Latest news

28.3.2024 - Introducing Florence

Introducing Florence

We are delighted to offer our patients with high blood pressure an opportunity to use Florence – a totally free automated text messaging system to send in your BP readings and receive tips and tricks to help manage at home.

How does Florence work?​

Florence, or “Flo” will help you to manage your own health better by keeping in touch with you using text messages to your mobile phone. ​

Your healthcare professional has used their expertise to develop care pathways for a variety of conditions or situations, so you can be sure that the advice she gives you is safe to follow.​

Flo will send you a mixture of prompts for clinical measurements, such as BP readings, alongside tailored advice and information to help you look after your health and lifestyle needs and provide insight to your healthcare team between your scheduled appointments.​​

Why have I been asked to use Florence?​

Your GP or healthcare professional has referred you to Florence to provide you with additional support between your scheduled appointments and where appropriate, provide you with a convenient way to report information about your health​, to support your GP or healthcare to make decisions about your care.​​

Will I be charged to use Florence?​

NO! If you are receiving messages from Flo or replying to her from the UK, you will not be charged for the messages – you can even use Flo if you have a pay-as-you-go phone with no credit!​

Flo can be used worldwide, but messages will be charged at your network rate outside of the UK. ​​

Florence's number (64711) is a free to text short code that will not charge for any messages you send to or receive from Florence.​​

Some UK mobile phone network providers identify all 5-digit short code numbers as costly and inform via an automated customer service message that "you may be charged." ​

However, when using 64711 for Florence please be assured that you will never be charged for any messages you send or receive. ​

Florence's is regulated by the Phone Paid Services Authority in the UK and further confirmation of Florence as a free to text number can be found on their website here ​

Occasionally a UK mobile provider may in certain contractual circumstances decide to impose a bar on short code numbers similar to those that are commonly applied for network roaming outside of the UK. ​In these circumstances this bar may prevent you from sending messages to Florence. ​If this happens, the short code bar can usually be lifted by calling and making a request to your mobile network's customer service team.​

​ If you have a holiday planned, and you do not want to receive messages while you’re away, just send Flo “AWAY”. ​When you get back from your holiday simply send “HOME” to start receiving Flo’s messages again.​​

How do I opt in to use Florence?​

Once you have been added to Florence by your healthcare professional, you will receive a message from Flo asking you if you would like to join. Simply reply “ACCEPT” to get started. ​

 

Can I opt out of Florence’s services?​

If, for whatever reason, you decide that you want to stop using Florence, you simply need to send “STOP” No further messages will be sent from Florence and your clinician will be notified about your decision to opt out.​

We do, however, strongly recommend that you speak to healthcare professional to ensure that a suitable alternative to help you manage your health can be put in place for you before making the decision to opt out.​​

How is information in Florence about me kept secure?​

Florence transmits and stores your data in encrypted form. This means nobody else can read it without the right credentials. Amazon Web Services (AWS) are the cloud provider we use and are compliant with NHS PSS Level 2 standards and certified ISO/IEC 27018:2014 – ‘Information and Security techniques’ – Code of practices for protection of personally identifiable information in public clouds.

Safeguards are in place by appropriate firewalls (Web Application Firewall, AWS), and is hosted in a Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).​

We meet the highest standards of safety and security, as set by NHS bodies and the government and we regularly check our systems are secure via outside independent experts​.​

For more information about our security credentials please click on any of the links below:​​

• NHS Digital Data Security and Protection Toolkit assured (ODS code: 8KH50)​
• ISO27001 certified. ​
• UK Government's Cyber Essentials certification​
• We have full assurance of Florence for integration with the EMIS Partner API Program for EMIS Web GP, CCMH, & Clinical Services, as well as assured to integrate with TPP’s SystmOne via Black Pear Software (FHIR compliant).​
• Florence Privacy Notice​​

What data does Florence process about me?​

Florence only stores the following information to allow your health care provider to identify you when using our secure platform services​.

Your message interactions with Florence, your mobile phone number, title, first/last name, date of birth and sex. Florence may also record your NHS Number to support the anonymous transfer of any clinically relevant information or measurements that you provide as defined by your ​healthcare provider, via your message interactions​.

 

Published on 28th Mar 2024

06/03/2024 - Website refresh

We have recently updated our website to make our content easier to find for patients.

Published on 6th Mar 2024

17/10/2023 - Free STI postal test kits

https://www.sexualhealthwirral.nhs.uk/stis/free-postal-test-kits/

Published on 17th Oct 2023

30/05/2023 - Mental health support for veterans

OpCourage is a specialist service for ex-armed forces; veterans; families/carers and service personnel who are approaching discharge, to support and recognise the early signs of mental health problems

Help can also be provided with employment, finance, reduction in substance misuse or other addictive behaviours, housing, and social support. 

