Covid Boosters

20th September 2021

Following the government announcement regarding Covid Boosters for anyone aged 50 and over and anyone aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts you at high risk from Covid-19, we will be running booster clinics at Truro Health Park. You do not need to contact the practice, we will contact you via text, phone or letter to come in and receive one here.

Please ensure when you book your Covid Booster appointment that there is 6 months between your 2^nd vaccine and the booster dose.   You will need to wait 4 weeks (28 days) before booking if you've had a positive COVID-19 test, starting from the date you had the test.

Important changes to routine and non-urgent blood test appointments

25th August 2021 update

All GP practices are affected by the current national shortage of blood tubes and are taking urgent steps alongside our hospitals to prioritise their use for people with the greatest clinical need. This includes testing for serious conditions such as cancer.

We are following national guidance which has been issued in response to the shortage. As a result, we need to cancel and delay a number of patient appointments for blood tests deemed routine or non-urgent. If you have a routine blood test appointment the reception team at the surgery will be in touch directly if they need to cancel your appointment, this will be by phone or by text message.

Please be assured that appointments will be rescheduled once the situation has improved, and in line with national guidance. There are a few things you can do if you are affected by this change:

• keep checking our website for regular updates; we will be sharing the latest patient information here as soon as we receive it
• check your phone for messages from us; we will also be using our patient text service to keep people informed
• please don’t call or contact us with questions about routine blood tests; we are experiencing exceptional levels of demand at the moment, and your cooperation will help us to reach those without smartphone or internet access with this critical information
• do get in touch if your condition worsens or changes so that we can prioritise your blood test if necessary following clinical review

The changes are likely to be in place for at least 4 weeks. We will keep all our patients regularly updated as the national situation changes. We fully understand the frustration this is likely to cause, and apologise for the inconvenience.

We want to keep all our staff and patients safe from COVID-19.

July 19th Update - Please continue to wear a face mask when you attend the practice.  Anyone visiting our practice for an appointment will be asked to wear a face covering and continue to maintain social distancing.  Please use the hand sanitiser when entering the building too. 

Please respect our staff,  who are working under incredibly difficult circumstances to manage high levels of demand.  Abuse of our staff will not be tolerated.  We are really grateful for your patience and support.

Test and Isolate if you have any symptoms.  If you have symptoms you must get a PCR test as soon as possible & before visiting your GP.  Rapid lateral flow tests should not be used to confirm infection.

Message from the CCG 20/07/2021

All our health services are busy right now, especially our ambulance service and the emergency department team at Truro hospital.

You can play your part in supporting us to care for people with serious and life-threatening illnesses.

Did you know you know you can get help and advice by calling 111 or go online at 111.nhs.uk? You may not need to go and wait in our busy emergency department and could be directed to a minor injury unit which will be quicker and closer to home.

Only dial 999 for an ambulance in a genuine, life-threatening emergency, for example:

• Chest pain / breathing difficulties / heart attack
• Stroke
• Severe bleeding
• Severe allergic reactions
• Severe burns or scalds
• Serious head injuries
• Major trauma such as a road traffic accident or a fall from height

If you have called for an ambulance, please do not ring again asking for a time of arrival. Only call again if:

• The patient’s condition worsens
• You no longer need our help

The call handlers must prioritise speaking to the most seriously injured and unwell patients.

If you don’t think it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency:

• Call your own GP. Even if you are in Cornwall on holiday, you could get a phone or video consultation with your doctor at home.
• Go online at 111.nhs.uk or call 111 to get expert advice and be signposted to where you can get the best and nearest care for your needs.
• Ask a pharmacist for advice – they’re experts in treating minor health issues like colds, urinary infections, stomach upsets, aches and pains.

For further information please visit NHS Kernow CCG at https://www.kernowccg.nhs.uk/get-info/choose-well/

Welcome to the Three Spires Medical Practice

Truro GP Practice  

Telephone number: 01872 272272

If you do require urgent medical care at any time when the surgery is closed,

please call 111 to speak to an adviser at NHS 111.  If your call is an emergency, call 999. 

Please still attend your appointments, unless you have been instructed otherwise. 

The Practice continues to implement a telephone "triage" system. 

If you need to book an appointment please contact the Practice on 01872 272272. You will speak to one of our patient advisors who will ask for a brief reason for your call. This is to ensure that your call is prioritised and dealt with appropriately. You will be booked for a return telephone call from a doctor or one of the clinical team.  If you need to telephone the Practice for a non-urgent matter that does not require an appointment, please be aware that the telephone system is usually less busy in the afternoons.  Alternatively, you can use the eConsult facility (link above).

Please remember to wear a face-covering e.g. a scarf or protective face mask when attending your appointment.  Please do not arrive early for your appointment and limit the number of people in the building by coming on your own (or with one other person if necessary).  If you are attending with a child, we would be grateful if only one parent/guardian attends.

We continue to assess the safest way to provide our services to patients and thank you for your patience.

Please check back here regularly.  For other useful links, including general information about Coronavirus or the latest advice from the Government, visit our webpage: Coronavirus - useful links

Please remember - do not attend the Practice in person unless you have spoken to a doctor or a member of the Practice staff.

We are here to help you.  We understand that when you contact us, you may be feeling unwell, anxious or even frustrated BUT we ask that you treat our Practice staff courteously.  Any behaviour, verbal or physical, in person or over the telephone, which causes staff to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or threatened, is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Message to patients:

On behalf of the partners at Three Spires, I would like to thank you for adapting to the changes that we have introduced in response to the Covid-19 virus. The use of NHS online, 111, telephone triage, video consultations and e-Consult (available via our website) have enabled us to protect our more vulnerable patients and also the wellbeing of our staff, many of whom are working from home. There are numerous resources and links on the NHS and Three Spires websites, we encourage everyone to use these where possible so that the doctors and nurses time can be reserved for the unwell.

Dr Matt Bull

How to order prescriptions - click for information

How to register for ordering prescriptions online - click for information

SystmOnline

Manage Appointments, Prescriptions also view Results and coded record online or using the App

Sign up for Systmonline to:

• Book, view and cancel appointments
• Order a repeat prescription or request medication not on your repeat list using the custom box
• Update your Contact Details
• View results and coded record

To sign up for SystmOnline please use the form below and bring it to reception showing ID.

Application for SystmOnline

If you would like to use the Smartphone App please tick the box in the application form. The App is simply called SystmOnline and can be found on the Appstore and Google Play. Alternatively download a QR scanner and scan these QR codes to find the App.

If you do require urgent medical care at any time when the surgery is closed, please call 111 to speak to an adviser at NHS 111.  

 If your call is an emergency,  call 999.

General Practitioner
registered