We appreciate that our patients will have a lot of queries regarding current guidelines and how to cope with any symptoms you may have. Therefore we have compiled a list of relevant information and useful links on this page for your perusal during this lockdown period. We will keep these up to date with any changes to the guidelines. There are strict Government Guidelines in place for all to protect the health and safety of both patients and staff while ensuring we are in a position to provide our normal service to you as a patient.
CORONAVIRUS SYMPTOMS:
Stay at home if you have either:
- a high temperature – if you feel hot to the touch on your chest or back
- a new, continuous cough – coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual
Please do not come to the sugery, pharmacy or hospital – please refer to nhsinform.scot for advise.
Below we’ve listed some useful links for your information:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Latest Guidance from NHS Scotland
Self-help guide: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Use the 111 Coronavirus service
HOW LONG TO STAY AT HOME:
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you’ll need to stay at home for 7 days. Please notify your employer of your symptoms if you have been at work.
If you live with someone who has symptoms, you’ll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symtpoms.
If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days.
If you have to stay at home for 14 days, try to keep away from each other as much as possible.
See here for advice about staying at ome.
For information on:
- Social distancing, visit https://gov.uk/guidance-on-social-distancing
- Isolation notes, visit https://111nhs.uk/isolation-note
HIGH RISK VULNERABLE PATIENTS:
The NHS recognises that this is a worrying time for all but especially for patients with signigicant underlying illnesses. If you fall in to this category you should have received or will receive a letter from the Scottish Government week beginning 30th March 2020. It contains a comprehensive guide on how to protect yourself and access the care and treatment you need.
We have posted a generic copy of this letter here for information as there is useful guidance for all in it.
SELF CARE ADVICE:
If you need to care for yourself or someone else and you are not sure what to do, start with self help guides from NHS inform – https://www.NHSinform.scot/self-help-guides.
These are an A-Z of the main physical and mental health conditions that people seek support for. They have been written and approved by the clinical team at NHS 24 – the same team that look after patients who call out of hours.
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT SERVICE:
North Berwick Community Connections are able to offer extra emotional support during this lockdown period. We will all feel overwhelmed and anxious and this is a normal response to a very uncertain time. But if you are experiencing anxiety that you are unable to manage or if you are feeling persistently depressed it might help to have some extra support for a short time. It may be that your relationships within your household are stressed at the moment and it might help, for example, to have a one off phone call to explore your feelings. Some people may be experiencing grief after the death of a loved one and might find it helpful to explore their emotions. Or you may not be able to be with your loved one in intensive care and need to talk to someone.
Community Connections can only offer brief emotional support and have limited resources but will do their best.
If you would like support please contact [email protected] stating that you are looking for extra emotional support. This is NOT a crisis emergency service and they can only respond Monday to Friday during office hours. If someone is having a psychiatric emergency, self harming or suicidal please contact 111 or phone 999 in the event of a life threatening emergency.
National helplines can help as well:
Breathing Space – 08000838587
Samaritans – 116123 freephone
Shout 24/7 text service – text 85258
Age Scotland – 0800 124422
NHS 24 – 111
GP Surgery – 01620 892169
SICK NOTES:
If you have been recommended to ‘self isolate’ by your GP or via Government Guidelines or are ill for more than seven days, your employer can ask you to give them some form of medical evidence.
You do not need a doctors Sickness Certificate or Fit Note for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however require you to complete a self certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC wesite.
Patients can get a Fit Note only if appropriate from a GP or hospital doctor. If your employer agrees, you can also provide evidence from someone who is not a medical practitioner such as a dentist, physiotherapist, podiatrist or occupational therapist instead.
For more information please see the DirectGov website.
Useful sites:
https://www.gov.uk/…/statutory-sick-pay-employees-statement…
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland
REVISED PHARMACY OPENING HOURS:
NHS Lothian have jointly agreed with Community Pharmacy Lothian to support general resilience by allowing all Lothian Community Pharmacies to reduce their public facing opening hours to allow more time to deal with the large increase in workload they are currently facing.
