The Gardens surgery - closed

Does anybody know what's going on here?

I need a repeat prescription. I do them via Lloyds Direct/Echo, but they (quite rightly, obviously) can't send out medication until the request has been signed off by a GP. Lloyds sent the request to the surgery on 3 January.

Yesterday I phoned the surgery and got a message saying the NHS had told them to suspend all appointments until further notice unless urgent, and so only to speak to somebody if it was urgent. So I emailed them, but have so far had no reply.

I phoned again this morning and now there is just a very short message saying that they are closed "due to staff shortage", and giving a number to ring if the call is urgent.

Is this the situation with all surgeries in the area, or is it just The Gardens?

I have no idea if my issue counts as being "urgent" or not. I am running out of the medication.

Thanks. I just phoned Lloyds Direct, who say they can do nothing without a prescription.

I will have to try the "urgent" route, but I feel bad taking up their time.

ETA: Phoned the "urgent" number and they say they can't help with the medication but the surgery will be open again after 2pm.

Why on earth couldn't The Gardens just have said so in their phone message? Anyway, hopefully this information may be of use to anybody else trying to contact them this morning ......

ETA: The "urgent" number given came up on my mobile as being the Tessa Jowell Health Centre.

> ETA: The "urgent" number given came up on my

> mobile as being the Tessa Jowell Health Centre.

Was that the number of the Tessa Jowell GP practice, 020 8194 7600; or of one of the other services/providers located there, such as the SELDOC out-of-hours service?

ed_pete Wrote:

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> Could calling 111 be any help ?

Thanks, that would have been my last resort but I finally managed to get to speak to someone at The Gardens this afternoon, phew!

ianr Wrote:

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> > ETA: The "urgent" number given came up on my

> > mobile as being the Tessa Jowell Health Centre.

>

> Was that the number of the Tessa Jowell GP

> practice, 020 8194 7600; or of one of the other

> services/providers located there, such as the

> SELDOC out-of-hours service?

It was a Primary Care Service.

EPCS.

0208 194 7570.

I looked at askmygp.uk that Tessa Jowell GP Surgery uses as an online portal.

"Following National Guidance we will be temporarily ceasing all non-urgent/non-essential activity and redeploying the majority of our staff into the covid vaccination program until the week commencing 10th January.

Any patient with an urgent presenting complaint, or potentially serious underlying and unmet clinical need, will still be assessed, managed, and referred onwards as appropriate. Any patient with symptoms that are suspicious of cancer, or is concerned that they may have cancer, will be assessed, managed, and referred onwards if appropriate. Any routine care that can be safely postponed will be rescheduled until the new year or signposted to NHS 111 online for self-care advice, or to local community pharmacy. "

Laddy Muck Wrote:

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> Sue, I think that the surgery is usually closed

> for a large chunk of the day every Thurs. for

> training. You might have caught them during those

> hours. I called them quite late today outside of

> their training hours and got through no problem.

On Wednesday their phone message said they had been asked to close by the NHS (I presume to do vaccinations, as per JohnL's post above) and this morning it said it was due to staff shortage.

I know their recorded message sometimes mentions staff training, but this one didn't.

I got through after 2pm as advised by ECPS.

Sue wrote:

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> ianr wrote:

> ----------

>>

>> Was that the number of the Tessa Jowell GP

>> practice, 020 8194 7600; or of one of the other

>> services/providers located there, such as the

>> SELDOC out-of-hours service?

>

> It was a Primary Care Service.

>

> EPCS.

>

> 0208 194 7570.

That'll be the Extended Primary Care Service https://www.ihlsouthwark.co.uk/what-we-do/epcs/, incorporated as Improving Health Ltd https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/08926168/filing-history in 2014. It's set up to provide services to all of the South Southwark practices. I think they each provide a shareholder.

They and the out-of-hours service provided by SELDOC are both included in the list of all services available at TJHC: https://selondonccg.nhs.uk/in-your-area/southwark/tessa-jowell-health-centre/.

[15/3/22 minor edits]

I had a moderately urgent phone conversation with one of doctors at Gardens and was told the reception was closed due to Covid related staff issue. That was Thurs.

May not be the whole story. Just passing on what i know.