Dundrum Surgery, 14 Church View, Dundrum, Newcastle, BT33 0NA 028 437 50700
Clough Surgery, 1 Castlewellan Road, Clough, Downpatrick, BT30 8RD 028 44 811535

Noticeboard

COVID VACCINATION CLINIC

We will be offering Covid-19 vaccinations to our patients as per Department of Health guidance. Please do not contact us as we will contact you when it is your turn.

PATIENTS AGED 50-64YRS

Patients aged 50-64yrs who have not received the flu vaccination should contact the surgery to book an appointment with one of the Nursing Team.

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

To help reduce the potential spread of infection, we are advising all patients to phone the surgery.

When you ring us, our staff will ask you some questions to determine your condition. Some of these questions may include if you have a temperature or a cough. These questions help us to determine the best action to take but also helps protect our staff and other vulnerable patients.

If appropriate, you may receive a call back from a GP or be given other relevant advice. Please ensure the practice has up to date contact numbers for you and that you are available for a GP to call you back.

If you need a repeat prescription, please ring the practice on 028 4481 1535 and select option 2. Please advise which chemist you wish your prescription to go to as you will not be able to collect it from the practice.

Coronavirus related fit notes should be downloaded from NHS 111. Patients can self-certify for up to 7 days and self certificates can be accessed online at HMRC website.

For general Coronavirus queries, please refer to the Public Health website - htpps://www.publichealth.hscni.net/news/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

SEASONAL INFLUENZA VACCINATION - 2020/2021

If you are eligible for the flu vaccination, but do not wish to have it, please let us know so we can update your medical records.

SHINGLES VACCINATION PROGRAMME - 2020/2021

Shingles vaccines are available for eligible patients born between 2 September 1949 and 1 September 1950.

If you were born between 2 September 1940 and 1 September 1942 or 2 September 1943 and 1 September 1949 and have not already received the shingles vaccine you are also eligible to receive it.

Please contact the Surgery to arrange an appointment with the Nurse to get your Shingles Vaccine.

PIP's LETTERS

Unfortunately, due to increasing workload in general practice, GPs will no longer be able to provide supporting letters for PIPs.

PROTECTION FROM MENINGITIS AND SEPTICAEMIA

As part of the NHS vaccine programme, patients born between 2 July 1996 and 1 July 2001 who have not already received the Men ACWY vaccine, will be eligible to request the vaccine up until the age of 25 years. First time university students up to the age of 25 are also eligible.

This meningococcal ACWY vaccine protects against meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y.

The number of cases of meningococcal W disease continues to increase year on year so it is vital that young people are offered protection.

GROWING DEMAND FOR APPOINTMENTS

Due to our growing list size we are having a significant increase in demand for GP appointments. There is a province wide shortage of GPs and over the next few months you may need to wait longer for routine appointments. We are actively trying to recruit additional GPs to join our Primary Care Team.

NEW ADVICE ON VITAMIN D INTAKE - see further information section for more details

COUNTERSIGNING PASSPORT AND DRIVING LICENCE APPLICATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS

The Doctors at Dundrum and Clough Surgery are no longer able to countersign passport and driving licence applications and photographs. Please refer to the recognised professions on the passport website - www.gov.uk/countersigning-passport-applications and DVLA website - www.nidirect.gov.uk for further information.

NON NHS SERVICES

Most of the Practice's clinical and non-clinical services are provided without cost under the NHS.  However, there are some items, for which we charge, as they are not provided under the NHS.  Please click on the clinic and services tab above for a detailed list of our current non NHS fees. 

ANTIBIOTIC PRESCRIBING - see further information section for more details

BLOOD PRESSURE MONITORING

A blood pressure monitoring system is now available to use in a private side room in Clough Surgery. Please feel free to take your own blood pressure whenever you wish, hand the blood pressure reading print out to the receptionist along with the completed form so that your medical records can be updated. At times, a GP or Nurse may ask you to do this.

NEW PATIENTS

We welcome new patients. However, from 5 April 2016, we are only able to accept new patients who reside within our Practice Area as approved by HSCB. (see our Practice Area map under New Patients)

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS ONLINE

Did you know that you can order your repeat prescriptions online?  Call into Dundrum or Clough Surgery for personalised login details and then follow the links on the website.

WHOOPING COUGH VACCINATIONS

Whooping cough vaccinations are advised for pregnant women who are 16 weeks and over. This is to prevent whooping cough in newborn babies. If the surgery has not yet contacted you, please phone to arrange this vaccination. It is safe to have the flu and the whooping cough vaccinations together.  The flu vaccinations can be given at any stage in pregnancy.

Have you used the FREE Minor Ailments Scheme? For further information click on the link under further information.

Please see our Self Care section under our further information.

Flu Vaccinations

Who should have the flu jab?


For most people, flu is an unpleasant illness, but it's not serious. If you are otherwise healthy, you will usually recover from flu within a week.

However, certain people are more likely to develop potentially serious complications of flu, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. These people should have a flu jab each year.

People who should have a flu jab

The injected flu vaccine is offered free of charge on the NHS to people who are at risk to ensure that they are protected against catching flu and developing serious complications.

You are eligible to receive a free flu jab if you: 

  • are 65 years of age or over
  • are pregnant 
  • have certain medical conditions (see below) 
  • are living in a long-stay residential care home or other long-stay care facility 
  • receive a carer's allowance, or you are the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill 
  • are a healthcare worker with direct patient contact or a social care worker (see below)

Pregnant women and the flu jab

If you're pregnant, you're advised to have the injectable flu vaccine, regardless of the stage of pregnancy you've reached.

That's because there's strong evidence to suggest that pregnant women have an increased risk of developing complications if they get flu.

If you're pregnant, you will benefit from the flu vaccine because it:

  • reduces your chance of getting serious complications of flu, such as pneumonia, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy
  • reduces your risk of having a miscarriage or your baby being born prematurely or with a low birthweight, due to flu
  • will help protect your baby because they will continue to have some immunity to flu for the first few months of their life

It's safe to have the flu vaccine at any stage of pregnancy, from conception onwards. The vaccine doesn't carry any risks for you or your baby. Talk to your GP or midwife if you are unsure about the vaccination.

Read more about the flu jab in pregnancy.

Flu jab for people with medical conditions

The injected flu vaccine is offered free of charge on the NHS to anyone with a serious long term health condition. That includes these types of illnesses:

This list of conditions isn't definitive. It's always an issue of clinical judgement. Your GP can assess you individually to take into account your risk of flu exacerbating any underlying illness you may have, as well as your risk of serious illness from flu itself. The vaccine should always be offered in such cases, even if you are not technically in one of the risk groups above.

If you live with someone who has a weakened immune system, you may also be advised to have a flu vaccine. Speak to your GP about this.

Flu vaccine for children

  • The flu vaccine is recommended for immunisation of all pre-school children aged two years or more on the 1 September 2018 i.e. those children within a DOB range of 02/07/14 to 01/09/16.
  • Immunisation of any primary school children that miss vaccination by the School Health team.  Parents/guardians will be advised by the School Health Team to contact their GP to enquire about vaccination.  This is especially important for clinically at-risk children.

 Flu jab for health and social care workers

Outbreaks of flu can occur in health and social care settings, and, because flu is so contagious, staff, patients and residents are all at risk of infection.

If you're a frontline health and social care worker, you are eligible for an NHS flu jab to protect yourself, your colleagues and other members of the community. It is your employer's responsibility to arrange vaccination for you.

Flu jab for carers

If you care for someone who is elderly or disabled, speak to your GP about having a flu jab along with the person you care for.

Read more about flu jab for carers.