Letter to Patients

Dear Patient

The Fairlands practice is acutely aware that there have been many alterations to the way you access our services over the last couple of years.

In the light of this and the ongoing Covid 19 Pandemic The Fairlands Practice and the Fairlands Practice Patient Participation Group have decided to update Patients through this joint letter on how the provision of services within the practice is now operating. As a result of the Pandemic and the consequent backlog in patients presenting for care, The Fairlands Practice is busier than it has ever been. We could never have imagined the increase in demand for our services, so we ask for your patience and understanding in these difficult times.

The following points should help explain our current processes.

  • The Fairlands Practice would like to assure patients that we are fully open, albeit working in different ways from those that you may have been used to in the past.
  • We now deliver our services using a wider team of healthcare professionals and you may have consultations with Clinical Pharmacists, Paramedics or Practitioner associates. This group of specialists allows us to deliver a personalised service that will target individual needs and utilise professional skills in the best possible way.
  • If you need to book an appointment please telephone the surgery, and listen to the message before selecting the most appropriate option. We are aware that at times there is considerable pressure on our reception team with the number of telephone calls. The Fairlands Practice are working to resolve this by recruiting additional staff into this department as soon as practical.
  • If you have urgent health issues, you will be assigned to the duty clinical team. They will review your request and the most appropriate duty clinician will call you after prioritising patients based on clinical needs.
  • If you have symptoms of an infectious condition, you will be asked to visit our dedicated area at our Glaziers Lane Surgery.
  • Non-urgent health issues and routine matters will be offered the next available appointment, this could be via the telephone or a face to face appointment.
  • For all admin and clerical queries we ask you to visit our website at The Fairlands Practice (fairlandsmedicalpractice.nhs.uk) and submit the appropriate request form, this will help reduce the load on the reception team and telephone lines.
  • You can also help us manage our workload by using Community Pharmacists or the NHS 111 service via the telephone or the NHS 111 website.

We ask you always to be respectful and understanding to our staff, who are working extremely hard to keep patients and staff safe and healthy. More information on our practice including our complaints procedure and zero tolerance procedure can be found under the policies and procedures section on the website. www.fairlandsmedicalpractice.nhs.uk/practice-information.

Please be assured we are here. We are working in different ways and with a wider team of healthcare professionals than in the past.

Thank you for your understanding and support

The Fairlands Medical Team & The Fairlands Practice Patient Participation Group.