MPST are holding meetings and have an online survey for local people to complete.

For more information, see the flyer below and go to the Queen’s Park Area – Healthy Neighbourhood page on this website.

Plans have been revealed to change GP access across North West London.

Patients wanting same day access to a GP will be referred to a central hub which will be overseen by a GP but will be staffed by care co-ordinators who will decide how to deal with their request.

Only if you have a “complex long-term condition” will you be given the option to consult with and see your doctor in the GP practice where you are registered.

Robin Sharp, Chair, Brent Patient Voice, and Deborah Unger, NWL PPG Forum Chair; who are both members of QPARA; have written a summary of and reaction to the proposals, titled: “Alarming proposals planned to restrict patients seeing their own GP“.

This can be seen, along with other information, on this website at: Changes to GP Access in North West London

The LMG Practice Manager has asked local groups to post information about changes to appointment booking because of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). LMG also serves patients previously with Blessing and Park House practices.

To protect patients from cross-infection, and keep LMG staff healthy, they are seeking to minimise face-to-face visits to the surgery. The telephone triage system successfully launched last year for same-day consultations is being extended to routine appointments as far as possible.

Full information is available on the LMG website  lonsdalemedicalcentre.nhs.uk  – which will be updated regularly as the situation evolves. But the key elements are:

• If you think you have the symptoms of CV (a temperature above 37.8C or a new dry cough) DO NOT go to the surgery, the Urgent Care Centres or A&E; look at the online 111 site for advice https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/  ; or if you can’t do that, call 111 (which is likely to be very busy!)

• If you have already booked a GP appointment, DON’T go to the surgery, but wait for a Doctor to call you, to see if your issue can be resolved on the phone

• For future appointments, please look first online (via Patient Access or any other App you use) to book a telephone call (same-day or future date) from a GP

• Failing that, call the surgery and explain your issue briefly to one of the trained receptionists, who will book you a GP call-back (same-day or future date)

• A face to face appointment will then be arranged if needed

LMG is also posting advice on its Facebook page (link at the bottom of the Home Page) and its website has a translate facility into dozens of languages (Translate button bottom right of the Home Page)

Stay well, everyone!

We have updated the Health section of our website

Reminder: Our next monthly meeting is on Thursday, 14th March, 7.30pm refreshments, 8.00pm meeting. St Anne’s and St Andrew’s, 150 Salusbury Road.