News

3rd Sep

RSV Vaccination for older adults

RSV Vaccine for older adults Posted on:

New Vaccine – Your guide to the RSV vaccine for older adults

From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

  • cough
  • sore throat
  • sneezing
  • a runny or blocked nose

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

RSV infection is common in young children but is most serious for small babies and for older people. 

There is no need to contact the practice to book. WE will contact YOU when the vaccine is available and when we have clinics on to deliver this.

How RSV is spread

RSV infections can occur all year round but cases peak every winter.

RSV can spread through coughs and sneezes. You can help to prevent the spread of the virus by covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze (ideally with a tissue, or else into the bend of your elbow), and you can wash your hands frequently to reduce the risk of picking up the virus. Even with these measures it can be difficult to avoid RSV infection.

The best way to protect yourself is to have the vaccine.

How the RSV vaccine works

Almost all older adults will have had several RSV infections during their life. A single dose of vaccine will help to boost protection as you reach an age group at highest risk of serious RSV infection. Unlike the flu vaccine you do not need to have the RSV vaccine every year.

Eligibility for the RSV vaccination

Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine. This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV. You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80.

For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme.

If you are not yet 75 the NHS will invite you for vaccination once you turn 75.

Having the RSV vaccine at the same time as other vaccines

Shingles and pneumococcal vaccines

You may be offered your shingles or pneumococcal vaccine at the same time as the RSV vaccine, it is safe to do so and reduces the number of appointments you will need to get protected from these diseases.

Flu and COVID-19 vaccines

RSV isn’t normally arranged to be given at the same appointment as your COVID-19 or flu vaccines.

In certain clinical circumstances, your doctor or nurse can safely offer them at the same time.

Those who should not have the RSV vaccine

Almost everybody can have the vaccine, but tell the doctor or nurse if you have ever had a serious allergy to a vaccine, or any of the ingredients.

You can read the patient information leaflet for the RSV vaccine called Abrysvo.

If you have a minor illness such as a cold you can receive the vaccine, but if you are very unwell or have a fever, the doctor or nurse may advise you to wait until you are better.

The protection offered by the RSV vaccine

The vaccine has been shown to reduce the chance of you suffering from RSV disease. As with all medicines, no vaccine is completely effective and some people may still get RSV despite having a vaccination. If you do get RSV, it should be less severe.

How long the RSV vaccine will protect you for

In the clinical studies, RSV vaccine provided good protection for at least 2 years and is expected to last longer.

Side effects from the RSV vaccine

You may get some soreness, redness or swelling at the site of the injection for a day or two after the vaccination.

In the first season of use in the US over 3 million doses were given. A nervous system condition that leads to weakness was reported, around 5 cases for every million doses given. The same condition also occurs after a number of common infections and some vaccines but overall it is safer for you to have the vaccine than to risk having a potentially serious RSV infection.

Further information

If you have further questions, speak to your practice nurse.

Read the patient information leaflet for the RSV vaccine Abrysvo.

17th Nov 2023

We are a training practice

St Giles Surgery (Dr Pandey) is a training practice. 

At times the clinical team will have trainee doctors and nurses observing clinical practice to aid learning.  All trainees are covered by the surgeries strict confidentiality policy at the same level as our permanent clinicians

St Giles Surgery is proud to be an approved training practice. Dr Pandey has a keen interest in training and education. We believe passionately in improving primary care in the UK through education. The practice also has Student Nurses on placement who you may as they shadow our clinician’s consultations.  Why?  We need to future proof the NHS workforce and encourage students to take the path of General Practice.

If you do not wish for the trainee to be present during the consultation please let us know

Zero tolerance
26th Oct 2023

Unacceptable behaviour

We are pleased that incidents of unacceptable behaviour in the surgery are rare.   We treat our patients with courtesy and respect and ask the same in return. We ask that you treat your GP and all other Practice Staff courteously.  It is important that our Surgery is always a safe place to work and visit. Any behaviour verbal or physical which causes staff to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or threatened, is totally unacceptable.

As an employer, the practice has a duty of care for the health, safety and wellbeing of its staff. The practice also has a legal responsibility to provide a safe and secure working environment for staff. Staff mental health is as important as their physical health.

Practice staff will always work with patients to resolve difficulties when they arise. This process is helped by a positive and calm manner from both the patient and staff member. If the patient displays hostile behaviour or an angry attitude this can make staff and other patients feel threatened.  This can be either face to face, during a telephone conversation, via email or written communication on posted on social media platforms.  

The practice follows the NHS guidance concerning Zero Tolerance.

Any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted in circumstances relating to their work is unacceptable and not tolerated.

This includes the serious or persistent use of verbal abuse, aggressive tone and/or language and swearing/foul language.

