Primary Care Network (PCN) uses one of its sites to roll-out COVID-19 vaccination The Health Triangle Primary Care Network (PCN) in Bracknell—comprising Ringmead Medical Practice, Evergreen Practice and Crownwood Medical Centre—has temporarily turned one of its 21 January 2021 premises into a COVID-19 vaccination site for its patients. The PCN is using Ringmead Medical Practice’s Birch Hill Medical Centre, RG12 7WW, Bracknell, with eligible patients Recognising the being invited to attend. As with all other vaccination centres and symptoms of sites, vaccinations will be by appointment only. coronavirus Dr Farhad Daruwalla, GP at Ringmead Medical Practice and a The main symptoms of Clinical Director for the Health Triangle PCN, said: “We are coronavirus are: delighted to get this local service up and running.” The PCN’s rollout supports the ongoing, wider community high temperature – this means you feel hot to COVID vaccination programme being delivered locally and will remain in place for the foreseeable touch on your chest or future. back (you do not need to Last month, The Health Triangle joined two of its neighbouring PCNs – Ascot and Bracknell and measure your temperature) District PCNs – to vaccinate some of its eligible cohort (aged 80 and over) from a centre set up at new, continuous cough – Waitrose’s Sports and Leisure Centre at the firm’s head office in Willoughby Road, Bracknell. All of this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 their remaining, eligible patients will now be vaccinated at the Birch Hill Medical Centre. or more coughing episodes Meanwhile, Ascot and Bracknell and District PCNs will continue to use the Waitrose site to vaccinate in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be their patients over the coming weeks and months. worse than usual) Dr Ivan Aloysius, a GP and Immunisation lead at Ringmead Medical Practice loss or change to your and a Clinical Director for The Health Triangle PCN, said: “It’s important that sense of smell or taste – patients do not contact us to seek their vaccine, we will contact you. When we this means you've noticed do contact you, please attend your booked appointment. you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or “The roll-out of the vaccine will be a marathon, not a sprint, and we cannot let taste different to normal down our guard. We all must continue to follow the guidance in place to control Most people with coronavirus the virus and save lives – that means staying at home as much as you can, and will have at least one of these following the ‘hands, face, space’ guidance when you can’t. symptoms. Click here for more. “Due to the volume of people we’re hoping to immunise over the coming days and weeks, we’re asking that everyone arrives on time and not early, for their appointment, and follows social distancing measures. Please don’t forget to wear your masks.” What to do if you have symptoms He added: “It is important to note that the vaccine takes three weeks to give benefit so you can still be at risk during that time. Also, even when vaccinated, you may still be carrying the virus and could If you have any of the spread it. main symptoms of coro- navirus: “Therefore, we must not be complacent and follow the strict guidance in place.” Whilst all initial contact between patients and GP practices remains online or on the phone at 1. Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as present, if you are a patient at Ringmead Medical Practice and are asked to be seen face-to-face by soon as possible. a clinician for a non COVID related medical matter, then please note that this will take place at the 2. You and anyone you live Great Hollands and Crowthorne sites during the days when the centre will be used as a COVID with should stay at home vaccination site. This is to ensure the safety of both staff and patients alike in line with national and not have visitors un- guidelines. til you get your test result – only leave your home More information on the COVID 19 vaccine can be found on the NHS website here to have a test. Anyone in your support bubble Paramedic practitioner, Emma Bramwell, supports colleagues in should also stay at home if delivering vaccination programme you have been in close con- tact with them since your Paramedic Emma Bramwell, who works alongside her primary care colleagues, has symptoms started or during been busy vaccinating patients. She said: “It’s very exciting. Good to know we are the 48 hours before they started. helping people to get back to some normality.” Paramedic practitioners work in primary care carrying out minor illness clinics and provide a visiting service to patients if required in their own home. They are trained to independently provide care and are supported by GPs. Nurse, Ruth Staniford, speaks of her passion as local vaccinator Medical Nurse Ruth Staniford from Ringmead Medical Practice feels very passionate about being a vaccinator. She said: “I feel really passionate about being part of these clinics as I have seen first hand how devastating COVID can be for patients and their families. I feel like every person we vaccinate is one person less that could potentially end up in hospital with this virus. She added: “I also hope that it will start taking off some of the pressures facing our hospitals.” Ruth is one of thousands of nurses helping in the national fight against COVID-19, providing pivotal support to frontline services. GP works with fellow colleagues to vaccinate hundreds of patients including those in care homes Dr Anant Sachdev, an executive GP partner at the Ringmead Medical Practice, and Palliative Care and Cancer lead specialist, is one of many front-line primary healthcare clinicians playing their vital part in the fight against COVID-19. Dr Sachdev has been working alongside fellow doctors, pharmacists, practice and Wellington College nurses from The Health Triangle Primary Care Network (PCN) to vaccinate people aged 80 years and over, including those residing in care homes. Anant, who has worked within the NHS for over thirty years, said: “I feel immensely proud to be playing my part in helping to deliver what it is the largest vaccination programme in our history, whilst at the same time as continuing to be there for our residents who need our help the most. “As a PCN, led by a programme set by the Clinical Directors Drs Aloysius and Daruwalla, we have already vaccinated a substantial number of our over 80s population which is great news. He added: “As we move forward over the coming days and weeks, our ultimate goal is to vaccinate all those in key groups identified by the JCVI recommendations which includes people aged 70 and over as well as all those who are clinically extremely vulnerable. We will be following national timeframes and will be calling our patients when it’s their turn. He added: “The COVID vaccine is the light at the end of a very long tunnel, and paves the way out of this awful pandemic, offering the best form of protection from coronavirus and saving lives. “I would therefore urge anyone who is invited to have their vaccine, to ensure that they seize the opportunity.” Health services are reminding people not to contact the NHS to arrange an appointment for the vaccine but to wait until they are contacted. In the main, people will be contacted by their practice by text message or phone, offering them an appointment when it’s their turn. All patients registered with Ringmead Medical Practice, Evergreen Practice and Crown- wood Medical Centre – which makes-up The Health Triangle PCN – will be invited to attend a pre-booked appointment at the Birch Hill Medical Centre. While, those registered with Bracknell & District PCN – which comprises The Waterfield Practice, Forest Health Group, The Gainsborough Practice, Binfield Surgery, Easthampstead Surgery; The Sandhurst Group Practice and Great Hollands Practice – continue to be vaccinated at Waitrose Sports and Leisure Centre, again on an appointment basis only. In addition to the Waitrose Sports and Leisure Centre and Birch Hill Medical Centre vaccination services, additional vaccinations centres have also been set-up nationally, including one in Slough, which are offering the physical space to deal with large numbers of people coming to get vaccinated while maintaining social distancing. Unlike the two local vaccination services which are inviting patients to attend appointments via text messages and phone, letters of invitation to attend the national vaccinations centres are being sent from the central NHS COVID -19 Vaccination Booking Service to those who live up to a 45 minute drive from one of the centres. Dr Sachdev said: “We understand that some residents have been left feeling rather confused upon receiving the national letter, wondering whether they have to travel to one of these vaccination centres outside of Bracknell for their appointment. “I would like to reassure local residents that should they receive the national letter, they have a choice as to whether they’d like to have an appointment via their GP practice locally, or through the national booking service. All we ask is that people book one appointment only and cancel the appointment they are not going to attend, to avoid vaccine wastage and to ensure we can reach as many people as we can as quickly as possible.” Patient feedback.... …...“Very pleased to get the vaccine as I was worried about contracting the virus as I have a number of health conditions.