Surgery News
Patient List Updates
From early next year, we'll be updating how our patient lists are allocated across the GP team. All patients have a 'usual GP' recorded on their medical record, and this is what we will be reviewing.
This change is purely administrative. It won't affect the care you receive, the clinicians you can book appointments with, or how you access the practice. You will still be able to see any GP in the team.
We're making this change because the administrative workload linked to each GP has grown in recent years, and at the moment it isn't evenly shared. Reallocating our patient lists will help distribute this work more fairly and support the team in keeping things running safely and efficiently behind the scenes.
We will share more details early in the new year.
Wells City Practice Open Meeting and Christmas Nibbles
On Thursday 18th December from 1pm - Come and join us in the main clinic room to meet some of the staff and find out more about our Patient Participation Group. From 2.30pm there will be music from our local ukulele band and a Christmas sing a long. Everyone Welcome!
Information regarding B12 injections
We are making some changes to the process for receiving a B12 injection at the practice from 1st March 2025. Further information on B12 injections.
Exciting Changes at Wells City Practice
We are thrilled to share some exciting updates at Wells City Practice that are designed to enhance the services we provide and improve your experience with us. Please see our exciting news article for further details.
A Message From the GP Partners
Please be aware that it is sensible to allow some extra time when booking your appointment as sometimes, with good reason, our clinicians are not able to run to the exact time given.
Doctor’s and Nurse's appointments can be for a variety of reasons, longer than planned and others can be very quickly sorted.
The appointment time you are given should be seen as the time you need to be at the surgery and available to be seen.
We very much appreciate your patience if you are having to wait longer than anticipated for your appointment.
From Drs Pearce, Donlevy, Mottram, York and Murray.
Contact information
If we don't have your up-to-date mobile number or address please give your new details to the Care Navigation team who can update this.
Mindline and Crisis Safe Space
Mindline supports patients with mental health problems, there is a confidential local helpline for everyone in Somerset open 24 hours a day every day. Crisis offers one-to-one appointments for residents in Somerset who are really struggling with their mental health, all sessions are run locally in Somerset.
If you need support call Mindline Somerset locally on 01823 276892, freephone 0800 138 1692 or send an email.
Somerset's Mental Health Alliance
General Practice Access Routes
There are three ways to get in touch with us at this GP practice.
It’s no secret that our surgeries have been busier than ever. That’s why there are now more ways to get in touch with us. You can:
- Use Rapid Health via the pop up on our homepage. It’s convenient and secure and can save you time. It's open from 00.01 on Monday to 18.30 on Friday, with no cap on the number of requests we can receive.
- Call us during surgery hours Monday to Friday, 08.00-18.30 on 01749 601333
- Come into the surgery at Priory Medical Centre, Wells, Somerset, BA5 1XJ, Monday to Friday, 08.00-18.30
Pick the option that suits you best. No matter how you choose to get in touch with us, whether it’s using an online form, calling or visiting, you’ll get the help that’s right for you.
Gentle Reminder: Prescriptions
May we gently remind our patients that we cannot take any prescription orders over the phone. There are a small number of patients with authorisation to call in their requests otherwise we ask you to use one of the following methods:
- email our dedicated prescription email address.
- write down your request and pop it into our post box located at the front of the building
- register for online access and order your prescriptions online
- discuss with your pharmacy team to see if they can order your regular repeat medications on your behalf.
In all cases you must allow at least 5 working days between requesting your medication and collecting it from your nominated pharmacy.
We appreciate your understanding and cooperation on this.
An important message from Wells City Practice:
Thank you for bearing with us during these hugely stressful times for everyone. We have been touched by the many kind messages of support whilst we have strived to provide you with the best services we can.
As the pressures on Primary Care Services are becoming more widely talked about we would like to share with you some examples of the amount of work we are dealing with at the moment and ask again that you please try and use our services appropriately and treat our staff with kindness and respect. If you have any issues with, or questions about the way the practice is working then please contact our Practice Manager, Nicky Billington, who is always happy to help - email.
Helping you access care at Wells City Practice
The past 18 months have been difficult for us all and we want to thank you for your understanding and patience. At Wells City Practice, we would like to reassure patients that we are open and here for you.
What will this mean for patients?
- We aim to deal with most requests on the same day, which we understand is what most patients would like, but this may mean you will not be able to see your preferred GP.
- When you contact us, our receptionists will continue to use our triage system so we can direct you to the most appropriate care for your needs. Sometimes this will be a member of staff at the practice, or for minor injuries and conditions this could be your local pharmacist or minor injuries unit.
- For non-emergency appointments such as sunburn, insect bites, hay fever, back and shoulder aches and strains, or other minor conditions, we can now offer you a same-day appointment at your local community pharmacist who will be to offer you advice and treatments or you can contact 111 online or by phone
- Please use our Rapid Health system for your medical queries. Once you have answered the questions the system will offer you an appropriate appointment based on your symptoms. If you need help, please call our reception team who will be more than happy to help.
We again thank you for your patience and understanding during this most difficult time for us all when it might take a little longer to get through on the phone or to book in an appointment. #BePatient. #BeKind.