Mental health support for veterans, service leavers and reservists - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

 

Published on 30th May 2023

08/02/2023 - PATCHS

You can use PATCHS to contact your GP practice for health advice, condition monitoring, repeat prescriptions, fit notes, appointment bookings, and more...

Make requests in your own time, avoid telephone queues and waiting rooms, and getting quick responses. Accessed via our website.

Published on 8th Feb 2023

12/04/2022 - Coronavirus information for our patients

Although national rules have changed, the wearing of masks in the surgery is still required in order to protect vulnerable people. We are asking our patients and all visitors to continue to wear a mask whilst on the premises.

We also ask that all patients attend their appointments on their own – if you need someone with you for additional support please let us know.

Thank you for helping us to keep everyone safe.

Feel unwell? Please do not attend hospital

Please do not come to the hospital if you have tested positive for COVID, are self-isolating, or have any COVID symptoms. Instead contact the surgery and we will rearrange your appointment for you.

All patients and visitors must wear a face covering (unless they are exempt)

For some people, wearing a face covering may be difficult due to physical or mental health conditions. In these instances, please let our staff know, ideally before your appointment.

If you are deaf or profoundly deaf, our staff have a range of communication options to ensure that they can communicate effectively with you. This might include writing things down.

Where possible we ask that all patients and visitors who are coming into the surgery building take a lateral flow test before they come.

Published on 12th Apr 2022

30/03/2022 - Opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data (Type 1 opt-out)

Opting out of NHS Digital collecting your data (Type 1 Opt-out)

If you do not want your identifiable patient data to be shared outside of your GP practice for purposes except for your own care, you can register an opt-out with your GP practice. This is known as a Type 1 Opt-out.

Type 1 Opt-outs were introduced in 2013 for data sharing from GP practices, but may be discontinued in the future as a new opt-out has since been introduced to cover the broader health and care system, called the National Data Opt-out. If this happens people who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed. More about National Data Opt-outs is in the section Who we share patient data with.

NHS Digital will not collect any patient data for patients who have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out in line with current policy. If this changes patients who have registered a Type 1 Opt-out will be informed.

If you do not want your patient data shared with NHS Digital, you can register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice. You can register a Type 1 Opt-out at any time. You can also change your mind at any time and withdraw a Type 1 Opt-out.

A start date for the Data sharing with NHS Digital will be announced.

If you have already registered a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice your data will not be shared with NHS Digital.

If you wish to register a Type 1 Opt-out with your GP practice before data sharing starts with NHS Digital, this should be done by returning this form to your GP practice as soon as possible to allow time for processing it. If you have previously registered a Type 1 Opt-out and you would like to withdraw this, you can also use the form to do this. You can send the form by post or email to your GP practice or call 0300 3035678 for a form to be sent out to you.

If you register a Type 1 Opt-out after your patient data has already been shared with NHS Digital, no more of your data will be shared with NHS Digital. NHS Digital will however still hold the patient data which was shared with us before you registered the Type 1 Opt-out.

If you do not want NHS Digital to share your identifiable patient data (personally identifiable data in the diagram above) with anyone else for purposes beyond your own care, then you can also register a National Data Opt-out. There is more about National Data Opt-outs and when they apply in the National Data Opt-out section below.

National Data Opt-out (opting out of NHS Digital sharing your data)

This applies to identifiable patient data about your health (personally identifiable data in the diagram above), which is called confidential patient information. If you don’t want your confidential patient information to be shared by NHS Digital for purposes except your own care - GP data, you can register a National Data Opt-out. 

If you have registered a National Data Opt-out, NHS Digital won’t share any confidential patient information about you with other organisations unless there is an exemption to this, such as where there is a legal requirement or where it is in the public interest to do so, such as helping to manage contagious diseases like coronavirus. You can find out more about exemptions on the NHS website

 

Published on 30th Mar 2022

02/12/2021

As we approach Winter with Covid very much circulating in the UK we wanted to offer a quick update

Published on 2nd Dec 2021

30.11.2021 IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL PATIENTS DUE TO OMICRON VARIANT

As you have probably heard in the news, there is a new variant of concern of Coronavirus.  Experts do not yet know enough about this in terms of how quickly it spreads, how ill it will make people and how well the current vaccines will protect against it.  However, all the experts do agree that it is now even more important for everyone to come forward to get their vaccines or boosters when due because they are highly effective against the current strains and will therefore help reduce the spread of illness in society.

Published on 2nd Dec 2021