Priory GP Practice CIC

30/03/2026

📢❗️ R E C E P T I O N S T A F F
S H O R T A G E S ❗️📢

Staffing Challenges Impacting the Practice

Unfortunately the Practice continue to face staffing challenges across our administrative team, primarily as a result of significant long term sick.

Whilst we are actively recruiting, there is no financial support available to cover administrative staff who are off. We are working to minimise the impact on patients, however, there will be some unavoidable impacts, particularly relating to telephone waiting times.

❗️As a result of the aforementioned shortages, we will need to close our Holywood site:
🕚 12.45pm
📆 Friday 3rd April (Good Friday)
✅️️ Any samples need to brought to our Springhill site.

However, our Springhill site will remain open and can be used by Holywood patients. Any samples, should be left at our Springhill site.

This issue does not impact on GP or Treatment Room availability.

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵

We would also like to use google translate cookies and analytical cookies to understand how our site is used and improve user experience. Analytical cookies send information to Google Analytics.

26/03/2026

🩶📝 L O N G T E R M C O N D I T I O N S
/ P A I N M A N A G E M E N T
C O U R S E 🩶📝

Our friends at Arthritis UK Northern Ireland (formerly Versus Arthritis) are running one of their free 6 week courses. These are aimed at anyone with a long term condition and/or long term pain.

They are ran by a supportive team, including people who have previously attended these courses and gone on to train with Arthritis UK and become a volunteer to deliver these courses to other people.

We would highly recommend these courses to our patients. Here are the details:

📆 Fridays from 17/04 - 29/05
(excluding 8th May for BHs)
🕚 11:00-13:30
📍 Londonderry Park, Portaferry Road, Newtownards, BT23 8SG

✅️ Sign up via:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=YDhjs6gV00atMg-6XssdX7ydcAJjSMRDqxZ05ev8PwpUQUgwUTFJT0ZUTldHUVBCQkowQTg5MUhaNCQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

More information 🌐 https://www.arthritis-uk.org/in-your-area/northern-ireland/
☎️ 028 907 82940

📍 Londonderry Park info:
https://www.leisureardsandnorthdown.com/centres/LDP

Source: Arthritis UK NI

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵 🔷️ 🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

16/03/2026

📢🍀 S T P A T R I C K ' S
B A N K H O L I D A Y 🍀📢

The surgery will be closed on:
🟢 Tues 17th March.

GP OOH will be available, along with some pharmacies and ugent care/A&E.

Instead of our usual afternoon closure on Wednesday 18th, we will remain open given the bank holiday closure the prior day.

We wish our patients an enjoyable St Patrick’s day

Priory GP Practice CIC 🟢🍀🟢

We would also like to use google translate cookies and analytical cookies to understand how our site is used and improve user experience. Analytical cookies send information to Google Analytics.

25/02/2026

📢💊 C O - C O D A M O L N A T I O N A L
S H O R T A G E S 💊📢

There are nationwide shortages of Co-codamol 👇🏻
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddg8red6mvo

We have been advised to:
🔷️ Not issue any new prescriptions of Co-codamol 30/500 strength
🔷️ For those with Co-codamol 30/500 on their repeats, make adjustments to available supplies, including lower strengths.

Please aim to:
💊 Make supplies last
💊 Only use for flares of pain for up to 3-5 days
💊 Use alternative painkillers, such as over the counter tablets and gels

ℹ️ Please visit Arthritis UK Northern Ireland for lots of information, resources and courses to support you living well with all types of pain (not just arthritis) 🌐
https://www.arthritis-uk.org/in-your-area/northern-ireland/

➡️ A note on long term pain ⬅️
Please be aware, that it is no longer recommended to take any painkillers, e.g. co-codamol, tramadol, tapentadol, morphine, oxycodone, ibuprofen, naproxen or pain patches, on a regular (e.g. daily) and ongoing basis. Pain lasting more than 3 months, referred to as chronic pain, requires a non-pharmaceutical approach - see the above link for more information.

Unfortunately, traditional painkillers do not help with this long term pain as previously thought. Instead a vicious cycle 🔄 ensues, whereby they may help initially, but soon their benefit is lost. Thus a higher strength is prescribed, only for the same issue. Whereby they may help for a short period, but then tolerance develops and all the while the risks and side effects associated with painkillers increases.

