We are interested to read the letters you have received about the service we provide at Pickering Medical Practice and would like to take this opportunity to respond to some of the points raised.

We began closing our gates during the Covid pandemic. It enabled us to carry out deep cleaning, to train staff without interruption, and to make time for debriefing and clinical administration tasks.

We, like many other GP practices, chose to continue this arrangement to make the best use of staff time. Locking the gates for a short period allows for uninterrupted administration time and the completion of critical tasks. Our staff can work in an environment that allows them to increase their productivity for the benefit of our patients.

Please can we reassure our patients that the surgery is not ‘closed’. We remain available by telephone and many of our clinicians carry out telephone consultations and home visits during this period.

Our patients who feel they have a more urgent medical need may contact NHS 111 or attend the Urgent Treatment Centre at Malton. Pharmacy teams can effectively treat stings and bites, as well as a range of other common health conditions. The current Pharmacy First campaign highlights the many benefits of this recently introduced service.

When patients contact the Practice, reception staff may ask them questions to help ensure they are seen by the most appropriate person. It might not be a GP. It might be more appropriate to be seen by a nurse practitioner, pharmacist, frailty expert, first contact mental health practitioner or a physiotherapist, and so on.

General Practices have never been busier and having these different roles means patients can be directed to the care they need more effectively.

We wholeheartedly thank the many patients who have responded in person and in writing with their positive reflections on the service we provide. This means a lot to our staff who daily go above and beyond in difficult circumstances to provide an outstanding service.

Pickering Medical Practice