DUE to the Coronavirus pandemic, GP practices and community pharmacies Warrington and Halton are experiencing a significant increase in demand on services.
As a result, NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group are appealing for the public’s help in order to help ease pressure on services and to ensure there are enough medicines for everyone who needs them.
Dr Andrew Davies, Clinical Chief Officer for NHS Halton Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group said: “GP surgeries and community pharmacies in Halton and Warrington are working tirelessly to continue to provide healthcare and medications for everyone who needs them. However, we are facing increasing challenges and we now, more than ever, need the support of everyone in our local communities.
“We are asking people to be considerate of others in their community and not order more medication than they need or order repeat prescriptions before they need them. These requests will not be approved by GPs. There is no shortage of medicines and no need for patients to order prescriptions early or stockpile medication.
“We also want to keep our patients and staff safe, so we are asking people not to go into their GP practice for any reason other than to attend a pre-booked appointment. For health advice please call your practice or complete an online form on your local practice website (eConsult). Patients will go through a ‘triage’ process which will enable us to prioritise appointments for patients most in need. If you need a repeat prescription, please request this online via your practice website or by using the NHS App. If you are not able to go online, please contact your surgery who will advise how you can order your medicines.
“Finally, and most importantly, please help to stop the spread of the virus by following Government advice and staying at home unless it is absolutely necessary. This will help to save lives and protect our local NHS.”
For the latest advice on Coronavirus please visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or www.gov.uk/coronavirus
