COVID 19 VACCINE UPDATE

25th June 2021

We have now completed our covid vaccinations and have no further clinics scheduled.  Please book via the hub or contact your local chemist for vaccinations see below for further details.

The Department of Health have announced that Northern Ireland’s COVID-19 vaccination centres are now offering first dose appointments to everyone aged 18 and over, as part of the drive to get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible.  Community pharmacies continue to be available to book a vaccination slot for those aged 40 years and over. Due to the additional availability of the Pfizer vaccine to all age cohorts through Trust centres, community pharmacies will no longer be offering vaccination to under 40s at this

To book online go to: https://covid-19.hscni.net/get-vaccinated/(external link opens in a new window / tab)

For those who cannot book online, appointments can also be made using the telephone service 0300 200 7813.

You should not book if you already have a vaccination appointment with your community pharmacy.  The Trust-run vaccination centres are located at: SSE Arena, Belfast; Foyle Arena, Derry/Londonderry; Omagh Leisure Centre; Lakeland Forum, Enniskillen; South Lake Leisure Centre, Craigavon; Seven Towers Leisure Centre, Ballymena; and Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

Vaccination is the most important thing you can do to protect your community against serious illnesses.  When enough people get vaccinated, it’s harder for a disease to spread to those who can’t have vaccines. 

If you have a discharge letter during the COVID-19 Pandemic please either post into the Health Centre or drop the letter into the prescription box in the front foyer of the Health Centre.

The Doctors and staff at Irvinestown Health Centre in Irvinestown are proud to offer the highest standard of patient-centred healthcare.  We run many clinics for the management of chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes and offer a wide variety of other medical services including antenatal and postnatal care, minor surgery, childhood vaccinations and well-person check-ups.

In addition to everything you need to know about the practice you will also find a wealth of health-related information in the menu on the right hand side. Please have a look around and do send us some feedback if you like.

We have recently set up a Facebook page which can be accessed by seaching for 'Irvinestown Healthcentre'

Thank you to all the patient who have completed our 'Patient Satisfaction Survey'

We have been informed that callers, claiming to be linked to the patient's GP Practice, are seemingly using private patient details and are using this information trying to either sell products to the patient, or to extract financial information, including bank details.

Please be assured that under no circumstances are these people contacting you on behalf of your GP Practice. Therefore, do not disclose any information to them. Please contact our GP Practice, or the PSNI, if you are aware of any of these incidents, so we can assist you from becoming victims of these callers. Thank You.

BREAST SCREENING

A new video that shows women what to expect when they attend for breast screening has been produced by the Public Health Agency. It covers the whole process of screening - from receiving the invitation letter to getting the results. The video is aimed at women who have never attended for breast screening or who have been invited for the first time.  To view please follow the link below.

http://www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2170.htm

CERVICAL SCREENING

A new video that shows women what to expect when they attend for cervical screening has been produced by the Public Health Agency. It covers the complete screening journey including the invitation, the smear test, laboratory processing, results and attendance for colposcopy. the video is primarily aimed at women attending screening for the first time.  To view please follow the link below.

http://www.cancerscreening.hscni.net/2179.htm

Don’t be left out in the cold, understand how to look after your winter ailments

During Self Care Week Irvinestown Health Centre want to support you to self care for life and understand how to take better care of yourself and your family members, especially during the winter months, when seasonal illnesses increase.

Preventing ill health is important during winter and so choose lifestyle options that will impact positively on your physical health, mental wellbeing and self esteem. To beat those winter blues and keep healthy make sure you eat well, drink in moderation, stop smoking and stay active.

It is usual for adults to have two to four colds a year while children are likely to have three to eight as their immune system is more susceptible to viral infections. If you do catch a winter ailment such as a cough, cold or sore throat, treat yourself better by keeping warm and drinking plenty of fluids. Over the counter medicines can help with symptom relief and a pharmacist can offer advice if you need it.

As well as pharmacy support, NHS Choices and the Self Care Forum can provide helpful information on common winter ailments such as coughs, colds, sore throats and fever in children. Generally, symptoms last longer than you might think and it is helpful to know what is normal and what isn’t, Self Care Forum fact sheets http://www.selfcareforum.org/fact-sheets/ can help with this. It is worth remembering also that antibiotics don’t work on most winter illnesses like colds and flu as these are viral infections.

If you have a long term condition, prepare for winter by ensuring you don’t run out of your medication, many pharmacists offer repeat prescription services without the need to see your GP.

Before you visit A&E, remember what it’s there for. It provides vital care for life threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, suspected heart attacks, breathing difficulties, or severe bleeding that cannot be stopped. If you have a winter ailment, ask yourself, do I want to spend 4 hours waiting for someone to look at my sore throat?

Be healthy this winter.

 http://dev.selfcareforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/140917-Treat-Yourself-Better-with-Pharmacist-Advice-GP-Poster-Self-Care-Forum-Logo.pdf

http://www.selfcareforum.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Poster_fin.pdf