please inform the Practice direct either by letter or via e-mail.
Hospital Blood Requests
Due to the pandemic, we are currently unable to book appointments for patients who need bloods requested by the hospital. We are not responsible for doing bloods requested by the hospital and need to reserve our appointments for blood tests requested by our clinicians at the surgery.
Hospital blood request appointments should be arranged directly with the relevant hospital blood clinic. Details as follows:
Royal Preston Hospital
Blood clinics are currently running by appointment only. Open 8:30am – 4:45pm Monday to Friday. Tel: 01772 524143. Please take the blood form from your consultant with you. If you do not have a blood form please give the name of your consultant when booking.
Lancaster Royal Infirmary
Please attend RLI Blood Clinic. No appointment needed. Please take the blood form from your consultant with you. If you do not have a blood form please give the name of your consultant when booking in. Please avoid attending in mornings as this is their busiest time.
Bookable appointments are available at Dalton Square surgery on Fridays. Please ring 01539 715700 to arrange your appointment (lines open Monday to Friday 10am – 2pm).
Digital Diabetes Education Resource Now Available
Your Diabetes Your Way is an easy to use interactive website available to help support people living with diabetes. You'll find leaflets, videos, educational tools and games containing information about diabetes.
Register now at: Your Diabetes Your Way or ask your local healthcare team to help you sign up!
NHS Diabetes Helpline
NHS England and NHS Improvement have launched a new helpline in response to disruption to normal diabetes services due to the COVID-19 pandemic and response.
The service is for adults living with diabetes who use insulin to manage their condition and require immediate clinical advice. Whether you or a member of your household have caught the virus, or routine care has been disrupted, the helpline is available for immediate clinical advice to help you un...derstand how to effectively manage their diabetes.
You can access NHS Diabetes Advice via Diabetes UK's support line on 0345 123 2399 Monday-Friday from 9am-6pm.
BBC Children in Need 2020
On Friday 13th November 2020 staff members joined in the rest of the country by wearing our PJ's to work to help raise money for #Childreninneed2020. A total of £56.88 was raised!
Organ Donation
Did you know? The law around organ donation has changed. Find out what this means for you at: Organ donation website
#organdonation
International Nurses Day - 'Shine a light'
On 12th May 2020 we marked International Nurses Day, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and “shined a light” on our fantastic nursing team here at Garstang Medical Practice. Here are just some of our wonderful nursing team but we want to recognise and thank the whole team for their hard work and support, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Children in Need 2019
Surgery staff dressed in PJs/Onesies on Friday 15th November 2019 to raise money for the Children in Need campaign.
Winmarleigh School Visit November 2019
We were happy to welcome the children from Winmarleigh School who visited both Garstang Medical Practice and Kepple Lane Pharmacy in November.
Breast Cancer Awareness Month & 'Wear It Pink' Day - 18th October 2019
Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a worldwide annual campaign taking place in October, involving thousands of organisations, to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research.
During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Now aimed to get as many people as possible involved in raising awareness and funds to help support life-saving research and life-changing support.
As the UK's largest breast cancer research charity, along with their supporters, they aim to do this through campaigning, raising money and an array of events across the UK including 'Wear It Pink' on Breast Cancer Awareness Day - 18th October 2019.
On Breast Cancer Awareness Day the surgery staff wore pink to raise money and awareness and to support the 'Wear It Pink' campaign.
Jeans for Genes - 16th to 20th September 2019
Jeans for Genes is the annual fundraising campaign for Genetic Disorders UK, the national charity that supports individuals and families affected by a genetic disorder.
Monies raised through Jeans for Genes fund the work of the charity and provide grants to organisations for projects that aim to transform the lives of children with genetic disorders.
During the week our surgery staff dressed in jeans (or something denim) to support this campaign and raised money towards the work of Genetic Disorders UK.
Dementia Action Week 2019
In order to raise awareness and show our support for those with Dementia, the surgery team had a 'Wear something purple for Dementia' day on Wednesday 22nd May 2019 in exchange for a donation to the Garstang Memory Café.
During the week members of our PPG (Patient Participation Group) had a 'Listening stand' in the main foyer with the aim of raising awareness and providing information and support for those with Dementia and their carers.
The donations raised by our staff were presented to Sandra Perkins, a member of our PPG and co-ordinator of the Garstang Memory Cafe. Sandra was absolutely thrilled by the gesture.
For more information, support and advice please visit the Alzheimers or Dementia UK websites.
Garstang Town Council Good Citizen of the Year Award
Congratulations to our Lead Nurse Helen Kerrigan-Hawkes who was given this truly deserved accolade at the Town Council Awards on 25th April 2019. As Chair of our WREN Integrated Care Community she has worked tirelessly for our patients and for all patients across our WREN network and her dedication and enthusiasm has been both infectious and admirable. Huge congratulations Helen from all of us; we are very proud of you and all you have achieved.
Countryfile Ramble for Children in Need
As part of the Countryfile Ramble for Children in Need, staff, friends and dogs of the Garstang Medical Centre enjoyed a Ramble on the 7th October 2018 covering 12km. We are very pleased to have raised £680. A massive thank you to everyone who donated.
