KEEPING YOUR SURGERY SAFE:

Throughout the pandemic, we have strived to make the surgery as safe as possible for all our patients and staff.

We are mindful that restrictions in general have begun to relax but it is imperative we continue to operate in a safe working environment and reduce the risk of spreading COVID amongst us.

The risk to our surgery if GPs, clinicians or other team members test positive for COVID may result in a reduction of appointments and add extra pressure to our support team.

We therefore ask the following:

• Continue to wear a face covering
• Do not come to the surgery if you have any covid symptoms
• Do not come to the surgery if you are waiting for results from a covid test
• Please do not request a face to face appointment if you have any covid symptoms, you will be offered a telephone consultation.

Thank you for helping us keep our surgery safe.

Building Works at Amersham Health Centre

We are operating from temporary buildings located in our car park area.  We expect these arrangements to be in effect until June 2022.  

The reason for these works is that after routine and precautionary testing at the Amersham Health Centre building and inspection of the integrity of its water system, legionella bacteria has been identified.  Please be reassured that any risks to users of this building – whether patients, staff or any other visitors is minimal. Enhanced mitigating measures have been put in place to further reduce and control any risks while we continue to use this site over the next few weeks. This includes the installation of special filters on all water outlets, daily enhanced flushes of the water system and the provision of bottled water for staff and patients.

The longer-term solution to this problem is to renew the building’s pipework, which is why the premises must be vacated. NHS Property Services is working closely with Amersham Health Centre and NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group to support the practice and its patients and to resolve this situation as soon as possible.

Notes for our patients when visiting the surgery:

Please be aware there is no onsite parking. There are multiple disabled spaces available in the multi-storey car park for blue badge holders. 

• Please enter Amersham Health Centre Porta cabin site via patient entry gate A
• Please make your way carefully to the reception Porta cabin.
• Book in with a receptionist.
• The receptionist will direct you to the appropriate Porta cabin to see the  clinician.
• Please take great care moving around the site.
• If you require help walking up the steps to the Porta cabin please let the receptionist know and she will ask the doctor/nurse to help you.
• Please either leave through the patient gate A or go back to reception if you have any queries.

Samples and documents/paperwork can be handed into reception.

Please be aware that the site is open to the weather and wear appropriate clothing. We have no covering between Porta cabin’s.

Prescriptions  – We are unable to accept paper requests out of reception working hours. Use the Amersham Health Centre website or email prescriptions.ahc@nhs.net.

Registrations  – Completed forms to be sent to ahc.registration@nhs.net or to be given to reception within the time frames noted on the front of the form.

Toilets  – There are male and female and disabled toilet facilities available on site. 

COVID-19 Updates / Boosters

If you have any queries, please see the Coronavirus Tab / Coronavirus - Vaccine Information page.

Amersham Hospital is running a specific clinic for patients who are Immunosuppressed and need their top up COVID vaccination.  

Date: 15 June

Time of clinic is:  9.30am – 4pm

Venue – Amersham Hospital, Whielden St, Amersham HP7 0JD

Slots for this clinic can be found on NBS or patients can email bht.covidvaccineteam@nhs.net for an appointment

You can now get proof of your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination details and test results using the NHS COVID Pass service.

If you have full access to the NHS App, and are registered at a GP surgery in England, you can view and share your COVID Pass for places in England that have chosen to use this service and travel abroad.

If you do not have full access to the NHS App, you can still get your COVID Pass for places in England that have chosen to use this service.

To get your COVID Pass:

1. Log in to the NHS App
2. From the homepage select Get your NHS COVID Pass
3. Follow the instructions on the screen

For more information on the NHS COVID Pass service, visit the NHS COVID Pass page on the NHS website. 

Welcome to The Surgery, Amersham Health Centre. We hope that you will find this website useful. We aim to provide a high standard of medical and nursing care for all our patients, with a strong emphasis on disease prevention, health education and self-help. There is much that you, the patient, can do to maintain your own good health and the aim of this website is:

To help you - by giving useful information about the services we offer and advice on how to manage minor illness in the home.

To help us - by making cleer how our services can best be used.

To help us to help you - by encouraging a team approach between the practice and the patients.

In an emergency, when we are closed, please phone Bucks 24/7 on 0300 033

988 for medical advice or to see a doctor urgently

We are now using Chain SMS to message patients!

Chain SMS allows us to send text messages to patients. It means we can be much more proactive with communication, messaging you quickly and securely, so you are not waiting around to hear from us!

Some examples of how we might use it…

Reminders of notifications (eg prescription ready)

Responding to simple queries (eg if you had a quick question about your medication)

Letting you know we tried to call

Send you advice at the end of a consultation

The practice name will always be at the bottom of the message. You won’t be able to reply to them. Please help us to help you by keeping your number up to date. If you don’t want us to contact you in this way please let us know.

Improved Access to GP Appointments

An improved service to access GP appointments has launched in Buckinghamshire and is available to all patients registered with a Bucks GP. This service involves local GP practices working together to offer patients better access to appointments. It means that you can now book an appointment in a practice local to you:

Up until 8pm from Monday to Friday (Amersham Health Centre - Wednesday)

Selected hours on a Saturday (Amersham Health Centre 1 in 8 Saturdays)

9am until 1pm on Sunday and Bank Holidays (at one of the three Improved Access Hubs located across the county)

This should mean that patients also have greater flexibility for routine, bookable appointments. It is, however, not a walk-in service. If you need urgent medical advice after 6.30pm or at a weekend, please phone NHS 111 in the first instance – they will be able to advise you and book an appointment if necessary.

These appointments can be booked through the practice you are registered with, and are being offered from three Improved Access Hubs, located at:

High Wycombe Hospital: (located at the Urgent Treatment Centre or UTC) Queen Alexander Road, High Wycombe, HP11 2TT

Stoke Mandeville Hospital: Corridor 5, Gate 2, Mandeville Road, Stoke Mandeville, HP21 8AL

Threeways Surgery: Pennylets Green, Stoke Poges, Buckinghamshire, SL2 4AZ