Davenport House Surgery Harpenden

23/03/2026

Issue now resolved.

Issue now resolved.

The GP surgeries in Harpenden are currently experiencing technical difficulties due to our computer system being down, this is affecting surgeries across the nation.
A team is working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Our apologies for any inconvenience

17/03/2026

Meningitis can be very serious if not treated quickly.

The NHS website has all the information you need, including what to look out for and when to get medical help.

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

We have currently had no further advice or guidance from UKHSA since the current outbreak in the news.

The current vaccine schedule for Meningitis B is since 1st July 2015 babies are vaccinated with Meningitis B at 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 1 year. We are currently unable to vaccinate older children, and the vaccine is currently only available at private clinics or pharmacies.

Measures are in place in Kent, local to the outbreak which is for those who have had contact or possible contact. According to the news, the outbreak strain is Meningitis B, which is bacterial and usually transmitting in spit and saliva. When we receive further information or guidance, we will update our website and Instagram/pages.

25/02/2026

We recently wrote an article in the Forum highlighting the help that is available for those struggling with addiction.

If you recognise any of these behaviours in yourself or someone you care about, it’s important to know that you're not alone.

The Harpenden Health PCN comprised of the three local GP practices Davenport House Surgery Harpenden; the Elms Medical Practice and The Village Surgery can help and have connections with a variety of local organisations and services that can offer support.

Please reach out to your local GP practice.

Read the Forum newsletter here: https://www.harpenden.gov.uk/news-and-initiatives/forum

01/02/2026

❤️ We need cholesterol in our blood to stay healthy, it’s when it gets too high that it’s a problem. High cholesterol can lead to health problems in the future, and the only way to know you have it is to get a cholesterol test.

🥗 The good news is that there are treatments and lifestyle changes that can lower your cholesterol and triglycerides, and these changes all add up. By lowering your blood fats, you’ll lower your risk of illnesses or help stop them from getting worse.  

🩺 If you have any questions or concerns about your cholesterol level and how to lower it, please contact your GP Practice.

📱nhs.uk/health-assessment-tools/calculate-your-heart-age

29/01/2026

You may in the future need advice for yourself or a person you care for.

The Friends of PPG is hosting a talk by Rennie Grove Peace on 18th February 2026 at The Harpenden Trust Halls entitled “More than just end of life care”. They have kindly opened this up to other Harpenden GP Practice patients.

It will cover new Living Well services to offer early support to patients and carers who have a progressive life-limiting illness, right from diagnosis. This includes emotional support, exercise, wellbeing, complementary therapies and many more.

To secure a place please use this link https://fotvs.org/next-speaker-event.

28/01/2026

Power Restored at the Practice

Dear Patients,

Power has now been restored in the Vaughan Road area following an unexpected underground cable fault earlier today.

Electricity engineers have diverted the supply and it’s confirmed that service is now back to normal. We sincerely apologise for the disruption this caused to appointments and phone access while the outage was ongoing.

27/01/2026

*Temporary Power Issue at the Practice*

Dear Patients,

We’re currently experiencing a partial power outage at Davenport House which is affecting some of our clinical rooms and systems.

Our team is on site and we are working with the building management and electricity provider to get this resolved as quickly as possible. In the meantime:

- Phone lines are no longer operational
- Access to certain services (including some clinical systems) are temporarily limited

We will contact patients directly if your appointment has been affected.

If you have an urgent medical issue that cannot wait, please attend the walk in centre at QE2 or contact NHS 111. If an emergency please call 999.

For urgent prescription queries, please contact your usual pharmacy where possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we work through this.

We’ll post updates here as soon as we have more information.

23/01/2026

Blood pressure readings are given as 2 numbers, with the 1st number higher than the 2nd (for example,130/80).

The first number measures the systolic pressure. This is the highest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart pumps blood around the body.

The second number measures the diastolic pressure. This is the lowest level your blood pressure reaches when your heart relaxes between each heartbeat.

Your blood pressure is usually considered high if it’s either:

140/90 or higher when checked by a healthcare professional
135/85 or higher when checked at home
You can lower high blood pressure by making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating healthily, exercising regularly and cutting down on alcohol.

Many people also need tablets to control their blood pressure. A doctor will recommend the most suitable medicine for you if needed.

09/01/2026

Please bear with your GP Surgery as there is a nationwide issue with the online communication system. If your request is urgent please call your surgery, but otherwise please allow some time for the issue to be fixed. For further advice you can call 111. Thank you for your patience.

08/01/2026

⚠️ Nestle have recalled specific batches of its SMA infant formula and follow on formula. This is due to the potential presence of cereulide in certain batches. There have not been any confirmed cases of illness, but if you have any of the affected products you should not feed it to your baby. If you have an affected batch and have fed your baby and are worried, please get in touch with 111 or your GP.

Update 1 - Nestlé recalls several SMA Infant Formula and Follow-On Formula as a precaution because of the possible presence of cereulide (toxin). This notice contains updated expiry dates for affected batches of SMA Advanced Follow-On Milk and SMA ALFAMINO. https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-02-2026-update-1

24/12/2025

🎄 Christmas Day Pharmacy Opening - St Albans & Harpenden 🎄

If you need urgent medication or none urgent advice on Christmas Day, the following local pharmacies will be open to support our community:

📍 St Albans & Harpenden
Please check the image below for locations and opening times.

We recommend attending only during the listed hours.

If you’re unsure whether you need to be seen, please call 111 which is available 24/7.

Wishing all our patients a safe and peaceful Christmas!

11/12/2025

Important Prescription Notice

We’re aware of a national technical issue affecting the system GPs use to authorise prescriptions. This may cause delays in processing your medication requests.

If your prescription is urgent:
Please check with your pharmacy first, as the request may already have reached them.

If it’s not urgent:
Please allow a couple of extra days before collecting your medication.

Thank you for your patience and understanding while this issue is being resolved.