Follow guidelines to keep us all safe
WITH increasing circulation of Covid-19 in the community, the NHS in Wales is facing one of its greatest challenges.
Your local GP surgery is at the forefront of this and we are experiencing unprecedented pressure. To allow us to continue to treat you and the most vulnerable and sick in our society, and to help reduce the spread of coronavirus within our community, the way we deliver care to you is changing.
GPs are now initially carrying out consultations via video calls and telephone consultations. This is minimising the number of people attending GP surgeries until they have had their initial symptoms diagnosed. Following this, where a patient may have Covid-19 but is managing their symptoms, they are being advised to not attend the surgery and instead isolate at home.
Please be reassured however that, when they cannot diagnose you remotely, GPs are still able to see patients for face to face consultations with appropriate precautions being taken f for everyone’s safety.
This system is helping t to keep the public and all staff working at GP surgeries safe while a allowing us to treat patients and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
If you feel you have Covid-19, please do not go to your GP surgery, p pharmacy or hospital.
The initial symptoms of the virus are a high temperature and/or new c continuous cough. If you have either of these, everyone in your household must stay at home for 14 days. You can ring NHS 111, which is a available across the whole o of Wales, for information or advice and they will help you decide if you need to contact your GP.
The doctors and other health professionals that usually help patients after a GP referral are also working hard to keep you safe. These staff, often known as secondary care or hospital care, are still helping patients who have received an emergency referral.
These medical staff still need to take precautions to make sure they are kept safe because some people referred to them could be carrying the coronavirus without showing any symptoms. So that staff and all the patients they see are kept safe, we have been pushing for all medical staff to be issued with appropriate protective equipment.
However, many secondary care doctors have moved to the frontline and are managing coronavirus cases so they can assist the patients most in need of medical care and assistance at this time of crisis. This is why some routine and nonemergency appointments and surgeries have had to be postponed.
We are also hearing distressing reports of frontline staff working in GP practices, hospitals and pharmacies being abused by members of the public. This must stop. We understand that this is a frightening time for everyone, but we are all in this together.
Please be patient with everyone who works in the health service.
Please help all our health services by following the Welsh Government’s guidelines, so we can help keep you and your family safe. We are all in this together. Dr David Bailey Chair, BMA Welsh Council