Welcome to Orchard Family Practice

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We are a friendly team of professionals who have deep roots in the community, and we have looked after the great majority of our patients for a considerable time.

We aim to provide a high standard of medical care in a friendly and professional manner. 

We hope our website will provide you with all the information you need.  Please feel free to browse using the navigation at the top or click on the tiles on the right.

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SURGERY CLOSURE (PLT MEETING)

The Surgery will close at 1.00 pm on Thursday 16th November 2023 for essential training and development. Our normal opening and closing times are 8.00 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Friday. If you have an urgent medical problem which cannot wait until we reopen, please contact NHS 111. This is a free service. If your call is a medical emergency or potentially life threatening, please call 999 or go to your local Accident and Emergency Service. If you want to book an appointment at the Surgery, please telephone when we re-open at 8.00 am tomorrow morning. The NHS Medway ICB actively supports developing general practice to improve the care of our patients.

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Autumn Covid Boosters

We are offering our eligible patients the covid booster here at the Surgery.  We are using the National Booking Service for patients wishing to book their covid booster.  Please click on the link to book your covid booster. Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment – NHS (www.nhs.uk) or you can ring NHS 119.

The following people are eligible for an autumn Covid booster:

• Residents in care homes for older adults
• All adults aged 65 years and over
• People aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group, as defined in tables 3 and 4 of the Covid-19 chapter of the UKHSA Green Book on Immunisation
• frontline health and social care workers.
• People aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression, as defined in the UKHSA Green Book
• People aged 16 to 64 years who are carers, as defined in the UKHSA Green Book, and staff working in care homes for older adults

This is because the risk of severe Covid continues to be strongly associated with increasing age and underlying health conditions.

Clinical risk groups for individuals aged 16 years and over include:

• Chronic respiratory disease
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic neurological disease, such as stroke and individuals with cerebral palsy, profound multiple learning disabilities, Down’s syndrome, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease and related or similar conditions.
• Diabetes
• Those with immunosuppression
• Asplenia or dysfunction of the spleen
• Morbid obesity
• Severe mental illness
• Younger adults in long-stay nursing and residential care settings
• Pregnant women

Unfortunately, we are not offering the covid booster to patients under 18 – these will need to contact NHS 119

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eConsult

E- CONSULT IS OPEN FROM 8.00 AM – 9.00 AM MONDAY – FRIDAY.

WHEN COMPLETING THE E-CONSULT IF YOU GET THE MESSAGE “ Based on your answers, you may need urgent advice.  You can continue to submit this consultation, but your practice may not be able to respond today.” PLEASE CONTINUE TO FILL IN THE  E-CONSULT FORM  AS ALL OUR E-CONSULTS ARE RESPONDED TO ON THE DAY.

Please only use this service if you require medical advice from the GP. If you have been asked to make a review appointment with the GP or another member of the practice team, please do not submit an eConsult, but instead telephone the surgery on 01634 568200.

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New free app to help patients wait less for urgent NHS care

Patients in Kent and Medway are now able to use an app to view waiting times at our urgent treatment centres (UTCs) and minor injury units (MIUs).

Please note this is for minor non-life threatening injuries.  The app is for adults only and anyone seeking help for a child under 16 must call NHS 111.
  
It displays the number of people who are waiting, the waiting times, along with travel information and opening times, as well as problems that they can help.

For more information, click on the link below:

https://www.kentandmedway.icb.nhs.uk/news-and-events/news/new-free-app-help-patients-wait-less-urgent-nhs-care