Strep A and Scarlet Fever

On top of our usual high demand for appointments at this time of year, we are seeing a growing number of phone calls, mainly related to concerns around strep A infection/scarlet fever, following reports that there has been an increase of cases. While most children will only have a mild illness, some may become seriously unwell, so if you are concerned about your child, please seek medical help.

We are doing our best to ensure patients who need to be seen on the same day can be. We may not have capacity to see everyone and understand that delays getting through can be frustrating.

We may need to temporarily delay routine appointments to ensure urgent cases can be seen quickly. This will be done according to clinical need, and we will do what we can to reduce disruption to patients. If you are unable to attend an appointment or need to rearrange, please let us know as soon as possible, so that we can offer it to others.

Please be patient with us and if your reason for contacting us isn’t urgent please consider getting back in touch on another day. If you can have your request dealt with online such as repeat prescription requests, general queries or fit to work certificates.

Parents or guardians of children can also download the Healthier Together App for free onto their smartphone or through the website for instant advice on many common conditions: www.what0-18.nhs.uk

Your local pharmacy can help with some minor ailments such as the common cold, upset stomach, or aches and pains. However, if you are getting worse or things change you can visit NHS 111 online, find your nearest Urgent Treatment Centre, or in an emergency, dial 999 or visit the emergency department.

Thank you for your understanding.