From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 and pregnant women from 28 weeks will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

• cough
• sore throat
• sneezing
• a runny or blocked nose

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

RSV infection is common in young children but is most serious for small babies and for older people.

How is RSV is spread?

RSV infections can occur all year round but cases peak every winter.

RSV can spread through coughs and sneezes. You can help to prevent the spread of the virus by covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze (ideally with a tissue, or else into the bend of your elbow), and you can wash your hands frequently to reduce the risk of picking up the virus. Even with these measures it can be difficult to avoid RSV infection.

The best way to protect yourself is to have the vaccine.

How does the RSV vaccine work?

Almost all older adults will have had several RSV infections during their life. A single dose of vaccine will help to boost protection as you reach an age group at highest risk of serious RSV infection. Unlike the flu vaccine you do not need to have the RSV vaccine every year.

Who is Eligibile for the RSV vaccination?

Everyone turning 75 years old on or after the 1 September 2024 will be offered a single dose of RSV vaccine. This is because older adults are more at risk of serious complications from RSV. You can still get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80. Pregnant Women from 28 weeks will also be offered the vaccination.

For the first year of the programme, the vaccine will also be offered to those who are already aged 75 to 79 years on 1 September 2024 as part of a catch up programme.

If you are not yet 75 the NHS will invite you for vaccination once you turn 75.

How do I book a vaccination?

Spencer Street Surgery eligible patients will receive a text from us with a booking link to our RSV Clinic.

Please bear in mind that this vaccination cannot be given to the over 75s on the same day as their flu vaccine and it cannot be given to pregnant women on the same day as there whooping cough vaccine ( needs a 2 week gap )

Unfortunately our GP’s are busy – much busier than ever before.  Our receptionists are very aware of that fact and they do try to help them to manage their workload in the best possible way.  We want our patients to be seen by the right person at the right time.  That is why our GP’s ask our receptionists to get as much information as possible to help them to prioritise their workload. 

We are training our reception team in Care Navigation to help our patients get the support they need from the right person at the right time. A typical Doctor will see/talk to around 40 patients in their surgery each day, will deal with up to 40 repeat prescriptions, read 30 test results and around 30 letters from the hospitals in one day.  This means dealing with around 150 patients each day. Care Navigation will not in any way stop someone seeing their GP, it is meant to offer the patient ‘choice not triage’ to access the most appropriate service first which may not always be the GP.

No News is good news - Our GP's/Nurses will tell you at your appointment that if there are no issues with your bloods we will not be in touch with you. You will only hear from us if there is a problem.

We have disabled access at the rear of the building.

Unfortunately we cannot fit a ramp to the front steps because the gradient of the ramp required would be such that it would contravene law regarding building regulations and DDA.

We have examined the possibility of fitting a lift to the front of the building, however this would be very difficult due to the steps up into the building and due to the fact that our premises are of listed building status, as well as the cost involved, when we already have access to the rear of the building.  Internally again a lift is impossible due to the fact it would require the removal of two consulting rooms to allow a lift to be fitted, meaning we would have to reduce our clinical offering.  The rooms are on a split level so again this makes lift access even more difficult.  We keep a room available always for patients to be seen downstairs if they so need.

We ask for 48hrs notice to process a prescription if you are collecting from the surgery and 72hrs if you are collecting from a pharmacy excluding weekends and Bank Holidays.  This ensures we have your prescription ready for you in time as we average between 100-150 prescription requests per day. 

Repeat prescriptions are processed initially by reception and the medicines management team, they then have to be sent to the GP for signature who cross checks them and signs them, or arrange for a review as soon as practicably possible.  Prescriptions need to be checked carefully by the GP and hence this takes time.  GP’s are busy and their repeat prescribing workload is undertaken in between seeing their patients in surgery, home visits, dealing with telephone calls, reading hospital correspondence and test results etc, hence the need to request at least 48 hours’ notice to give the GP time to do the clinical checks they need to do, to ensure prescribing remains safe.

If you are going to be away for an extended period of time we can legally give you a 3 month supply of medication however any longer than this and you would have to register with a new doctor at your location.

We have a private room available for discussion should the patient wish to use this.  Receptionists are trained in dealing with patients in a confidential manner at the front desk.