West Quay Medical Centre

26/03/2026

📢 Appointment Availability Update – Today

Due to a combination of unexpected GP sickness and previously planned annual leave, we are experiencing significantly reduced appointment availability today.

Our team is working hard to prioritise patients with the most urgent clinical needs. If your issue isn't urgent, you can visit our website www.westquaymedicalcentre.co.uk for self-help, use NHS Wales 111 online https://111.wales.nhs.uk/, contact your local pharmacy for advice https://cavuhb.nhs.wales/our-services/community-pharmacies/, or book a routine appointment on another day using the NHS Wales App https://app.nhs.wales/login

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this period.

Thank you for supporting our practice and our staff. 💙

West Quay Medical Centre provides NHS GP services in Barry & Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan. Book appointments, order repeat prescriptions and access health support & resources.

24/03/2026

📣 Have Your Say on Local Pharmacy Services!

Cardiff and Vale University Health Board has launched a new Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment survey, and they would love to hear from you.

🧑‍⚕️💊 This survey will help them understand:

How easily can people access local pharmacies
Which pharmacy services are most used
Whether current services meet the needs of our communities
Opportunities to improve services over the next five years

Your feedback is essential. By taking part, you’ll help shape how pharmacy services are delivered across Cardiff and Vale, making sure everyone has access to the support they need, close to home.

✅ Complete the survey in English:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CAVUHBPNA/
✅ Yn Gymraeg / In Welsh:
https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/CAVUHBPNAWelsh/

Please take a few minutes to take our survey.

19/03/2026

📱 Same-Day Appointments on the NHS Wales App

👉 NEW FROM NEXT WEEK:
A proportion of our on-the-day face-to-face GP appointments will be made available to book via the NHS Wales App from 6.00am each day (Excluding Weekends and Bank Holidays).

This is part of our ongoing efforts to improve access and help reduce telephone demand at 8:00am.

If you haven’t already downloaded the app, we encourage you to register so you can access appointments more easily:
https://app.nhs.wales/

19/03/2026

🦠 Important Patient Update: Meningitis Awareness

We are aware of a current meningitis outbreak and would like to remind patients about vaccination and what steps to take.

💉 Vaccination is the best protection:

Men B vaccine is part of the routine childhood immunisation schedule for babies and young children. Your child will be invited for these as eligible between 8 weeks and 13 months.

Pneumococcal vaccine also provides protection against some types of meningitis. If you are over the age of 65 years or between 2-64 and in an “at risk” group you can contact the surgery to book your vaccine. This is typically a once in a lifetime vaccine.

Men ACWY vaccine is routinely offered from school year 9 up to age 25.

📅 Missed a vaccine?
To check if you or your child has missed any of the above vaccinations, please 📞 02921 841234.

⚠️ Important to know:

Meningitis B and Meningitis ACWY vaccine are not routinely available on the NHS for older age groups. Private providers may offer it, but there is currently limited availability nationwide.

📱 Concerned about exposure?
If you are worried about possible exposure related to the outbreak, please seek guidance via the Public Health Wales. https://phw.nhs.wales

🩺 Know the symptoms:
Early symptoms can include fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, and a rash. If you are concerned about meningitis, seek medical attention.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/

18/03/2026

⚠️ It’s important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia as serious illness can take place quickly.

If you, your child, or a loved one, become unwell please contact your GP or 111 ☎️

18/03/2026

MENINGITIS CONCERNS

We have received a number of queries and questions following reports of a meningitis outbreak in Kent, particularly regarding the MenB (Meningitis vaccine).

The MenB vaccine was only introduced into the routine UK childhood vaccination schedule in 2015. It is currently offered to babies at:
• 8 weeks
• 12 weeks
• 12–13 months

There is no other NHS vaccination programme for children over the age of 2 or for adults. However the MenB vaccine may be available privately.

For further information, please refer to the Public Health Wales website (link attached).

https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/meningococcal-group-b-menb/

https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/meningitis-and-meningococcal-disease/

Some of the links included in this information lead to content created by other organisations and may not be available in Welsh.

