The Department of Health has introduced the Waiting List Reimbursement Scheme (WLRS). This scheme provides an option for eligible patients to access private treatment in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) and claim reimbursement for the equivalent cost of the treatment, if carried out within the Health and Social Care (HSC) system in Northern Ireland. Subject to funding, the scheme will be rolled out EU wide later in the year.

Find out when the scheme starts and more information

Pharmacy First Sore Throat Service will be available from some community pharmacies from 1st December 2024. The service will be available throughout the months of December 2024 and January 2025 in the first instance.

This service will facilitate the assessment and treatment of people with symptoms of sore throat aged 5 years and over. All patients will receive self-care advice. When treatment with antibiotics is deemed to be appropriate this will be provided by a Pharmacist Independent Prescriber working in the pharmacy.

Please do not attend this serive if you have signs and symptoms suggesting alternative diagnosis such as cough, cold, chest infection, sinusitis or otitis media.

The website provides accessible resources for people who are experiencing bereavement to ensure that they have information and support for each stage of their bereavement journey.

The site includes information on pre bereavement, adult bereavement, bereavement support for pregnancy and baby loss and resources for children and young people. Also included is information for people who have been bereaved by suicide and those who have suffered a sudden or traumatic loss, as well as practical support including financial and legal advice.

You can find Bereaved NI at https://bereaved.hscni.net/

Please be advised from November 2024 for a period of approximately 9 months major renovation works are due to commence on our Treatment Room. During this time car parking spaces will be greatly reduced so we would ask please leave sufficient time to find a car parking space prior to your appointment. Access to the Practice will also change whilst these works are underway. Signage will be in place to inform patients.

Thank you for your co-operation during this time.

Community pharmacists assess and treat uncomplicated UTIs in eligible women aged 16-64 years.

List of local Pharmacies currently participating in this service:

• Boots Burn Road
• Boots James Street
• Falls Pharmacy
• Gordons Chemist
• Coagh Chemist

We are pleased to announce that Dr Abbas has joined the Practice from Monday 16th September 2024. Dr Abbas will be providing clinical care across both Practices, Cookstown and Dungannon.

 From 1 July 24, Mid Ulster Health Care will be using Accurx to communicate to our patients.

Accurx is an NHS approved software provider which conforms to all security requirements as set out by NHS bodies and UK Government.  Accurx transmits and stores patient data in encrypted form.  This means nobody else can read it without the correct credentials.  Accurx is an easy to use platform allowing our healthcare professionals and our patients to communicate more efficiently.

The Practice will be using Accurx for the following: 

• To send patients SMS text messages allowing the Practice to communicate with patients quickly.
• To send patients Patient Information Leaflets for self care and links to information about important Clinical Conditions.
• To request patients to send appropriate photographs of certain conditions (e.g skin lesions/sore throats/rashes......). The Practice will send you a link so that the clinician dealing with your care can access this in a timely manner. 
• To send patients appointment reminders.
• To invite patients to vaccination and other clinic appointments.
• To complete Patient Questionnaires.
• To receive video calls to avoid unnecessary travel.

The Practice now has an on-line repeat prescription ordering facility via "Patient Access". 

We encourage the use of this service wherever possible as this will reduce the pressure on our telephone lines and allow urgent calls to get through to the Practice more easily.

To register for this service please present in person with photographic ID to reception.

To use EMIS Patient Access you will need a Practice ID number and Access ID number which can be obtained from the Practice. You will also need to have a personal email adress.

When you have been given the above details please click on the link below to register for Patient Access.

https://www.patientaccess.com/

Mid Ulster Health Care will  no longer be offering a travel advice service to patients from 1/4/24.

All patients requesting travel advice should contact either of the following designated Pharmacies in the Mid Ulster locality:

• Falls Pharmacy, 56 William Street, Cookstown, BT80 8NB
• O'Brien's Pharmacy, 5 Broad Street, Magherafelt, BT45 6EB

The Pharmacy First Service for uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections in women aged 16yrs to 64yrs is now available from community pharmacies who wish to provide the service.

Do you have any of the following urinary sumptoms:

• Passing urine more often at night
• Cloudy urine
• Burning pain when passing urine

Ask your pharmacist first for Advice, Test & Treatment (if needed)without having to contact your GP.

We have received notification from SPPG (formerly the Health and Social Care Board) that they have frozen the movement of patients between Practices. This is to help Practices deal with Winter Pressures.

From the 1st November 2023 to 31st March 2024 we are unable to accept registration applications from patients who are currently registered with a GP in the same catchment area.

This is the case all across the Northern Board.

Any patient new to the area, or without a current GP Practice can enquire and register on request.

The Practice will be transferring to a new computer system in January 2024.

To minimise disruption please ask for two months supply of your repeat prescriptions when re-ordering.

Please see attached Opioid Awareness Patient Information Leaflet below:

Opioid Awareness Patient Information Leaflet

Private Referral & Follow Up

GP Practice Policy from July 2023

This is necessary due to previous instances where problems have arisen, and is to clarify Consultant / GP responsibilities and roles, and ensure patient expectations are appropriate, and correctly informed.

Information for Patients

If you see a Private Consultant, they may suggest further simple tests such as bloods, urine or stool tests etc. or more complex tests such as X-rays, scans, scopes depending on the problem. These should also be done within the private sector and should be factored into total costs.

If the Consultant suggests a prescription, we are often happy to do an NHS prescription, but only if it is a licensed drug used appropriately, and is in the Northern Ireland formulary, but GPs retain the right to decline prescribing if they have significant concerns, and the Consultant is still able to prescribe by themselves privately.

Depending on what treatment / prescription a Consultant recommends, patients should understand and be aware they may have to pay for any ongoing treatment or medications which are recommended (which the GP is not able or willing to prescribe for the reasons above).

Sufficient post-operative medication, e.g. pain relief or anticoagulation, should be provided at discharge following procedures carried out by private sector providers, without needing a GP prescription.

Please see below poster detailing how to register births in Mid Ulster District Council:

Registering a birth Mid Ulster District Council

“MY WAITING TIMES” WEBPAGE

We am pleased to confirm that the Department of Health has developed a “My Waiting Times NI” webpage.

This is an information webpage hosted on the HSC website linked below:

https://online.hscni.net/my-waiting-times-ni/

This webpage will provide GPs, healthcare professionals and patients in Northern Ireland access to the current average waiting times for outpatient assessments for elective care services within each Trust.

The webpage will be updated every month to ensure that users have access to timely, standardised waiting time information. FAQs have also been developed and linked on the webpage to improve the users’ experience and understanding of the information provided.

It is envisaged that the webpage will be further developed to include waiting time information for other elective services in due course. Any queries relating to the waiting time data should be directed to the relevant trust via their contact details on the webpage.

If you are a Carer please click on this attachment below for more information:

Carers