Welcome to Queens Road Surgery

County Durham

We are confident that our website will provide clear and concise help and give our patients the information they require in an easy and convenient format. It has been designed with the patient’s needs at the forefront of everything, from checking surgery times to letting us know what you think of us.

eConsult:

We have up to date guidance and advice on COVID-19 on our latest news page link the right. This link is updated with information we feel patients may find useful.

SHIELDING INFORMATION

Please check with the information below to see if you meet the criteria set out by NHS England before contacting the surgery. If when reading this you still feel you meet the criteria then do call the surgery if you have not received a letter from NHS England recommending you to shield. A practitioner will get back to you within 3 working days to discuss this further.

CRITERIA FOR SHIELDING

Solid organ transplant recipients

People with specific cancers

a) people with cancer having chemotherapy
b) people with lung cancer
c) people with cancer of the blood or bone marrow
d) people having immunotherapy or other continuing antibody treatment
e) people having targeted cancer treatments which can affect the immune system
f) people who have had bone marrow suppression or stem cell transplants in last 6 months

People with severe respiratory conditions including all cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease, severe asthma and severe COPD b) COPD: triple therapy (ICS+LAMA+LABA) or on Roflumilast

c) ITU admissions previously mentioned would be an indication of severe asthma
a) Asthma: LABA or Montelukast, AND on regular steroids (>4 in 6 months)

People with rare diseases and inborn errors of metabolism that significantly increase the risk of infection e.g. SCID, homozygous sickle cell

People on immunosuppression therapies sufficient to significantly increase the risk of infection e.g. azathioprine, MMF, tacrolimus, ciclosporin, sirolimus

Women who are pregnant with significant heart disease, congenital or acquired

Additional information on shielding groups can be located at these websites

British Thoracic Society https://www.brit-thoracic.org.uk/about-us/covid-19-identifying-patients-for-shielding

Association of British Neurologists https://www.theabn.org/page/covid-19_patients

British Society of Gastroenterology https://www.bsg.org.uk/covid-19-advice/bsg-rcp-advice-for-ibd-liver-clinicians-on-identifying-immunosuppressed-patients-for-shielding/

The Renal Association https://renal.org/stratified-risk-prolonged-self-isolation-adults-children-receiving-immunosuppression-disease-native-kidneys/

British Association of Dermatologists http://www.bad.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/covid-19/covid-19-immunosuppressed-patients

British Society for Rheumatology https://www.rheumatology.org.uk/News-Policy/Details/Action-needed-coronavirus-identifying-high-risk-patients

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists https://rcophth.ac.uk/2020/04/covid-19-update-and-resources-for-ophthalmologists/

LIVING WITH PATIENTS RECOMMENDED TO SHIELD

The rest of your household should support you to stay safe and stringently follow the guidance on social distancing, reducing your contact outside the home and in the home

minimise the time spent in shared spaces and keep well ventilated

aim to keep 2 metres away from others and sleep in separate beds where possible

use separate towels and, if possible a separate bathroom from the rest of the household, or clean the bathroom after every use

avoid using the kitchen when others are present, take meals back to your room to eat where possible, and ensure kitchenware is cleaned thoroughly

If the rest of your household are able to follow these guidelines there is no need for them to take the full protective (self-isolation) measures to keep you safe.

WHO IS MODERATE RISK AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN

These are patient who fall into the categories below and they should adhere to stringent social distancing measures. This means stay at home unless to exercise, essential work, essential shopping or medical needs being particularly careful to maintain this at all times.

Aged 70 or over regardless of other co-morbidities

Under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below

Chronic respiratory disease

Chronic heart disease

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic liver disease

Chronic neurological conditions

Diabetes

Problems with spleen

Weakened immune system due to HIV, AIDS, medication or chemotherapy

Seriously overweight BMI>40

Those who are pregnant

CQC Report

CQC logo

Queens Road Surgery

Serving You

Our dedicated team are here to treat those minor ailments that occur as well as providing specialist management of long-term conditions and clinics covering a wide range of healthcare issues. The technology also means you can now do a lot of things from the comfort of your home such as order a repeat prescription or cancel an appointment.

Partners in Care

Once registered , patients and healthcare professionals work together to ensure the most appropriate care is provided. This partnership philosophy extends even further and our active patient group exists to make sure that patient needs and the practice offering are always heading in the same direction.

The enviroment in which GPs are striving to provide services is increasingly challenging:

An increased demand on general practice caused by demographic changes, more complex health needs and some care moving out of hospitals is all contributing to unsustainable pressures on GP services.
Based on the current number of doctors working as GPs, and staff who support them in the general practice team, there are simply not enough hours in the day to meet everyone's needs.
GPs are struggling to recruit to vacant posts in their practices and to find locum cover so that patients can still be seen if a collegue is sick or absent.
The increasing demand and workload pressures are leading to low morale and stress causing many GPs to leave the profession or to consider early retirement.
Many GP practice buildings are old and need investment to create more room for patients to be seen or simply to make them fit for purpose.
GPs and their practice teams must have greater support to deliver high quality services that meet the requirementsof all their local patients.

The BMA is calling for long-term, sustainable investment in general practice now to: