Melton over-80s told to contact GP surgery if they’ve not had Covid jab

Latham House Medical Practice, in Melton, say its staff have now vaccinated more than 8,000 people and every elderly person living in a care home locally.

Executive manager, Kate Hunter, said today (Tuesday): “We are making tremendous progress with vaccinating our community.

“So far we have vaccinated over 8,000 patients from across the Melton, Syston and Vale area, including all our patients in care homes and care home workers.

“If you are over 80 years and not yet had your vaccination, please get in touch with us to book your vaccination appointment.”

All other patients are respectfully requested to continue to follow the national guidance and please wait to be contacted for their vaccine appointment.

The practice, which is working collaboratively as part of our local Primary care Network (PCN) with Syston Jubilee, Syston County and Vale Practices to deliver the Covid-19 vaccine to our community, emphasises it can only vaccinate people in the priority cohorts established by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations (JCVI).

Ms Hunter added: “We are currently working to vaccinate our patients in the JCVI priority lists 3 and 4, which is everyone over the age of 70 or who have been notified that they are Clinically Extremely Vulnerable, as well as housebound patients.”

Call Latham House on 01664 503000 if you are aged 80 or over and you are still waiting for your first jab.

The practice is keen to thank all staff and volunteers who have helped in rolling out the vaccinations for people in the Melton area.

And the surgery said it hopes to be able to soon offer patients an NHS service called AccuBook which will allow vaccination appointments to be booked online, depending on vaccine availability.

This new system will offer patients flexibility whilst supporting GP practices with a more sustainable vaccination booking process.

AccuBook will send the patient an invitation to book their vaccine via SMS text messages.

Within the text message will be a unique link to that patient which can be clicked to go through to the booking system.

The AccuBook system will also send the patient reminder texts as their appointment nears and it will alert the practice regarding patients who have received an SMS but have not yet booked an appointment.

For patients who do not have SMS consent recorded, practice staff will still telephone patients and book their appointment manually using the AccuBook

system.

Latham House wants to remind patients that it is very important they ensure their details are up to date with the practice.

Patient records can be updated by contacting the surgery online via Engage Consult or via email or a telephone call.