The surgery will be closed for staff training on Tuesday 16th September 25 from 1:00pm

We will re-open Wednesday 17th September at 8:00am

If you require assistance and cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please contact 111 or if a genuine medical emergency 999.

From September 2025, some cervical screening results will be delivered digitally.

• If your result is negative, you will receive it through the NHS App.
• A notification will appear in your NHS App inbox.
• If you don’t read the message within 72 hours, a letter will still be sent to you by post.
• If your result is abnormal, you will continue to receive a letter by post.
• It’s free and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can download the NHS App or find the same services on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION PLEASE READ

Our reception office will be undergoing refurbishment starting Monday, 15th September. The project is expected to take approximately three weeks. During this time, we will continue to operate as usual, but there will be some temporary changes to reception service.

Reception

During this time there will be NO face-to-face receptionist.  If you wish to book an appointment either telephone the surgery or request an appointment via the website.

Attending for appointments

During this time, if you have an appointment, you will not be able to check in.  Please take a seat in the waiting room and the clinician will call you through when they are ready.

Dropping off Samples - Before 11am ONLY

Please use the dedicated sample box. Please ensure that the label containing your information has been attached to the sample bottle/tube and the plastic bag is sealed.

Collecting Sample pots and forms

If you are collecting a pot and form from the surgery, when you arrive at the reception desk, please telephone the surgery to let the receptionist know that you are here.  They will then bring this out to the waiting room for you.

Prescriptions

Please drop your prescription slip in the black box in the foyer.  If the item is not on your repeat list, please complete the prescription form on the reception desk and put it in the black box.  Please do not telephone the surgery unless it has been previously agreed that you are able to order medication over the phone.

We appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to improve our facilities.

The NHS Constitution establishes the principles and values of the NHS in England. It sets out rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, and pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, together with responsibilities, which the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. To view the up to date full document, please click here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nhs-constitution-for-england/the-nhs-constitution-for-england

We hope this message finds you well. We wanted to inform you about some important changes to our service contracts that took effect at the beginning of May 2025. These changes have been implemented following a comprehensive review by our governing body, the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The ICB has re-evaluated all currently commissioned services, leading to decisions to decommission some services, continue others, and introduce new ones. This review has also resulted in the decommissioning of certain community and hospital services, with a shift in funding towards consistent commissioning.

As a result, there are some changes to the services we can provide at our practice. We apologise for the delay in communicating these changes, as we were awaiting a unified communication from the ICB for all practices which we have not yet received. Here are the key changes that may affect you:

• Ear Syringing Service : This service has been decommissioned and is no longer available at our practice. Patients will need to seek private providers for this service. Please note that we are contractually unable to recommend any private services.

• Blood Test Clinic : The provision of a blood test clinic by Lancashire Teaching Hospital (LTHTR) staff will be removed. Our practice will now provide a blood test clinic with staff employed across the Bridgedale PCN. Due to new contract specifications, we can only offer a limited number of appointments for hospital-requested blood tests. We are prioritising cancer patients undergoing treatment at non-local hospitals (e.g., Blackpool or Manchester). Routine hospital requests will be redirected back to the hospital for blood tests.

• Prostate Level Monitoring : We have been commissioned to provide blood test monitoring for patients requiring prostate level checks after hospital discharge.

• Bariatric Surgery Monitoring : We will also provide blood test monitoring for patients who had bariatric surgery more than two years ago.

• Holistic Assessments : This year, the ICB has asked us to focus on offering holistic assessments to a targeted group of patients to ensure all their needs are met. Eligible patients will be invited by our reception team or assessed during their annual review.

• Wound Care Services : A new simple wound care service replaces the previous treatment room service. More complex wounds may need referral to the treatment room rather than being treated in surgery. Our nurse will advise patients accordingly.

Additionally, there are several newly commissioned contracts for services we already provide, so there will be no change for you, the patient, aside from some additional administrative requirements for our team.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Dr Whitworth