Welcome
Christmas / New Year Opening
We will be closed on Monday 27th, Tuesday 28th December and Monday 3rd January 2022
Please note Fowey Surgery may close at 4pm on Friday 24th December, however, Par Health Centre will be open until 6.30pm as normal.
If you require medical attention whilst we are closed, please contact NHS 111.
Covid Boosters & Influenza Vaccinations
If you are a patient at Fowey River Practice (Fowey Surgery, Polruan Surgery or Par surgery) and you are due your covid booster before 31st December or you would like your 1st or 2nd vaccination, and you are over 18 years old we are holding walk in sessions at our Par Surgery on Saturday 8th January between 8.30am and 12.00pm. No appointment necessary.
We have an allocated amount of vaccines for each day (there is plenty) and once they have been used we will close our doors. If you already have a vaccine booked for any of these days your vaccine is guaranteed.
If you can, please walk to the surgery as parking is limited. Par Surgery is only open for vaccinations on these days. Please contact Fowey Surgery for any enquiries.
After the Prime Ministers announcement this week to vaccinate everyone over the age of 18 years old with their Covid Booster before 31st December, Par Health Centre will become our Vaccination site from 21st December. If you are eligible, you will be receiving either a text or telephone call over the next few days to book your appointment.
If you need to see a clinician during this time you will be seen at Fowey Surgery. Please be aware that our trained reception team will ask you some questions to ensure you are seen appropriately and as there may be some capacity issues we are prioritising medically urgent cases during this time. All of our staff are continuing to work whilst also running the covid booster clinic.
Please may we remind you to wear a face covering when coming to the surgery and do not attend if you have any covid symptoms.
Also, please be kind to our team. Our staff are working very had to continue to deliver a service to all of our patients and have recently been subjected to some unnecessary aggressive and abusive behaviour. We run a zero tolerance policy and we will report all incidents of this nature.
As you can imagine our phone lines are extremely busy, so please bear with us; and our receptionists will answer all calls as soon as possible.
You are also able to contact the surgery via E-consult for both medical and administration questions.
CORONAVIRUS:
We ask ALL our patients to continue to wear a face covering when access the Surgery. Further guidance can be found here
Important information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)
POLRUAN SURGERY CHANGES
From November 2021 a Clinician will be in clinic on a Monday afternoon. This means there will be an adjustment to our opening times.
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday remain the same 0830-1230
Monday we will be open between 2.00 - 5.00pm.
Health Service Pressures
All our health services are busy right now, especially our ambulance service and the emergency department team at Truro hospital.
You can play your part in supporting us to care for people with serious and life-threatening illnesses.
Did you know you know you can get help and advice by calling 111 or go online at 111.nhs.uk? You may not need to go and wait in our busy emergency department and could be directed to a minor injury unit which will be quicker and closer to home.
Only dial 999 for an ambulance in a genuine, life-threatening emergency, for example:
- Chest pain / breathing difficulties / heart attack
- Stroke
- Severe bleeding
- Severe allergic reactions
- Severe burns or scalds
- Serious head injuries
- Major trauma such as a road traffic accident or a fall from height
If you have called for an ambulance, please do not ring again asking for a time of arrival. Only call again if:
- The patient’s condition worsens
- You no longer need our help
The call handlers must prioritise speaking to the most seriously injured and unwell patients.
If you don’t think it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency:
- Call your own GP. Even if you are in Cornwall on holiday, you could get a phone or video consultation with your doctor at home.
- Go online at 111.nhs.uk or call 111 to get expert advice and be signposted to where you can get the best and nearest care for your needs.
- Ask a pharmacist for advice – they’re experts in treating minor health issues like colds, urinary infections, stomach upsets, aches and pains.
For further information please visit NHS Kernow CCG at https://www.kernowccg.nhs.uk/get-info/choose-well/
Let us know you are here
You can now let us know you have arrived via your text reminder. Please click on the link upon arrival, enter your date of birth and that will book you into your appointment.
Please ensure we have an up-to-date mobile number for you to ensure you are receiving your appointment reminders.
Help at Hand Community Information App: 
The Help at Hand community info App provides you with easy access to the latest support services available in the Fowey area, by telephone and online.
This App is available via the App Store (iPhone, iPad) or Google Play (Android).
The App and most of the services listed on it are completely free of charge.
Please share with your friends, family and work colleagues. We aim to make sure all these support services are available to everyone.
Thank you and keep safe.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/help-at-hand-community-info/id1441107175
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=community.hand.help
https://hand.community/
Self Referrals to the NHS Volunteer Responders scheme
If you feel you are vulnerable at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and you would benefit from the NHS Volunteer Responders you can self-refer to the scheme rather than depending on us or other professionals to refer you.
The number to make a self-referral is: 0808 1963646.
The volunteers can help you with shopping, prescription deliveries, biological sample collection and transport to medical appointments.
Domestic Abuse
If you are experiencing domestic abuse you can seek support by ringing the National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or, if an emergency, please dial 999.
Medication:
Your medication will be issued as normal. However, you will also no longer be able to come into the surgery to collect prescriptions. This is to prevent too many people in the waiting area. All prescriptions will need to be sent electronically to the chemist (for this we will need your consent - please call reception and tell them that you would like your prescriptions to go electronically and to which chemist).
Order prescriptions online (links below).
Please order your medication 7 days in advance, this will allow us time to process your prescription whilst ensuring you don’t run out. Prescription requests WILL NOT be taken by telephone. We are not able to process more than a months' worth of medication at a time. This is to prevent stock piling and creating a lack of available medication for the whole country.
Appointments:
Clearly this is a rapidly evolving situation and our service may have to change to reflect this but please be assured that the care of our patients will be met as far as we can.
Self Help:
We will endeavour to keep our website updated but there are ways you can help yourself:
Use eConsult (link above)
NHS England have produced a very simple 'Stay At Home' guidance document which is attached here.
(Site updated 13/01/2022)