If you are taking regular painkillers via a repeat prescription and wish to discuss weaning down your medication, please contact the surgery to arrange a review 🗣

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

23/02/2026

📢📅 C H A N G E I N A F T E R N O O N
C L O S U R E - 2 5 & 2 6 T H F E B 📅📢

This Thursday 26th February, is our regional training afternoon, for which the surgery will close at 12:45pm.

However, to mitigate this closure, the surgery will instead remain open on the afternoon of Wednesday 25th February, which is our usual weekly afternoon closure.

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵 🔷️ 🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

11/02/2026

💚💙 M E N ' S M E N T A L
H E A L T H C O U R S E 💙💚

The wonderful North Down Community Network are running a male only mental health course. It is designed to give men a safe, supportive space to talk, learn practical coping tools, and connect with others. See infographic for more information.

Four sessions:
📆 Weds 18/02, 25/02, 04/03 & 11/03
🕙 10:00-12:00
📍 Bloomfield Community House, 189 Ballyree Drive, Bangor, BT19 7RG

Book via either:
☎️ 028 9146 1386
📧 admin@ndcn.co.uk

Source: North Down Community Network - NDCN

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

10/02/2026

📢❗️ R E D U C E D S E R V I C E ❗️📢

10/02/26

We are running a reduced service today (Tues 10th) and tomorrow (Weds 11th) owing to unplanned reduced GP numbers.

We have taken steps to address this, and will resume usual service from Thursday 12th.

Online appointment triage request will reopen from, tomorrow, Wednesday 11th.

Many thanks for your patience and understanding.

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵 🔷️ 🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

05/02/2026

💙💚 D E M E N T I A C A R E R S 💚💙

If you love someone living with dementia, you’re living with it too. 💙

It can lead to significant changes in your routines, relationships, career, and even where you live.

Dementia UK have a 'Living with dementia' guide to help. It's packed with bite-size information and expert advice you can dip into whenever you need. Available via their website 🌐 https://www.dementiauk.org/we-live-with-dementia/sign-up-for-your-free-living-with-dementia-guide/?utm_campaign=wlwd26&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Stats from research carried out with Censuswide in 2022.

Source: Dementia UK

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

03/02/2026

🚶‍♂️🗣F R E E O V E R 6 5 s
C O U R S E 🗣🚶‍♂️

New free 6 week programme for over 65s beginning this month. is a joint project with Ards and North Down Borough Council Community Development and Community Halls.

"Stay Connected, Stay Active"

- 6 week programme for over 65s
- Suitable for all levels of mobility
- 45 min light armchair exercise class followed by
- 1 hour time to socialise
- Information on the support available in your local area
- A light lunch along with tea and coffee will be provided

See details on poster below on how to register. Courses available locally at:
🔵 Donaghadee
🔵 Holywood

Source: North Down Community Network - NDCN

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

18/01/2026

💊🤒 P H A R M A C Y F I R S T 🤒💊

Pharmacy First services offer advice and treatment for a range of conditions from participating community pharmacies and can be accessed without having to wait for an appointment with your GP.

Please note, shingles is now also covered (not mentioned in the video)

More information on all areas covered by Pharmacy First 🌐
t.ly/5DAMD

Source: Department of Health NI

Priory GP Practice CIC 🔵🔷️🔵

25/12/2025

🤒🆘 C️ H R I S T M A S C A R E 🆘️🤒

🎄 Merry Christmas, we hope you have a lovely day ❤️ 🎅

If you, or someone you love needs urgent or emergency care this Christmas, please see the infogram on where you can access help 👇🏻

💊 Please remember that your pharmacist can also attend to common minor ailments.

Find the Christmas pharmacy rota here:
https://bso.hscni.net/pharmacy-support-links/weekly-holiday-rotas/

Source: South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust

Priory GP Practice CIC 🟢♦️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk

25/12/2025

In a break from our usual content-

Good luck to Holywood FC. in their game today! ⚽️🏟

Priory GP Practice CIC 🟢♦️🔵
www.priorysurgery.co.uk