Saltash Health Centre

02/09/2025

28/08/2025

🌞 Be Tick Aware This Summer 🌿

As we enter the summer months, tick activity typically peaks, and cases of Lyme disease are emerging or increasing in parts of England. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) wants to raise public awareness about ticks and Lyme disease.

What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be passed to humans through the bite of an infected tick. On average, nearly 6% of ticks in England and Wales carry the bacteria, though this can vary depending on the area and year. It is the most common tick-borne disease in the UK.

How to stay safe:

Be aware of ticks and their habitats.
Perform regular tick checks on yourself, your family, and pets.
Remove any attached tick promptly and safely.

For more information:
UKHSA blog: What is Lyme disease and why do we need to be tick aware? https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/21/what-is-lyme-disease-and-why-do-we-need-to-be-tick-aware/
UKHSA video: Watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y9yo_Oi1zc
NHS information sheet: Lyme disease https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/lyme-disease/

Stay safe, enjoy the outdoors, and remember to check for ticks! ✅

28/08/2025

The MORE-KARE trial. MORE-KARE is a new and innovative multi-centre investigation of increasing alcohol abstinence with ketamine-assisted psychological therapy in severe alcohol use disorder (MORE-KARE).

Follow this link for more information: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/morekare/

Follow this link to visit the self assessment page: https://sites.exeter.ac.uk/morekare/self-assessment/

20/08/2025

Update 21/8/25 - We have recruited a locum respiratory nurse which has enabled us to re-schedule patients appointments that were cancelled.

We are currently experiencing a shortage of respiratory nurse appointments due to staff sickness and planned annual leave. This has inevitably led to some booked clinics being cancelled.

We are very sorry for the inconvenience and are actively looking to recruit short term additional staff resource to cover the gap so we can get back to full capacity as soon as possible.

🙏 Thank you for bearing with us while we work through this.

18/08/2025

Patient Expectations Around Prescription Timelines

We have had some feedback recently from patients who were surprised that their medication was not ready immediately after being advised that it would be available.

Key points to note for patients:

Processing time - Prescriptions are not necessarily processed instantly by the practice script team due to the volume of prescriptions that we process each day.

Pharmacy workload - Community pharmacies also need time to prepare medication, and this may vary depending on their capacity.

Urgent vs routine needs - The time taken process the prescription will vary depending on whether the medication is urgent (same day if clinically necessary) or routine (usually available within 3-5 working days).

Repeat prescriptions - Patients are encouraged to request repeats in good time to avoid running out.

We hope that by setting out a realistic timeline and managing patients expectations, we can help reduce unnecessary calls and visits, support our pharmacy colleagues, and maintain patient trust.

13/08/2025

📢 Bank Holiday Closure Notice 📢

Saltash Health Centre will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday 25th August 2025.

💊 Please make sure you order and collect any medication you need in advance so you’re covered over the long weekend.

Thank you for your understanding, and we hope you enjoy the bank holiday! 🌞

11/08/2025

📊 July Appointment Update – Thank You! 🩺💙

In July, a total of 5,955 appointments were booked at the practice – a big thank you to everyone who attended their appointments! 🙌 Your commitment helps us keep things running smoothly and ensures we can provide timely care to all our patients.

However, we did have 202 appointments where patients didn’t attend (DNAs) – that’s 3.4% of the total. While it might seem small, every missed appointment is a missed opportunity for someone else who may need care. ⏳

If you can’t make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else. Cancelling is quick and easy:

✅ Via your NHS account on the NHS website or NHS App
✅Submit an on-line form via our website www.saltashhealth.co.uk/appointments
✅ Through SystmOnline (our GP online system)
✅ Or give us a call on 01752 842281 during our opening hours

Let’s work together to make the most of every appointment slot. Thank you for your support! 💚

We've put some small files called cookies on your device to make our site work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to understand how our site is used and improve user experience. Analytical cookies send information to Google Analytics.

11/08/2025

📊 July Appointment Update – Thank You! 🩺💙

In July, a total of 5,955 appointments were booked at the practice – a big thank you to everyone who attended their appointments! 🙌 Your commitment helps us keep things running smoothly and ensures we can provide timely care to all our patients.

However, we did have 202 appointments where patients didn’t attend (DNAs) – that’s 3.4% of the total. While it might seem small, every missed appointment is a missed opportunity for someone else who may need care. ⏳

If you can’t make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else. This will help with reducing waiting times for those patients who are on a waiting list for a routine appointment. Cancelling is quick and easy:

✅ Via your NHS account on the NHS website or NHS App
✅Submit an on-line form via our website www.saltashhealth.co.uk/appointments
✅ Through SystmOnline (our GP online system)
✅ Or give us a call on 01752 842281 during our opening hours

Let’s work together to make the most of every appointment slot. Thank you for your support! 💚

We've put some small files called cookies on your device to make our site work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to understand how our site is used and improve user experience. Analytical cookies send information to Google Analytics.

04/08/2025

📢 Service Update – week commencing Monday 4th August 2025
We would like to make patients aware that we are experiencing high levels of staff absence across all teams this week. This is due to a combination of planned annual leave, but also unforeseen sickness absence. As a result, we may need to re-arrange or cancel some appointments or reprioritise care. Patients may notice longer response times on the phones and to queries while we rearrange clinics and cover absences.
Please bear with us, and if your need is not urgent, consider contacting us another day. Thank you for your patience and understanding.