Staying safe when visiting your GP surgery
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination status for travelling abroad
For all enquiries about obtaining proof of your Coronavirus vaccination status, please see the link below for information on how to request this.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/vaccination-status-for-travelling-abroad/
Do not contact your GP surgery about your COVID-19 vaccination status. GPs cannot provide letters showing your COVID-19 vaccine record.
See the link below for many Covid vaccine FAQs
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/?utm_campaign=coronavirus_grants&utm_medium=paid_searchl&utm_source=google&utm_content=keyword&gclid=Cj0KCQjw8IaGBhCHARIsAGIRRYogb72kQRjkbEU4Ajq6mOJUDaL5p_cJ2axWo8_XQKxxVQpSWLIIdrYaAkf_EALw_wcB
For any requests for letters to bring forward Covid vaccinations to less than 8 weeks, we are unable to provide these unless it is for medical reasons. If this applies, call the Covid message line on 0118 2148243.
COVID 19 VACCINATION CLINICS
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/who-can-get-the-vaccine/
Please read the information on the Covid 19 vaccination programme on the link above.
Instructions for arrival at the University Medical Practice for your vaccination
The address for the practice is:
University Medical Practice, 9 Northcourt Avenue, Reading RG2 7HE
Please do not arrive early for your appointment as you will be asked to leave and return at your appointment time. This is required to assist our queue management.
There will be limited parking in the practice car park at the front of the building and 2-hour free parking on the road. If a relative or taxi is bringing you, it is recommended that they drop you off outside the practice and then park on the road to avoid congestion in the practice car park. When you attend the practice for your Covid 19 vaccination, you will be greeted in the car park by an usher. If you are able, you will be directed to walk round the side of the building, to the rear entrance. This is to enable a one-way system and patient flow. The walk is flat via matting on the grass. Please come prepared for the winter weather, with outdoor clothes and sensible shoes to keep you warm and dry for the short walk round the side of the medical practice and wait outside.
You will be checked in by an administrato, please sanitise your hands with the provided sanitiser then you will enter the rear of the practice when your vaccinator is able to see you.
The vaccinator will then ask you a series of questions prior to giving you the vaccination.
You CANNOT have the vaccination if:
- you are currently unwell with a high fever
- you are on warfarin and have been told by the clinic that your INR is higher than your target range at present
- you are taking part in any clinical trials involving medicines or vaccines
- you have had Covid 19 in the preceding 4 weeks
- you have had another vaccination in the preceding 7 days
Please discuss with a health professional if:
- You have had an anaphylactic reaction before to an ingredient in the Pfizer vaccine or are planning to become pregnant in the next 3 months
Please discuss with your midwife if:
- You are pregnant
After your vaccination, if you are having the Pfizer vaccine, you will then be asked to wait in the practice for 15 minutes of observation to ensure there are no adverse effects of the vaccine, such as an allergic reaction. You will be asked to take a seat in a waiting area, which will be divided into seating areas with sides of perspex screens to ensure it is Covid 19 secure. This space will be supervised by a member of staff who will be trained to administer treatment for allergic reactions. There also will be a clinician on duty in the practice in case there may be a more serious reaction. If you have come with a relative, they will need to wait outside for the observation period due to space restrictions. After 15 minutes, you may leave the practice. You will be advised in due course when your second dose vaccination will be which is expected to be within the following 12 weeks.
Please read the Public Health England information leaflet below.
What to expect after your vaccination
Any queries about eligibility or Covid 19 vaccination appointments, please telephone 0118 2148243 and leave a message and you will be contacted within 2 working days by the practice. Please do not phone the main practice number as they will be unable to assist with these enquiries.
Patients visiting the practice for appointments
Dear patients
To ensure the practice is Covid secure we need to ensure the following:
- there is 2 metre distancing between staff and patients (except during a clinical examination)
- face coverings are used where possible
When you ring the bell at the University Practice you will be asked a series of Covid safety questions. You will be offered a seat in the downstairs or upstairs waiting rooms depending on where the clinician is working. However if they are fully occupied you will be asked to wait outside until one is free.
When you ring the bell at the Whitley Villa surgery the same applies regarding the downstairs waiting room.
Priority seating will be given to the old and frail.
You can also choose to wait outside for your appointment if you prefer.
In light of this, please do not arrive early for your appointment and please wear suitable outdoor clothing in case all the seats are occupied and may need to wait outside for your appointment.
Patients booking telephone appointments on-line
The clinicians will always try to contact you at the booked time but please be aware that this may be up to 2 hours after the time slot booked due to the current situation. Do not call the practice to chase your appointment until 2 hours after the appointment time have passed. We apologise for any inconvenience and that you for your patience at this time.
Notice for patients
COVID-19 and your information – Updated on 8th April 2020
Supplementary privacy notice on Covid-19 for Patients
This notice describes how we may use your information to protect you and others during the Covid-19 outbreak. It supplements our main Privacy Notice which is available here
https://www.readinguniversitymedicalpractice.nhs.uk/website/K81605/files/Privacy%20Notice.pdf
The health and social care system is facing significant pressures due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Health and care information is essential to deliver care to individuals, to support health and social care services and to protect public health. Information will also be vital in researching, monitoring, tracking and managing the outbreak. In the current emergency it has become even more important to share health and care information across relevant organisations.