Use of your Data
A new service from NHS Digital is being put into place which will more efficiently collect primary care data and make it available for better planning of healthcare services and for use in medical research.
NHS Digital has been collecting data from GPs to meet bespoke data requests for these purposes for over ten years, through its trusted General Practice Extraction Service (GPES). This system is now being replaced with their new General Practice Data for Planning and Research (GPDPR) service, a broader general-purpose collection which will enable faster access to pseudonymised patient data for planners and researchers who may be organisations outside of the NHS. You can read more about this here: Improved collection of GP data launched - NHS Digital
There are two types of opt out available to you:
*I am content for my information to be used within the NHS as it has been previously but I do not want it shared with a third party*
If you are content for your information to continue to be sent to NHS Digital to help with future planning for the NHS, but you do not want your information to be shared with other third parties, such as universities, charities and pharmaceutical companies, then you need to complete the National Data Opt Out form.
*I do not want my information shared with anyone outside of my own Practice, except in relation to my own care*
This is not a new opt out and has always been an option for patients upon registration.
Many of our patients already have a Type 1 opt out in place and this will not need to be renewed as it will remain as you have previously requested.
However, if you did not request this opt out initially, but want to change now, then we are happy to do this for you.
If you are unsure if you have a Type 1 opt out but want one, please do not contact us to check, we do not have the staff available to answer calls such as this and want to keep our phone lines open for those in clinical need.
Instead, please follow the instructions below:
If you do not want your identifiable data to be shared outside your own Practice, except for your own care, you can opt out at any time by requesting that we record your preference, this is called a Type 1 opt out and you can do this by collecting a form from reception or contacting us via email and heading your email ‘Type 1 Opt Out’
Download the Type 1 Opt Out form
If you are only doing a Type 1 opt out and not the National Data Opt Out above, then you will need to do this by 23rd June 2021 if you wish to avoid your information to be sent to NHS Digital for their first extraction with new parameters, which begins on 1st July 2021.
Further information and our updated Privacy Notice
Public Health England Vitamin D Supplies and prescribed Medication
In response to the announcement that public health England will be supplying many extremely vulnerable people with Vitamin D tablets to reduce the risk of deficiency over the winter, the Prescribers at surgeries in West Mendip Primary Care Network would like to share the following advice:
If you are currently prescribed Calcium and Vitamin D tablets, or vitamin D tablets, continue to take these. You do not need to take any additional supplements supplied by Public health England, as long as your tablets contain at least 400units (10mcg Vitamin D)- all prescribed ones should contain these levels.
If you buy vitamin D over the counter, you can continue to take these, or take the nationally supplied ones, as long as the ones you have are at least 400units (10mcg).
You are safe to take vitamin D tablets with most prescribed medication- however if you are taking Digoxin you may need extra monitoring- please contact your GP.
If you develop any unusual symptoms after starting Vitamin D and are taking other medication, please contact your prescriber, though we expect this to be very rare.
If you accidentally take both prescribed vitamin D and public health England supplied vitamin D, there are likely to be no ill effects, however you can discuss this with your community pharmacy and they can check the amounts you have taken.
Recently had a delayed hospital appointment?
We were sorry to hear that your hospital appointment has been delayed. Covid restrictions mean that most people are having to wait longer for their outpatient appointments, tests and operations. All our referrals are graded by the relevant consultant team. We have no say about when the consultants allocate their appointments which is based on their judgement of the urgency of the clinical need.
Many patients are contacting us asking for letters to be sent to help speed up their appointment. You will see that this is something we are unable to do for the reasons explained above.
However, if you think your symptoms have changed and your need is now urgent, do please write a letter or email detailing why you think so which we can forward to the relevant specialist team. The more detail you include the better.
If you are very concerned then do please get in touch with us for an appointment which, under current NHS regulations, will be a phone call or other remote consultation in the first instance but which can be face-to-face if needs be.
Health Connections Mendip
Health Connections Mendip is a new health and wellbeing service available to patients. Patients can talk to a
health connector at the surgery to find out about local activities, support and services available, and can
also arrange one-to-one appointments to speak to a Connector.
Health
Connections Mendip page
Mendip Directory of Services
Below is a documentary about Health Connections Mendip:
Somerset Survivors
Do you want to talk to someone about domestic abuse?
Contact the Somerset Domestic Abuse Support helpline: 0800 69 49 999
Further information can be found on the Somerset Survivors website.
Training Practice Status
Here at Wells City Practice we continue to look at ways of improving the quality of care we offer our patients
We were awarded ‘Training Practice’ status in July 2011.
Named GP for all patients
All of our patients have a named GP who is responsible for their overall care at the Practice. Please contact the Practice if you wish to know who this is. If you have a preference as to which GP that is, we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate this request.
We strongly believe in patient choice and patients are able to see any of our available GPs.
Carers
Do you care for someone?
Please click on one of the documents below for more information on how to get help and more information.
Are you interested in helping to influence the way your doctor’s surgery is run?
See our Patient Participation Group page for further details.
