If you had a blood transfusion or blood products before 1996, there's a chance you may have been given infected blood. This could mean you were infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV.
Today, all blood donated in the UK is screened using very rigorous safety standards and testing to protect both donors and patients.
Since screening was introduced, the risk of getting an infection from a blood transfusion or blood products is very low.
Click here for more information from NHS Blood and Transplant.
If you had a blood transfusion or blood products before 1996 and you've not been tested for infection, contact your GP surgery to discuss any tests you may need.
You can also get a free home test for hepatitis C.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM THE BMA
We wish we didn't have to write to you about this, but sadly the situation is getting worse and worse for General Practice in England. Our team does their level best to provide the best possible care for our community. Unfortunately, being able to carry this out is getting harder and harder.
Please see the information below supported by the BMA (British Medical Association).
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ป. ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐
๐ถ๐.
If you have lost your family doctor, you are not alone. Over 10,000 GPs and 1000 practices have been lost over the last decade in England.
You have probably noticed that something is wrong. Look at the difficulty you have in getting an appointment at your local surgery. When you do get through, it may not be an appointment with a GP at all. Have you lost your regular family doctor? You are not alone. Over 10,000 GPs and over 1,000 practices have been lost in the past decade in England.
๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฎ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด. ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ป๐ด๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ด๐ด๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฝ ๐ถ๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป.
We value our patients. We know that most patients value us too, especially when they need us regularly. You know we can deal with most of your health problems, keep you out of hospital, and have your best interests at heart. The problem is with the mismanagement of the NHS.
Your GP is an expert in general medical practice – trained over 10 years to deal with complex problems, spot serious symptoms, and decide when you need specialist help at the hospital.
But did you know that your practice receives just £107.57 per year for each patient, whatever their health needs. That’s less than the cost of an annual TV licence.
๐๐’๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ฝ ๐ฎ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐๐ – ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ.
We believe general practice deserves a bigger slice of NHS funding so we can train and hire more GPs, deliver the services you require and make it easier for you and your loved ones to get appointments to see your GP and practice team.
GPs want the same things that you do. We believe nobody should struggle to see their family doctor.
General Practice should be as it once was – a familiar family doctor, offering continuity of care in a surgery full of friendly familiar faces within a safe building where you knew you would get the care you needed.
๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฐ๐๐ผ๐ฟ?
๐ง๐ฎ๐น๐ธ ๐๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐
When candidates from the political parties come knocking on your door, ask them what they will do to save general practice. What will they do so you can see a GP in a modern local surgery?
๐๐ผ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ด๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฝ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐น๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
Your local practice should have a patient participation group (PPG), which you could join to support the practice and influence the way they deliver local services.
๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ.