GP practices and community pharmacies have vaccinated tens of thousands more people who are at greater risk from flu than the same time last year.

By 16 October, 168,000 people eligible for a free NHS vaccine had received theirs, compared to 122,000 last year.

Kirkley Mill Surgery, based at Clifton Road, Lowestoft, is set to have a new provider of General Practice services from 29 October 2020.

Over 6,300 patients are registered at Kirkley Mill Surgery, which has been run by Suffolk GP Federation since November 2017. NHS Norfolk and Waveney Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is grateful to Suffolk GP Federation for the work they have put in over the past three years to turn the practice which was rated as inadequate by the CQC to good and improving the quality of services to its patients.

Health chiefs are urging people in Norfolk and Waveney to have a flu vaccine to help protect themselves and their families and ease pressure on the NHS this winter.

GP surgeries and community pharmacies have begun vaccinating local people against flu. This year there will be a change to the way flu vaccinations are delivered as health teams need to factor in social distancing and infection prevention measures in order to continue to keep people safe. Due to this, vaccinations will be delivered in a phased way with various cohorts of patients being invited at different times.

A new, free government-led app - NHS COVID-19 – launches today and is a vital part of the NHS Test and Trace service in England and the NHS Wales Test, Trace, Protect service. It’s the fastest way to see who might be at risk from coronavirus. The app has a number of tools, including contact tracing, local area alerts, and venue check-in. It uses technology from Apple and Google, designed to protect every user’s privacy. You can find more information about the app here and in the DHSC’s press release.

FOR INFO: Guidance for health and care workers using the NHS COVID-19 app can be found here. That highlights: “If you’re a health or care worker practising infection prevention and control (IPC), including wearing correct PPE, you should pause contact tracing on your app. Remember to turn it back on after you remove your PPE.”