17/03/2026

25/02/2026

📢 IMPORTANT UPDATE: Changes to Our Appointment System from 2nd March

From 2nd March, West Quay Medical Centre will be introducing some important changes to our appointment system. These updates are based on increasing demand for same‑day face‑to‑face GP appointments, the need to provide better continuity of care, and valuable feedback from our 2025–26 Annual Patient Questionnaire.

Here’s what’s changing:

🩺 More Pre‑Bookable Face‑to‑Face Appointments
To support ongoing GP care and follow‑up plans, we will be increasing the number of pre‑bookable GP face‑to‑face appointments.

📱 Same‑Day Appointments on the NHS Wales App
In addition to the pre‑bookable appointments already available online, we will now be offering a number of same‑day appointments that can be booked directly through the NHS Wales App. This will help to reduce the telephone demand at 8.00am.

If you haven’t already downloaded it, we encourage patients to register so you can access appointments more easily.
https://app.nhs.wales/

🚨 New System for Emergency On‑the‑Day Appointment Requests
To help our on‑call GP assess urgent requests more effectively, we are introducing a new triage process:

-> You may be directed to our automated service, or
A receptionist will collect the necessary information by phone so that your request can be properly assessed by the on‑call GP.

This ensures urgent issues are prioritised while routine problems receive the most appropriate appointment.

🚑 Welcoming Our New Advanced Paramedic
We are pleased to announce that from April, an Advanced Paramedic will be joining our team one day a week. They will run clinics and see patients as part of our expanding multidisciplinary team. We hope this will be a welcome addition and help improve access to care.

Thank You
We appreciate your feedback and continued support as we make these improvements. Our aim remains the same: to provide safe, timely and high‑quality care for all our patients.

Please share this update to help spread the word.

19/02/2026

📢 Important Update for Our Patients

We would like to let our patients know that we are currently a full-time nurse down due to maternity leave. While we are absolutely delighted for our colleague, this does mean that our nursing capacity is significantly reduced at the moment.

We are actively trying to secure nurse locum cover; however, availability is extremely limited, and locums are unfortunately few and far between right now.

During this time, we kindly ask for your patience and understanding. Our team is working incredibly hard and exploring alternative solutions within our existing workforce to minimise disruption and continue providing safe, high-quality care.

We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and truly appreciate your support and understanding while we navigate this temporary challenge.

Thank you for bearing with us 💙

18/02/2026

📢 Important Update for Patients Requiring MRI Scans
We’d like to remind all patients that GPs are not able to prescribe sedatives (such as diazepam) for claustrophobia before an MRI scan.

This is because any sedation needed for MRI procedures must be arranged directly through the hospital’s radiology department, where the appropriate monitoring and safety measures are in place.
If you feel anxious or claustrophobic about an upcoming MRI, please speak to the hospital team managing your scan—they will be able to advise you on safe options.

For full details, please see our guidance here:
🔗 https://www.westquaymedicalcentre.co.uk/pages/851-advice-for-patients-about-requests-to-prescribe-sedatives-prior-to-dental-procedures-anxiety-from-flying-and-claustrophobia-before-an-mri

The same applies to dental procedures and flying.

Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep patients safe. 💙

West Quay Medical Centre has taken a policy decision to stop prescribing diazepam outside the terms of its licence, including as a sedative for aircraft flights. This policy decision has been made by the GP Partners and will be adhered to by all prescribers working in the practice. The reasons for t...

18/02/2026

Free Heart Screening for 16-26 year olds and Subsidised Screening for Ages 27 and Over

Sudden cardiac arrest in young people is uncommon but can occur without prior symptoms.
To support early detection, Calon Hearts UK is hosting a cardiac screening event over the weekend of 28th February and 1st March at Sully Sports and Social Club. Screenings for those aged 16-26 will be free and for those 27 and they offer subsidised screening for £299.