Dr Ian Watson is head of Warrington CCG - the organisation which runs health care in Warrington.

In his latest column, he talks about the challenges of the NHS

IN the NHS, we are currently facing the biggest challenge of our lifetime.

However, as chair of NHS Warrington Clinical Commissioning Group and a local GP, I have been astounded by the heroic efforts of our local health and social care staff, both in our hospitals and in the community, on the frontline and behind the scenes.

Despite difficult circumstances due to the Coronavirus outbreak, I know all health and social care staff are going above and beyond to continue to provide care and support to everyone in Warrington who needs it. As a borough, we should all be incredibly proud of them.

I know many people want to show their gratitude. I, like many of my NHS colleagues, was incredibly moved by the NHS Clap for Carers.

Warrington Guardian:

However, the most important thing you can do to support us is to help stop the spread of the virus by following Government advice and staying at home unless absolutely necessary.

Please be reminded you should only leave the house for one of four reasons:

  •  shopping for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, which must be as infrequent as possible
  •  one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household
  •  any medical need, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person
  •  travelling to and from work, but only where this absolutely cannot be done from home.

Even when doing these activities, you should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres apart from anyone outside of your household.

Please follow the latest national advice at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Locally, the NHS is also issuing information and advice for the public and has implemented changes to keep patients and staff safe and help ease pressures on our hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies and other health services.

Some of the changes implemented include:

  •  In our hospitals, there have been restrictions placed on visiting and a new helpline has been set up by maternity services for queries about COVID-19. Visit www.whh.nhs.uk to find out more.
  •  Some community health services have been stopped or partially stopped so that staff can support the local response to the outbreak. Visit www.bridgewater.nhs.uk to view the full list of affected services.
  •  In our GP surgeries, we have implemented a ‘total triage’ system. This means you should not visit your surgery unless you have a pre-booked face to face appointment. If you feel unwell, you should call your surgery or complete an online form (eConsult) on your local surgery website. Your surgery will ask for information about your health concern so you can get the help you need. This will also help surgeries prioritise appointments for patients most in need and stop unnecessary visits to the surgery. There may be changes to the usual opening times of your GP practice, please visit your local GP practice website for more information.
  •  If you have a regular prescription, we are asking that you order it electronically via your practice website or the NHS App so you don’t have to go into the surgery. If you are not able to go online, please call your surgery.

Please do not order your repeat prescription before it is due or order extra quantities of medication. We want to ensure that everyone can access the medication they need.

We want to thank all our patients for their co-operation and understanding during these difficult times.

Please help us to help you… Stay Home, Save Lives.