Health

The Living Well bus is returning to Sefton on Saturday 26 November to offer first, second or booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to Sefton residents and the seasonal (autumn) booster for those eligible.

The bus will be parked in the Morrisons Maghull store car park this Saturday from 10:30am-4pm and residents can come along throughout the day with no appointments needed.

The team will be offering the seasonal (autumn) booster to those who are currently eligible. You can find more details about this on the NHS website at: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination. COVID-19 vaccines will be available for anyone aged five and older who has not yet been vaccinated, or who has missed their second jab or first booster dose.

Jan Leonard, primary care lead for Sefton at NHS Cheshire and Merseyside said: “We’re proud to offer this service, which is led by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, to help our busy residents and seldom-heard communities boost their immunity during winter.

“The bus has travelled to areas in Sefton with low vaccine uptake and has supported residents with learning disabilities and our homeless population to get protected against getting seriously ill with the virus.”

On the Living Well bus’s last stop in Sefton teams gave a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to six homeless residents and autumn boosters to 17, which they said they would have otherwise not have been able to get.

Jan continued: “We’re proud to be able to offer this essential protection and would urge any other residents who haven’t yet had any doses of the vaccine to take up the offer.

“It doesn’t take long, and it will mean you can feel reassured about seeing friends and family during the festive period. COVID-19 is still around and the vaccine is still the best way to protect yourself and others.”

The Living Well bus is the first service of its kind in England, and travels to the heart of communities to ensure that people can access the COVID-19 vaccine.

The service has delivered more than 7,000 COVID-19 vaccinations across Cheshire and Merseyside to date, and has visited locations across Sefton including Bootle, Netherton, Crosby and Southport, administering 542 COVID-19 vaccines to residents so far, with 518 of these being autumn booster doses.

The Living Well bus is visiting different parts of Sefton regularly. Find the latest updates on dates and locations by following us on Twitter at: twitter.com/SeftonPartners.

You can find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine, who is eligible, and to book an appointment online or find other walk-in vaccination sites on the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

A range of GP appointments are available on weekday evenings and weekends for all residents registered with a GP practice in Sefton.

The ‘enhanced access’ service provides patients with access to pre-bookable appointments outside of normal practice hours to ensure that people can get the right care when convenient for them. A range of services are available for residents including routine appointments, smear tests, screenings and more.

Patients can pre-book appointments with the enhanced access service through their own GP practice, either by calling or visiting their usual practice during normal opening hours.

The services are delivered by different providers in south Sefton and Southport and Formby, meaning there is some variation in the opening hours and services in each area.

Services available in south Sefton

The GP Extra service is provided by South Sefton Primary Healthcare in partnership with South Sefton Primary Care Network. The following services are available at Litherland Town Hall, Monday to Friday, 5pm–8pm and Saturday, 9am–5pm.

• General practice routine appointments
• Cervical screening
• Chronic diseases annual reviews (diabetes, heart disease, respiratory problems)
• Pill and HRT reviews
• Physiotherapy
• Blood tests
• Blood pressure checks

Patients may be called during weekdays by an advanced nurse practitioner to see if their need can be dealt with over the phone, or if they can be directed to a more appropriate service.

Dr Gozzelino, clinical lead at South Sefton Primary Healthcare said: “We want to be as accessible as we can for our residents. We know that general practice is still seeing high numbers of patients seeking care beyond practices’ capacity, and we acknowledge our residents’ busy lifestyles, so we’re pleased to be able to offer these appointments to fit around people’s lives.

“Our service is staffed by a skilled, multi-disciplinary team specialised in different areas, meaning we’re able to offer a broad range of appointments to suit a variety of needs.”

WATCH: Dr Gozzelino talks about the GP Extra Service

Services available in Southport and Formby

 The 7 Day GP Service is provided by Southport and Formby Health in partnership with Southport and Formby Primary Care Network.

The following services are available at The Family Surgery, 107 Liverpool Road, Birkdale, Southport, PR8 4DB, Monday–Friday 5pm-9pm, Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 9am-1pm:

• General practice routine appointments
• Cervical screening
• Ear syringing
• Health checks
• Pill checks
• Physiotherapy – assessment and advice
• Blood tests
• Blood pressure checks
• Foot checks
• Electrocardiography
• Mental health support

Dr Abdul Zubairu, medical director at Southport and Formby Health said: “The service has gone from strength to strength over the last four years, giving patients additional access to GP services at a time that may be more convenient for them and alleviating some of the pressures on local practices by providing additional capacity.”

