Dronfield Medical Practice

12/12/2025

An interesting article giving advice on how to manage winter viruses. 🤍

In this blog, I’ll break down the key facts about the most common winter bugs, their symptoms, how to manage them, and when to seek help.

12/12/2025

❗️Post for patients who have blood tests requested by Chesterfield Royal Hospital consultants but prefer to have phlebotomy done in the practice❗️

Due to a change in the hospital software, we are now unable to access the hospital requests and print forms for you in practice. Please ensure that your consultant prints the blood form for you prior to leaving the hospital.

If you don’t come with the blood test request form we will be unable to proceed to take your blood, as the laboratory will be unable to process it. 🩸

Sorry for any inconvenience - this is outside our control. 😔

11/12/2025

This year, more than ever, we need to carefully manage our access as the NHS responds to its worst flu season since records began. For this reason we have taken the decision again to have the majority of our GPS dealing with urgent on-the-day appointments on the days between Christmas and the New Year.

By increasing the availability of urgent appointments, we hope to support our colleagues in hospitals by ensuring that patients attending A&E are not patients unable to access urgent care.

The appointment numbers will be exactly the same and the team will be working as hard as they normally do.

We do recognise that some patients seeking routine care during this period will be inconvenienced and ask for their understanding and support at this busy time.

10/12/2025

The Derbyshire Dementia Information & Advice Service website has been redesigned and updated, while keeping the familiar feel and the most useful pages and features.
Go online here for more information: www.dementiaderbyshire.org.uk

09/12/2025

Flu cases are surging at present. Not been able to get your child's flu vaccine at school?

No problem, there are mop up clinics in Chesterfield next week. Call 0333 3583 397 to book your child’s appointment.

09/12/2025

A huge thank you to the Christmas elf who brought these goodies in for the team. They clearly understand the joy that coloured post it notes have in an office environment. 🤶🏻
Our patients are the best! 🥰

08/12/2025

Brilliant news that Sheffield’s Safe Square is back in operation for the festive period. More information below. 🫶🏼

The festive season is in full swing and the Christmas lights are shining across the city! 🎄 We’re back 10pm–4am on Barkers Pool starting from tonight and right through all December weekends to help keep your celebrations safe 💚

We can help you with:
🚑 - Medical assistance for you or one of your friends feels poorly or unwell.
🚨- Report any suspicious or dangerous behaviour (guide us on what you want us to do: we can report it immediately to all authorities, the City's CCTV network and venues to help keep the City Centre safe.)
🔋- You need to charge your phone for free!
💬 - You want a quick cuppa and a chat with one of our trained members of the team
📍 - You've lost your mates and want to be safe whilst waiting to meet back up with them.

You can contact us though any bar or club or call our dedicated phone on 07508669890 📱

As we always say, we hope you don't need us, but if you do then we've got you!

02/12/2025

Sharing this for any of our patients who are struggling to get NHS dental care. 🦷🪥🤍

People who need urgent dental care in Derbyshire are being urged to take up extra appointments that are now available, if they need them.

02/12/2025

We are very proud to be highlighted again in the Derbyshire Times (and to be described as ‘superb’ ☺️ )

Last week as well as putting up our Christmas decorations, we had a meeting with our MP to discuss some of the challenges we face and hopes for the future. 🙏🏼

We will continue to deliver the best care we can within the funding we receive, and appreciate everyone’s support and understanding. ❤️

19/11/2025

We would like to make patients aware that currently the wait for a routine appointment is longer than we would like. 🦠 This is due to a combination of factors but the most impact has arisen from a huge surge in demand for appointments due to circulating winter viruses. 🦠

In previous years we have received extra resources in the winter period (funding, other clinics set up externally for general practice to refer to). This year we have not. 😔

We have budgeted to allow some locum help in December, but this will be a drop in the ocean. We expect the run up to Christmas to be very busy. 😰

Our reception staff will endeavour to offer an appointment, however for routine issues this could be now be a few weeks away. 🗓️

We ask that patients use our services responsibly. Please do not ask for an urgent appointment if your issue is not truly urgent.
Urgent appointments have to be protected for those with highest clinical need and not for patient convenience.

What can you do to help 🙏🏼

▫️Self care for mild or self limiting illness.

▫️Use your local pharmacist. There are lots of conditions that pharmacists can treat, including the prescribing of antibiotics and the initiation of the contraceptive pill.

▫️Self refer to physio for muscular problems.

▫️Eye problems are best seen by your optician.

▫️If you already have an appointment booked with us please wait for that appointment to discuss ongoing issues.

▫️Use consultation time efficiently. Don’t waste time discussing problems you encounter in the NHS unless they are clinically relevant. We sympathise but often our hands are tied.

▫️Please phone hospitals directly about hospital appointments/issues. GPs have no control or influence on hospital waiting times. It's much more powerful for the patient to phone and explain any change in circumstance and saves GP time for primary care problems.

▫️If patients are under the Community Mental Health Team and have ongoing concerns or crisis's about mental health, please contact the CMHT duty worker.

▫️Please try and use the service appropriately and equitably. Those taking up multiple appointments or deliberately manipulating the system reduce access to others in need.

▫️Be polite to our team. Our team work hard with the resources given to us by the government. We recognise that sometimes capacity does not meet demand, and there is a limit to how many patients can be safely seen each day. Please be kind.

We would politely ask that patients respect the systems in place that allow safe and efficient care for ALL patients. Rude, aggressive behaviour, and threats will not be tolerated and are not acceptable for our receptionists to deal with on a daily basis.

Primary care is underfunded in the NHS and we are providing the best service possible with the resources given to us.

18/11/2025

🦠 Health experts are warning that the UK could face its most severe flu outbreak in decades this winter, driven by the H3N2 strain. 🦠

If your child is clinically at risk and missed having the flu vaccine at school, or you are clinically at risk, or 65 or over, please contact us to book an appointment. We still have a few vaccines left. 💉

12/11/2025

The surgery is closed this afternoon for training. If you need urgent care whilst we are closed, please ring 111 or go online at: https://111.nhs.uk/

We reopen at 8 o’clock tomorrow morning.