Barrow Health Centre

28/11/2025

🌟 Protect yourself and your loved ones: the new RSV vaccine is here! 🌟

The Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccine helps protect against a common virus that can cause serious illness, especially in babies and older adults.

RSV often looks like a bad cold, but in vulnerable groups it can lead to bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and severe breathing problems.

🛡️ Who is eligible for the free NHS RSV vaccine?

Pregnant women from 28 weeks (to protect newborn babies)

Adults aged 75 to 79 (eligible from September 2024 onwards).

Those who turned 80 after 1 September 2024.

💡 Why it matters

RSV can worsen existing conditions like COPD, asthma, or heart disease.

Every year, thousands of older adults are hospitalised due to RSV.

Vaccination offers strong protection and peace of mind for you and your family.

📅 What to do next

If you fall into one of the eligible groups, you’ll be invited for vaccination. Please contact us if you have questions or think you may be eligible.

👉 Book your appointment today and stay protected this winter.

26/11/2025

Skip the phone lines – manage your health online!

You no longer need to call the surgery for routine requests.

Our online services make it simple and stress‑free:

✅ Request appointments online

✅ Request repeat prescriptions in minutes

✅ View test results securely

✅ Access trusted NHS health advice

👉 Register today via our website: https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/c82062

💡 Save time, avoid having to telephone, and take control of your healthcare at your convenience.

For urgent medical needs, please call 111 or 999 in an emergency.

💙 Your health, your way – no phone call required.

Website: https://www.barrowhealthcentre.co.uk/

Contact us about your request

25/11/2025

📣 We’re proud to serve our community as a general practice – here’s what you can expect from us:

✅ Same-day appointments are available for urgent needs

✅ Pre-booked appointments for routine matters

📆 Routine timeframe – usually within 2 weeks

⛑️Safe daily limits – if our list is full, we may signpost you elsewhere to ensure safe care

✅ Guideline-led practice – we follow BMA safe practice standards

🕣 Occasional waits – sometimes emergencies arise, and we thank you for your patience when they do

💙 Our commitment is to provide safe, timely, and compassionate care for all our patients.

24/11/2025

Barrow Health Centre Update

We’re short staffed today due to both planned annual leave and unexpected absences in our reception and clinical teams.

📞 Between 8am and 2:30pm we’ve already received 271 calls.

⏱️ The average wait time is 28 minutes (including call‑backs).

👉 Remember: you don’t need to stay on the line — you can choose a call‑back and our team will return your call.

We truly appreciate your patience and understanding today.

Barrow Health Centre

22/11/2025

The flu vaccine aims to protect children against the most common types of flu viruses.

Book your child’s flu vaccine with us now.

If your child is eligible and has not yet attended we will send further booking links via sms next week but please feel free to contact us to arrange an appointment.

➡️ https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/child-flu-vaccine/

Source: nhs.uk

21/11/2025

✨ Our final spotlight in our introduction to the team series goes to our Admin Staff. ✨

Our admin staff are the unsung heroes who keep everything connected:

Clinical coding: ensuring patient records are accurate and up to date.

Managing referrals: coordinating specialist care so patients get the right support at the right time.

Bridging patients and clinicians: acting as the vital link that makes communication clear and care seamless.

They help to make sure that the practice runs efficiently, patients feel supported, and clinicians can focus on delivering care. 💙

Our practice secretary is: Julie

Our clinical coder & admin support is: Stuart

💙 We hope it has been helpful to learn more about the teams involved in your care at Barrow Health Centre 💙

20/11/2025

💊 Pharmacists in General Practice: More Than Medicines 💊

Did you know that pharmacists employed in GP practices through the ARRS scheme don’t dispense medicines? Instead, they play a vital role in supporting patients and the wider healthcare team:

✅ Medication Reviews – ensuring treatments are safe, effective, and tailored to each patient’s needs

✅ Managing Long-Term Conditions – helping patients with diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and more to get the best from their medicines

✅ Reducing GP Workload – freeing up doctors by handling medicine queries, monitoring treatments, and providing expert advice

✅ Improving Safety – checking for interactions, side effects, and making sure prescriptions follow the latest guidelines

✅ Patient Education – empowering people to understand their medicines and take control of their health

Pharmacists in general practice are trusted experts who bridge the gap between patients and prescribers — making care safer, smarter, and more personal.

👉 Next time you visit your GP practice, remember: your pharmacist is here to help you live healthier.

Our practice pharmacists are:

🌸 Davina

Ⓜ️ Mohammedali (Mo)

19/11/2025

✨ Behind the Scenes✨

Ever wondered who works tirelessly to keep everything running smoothly at your local surgery?

