St Fillans Medical Centre

27/03/2026

Awareness of social prescribing. 🩺

Social prescribing is all about looking beyond prescriptions and recognising that our health is shaped by our everyday lives. Through initiatives led by National Academy for Social Prescribing, people can be connected to community support that truly makes a difference.

Instead of only medical treatment, individuals can be referred to local activities and services like:
🌿 community groups and gardening
🚶 walking or exercise programmes
🤝 volunteering and social clubs
💬 wellbeing, housing, or financial advice

With the help of a link worker, people are supported to find what matters most to them helping reduce loneliness, improve mental wellbeing, and build stronger communities.
Social prescribing reminds us that health is more than medicineit’s connection, purpose, and support.

26/03/2026

🐣 Easter Opening time! 🐣
With the Easter holidays approaching, we kindly ask all our patients to plan ahead for their prescriptions.

Please make sure you order your medication in plenty of time to avoid any delays over the holiday closure period. This will help ensure you have enough medication to last throughout Easter.


Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you a happy and healthy Easter! 🌷🐣✝️

23/03/2026

🌟 Community Notice Board 🌟

Have something to share with the local community?
Whether it’s an event, service, group, or something you’d like to promote, our community notice board is here for you!

If you’d like to advertise, please speak to Lucy who will be happy to help get your information displayed.

Let’s keep our community connected 💬

23/03/2026

We understand your concerns and the worries you may be feeling but getting the right information is key 🩺

🚩It’s confusing, because there isn’t just one meningitis vaccine.
MenB is the most common type, but the vaccine is only routinely given to babies (since 2015) and is not available to older children on the NHS.
You can pay privately but there are reports of limited stock.
🚩Teenagers are offered the MenACWY vaccine (usually in Year 9)
This protect against 4 types but not Meningitis B.

Below is a great video from Dr Sophie GP that explains things a little further. Please have a watch!
https://www.facebook.com/reel/861481033573550

🩺 Knowing the symptoms is key and acting quickly if you are worried!

Further below on our page is information about signs and symptoms.

If you wish to speak to our teams about your childs vaccination status we kindly ask you to call after 10am.

21/03/2026

If you’ve been r***d or sexually assaulted at any point in your life and don’t know where to turn, SARCs are here for you, they provide specialist support where they’ll listen and care for you on a place that is safe. You can call 24/7 to make an appointment. Search ‘NHS SARCs’ or go to NHS.uk/SARCs to find your local service.

20/03/2026

Over the weekend try to not worry if you cannot reach the surgery.
NHS111 is on hand should you have concerns regarding meningitis.

🩺 Knowing the signs and symptoms of meningitis is vital.
Early response saves lives.

🩺 The most important thing you can do is to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

Please watch the video below by Dr Sophie GP for key information on what to look out for 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krBAyNhMBxY

There is also really useful information on NHS website for signs and symptoms for you to click on for a quick read 👇
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/

Meningitis symptoms can appear suddenly and recognising the early signs is important. In this video I explain the early meningitis symptoms to look out for, ...

20/03/2026

💉 MenB Vaccine Update

The MenB vaccine is currently being offered only to certain groups who may be at higher risk.

This includes:

• Close contacts of confirmed or suspected cases
• Some university students and staff linked to Canterbury campus accommodation
• Selected sixth form students in Kent schools/colleges
• Anyone who visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury between 5–16 March

For more information, follow the link below on the NHS post 👇

Meningitis B vaccination is being offered to those at highest risk from the current outbreak
in Kent.

Check to find out if that includes you.

➡️ https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/20/who-is-eligible-for-the-menb-vaccine-and-do-i-need-it-myself/

20/03/2026

World oral Health Day -20th March

Your oral health is an important part of your overall health. Looking after your teeth and gums can help prevent pain, infection, and other health problems.
Today is a great reminder to keep up healthy habits:
🪥Brush your teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste
🦷Clean between your teeth daily (floss or interdental brushes)
🍰Limit sugary foods and drinks
😷 Visit your dentist regularly for check-ups

If you’re experiencing tooth pain, swollen gums, or any concerns about your oral health, please contact a dentist for advice.
A healthy mouth helps support a healthy body. 😊

20/03/2026

February missed appointments 🚫

If you can’t make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer the slot to someone else.
Missed appointments and late cancellations make it difficult to accommodate everyone. Thank you for your understanding and support! ❤️

We understand our phonelines may be busy BUT you can also use our admin section on the triage forms to cancel or rearrange an appointment.
👇
https://accurx.nhs.uk/patient-initiated/p81018/flows

19/03/2026

📣 Pharmacy Update

Please note that Penwortham Pharmacy based at St Fillans will be closing at 6pm on Fri 20th March for a systems update.

It will re-open on Sat 21st March as normal.

Thanks for your understanding 💙

19/03/2026

Our teams are navigating increased calls and concerns regarding the Meningitis B outbreak.

🩺 Knowing the signs and symptoms of meningitis is vital.
Early response saves lives.

🩺 The most important thing you can do is to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

Please watch the video below by Dr Sophie GP for key information on what to look out for 👇

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krBAyNhMBxY

There is also really useful information on NHS website for signs and symptoms for you to click on for a quick read 👇
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis/symptoms/

Meningitis symptoms can appear suddenly and recognising the early signs is important. In this video I explain the early meningitis symptoms to look out for, ...

19/03/2026

Our teams are navigating increased calls and concerns regarding the Meningitis B outbreak.

We understand your concerns and the worries you may be feeling but getting the right information is key 🩺

🚩It’s confusing, because there isn’t just one meningitis vaccine.

MenB is the most common type, but the vaccine is only routinely given to babies (since 2015) and is not available to older children on the NHS.

You can pay privately but there are reports of limited stock.

🚩Teenagers are offered the MenACWY vaccine (usually in Year 9)
This protect against 4 types but not Meningitis B.

Below is a great video from Dr Sophie GP that explains things a little further. Please have a watch!

🩺 Knowing the symptoms is key and acting quickly if you are worried.