News

Flu Vaccinations

Nasal flu vaccine clinics for children are now available

This years adult Flu Vaccination campaign will start from 3rd October

We will be running clinics though the week and on the following Saturdays:

- Saturday 5th October
- Saturday 12th October

Flu Vaccination eligibility:

- Those aged 65 and over
- Those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
- Those in long-stay residential care homes
- Carers in receipt of carers allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
- Close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
- Frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home
- Children aged 2-3 years

We will also be offering Covid booster vaccinations to eligible patients

Eligible patients will be sent a booking link via text message or can book by phoning or speaking to a receptionist.

Please click here to see the GOV UK website for further information

Free Unpaid Carers Information Fair

If you support someone that could not manage without your help, you may be an unpaid carer.

Come and have a chat with different organisations that can help you.

Find out how different organisations and services can help:
- Parent carers
- Young carer (4-18)
- Adult carers of adults

Thursday 26th September
10am-4pm
Ocean, Exmouth, Queens Drive, EX8 2AY

Weekly Working Party - Moretonhampstead Community Allotment

Wednesdays - 2:30pm-4:30pm

All welcome! No experience necessary. Join in and meet new people, learn about growing, and share produce.

Art, music, and growing workshops are available, supporting physical and mental wellbeing.

Tea and cake is provided

For more details, contact Torie at torie@wellmoor.co.uk, or call 01647 478378.

Walks For Men On Dartmoor

Walks for men, led by men

Saturday 7th September, 10:00am-1:00pm, Meldon

Saturday 19th October, 10:00am-1:00pm, Belstone

Walks are free and led by a qualified guide. Some carshare transport available to walk location

For more details or to register, email torie@wellmoor.org.uk, or call 01647 478378

NOTICE TO PATIENTS

Following the recent BMA ballot which you may have heard about in the press, we are writing to explain what this means for you and the future of General Practice.

GPs have for years been doing work that is not funded and not contracted due to gaps in commissioned services and pressures in secondary care services; they have been doing so out of concern for their patients and to ensure that you continue to receive the care you deserve.

However, with chronic underfunding and increased demand it is no longer sustainable for GPs to continue working in this way. Since 2015 we have seen 1600 Practices close or merge, there are 6 million more registered patients and 2000 fewer full time equivalent GPs across the country. Our funding levels are significantly lower than 2018 levels. This means we will be focussing on the safety and stability of our service going forwards.

Collective action is about working legitimately within our contracts. You may have heard this referred to in the press as industrial action; this is factually incorrect. We will not be doing anything that compromises your safety, and we will not currently be going on strike.

We hope you understand that we are taking this action to ensure that general practice locally, in Devon and across England is there for our patients in years to come, and hope for your forbearance.

North Dartmoor Mental Wellbeing Drop In

The Drop-In will be provided by Okehampton Medical Centre, Community Links, and West Devon CVS for the North Dartmoor Primary Care Network.

Dr Emma Sircar from the Okehampton Medical Centre said "People have told us that when they feel low they wish there was someone to talk to at the weekend. We look forward to seeing them at the Drop-In. This is for everyone in Okehampton and the surrounding towns and villages."

For further information, please contact - Okehampton Medical Centre - 01837 52233, or Vicky at Community Links - 07933 663796.

SystmConnect Availability

SystmConnect is available Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm.

Please use Systmconnect for all requests between 8am and 4pm. In order to manage demand we are asking that you phone us on 01837 52233, option 3, only if it is urgent after 4pm.

We are currently unable to complete all requests each day so we are prioritising urgent requests and if not urgent, your query will be dealt with within 5 working days.

Repeat prescription requests can still be submitted via SystmConnect.

Thank you for your understanding,

Okehampton Medical Centre

PATIENT NOTICE: Please ensure you leave at least 72 hours for us to process your prescription

Thank you, Okehampton Medical Centre.

Would you like to play an important part in training future clinicians?

Please note that there is no obligation to agree to this and if you do not wish a student to be present, please tell one of the Patient Services Advisors or Clinicians.

All students are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the Doctors and other staff.

Ear Microsuction Appointments

Lee Curran from Devon Ear Clinic will now be offering Ear Microsuction appointments to patients at Okehampton Medical Centre on Thursday mornings.

Please note: this is a private service.

For patients who are over 75, you will be booked in with Okehampton Medical Centre as usual.

For more information and to book, please click here to visit the Devon Ear Clinic website

MMR Vaccines

The MMR vaccine is a safe and effective combined vaccine, it protects against 3 serious illnesses (Measles, Mumps and Rubella).

These highly infectious conditions can easily spread between unvaccinated people.

Getting vaccinated is important, as these conditions can also lead to serious problems including Meningitis, hearing loss and problems during pregnancy.

You need two doses of MMR vaccine to protect you, it's never too late to have your MMR!

Search for 'MMR vaccine' on the NHS website to read further information.

Click here to book a vaccination appointment at Okehampton Medical Centre via Klinik (please select the 'Nurse/HCA appointment requests' tile)

Okehampton Memory Café

Tuesdays 1-3pm
at the Pavilion in the Park

The Memory Café will hold specific activities to help with memory problems, which will also include some physical activities. However, organisers are also aiming to hold more social activities, such as offering the chance to bake cakes.

For more information, please contact:
Ian 01837 54546 / ian@ocrasport.org.uk
or Vicky 079336 63796 / vicky@communitylinks-sw.co.uk

Devon's Community Mental Health

The way we deliver community mental health services in Devon is changing. Click the link to watch a short animation to find out more about the changes we're delivering and what this means for people and communities across the country. If you want to find out more or get involved, email dpt.cmhf@nhs.net.

Click here to watch the short animation on community mental health services in Devon (this will open YouTube)

Contact Details

If you are unable to update your details online or through the NHS app, please get in touch with us and we'll update your records for you.

Click here to read the guidance on managing your NHS account

Information Update - Blood Tests

*Please do not book or request blood tests unless you have been specifically advised to do so by a GP or another clinician at the practice.

*HCA’s and phlebotomists cannot request any bloods without prior clinical assessment.

Thank you

Practice Newsletters