Author name: tavyadmin

Dr Cathy Dunlop

Dear Patients of Tavyside Health Centre and Lifton Surgery,

I am writing to inform you, that due to my relocation to Cornwall 18 months ago, I shall be retiring from the Tavyside Partnership at the end of August 2023.

My last working day as a GP Partner, will be Wednesday the 12 July 2023. From November, for 3 months, I shall work as a GP Locum at the practice, and will be available from time to time thereafter, but need to make the gentle transition of finding work nearer home.

I joined Wharfside Surgery 18 years ago and was blessed to have Dr Harriet Doyle and Dr Mark Eggleton as my partners and the wonderful Cathy Smith as our nurse. We have since, merged practices twice. Throughout these times, I have worked with some fantastic doctors, nurses, HCAs, receptionists, secretaries, managers, cleaners, pharmacists, students, and feel very proud and fond of the team we have become; I will miss them.

I would like to thank you, the patients, for being such a lovely bunch of people. Over the years, I hope that I have been of help to some of you along your journeys. During the pandemic, I missed face to face consultations, and am delighted they are back, alongside telephone consultations when appropriate.

I have always felt incredibly lucky to be a GP; to experience individual doctor patient relationships and indeed, learn about myself too! It has been an honour to be a part of your lives, so thank you and look after yourselves!

With best wishes,

Cathy Dunlop

Group A Strep

As your GP, we are keen to support you in managing sore throats and illnesses this winter. You may have been alarmed by recent national media coverage of Strep A and Scarlet Fever. Please do not panic. The current levels of Strep A infection are not significantly higher than previous years: We are just seeing a peak of infections in December rather than the spring as normal.

Strep A is a really common bug. 1 in 5 children carry this bug in their throats as a normal and healthy part of their flora. It is only when Strep A gets into the wrong place and causes sepsis that we have a problem. Importantly there is usually no benefit in swabbing the throats of people with mild symptoms as 1 in 5 will be positive from Strep A – this is normal. Most sore throats are also best managed without antibiotics. 

The following extract is from the NICE CKS Website – Sore throat – acute | Health topics A to Z | CKS | NICE

  • Sore throat due to a viral or bacterial cause is a self-limiting condition. Symptoms resolve within 3 days in 40% of people, and within 1 week in 85% of people, irrespective of whether or not the sore throat is due to a streptococcal infection.

What we are really keen to emphasise is that a sore throat alone is not a problem but sepsis is. Sepsis occurs when bacteria gets into the blood system. People and children with sepsis may:

  1. Have a fever (over 38 degrees C) but with cold hands/feet
  2. Be drowsy, un-rousable or floppy (high risk symptoms – please seek help immediately) 
  3. Confusion or disorientation (high risk symptoms – please seek help immediately)
  4. Look unwell, mottled or pale
  5. Maybe breathing quickly or working hard to breathe (sucking in between their ribs or under their ribs)
  6. May not be passing urine as often as normal
  7.  May have a fast heart rate.

In general, unwell children will not be playing, running around, smiling or eating normally. 

We do highly recommend downloading the HANDi App from the NHS to help manage your kids illness and to help you know when to seek help. 

HANDi Paediatric on the App Store (apple.com)

HANDi Paediatric – Apps on Google Play

IF YOU THING YOU OR YOUR CHILD IS SERIOUSLY UNWELL, WHATEVER THE AGE, PLEASE DO NOT DELAY SEEKING HELP

With best wishes

Tavyside Health Centre

Evening Herald Press release Thursday 3rd December 2022

Following the report released by Plymouth Herald last week regarding the best to worst GP surgeries for appointment availability, I wanted to clarify our position and relay how the results and wording of the article were particularly misleading. Interestingly the report focused on face-to face appointment availability, yet further on names Tavyside as the lowest wait time to secure an appointment and the highest percentage of patients to secure an appointment with a GP.

Tavyside Health Centre offer same day access telephone triage appointments for our patients who require urgent care, if a patient is then assessed as requiring a face-to-face appointment, they will also be seen on the same day, by a GP. This model allows us to provide same day access for those who have a clinical need whilst ensuring the resource for face-to-face appointments is maintained.

Without on the day triage and based on the same model as other named surgeries, all patients would be looking at a minimum of 2-3 weeks to be seen and this would be relevant to all patients regardless of their clinical need.

We have based our model on our patient requirements, to meet the needs of our patient population, we continue to receive daily positive reviews regarding the high level of care we offer, the opportunity to leave courteous constructive feedback is available via our website.

Sarah Evans
Practice Manager
Tavyside Health Centre

Covid-19 & Flu vaccination appointments

We are currently working through a list of over 6,000 eligible patients who require an Autumn Covid-19 Booster vaccination. If you have not heard and have an enquiry please call us. 
 
We are offering as many appointments as feasibly possible, with staff giving up weekends to help vaccinate our patient list.
 
We appreciate that some patients maybe disappointed in the waiting times for a vaccination appointment, therefore we would like to advise you of some alternatives.
 
 
Home park vaccination centre (Argyle) – https://www.nhs.uk/…/find-a-walk-in…/profile/B4Q7L…
 

Covid-19 Vaccination Delays

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Combined Covid-19 and Flu vaccination clinics planned for September and October 2022

We have received notice from NHS England, that delivery of the COVID vaccination may be delayed, please be reassured that we are trying to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.

Please do not cancel your appointment as your annual flu vaccination will still be given at the planned clinics.

Thank you for your understanding.

Covid & Flu Vaccinations

We are now advising those patients who are eligible for a Covid-19 vaccination and/or flu vaccine, to book their appointment via GP Online Services or alternatively by contacting the surgery to secure an appointment. 

Eligibilities are as follows:

  • Patients aged 65 or over
  • Patients aged 5-64 with underlying health conditions (table below for criteria).
  • At risk children aged from 2 to under 18
  • At risk children aged from 6 months to less than 2 years
  • Aged 2 or 3 years on 31st August 2022
  • Healthy 50-64 year olds from October 15th 2022