Anthony Shonkry, a Southport resident and patient at the 7 Day GP service in Southport and Formby, said: “I phoned my GP and they booked me an appointment with the service on a Saturday morning. I spoke to a nurse practitioner who helped me with all my needs over the phone, but I know they have the availability to see me in person if they need further follow up.

“It was a really useful service and I’d definitely recommend it for anyone who works long hours like myself during the week, or university, or can’t get appointments during the day. They’re really quick to offer appointments on the evenings and weekends, so it suits most people.”

WATCH: Dr Stevens talks about the 7 Day GP Service

Find out more about the 7-Day GP Service.   

To book an appointment with the enhanced access services across Sefton, patients should contact their usual GP practice during their normal opening hours.

Outside of office hours or at weekends, anyone who needs to book an urgent appointment should continue to get in touch using the NHS 111 service.

Sefton’s ‘Care at the Chemist’ scheme continues to provide treatment for urinary tract infections (UTIs), better known as water infections, directly from local pharmacies without the need to be seen by a GP.

Women between the ages of 16 and 65 years who have symptoms of a common UTI, who are not pregnant or breastfeeding, can now access the treatment by visiting a participating pharmacy.

Expert treatment

The Care at the Chemist scheme in Sefton offers quick and easy healthcare advice and medicines for a wide range of illnesses and conditions and is available at 31 pharmacies in the Borough. It means that, where appropriate, residents can go directly to their local pharmacy for expert treatment or medicines for a wide variety of conditions, without needing to see their GP first.

The medicines are prescribed free of charge for anyone who does not pay for their prescriptions. Those who do pay will be charged the current prescription charge, or lower if they are cheaper to buy over the counter.

Easier treatment

Susanne Lynch MBE, head of medicines management for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside in Sefton, said: “Our local pharmacists are fully trained and qualified to help you with a wide range of minor illnesses and common conditions. They are your local healthcare experts.

“In addition to the healthcare advice and support available from all pharmacies, it’s great that we can offer easier treatment for things like simple water infections and more, as part of the Care at the Chemist scheme.”

Right treatment

Dr Pete Chamberlain, local GP in Sefton said: “A lot of problems do not need a GP to resolve. Accessing help through the Care at the Chemist scheme means that you’ll get the right treatment faster and start feeling better sooner.

“GP practices are busier than ever, so if you have a common or minor illness, avoid the queues and visit a chemist near you to get help quickly and easily.”

The conditions that are covered by the scheme include common illnesses like coughs and colds, fever and headaches, as well as conditions such as conjunctivitis, scabies, thrush and allergies. The full list of conditions included in the scheme are show below.

Sign up

Residents in Sefton can drop into one of the 31 participating pharmacies who are signed up to the scheme and ask about joining Care at the Chemist. Those offering the extended service for UTIs are highlighted with an asterisk (*) and you can find the full list of pharmacies below:

South Sefton

• Alexanders Pharmacy, Stuart Road, Crosby*
• Asda Pharmacy, Aintree*
• Asda Pharmacy, Strand Road, Bootle*
• Bridge Road Chemist, Litherland*
• Cohens Chemist, Bridge Road, Crosby*
• Cohens Chemist, Marian Square, Bootle*
• Davey’s Chemist, Randall Drive, Ford*
• Higgins Pharmacy, Crosby Road North, Waterloo*
• Knowsley Road Pharmacy, Bootle
• Netherton Pharmacy, Gordon Youth Centre*
• Rightdose Pharmacy, Liverpool Road South, Maghull*
• Rowlands Pharmacy, Sefton Road, Litherland*
• Station Road Pharmacy, Maghull*
• Superdrug Pharmacy, Bootle Strand
• Whitworth Chemist, Moore Street, Bootle*

Southport and Formby

• Asda Pharmacy, Southport*
• Bispham Road Pharmacy, Southport*
• Cambridge Road Pharmacy, Churchtown*
• Care+ Chemist, Banastre Road, Southport*
• Crossens Pharmacy, Rufford Road, Southport*
• Formby Health Rooms and Pharmacy, Liverpool Road
• Fylde Road Pharmacy, Southport*
• Hesketh Park, Queens Road, Southport*
• Rowlands Pharmacy, Chapel Lane, Formby*
• Rowlands Pharmacy, Liverpool Road, Birkdale*
• Rowlands Pharmacy, Upper Aughton Road, Birkdale*
• Sedem Pharmacy, Roe Lane, Churchtown*
• St Marks Church Pharmacy, Southport*
• Whitworth Chemist, Norwood Avenue, Southport*
• Woolleys Internet Pharmacy, Bispham Road, Southport*