Designated surgery for COVID-19 symptoms

Sunday 15 March 2020

From tomorrow, anyone with respiratory symptoms booking an appointment with their GP will be sent to the Longfrie Surgery, rather than their usual practice.

The surgery has been designated for those with signs of an upper respiratory tract infection, following Public Health's latest advice asking anyone with flu-like symptoms to self isolate to avoid the spread of coronavirus.

Symptoms include a cough, sore throat, fever and running or blocked nose.

Anyone with symptoms, hoping to see a doctor is asked to ring their GP surgery as usual and mention their condition. They will then be directed to the Longfrie practice in St Peter's if need be.

Pictured: Any patients with respiratory symptoms will be asked to attend the Longfrie Surgery.

Doctors from all three local Primary Care Practices - Queens Road Medical Practice, Island Health and Healthcare - will be based at the surgery.

Meanwhile, those who usually attend the Longfrie Surgery, but aren't showing any respiratory symptoms, will be asked to go to the Queens Road Surgery instead.

"This step is being taken to help manage demand and enable the island's primary care practices to provide timely and safe care to all patients with these symptoms," a spokesperson for the practices jointly said. "It is also to give those patients with symptoms the option to see their GP without fear of infecting others and those without symptoms the reassurance that they can attend their normal surgery for appointments without mixing with potentially infected patients.

"Primary Care recognise that this process may cause some inconvenience to patients temporarily and thank everyone, including staff, for accommodating these necessary changes."

Patients with minor respiratory symptoms, who don't need to see a GP, are being asked to follow Public Health's advice and self isolate until 48 hours after the symptoms have cleared.

More information and advice on coronavirus is available here.