Member of Parliament for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes MP, made a recent visit to the Overton Medical Practice to learn more about how the team have coped during the COVID -19 pandemic and to thank them for keeping the wider community safe.
The practice serves over 6,800 patients in the local area; has 3 full-time doctors (Dr Rosemary Fallows, Dr Gareth Bowdler and Dr Andrew Doyle) and a large team of nurse practitioners, nurses and healthcare assistants.
As a result of the pandemic, practice staff have had to change the way they work to try and prevent the spread of Covid-19 and keep patients safe.
Staff are currently offering telephone and video consultations and advice can be provided via text. All appointment requests are triaged by a clinician. And a receptionist will ask for a brief explanation of your problem before adding a name to the triage list for a clinician to call back. A face-to-face appointment will only be confirmed after an initial telephone or video consultation.
On the visit, Mr Baynes met with Dr Gareth Bowdler, Dr Andrew Doyle and Business Manager, Tony Marriott.
Commenting on the new working practices, Dr Gareth Bowdler said:
“We know some people think that GPs practices are closed and we want to correct that perception. Our Medical Centre in Overton, like many other health centres, has had to change the way it helps patients in order to stay Covid secure. This means using phone and video calls in many cases to help people, but those who need to be seen in person will still be seen.”
Simon Baynes MP said:
“Everyone at Overton Medical Centre is doing a superb job of helping residents stay safe and healthy during the ongoing pandemic. I was really impressed to hear more about their new working practices and the way in which GPs, nurses and healthcare assistants are continuing to help patients access advice and treatment despite the challenges posed to them by Covid-19.”