Staff should not be left upset and distressed following an interaction with a patient.

All instances of actual physical abuse or threatening behaviour on any doctor or member of staff, by a patient or their relatives will be reported to the police as an assault.

We expect all patients to be responsible and avoid attending the surgery under the influence of alcohol or illegal drugs. Any alteration of prescriptions is illegal and will not be tolerated.

The General Medical Council states In Good Medical Practice that: “In rare circumstances, the trust between you (the Practice) and a patient may break down, and you may find it necessary to end the professional relationship. For example, this may occur if a patient has been violent to you or a colleague, has stolen from the premises, or has persistently acted inconsiderately or unreasonably.”

This includes unnecessarily persistent or unrealistic service demands that cause disruption.

 Examples of this include, but are not limited to:

  • Demanding to only speak to a specific team member
  • Refusing appointments with an appropriate clinician for the presenting care need i.e. insisting on a GP appointment when seeing a pharmacist or nurse prescriber is most appropriate or refusing to see an available GP for your presenting care need when your preferred GP is unavailable
  • Refusing to access the service in the appropriate manner i.e. sending emails/texts instead of using the NHS Digital approved digital consultation service
  • Demanding a same day appointment for a routine clinical need – this deprives access to urgent care services for those who genuinely need it
  • Contacting individuals directly via social media or personal email instead of through the practice contact channels

The practice has a finite number of available appointments and you may be directed to a clinician who is not a GP, or your preferred GP, but who is appropriately qualified to manage the presenting care need. We provide a named GP service but we cannot always accommodate requests to speak to the same GP due to high patient demand for appointments.

If you are seriously unhappy with the quality of service you have the right to register with another practice without notifying us. Similarly, on the very rare occasions when a patient breaches this policy, we have the right to remove the patient from our Practice list.

Examples of Unacceptable Standards of Behaviour

In exceptional circumstances, a breakdown may occur between a doctor and their patient. If the breakdown is of a serious nature e.g. serious physical or verbal abuse to any member of the practice team, the doctors may feel that the doctor/patient relationship has been compromised. Steps may be taken to have the patient removed immediately from the practice list. Where possible, conciliation would always be the preferred route. Reasons for removal will be given in writing.

Where we deem an incident is not serious enough to warrant immediate removal, we will issue a first and final warning.

You will be removed from our patient list immediately when we have needed police assistance or have made a report to the police.

The following are example of when you may be issued with a first and final warning or removed from our patient list dependent on the severity of the incident.

  • Violence.
  • Excessive noise e.g. recurrent loud or intrusive conversation or shouting.
  • Threatening or abusive language involving swearing or offensive remarks.
  • Racial or sexual remarks.
  • Aggressive, forceful tone and/or language that upsets staff.
  • Malicious allegations relating to members of staff, other patients or visitors.
  • Offensive gestures or behaviours.
  • Abusing alcohol or drugs on practice premises.
  • Drug dealing on practice premises.
  • Wilful damage to practice property.
  • Threats or threatening behaviour.
  • Theft.
  • Persistent and/or unrealistic demands on the service
  • Repeated derogatory comments about the practice or individuals either verbally, in writing/digitally or on social media platforms
  • Not engaging with the staff positively
  • Being pushy or trying to intimidate staff

This list is not exhaustive and there may be other occasions where we have cause to issue a warning or remove you from our patient list.  If you are unhappy with the practice we have a complaints procedure to assist you or you have the choice to register with another practice – there really is no need for unpleasant behaviour with these options available to support you.

This policy applies throughout premises, including any car park and grounds. It also applies to any employee or partner away from the practice but only in so far as it relates to the business of the practice.

The policy includes patient’s representatives displaying unacceptable behaviour and in extreme circumstances the practice will ask the patient to nominate a new representative to speak on their behalf.

Patients will be warned if their behaviour is unacceptable and asked to stop.

  • Where patients do not comply they will receive a FIRST BEHAVIOUR WARNING
  • Where patient’s behaviour is unacceptable on a subsequent occasion, they will receive a FINAL BEHAVIOUR WARNING.
  • Any further display of unacceptable behaviour will result in REMOVAL from the practice list.

We trust this policy is clear and supports a mutually respectful environment for patients and staff. 

 

 

 

7th Sep 2023

Are you trying to book a blood test?

25th May 2023

Teaching and Training

 

We are a training practice, joined by medical and nursing students along with others gaining experience or furthering their training.

Seeing patients and our team at work is important for them. However, if you prefer to see your doctor or practice nurse alone, please let us know and we will respect your wish.

 

16th Mar 2023

Online GP Registration Service

We are registering new patients, please use the below link to register online: 

https://gp-registration.nhs.uk/G85042

Thank you.