GPs’ drop-in surgeries axed to stop spread of killer virus
HEALTH centres in Rochdale have scrapped drop-in surgeries in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus and will not make appointments unless patients explain why they need to see a doctor.
It comes after it was revealed that the virus had claimed its first life in Greater Manchester.
The man in his sixties died at North Manchester General Hospital on Sunday.
In a statement on Facebook Rochdale Health Alliance said: “Due to the spread of the coronavirus practices in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale are no longer able to offer you face2face appointment with any doctor or nurse unless you share the reason for the appointment.”
HEALTH centres in Rochdale have scrapped drop-in surgeries in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus and will not make appointments unless patients explain why they need to see a doctor.
The news come as a man dies of coronavirus, the first in Greater Manchester.
The man in his sixties became the third person in the UK, and the first in Manchester, to die from the Covid-19 virus at North Manchester General Hospital on March 8.
He had recently travelled to Italy and had ‘significant underlying health conditions’ NHS bosses said.
The scrapping of dropins have been introduced at all GP surgeries in Rochdale, Heywood and Middleton. There are currently 20 confirmed coronavirus cases in Greater Manchester, but none in the borough of Rochdale.
In a statement on Facebook Rochdale Health Alliance said: “Due to the spread of the coronavirus practices in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale are no longer able to offer you face2face appointment with any doctor or nurse unless you share the reason for the appointment.
“This is to ensure we minimize the risk of spreading the virus in the practice.
“If you have an objection to sharing the reason for your appointment, you can ring the surgery for a telephone appointment to discuss with a doctor.
“We hope to resume back to our normal booking process once the risk of coronavirus exposure passes.”
The RHA added the new measures could ‘put pressure on GP phone lines’ and asked patients to consider booking appointments or making enquiries online.
Hopwood Medical Centre in Heywood, which last week was forced to temporarily close for cleaning after a ‘possible coronavirus case’ attended the surgery, shared the RHA statement on its Facebook page alongside the message: “The advice has been given to all surgeries in Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale.
“We will be implementing it from Monday 9th March. Also on the advice of the CCG (clinical commissioning group) no practices will be running open surgery (sit and wait) until further notice. The changes have been made to protect all our patients.”
Amy Kay, whose GP is Hopwood Medical Centre, said: “It’s a complete nightmare because as I live in Middleton I can never get appointments, I use the drop-in centre in the mornings as my son goes to a nursery in Heywood.”
On Sunday two new cases were confirmed in Tameside and Bolton. Across the UK there are 273 cases.
It comes after Oldham, Royton and Crompton Academy has announced it will also be closed on Monday.
Bosses at the secondary school on Blackshaw Lane in Royton said an ‘individual within the academy has tested positive for the coronavirus.’
Three cases have also been confirmed in Bury.