This is a temporary resilience measure and will come into effect Thursday 19th March 2020 for both Boots and North Berwick Pharmacy. This will be kept under review and we will keep you posted if and when the position changes.
New agreed public facing opening hours will be:
- Open 10am to 1pm
- Closed 1pm to 2pm
- Open 2pm to 5pm
- Closed 5pm to 6pm
Both North Berwick Pharmacy and Boots will remain open with above hours on Good Friday and Easter Monday.
TIPS FOR MANAGING CORONAVIRUS ANXIETY:
For those of you worried or anxious during this time:
COVID – Anxiety Tips
– Prioritise your self care routine – including diet and exercise
– Maintain a sense of routine as much as possible
– Get up, shower and get dressed
– Nourish your body with regular meals and snacks
– Get outside if you can, just keep distance from other people
– Try to video chat friends and family so that you can see their faces and hear their voices
– Watch and read things that are comforting
– Filter the amount of media you consume to protect your mental health
– Take moments to meditate or practice deep breathing exercises
– If you watch the news, watch it to be informed not absorbed
– Check in with people who make you feel comfortable and at ease
– Keep yourself busy with activities that help you relax
– Write about things you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal
– Listen to uplifting music or healing frequencies
FEELING GOOD: POSITIVE MINDSET APP
Feeling Good: Positive Mindset App
If you suffer from anxiety or are worried, stressed or generally feeling low we have the app for you. The Feeling Good app is commissioned by NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.
Listening to the app can help relax and calm your mind and body, lift your mood, help you feel more positive, let go of worries, sleep better and deal with stresses more easily. It can also help with physical symptoms of stress, such as headaches, irritable bowel, fatigue and chronic pain. It is based on an Olympic coaching programme and can help improve performance, ability to focus on a task and self-confidence.
Once you’ve downloaded it (Feeling Good App) you can access it by using the following log in information:
In app login username – coboost1
Password – positive
NORTH BERWICK COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
North Berwick Resiliene Group: – Single Point of Contact Sue Northrop
Sue plus teams of volunteers are currently compiling a list of local helpers and organising neighbourhood leads for resilience response. Sue can be contacted on 07727 883 881 or 07702 433 860 or at [email protected]. See Facebook page below for updates:
https://facebook.com/groups/229494641777428
North Berwick Community Council:
See Facebook page below for updates.
North Berwick Day Centre:
Ongoing support for clients and carers whilst centre is closed (since 20/03/20). Staff will continue to support their clients at home by way of offering a daily meal, which they will deliver, social contact by way of phone, and picking up medication where they can. They have a pool of volunteers who will regularly phone and support their clients. They are also trying to coordinate a sitter service with their volunteers, to help carers get a break and to help with social isolation.
Tel: 01620 890 906.
e-mail: [email protected]
Food Supplies:
Kindness Cooperative (Emergency Foodbank) – 07870 111 122
Judy Lockhart is the chair of Kindness co-operative, which holds an emergency food bank store in the North Berwick Community Centre. Additional services during Coronavirus:
- Emergency provisions
- Home cooked meals, order and they will deliver
- Food bank referrals
Call Katie Nevans on 01620 89 30 56 [email protected]
Nisa High Street North Berwick
Ordering: Call 07405 603 073. Minimum order £15 for over 65s, everyone else it’s £20 plus £3 delivery charge. Text or photo message your order including your name, age, address (including postcode), and number to collect payment. Payment will be taken over the phone. Items for sale include household groceries including fresh veg, dairy and some frozen goods.
Website listing NB businesses offering take away and home delivery
https://weelocals.com/east-lothian-areas/north-berwick
Social Isolation:
Community Connections (North Berwick only)
Carol Stobie is still taking referrals for phone support to help those who feel isolated. If carer agrees to it, the best referral path is to give the carer’s phone number to Carol and she will phone them.
Carol Stobie: 07940 203 380