We'll soon be sending texts out to those in the eligible groups, to invite people in for this year's Spring Covid boosters.

All the information, clinic dates and eligibility are on our Covid and Flu Vaccination page. 

Please note, as long as you are registered at one of the RCMG practices, you can attend a clinic at any of the medical centres in the group for your vaccination, not just your usual practice.

Dedicated booking lines may be opening up, once the texts have gone out.

Dear Patients,

We want to inform you of an important change regarding our phlebotomy (blood-taking) service at our Devon practices: Hatherleigh and Holsworthy Medical Centres. 

After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to sign up for the new Hospital Phlebotomy Locally Enhanced Service (LES). Unfortunately, the funding provided does not cover the actual costs required to run the service safely and effectively within our Devon practices. 

As a practice, we must ensure long-term sustainability to continue delivering high-quality care to our patients. This is always our highest priority. We have expressed our concerns to both the NHS Devon ICB and the Hospital Trust, that we are keen to explore alternative solutions to prevent patients from having to travel to hospitals for blood tests. However, despite our willingness to work collaboratively on this issue, we have not yet received a response from them. 

As a result, from 1st April, we will no longer be able to process hospital-requested blood tests at our Holsworthy and Hatherleigh practices. Instead, all hospital blood test requests will need to be carried out by the hospital that requested them.

We appreciate that this change may be inconvenient, and we strongly encourage patients with ongoing hospital care to contact their hospital team to arrange their blood tests, as we are unable to facilitate this on their behalf.  

We have spoken to our Patient Participation Groups and will also be listening to our patients generally in regard to this change. Stratton Medical Centre remains unaffected by the decision, and will continue as normal.

If you have any questions, please speak to a team member, and we will do our best to assist you. 

Thank you for your understanding and support. Should things change, we will of course let you know.

Lesley Source: Practice Manager

on behalf of RCMG Partners

FURTHER INFORMATION FROM OUR MARCH NEWSLETTER

Following on from the difficult announcement regarding the changing situation in North Devon around bloods requested by hospitals from 1st April 2025, we want to reassure our patients that we are listening to all your concerns. We apologise for the upset and uncertainty it is causing. We understand and share many of your frustrations.

Along with many North Devon practices and their Management teams, our Practice Manager and Partners, continue to talk with NHS Devon Integrated Care Board and Hospital Trusts, in the hope that a reasonable and workable solution can be found, so that our Devon patients do not have to travel long distances for hospital-requested blood tests, and so that existing Primary Care services are not affected. Sadly, we have been very disappointed in their response so far.

Our practice is funded to provide core primary care services, including GP-ordered blood tests. However, hospital consultants and specialist teams often request additional blood tests that should be arranged within hospital services. Unfortunately, these tests are not adequately funded for Primary Care to complete, meaning GP  surgeries do not receive the necessary financial support to continue to provide them.

 Many patients are asking what bloods tests are unaffected. As a practice we will still be providing:

• Any test requested by your own GP.
• All tests to support managing long term conditions (diabetes, hypertension, mental health, heart disease, heart failure, Peripheral arterial disease, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory illness, liver disease, kidney disease, stroke)
• Any test that is required to follow-up a patient after an NHS 111 or A&E attendance.
• Medication monitoring bloods.
• All Rheumatology/DMARD shared care bloods  

While we, as a practice, have little influence over the NHS Devon ICB and Trust’s funding decisions, your voice as a patient is incredibly powerful in driving change. We strongly encourage you to raise your concerns directly with the hospital department managing your care or with the Integrated Care Board at:

Email: d-icb.patientexperience@nhs.net

Phone: 0300 123 1672

Please note, as our Stratton practice is in Cornwall, and services commissioned differently through NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board, their hospital blood services are unaffected.

We will continue to keep you updated via our website and other platforms, if anything changes.