Existing law which allows confidential patient information to be used and shared appropriately and lawfully in a public health emergency is being used during this outbreak. Using this law the Secretary of State has required NHS Digital; NHS England and Improvement; Arms Length Bodies (such as Public Health England); local authorities; health organisations and GPs to share confidential patient information to respond to the Covid-19 outbreak. Any information used or shared during the Covid-19 outbreak will be limited to the period of the outbreak unless there is another legal basis to use the data. Further information is available on gov.uk here and some FAQs on this law are available here.
During this period of emergency, opt-outs will not generally apply to the data used to support the Covid-19 outbreak, due to the public interest in sharing information. This includes National Data Opt-Outs. However in relation to the Summary Care Record, existing choices will be respected. Where data is used and shared under these laws your right to have personal data erased will also not apply. It may also take us longer to respond to Subject Access Requests (SARs), Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) and new opt out requests whilst we focus our efforts on responding to the outbreak.
In order to look after your health and care needs we may share your confidential patient information included health and care records with clinical and non-clinical staff in other health and care providers, for example neighbouring GP practices, hospitals and NHS 111. We may also use the details we have to send public health messages to you, either by phone, text message or email.
During this period of emergency we may offer you a consultation via telephone or video conferencing. By accepting the invitation and entering the consultation you are consenting to this. Your personal/confidential patient information will be safeguarded in the same way it would with any other consultation.
We will also be required to share personal confidential patient information with health and care organisations and other bodies engaged in disease surveillance for the purposes of protecting public health, providing healthcare services to the public and monitoring and managing the outbreak. Further information about how health and care data is being used and shared by other NHS and social care organisations in a variety of ways to support the Covid-19 response is here.
NHS England and Improvement and the NHSX have developed a single, secure store to gather data from across the health and care system to information the Covid-19 response. This includes data already collected by NHS England, NHS Improvement, Public Health England and NHS Digital. New data will include 999 call data, data about hospital occupancy and A&E capacity data as well as data provided by patient themselves. All the data held in the platform is subject to strict controls that meet the requirements of data protection legislation.
In such circumstances where you tell us you’re experiencing Covid-19 symptoms we may need to collect specific health data about you. Where we need to do so, we will not collect more information than we require and we will ensure that any information collected is treated with the appropriate safeguards.
We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time so please review it frequently. The date at the top of this page will be amended each time this notice is updated.
Any queries regarding the data collection of how to opt out of your data being collected by NHS Ditigal, the best place for answers is: General Practice Data for Planning and Research: NHS Digital Transparency Notice - NHS Digital
If you have a pre-booked appointment, please ring the bell and you will be spoken to via the intercom by the receptionist.
Please do not come to the surgery to collect a prescription as they are sent electronically directly to pharmacies.
Please do not attend the practice to make an appointment, instead please call 0118 9874551.
If you have an urgent medical need, please contact the surgery by phone on 0118 9874551. If you are unable to get through, call 111 or if it is an emergency, call 999
DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY WITHOUT CONTACTING US BY PHONE FIRST
Please ask for your prescriptions to be sent electronically to the pharmacy of your choice to avoid needing to come to the practice in person.
Do not visit the practice without calling beforehand and being advised you can do so. Do not come to the practice to ask questions of our staff on the front door, this is an unnecessary risk to staff and to you. Any necessary questions, please email or phone the practice.
These steps have been taken to reduce footfall and to protect all our patients.
Link for vulnerable people in Reading https://www.reading.gov.uk/coronavirussupport
Link for vulnerable people in Wokingham http://citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk/coronavirus/
STOP!
Do not enter the medical practice if you think you have been in contact with coronavirus.
Visit NHS 111 online for advice or call NHS 111
Minor Illness Appointments
Doctor's appointments are available for more complex, ongoing conditions only.
For minor illness appointments, for conditions such as a chest infection, urinary tract infection, tonsillitis, sinusitis etc please call the surgery on 0118 9874551 to arrange an appointment with a member of our minor illness team. Please note that our appointments are monitored to ensure they are booked in with the appropriate clinician. If you book an appointment with a doctor and the condition is deemed to be minor illness, we will make every effort to contact you to advise you when your appointment has been re-booked with one of our highly trained clinicians but please bear in mind, that we may not always be able to contact you to let you know we have done this before you arrive for your appointment.
GP Online Service
Have you tried out the new facility for online health advice via Patient Access? Patients can check symptoms and be signposted to web-based information about their condition. The Online Health Advice feature gives access to a wealth of medical information including articles and videos.
By filling in a simple health enquiry form, patients can read information on how to treat their symptoms and what to do next. The form will then come through to the surgery who will review the information provided and respond within 48 hours. If the information provided by the patient indicates an urgent need for medical attention, they will be directed appropriately.
How does it work?
Sign into or register for Patient Access at www.patientaccess.com. Search for your symptoms or condition and select the results that match.
Read through the relevant health information and guidance tailored to your results. Once you’ve read the advice, if you still need help, submit the details through the online form and a relevant staff member at the surgery will review it.
They will then advise if you need to contact elsewhere (999, NHS 111 or your pharmacy) based on your symptoms.
The University Health Centre 9 Northcourt Avenue Reading Berkshire RG2 7HE Tel: 0118 9874551 Email: bwccg.umg@nhs.net | Whitley Villa Surgery 1 Christchurch Road Reading Berkshire RG2 7AB Tel: 0118 9874551 Email: bwccg.umg@nhs.net |  
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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.
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.
Practice Leaflet
Download the practice leaflet here
(Site updated 29/07/2021)