👩‍💼 Practice Manager

Oversees the day-to-day running of the practice

Manages staff, finances, and patient services

Ensures the practice meets NHS standards and delivers high-quality care

Acts as the link between patients, doctors, and wider healthcare teams

👩‍💻 Assistant Practice Manager

Supports the Practice Manager in all aspects of management

Handles HR, rotas, and administrative tasks

Helps implement new systems and processes

Steps in to ensure continuity when the Practice Manager is unavailable

Behind the scenes, they’re working with passion to keep your GP practice running smoothly, focused on patients, and ready to serve the community with the resources at hand. 💙

👉 Next time you visit, remember there’s a dedicated team working behind the scenes to keep everything running.

Management at Barrow Health Centre are:

Practice Manager: Sophie

Assistant Practice Manager: Kayleigh

Who are supported by:

Reception Manager: Angela

GP Partners:

Dr Hall, Dr Ravji & Dr Henderson

Lead Nurse: Sue

You can contact management in the first instance by:

Emailing: 📧 barrow.admin@nhs.net

Telephoning: ☎️ 01509 274430

Or

Submitying an e-consult via our website:

Contact us about your request

18/11/2025

🌱 Meet Our Social Prescriber 🌱

At our surgery, healthcare isn’t just about medicine—it’s about you and your wellbeing.

That’s where our Social Prescribers come in.

👩‍⚕️ What they do:

Listen to what matters most to you.

Connect you with local groups, activities, and services.

Support with challenges like loneliness, housing, finances, or lifestyle changes.

Help you take small steps towards feeling healthier and happier.

💬 Whether it’s joining a walking group, finding debt advice, or accessing community support, our Social Prescribers are here to guide you.

✨ Think of them as a bridge between your medical care and the wider community—helping you live well, not just get well.

👉 If you’d like to know more or be referred, speak to a member of our team today.

Our social prescriber is:

✨ Suzanne

17/11/2025

✨ Meet Our Practice Paramedic! ✨

👩‍⚕️ What does a Paramedic do in general practice?

➡️ Supports our doctors and nurses in delivering high-quality patient care.

💙 Helps with urgent and same-day appointments.

🌸 Provides expert assessment, treatment, and advice for a wide range of health concerns.

💊 Is able to prescribe.

📣 Works closely with the wider healthcare team to ensure you get the right care, at the right time.

Having a paramedic in general practice means quicker access to care, more support for our patients, and an extra layer of expertise in our community.

Our wonderful paramedic at Barrow Health Centre is:

👑 Shelly

16/11/2025

📣 As we continue to spotlight our team so that you can get to know the friendly faces behind your care let’s introduce:

🌟 Our Amazing Nurse Team 🌟

We’re proud to introduce the dedicated nurses who are at the heart of our GP surgery.

👩‍⚕️ Compassionate Care – Our nurses are here to listen, support, and guide you through every step of your health journey.

🩺 Expertise You Can Trust – From routine check‑ups to specialist clinics, they bring knowledge, skill, and kindness to your appointment.

✨ Together, they make sure our patients feel cared for, respected, and supported.

Our Nurses are:

🩺 Sue - As an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP), Sue can diagnose and treat minor illnesses, as well as prescribe medication.
She is a qualified respiratory nurse, leading our Asthma and COPD clinics with expertise and care. ✨ Sue is also passionate about infection control, ensuring our surgery remains a safe and healthy environment for everyone.

💉 Julie - You’ll often see Julie for ongoing care, health reviews, and injections, where her expertise ensures you feel supported and confident. ✨ With many years of experience, Julie brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. Above all, she is known for being kind, caring, and compassionate, always putting patients at the heart of everything she does.

✨ Sandra - Is a highly experienced practice nurse and already proving to be a wonderful asset to our surgery. 🤝 Working alongside Julie, she supports patients with all aspects of care that practice nurses provide — from health reviews to ongoing support. 🌬️ Sandra also has specialist expertise in COPD and Asthma, helping patients manage their respiratory health with skill and compassion

🌸 Andrea - Provides expert support for patients living with diabetes, offering guidance, care, and education to help manage the condition confidently. 🩺 With her specialist knowledge, Andrea works closely with patients to create personalised care plans that make a real difference. 💙 Andrea is committed to empowering patients to take charge of their health and wellbeing.

🤝 Christie and Fay - Are our Assistant Practitioners. Together, they play a vital role in supporting patients with a wide range of care that complements our nursing team. 🩺 Offering appointments from health reviews and phlebotomy to ongoing support, Christie and Fay bring skill, compassion, and commitment to every appointment. ✨

💙 We’re delighted to have such a fantastic nursing team, they are invaluable to our practice and our community.

19/08/2025