Welcome to the Bellingham Surgery Website

We are one of the most rural practices in England covering 800 square miles from the Scottish borders north of Byrness and Kielder to Kirkwhelpington and Barrasford to the south. We have over 3300 patients, many living in remote farming locations across the practice.

The surgery in Bellingham was purpose-built in 1984, we then had  extension to this that was completed at the end of 2010.  

Our  website 

Through our website you can order your repeat prescriptions online, cancel existing appointments, send us feedback through the patient survey, keep your health record up to date and keep up to date with any latest news from the practice. Please let us know what you think by sending comments through our contact page.  If you have any suggestions about how the website can be improved or any information you would like to have available then please let us know.

Our practice brochure is available electronically, all the information in the brochure is also available on this website, but you may want to print the brochure off to refer to later, clicking on the link will give you access to our brochure - Practice Brochure 2021

Practice Newsletter

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

GP surgeries do not have the facilities to diagnose or treat this infection so please stay at home (self isolate) for 10 days if you have symptoms.

In response to the pandemic we have changed the way we work to keep us all safe - please use this link for an explanation of  How to contact your GP

CHANGES TO CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS updated 16th July 2021

As England moves to Step 4 from 19 July we would like to inform you that the practice is not making any immediate plans to change how we operate.   Cases in the North East of England are rising rapidly at the moment and there have been a number of cases in the practice area. Several local businesses have had to close in recent weeks

It is important that we to do all we can to protect vulnerable patients and the staff team so that we can continue to provide our services to the practice population

It is important that anyone who thinks they need any kind of medical care contacts us to get help

We will continue to operate telephone triage of appointment requests and encourage patients to use eConsult if they are able to.   Face to face appointments will be arranged when there is a clinical need for patients to come to the surgery.

It has been confirmed today that everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings (NHS patients, staff and visitors) must continue to wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules.

In order to keep everyone safe :

Please continue to wear a face mask when you attend your appointment – we can provide a face mask (or a visor) if you forget to bring one with you

Please continue to use the intercom at the front door (we get lots of tourists nipping in to use our toilet facilities which is why we keep the door closed)

We will continue with social distancing and infection control procedures which permit a maximum of 3 patients in the waiting room. We will prioritise people who have walked to the surgery.

If you have arrived by car we will continue to ask you to wait in your car

These measures have worked well over recent months

You can test regularly using Lateral Flow Test kits which are available free of charge from local pharmacies

If you have symptoms of Covid – 19 please book a PCR test (using the Gov.UK website). There is a testing site at Hexham

If you have a positive result on a lateral flow test please get this confirmed by booking a PCR test

If you have a positive PCR test or are contacted by NHS Test & Trace please isolate

2^nd vaccinations for under 50s have been brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks – please contact the National Booking Service/119 to rearrange your appointment.   If you had your first vaccine with the Roving Vaccination Service they will provide your second (tel 01670 337737)

At this stage we do not know what is happening with Covid booster vaccinations

COVID VACCINATIONS PHASE 2:

If you are under 50 (phase 2) you will be invited via the National Programme to a mass vaccination site for your injections.

Phase 2 is for everyone else aged 18-49.   Patients should receive a text message or a letter from the NHS when they become eligible for a vaccination in this age group. a new Mass Vaccination Site at the Hexham Mart has opened and appointments there are available to book online or through 119.  

Phase 2 patients will not be able to book their appointments through the Practice as we do not have access to the National Booking System. Therefore please do not phone us to book your appointment, but call 119 or use the National Booking Service website.

                THANK YOU TO ALL OUR PATIENTS WHO HAVE A KIND WORD FOR STAFF WHO ARE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE AT THE MOMENT WITH THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF THE PRACTICE,  BOOKING COVID VACCINATIONS AND WORKING AS VACCINATORS, ADMINISTRATORS  AND MARSHALLS AT THE HEXHAM VACCINATION CLINICS.

Data opt out June 2021 

If you don’t want your patient data to be shared for purposes except for your own care, you can opt-out by registering a Type 1 Opt-out.

This data collection will start on 1 July 2021 so if you do not want your data to be shared with NHS Digital, please register your Type 1 Opt -out by 23 June 2021.

The data held in your GP medical record is shared with other health professionals for the purpose of your individual care. It is also shared with other organisations to support health and care planning and research.

If you do not want your personally identifiable data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except your own care, you can register an opt out form with the practice. This is known as a type 1 opt-out.

To register a type 1 Opt Out, for yourself or for a dependent (if you are the parent or legal guardian of the patient) you can download the form from the link below and then return it to the surgery before the deadline of 23 June.

Type 1 Opt Out Form to go here

More information can be found on the NHS Digital website

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New evening and weekend GP service based at Corbridge Health Service

Patients who need to see a GP in the evening or weekend can pre-book appointments directly with us at the Corbridge Health Centre - New evening and weekend GP service

Telephone number - cancellations and directions only 01434 636950

New Sunday GP service at the Cramlington HUB

Appointments can be booked through us during surgery hours, or by calling 01670 337737 between 12 - 4pm on the previous Saturdays and 9am - 12.30pm on Sunday.

Nominated GP

All patients at the practice have a nominated GP, we  have written to you about this.  If you prefer to see a different doctor we are quite happy for you to request this when you make an appointment.  If you are not sure who your nominated GP is please ask at reception when you are next in the practice.

National Survey results

The results of the National GP Patient Survey are now availble. If you would like to see the report then please go to the website.

Patient Information - symptom checker

So that you can better understand any condition you may have then why not have a look at some patient information that is available via the internet.

www.patient.co.uk