The Usk Surgery - James House

17/10/2025

We have listened to your concerns and acknowledge the problems with our out-of-date phone lines.

We are in the process of having a new telephone system which will have a call-back feature. This means our practice population will not need to wait for 30 mins or longer, as can happen at busy times, for their call to be answered. This new system should go live in mid-November.

You can also use Accurx to digitally communicate with us. This platform allows you to:

1. Send a request to us, and avoid long phone-queues

2. Complete questionnaires from health professionals, to help collect info from you easily e.g. contraceptive or HRT checks, or asthma checks.

3. Reply to SMS messages from us to communicate quickly and conveniently.

4. Self-book appointments, leaving booking calls behind.

You can access Accurx via our website. Please update the surgery with your mobile phone number in order to use Accurx.

Thank you, Dr Rachel Thomas-Hewartson & Dr Natasha Collins

Contact us about your request

11/10/2025

A successful day vaccinating approximately 700 patients, many with both flu and Covid vaccines. Thanks for the continued positive feedback regarding our new booking system via text message. We are still contacting patients without mobile phones to book their appointments. More clinics to follow soon!

06/10/2025

02/10/2025

***IMPORTANT NEWS***

You can now submit CLINICAL and ADMINISTRATIVE queries quickly and securely using our new ACCURX portal.

This replaces eConsult.

For more information, please follow this link.

The Usk Surgery is now using Accurx to manage patient queries. This secure online system allows you to contact the surgery quickly and safely without needing to call.

01/10/2025

Our Winter 25/26 Flu & Covid vaccination campaign has started!

Mr & Mrs A are our first patients immunised this morning & are happy for us to share their photo.

Welsh Government have commissioned GPs to vaccinate certain groups:

Covid vaccine eligibility:
1. Immunosuppressed pts aged 18-years and over
2. Adults aged 75-years and older

Please note that patients in ‘at-risk groups’ e.g. heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, neurological disease, are no longer eligible for Covid if under 75-years.

Flu vaccine eligibility:
1. Adults aged 65-years and older.
2. Adults under 65-years in ‘at risk groups’.

This morning’s clinic appointments were predominantly self-booked by patients who received a text message from the surgery. Please look out for a text message from us with your invite to book into clinics over the next couple of weeks. Do not worry if you don’t have a mobile, we will contact you on your landline.

05/09/2025

Update - The Usk District Nirsing Team now have phone lines and internet. Please contact them in the usual way.

The Usk District Nursing team do not have telephone or internet connection in their hub at present. This is being investigated.

If patients need to contact the Usk District Nursing team urgently please ring 01495 745656.

We will update when their phone and internet connection is restored.

28/08/2025

From 12.30pm, we have no access to our computers or patient medical records. This is the first phase of our software switch from Vision to EMIS.

We can only deal with emergencies at this time.

Thank you.

22/08/2025

The Usk Surgery will be closed on Monday 25th August.

For life-threatening emergencies dial 999.

For urgent medical attention or general health information & advice, please contact 111.

18/08/2025

The Usk Surgery is closed Thursday 21st August from 1 - 5pm for staff training.

If you require urgent medical attention, please call the surgery on 01291 672633.

Routine matters should wait until the surgery re-opens on Friday 22nd August.

For general health information and advice, please ring 111.

Thank you.

01/08/2025

***Important Notice to All Patients***

We are sadly seeing an increase in unacceptable behaviour and verbal abuse directed towards our staff, predominantly around the collection of prescriptions.

In November 2024 we advised patients on social media and on the surgery website that we require FIVE WORKING DAYS to dispense medication. In addition, we added large notices to medication bags for several months when dispensing patients collected their medication. This five day rule allows us to order medication and/or make changes to prescriptions due to unavailability of medication from manufacturers.

Working days ARE Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays ARE NOT working days.

If medication is ordered before 4pm, this will count as the FIRST working day. If ordered after 4pm, the next day will be the first working day.

Order Monday - collect Friday
Order Tuesday - collect Monday
Order Wednesday - collect Tuesday
Order Thursday - collect Wednesday
Order Friday - collect Thursday

We understand that accessing healthcare can be stressful at times, but please remember that our team is here to help you. We are working hard to provide the best possible care for all our patients, under challenging circumstances as we approach the switch in computer software.

***Abuse will not be tolerated***

Any form of aggressive, abuse, or threatening behaviour - whether in person, over the phone, or online - is not acceptable.

We ask that everyone treats our staff with the same respect and kindness they expect in return. Thank you to the vast majority of patients who continue to show patience and understanding.

Together, let’s keep our surgery a safe, respectful space for all.

Dr Rachel Thomas-Hewartson & Dr Natasha Collins.

GP Partners.

21/07/2025

The Usk Surgery is closed Thursday 24th July from 1 - 5pm for staff training.

If you require urgent medical attention, please call the surgery on 01291 672633.

Routine matters should wait until the surgery re-opens on Friday 25th July.

For general health information and advice, please ring 111.

Thank you.

18/07/2025

The Welsh Government has instructed us to change our clinical IT system as our current provider is withdrawing its services in Wales.

This change will happen between 12pm on Tuesday 27th August and 6.30pm on Thursday 4th September.

There will be limited appointments during this time as we will only be able to deal with urgent matters that require a same day assessment. We will not be able to offer routine appointments with doctors or nurses.

Medical records will be ‘read-only’ during this time. We will not be able to add any clinical information to patient medical records. This clinical information will be added to our new clinical system retrospectively.

We will not offer routine blood appointments as we will not be able to receive results from the pathology laboratory.

In preparation for this change we will issue 56-day prescriptions from Monday 21st July. Once we have switched to our new clinical system, we will revert to 28-day prescribing.

We would ask you to be patient during this time whilst all members of staff adapt to a new clinical IT system.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.