Influenza 2025/26

Influenza Vaccination Programme 2025/26

Starting in September, our practice will be offering the flu vaccine to all eligible patients. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of the free vaccination provided by our GP Surgery and local pharmacists. Pontprennau Medical Centre has procured the appropriate flu vaccines for our eligible population, tailored to different age groups. If you are also eligible for a shingles or pneumonia vaccination, these can be arranged simultaneously, and your medical record will be updated accordingly.

We have pre-ordered flu vaccines for the eligible groups listed below. Clinics will be scheduled both during and outside our regular hours to accommodate everyone and ensure maximum community protection.

Key Information:

*Flu vaccines for adults will commence from October, with a focus on vaccinating children from September.

Eligible Groups for Flu Vaccination under the NHS Programme:

• Children aged two and three years on 31 August 2025
• School-aged children from reception to year 11 (inclusive)
• People aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group
• People aged 65 years and older (age on 31 March 2026)
• All adult residents in Welsh prisons
• Pregnant women
• Carers of individuals whose health or welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill
• Frontline health and care workers
• People experiencing homelessness
• Household contacts of the immunocompromised

School-aged children in reception class – Year 11 will receive their vaccinations through the school immunisation programme. Please do not contact the surgery to book these appointments; the schools will send letters to parents.  If for any reason your child misses the school programme, please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment.

 Appointment Booking:

• Patients enrolled in the surgery’s SMS service will receive a text invitation with a link to book an appointment.
• Patients not enrolled in the SMS service will receive an invitation letter by post.
• We request that you avoid calling the surgery to book flu appointments unless absolutely necessary to reduce phone line congestion.

 Housebound Patients:

Housebound patients will be contacted and visited by a member of our nursing team, therefore there is no need to call unless your status has changed, and you can come to the surgery for your vaccination.

What to Expect During Weekend Flu Clinics:

• Arrive at your specified time slot.
• You will be directed to a consulting room for vaccination (several clinicians will be on site).
• Car park access will be limited during Saturday clinics; please avoid driving if possible and reserve parking for disabled badge holders or those with limited mobility.
• Be prepared for possible queuing; inform staff if you have difficulty standing for long periods.
• While you have a booked appointment time, we cannot guarantee the vaccine will be administered exactly at that time.

For more information regarding the flu vaccine, please visit: About the vaccine - Public Health Wales (nhs.wales)

Introducing Our Call Back Facility! (Starting 8th January 2025)

Pharmacy Opening hours over Christmas and New Year 2024/25

New Facebook Group

The surgery have set up a private Facebook group for patients. This is your go-to platform for the latest updates, health information, and community campaigns. Here, we’ll share helpful tips, NHS and local health initiatives, clinic updates, and ways to support your wellbeing.

Please note, this page is not monitored for medical queries or appointment bookings. If you need assistance, please contact the surgery directly.

New Phone System

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new phone system, designed to improve your experience when contacting the practice.

Key Features:

1. Call Recording:

   • For training and quality assurance, all incoming and outgoing calls will now be recorded.
   • Recordings will be stored securely and only accessed when necessary, in line with GDPR guidelines.

2. Daily Dashboard:

   • We’ve introduced a live daily dashboard to provide real-time updates on our phone system activity, including:
     • Current queue lengths.
     • Estimated waiting times.
     • Call volume trends.
   • This helps us improve transparency and manage demand effectively.

Thank you for your patience and co-operation as we continue to enhance our services. If you have any feedback about the new system, please let us know.

Influenza Vaccination Programme 2024/25

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccination

From 1^st September 2024, Pontprennau will be offering the RSV vaccination to eligible patients.  RSV is a common winter virus which for most people will cause mild illness, such as a cough or cold.  However, babies under one year of age and older adults are at risk of becoming very unwell.

The vaccine will be offered to patients turning 75 and patients who are pregnant from 28 weeks gestation from September.  Further into the year patients aged 75-79 will be offered the vaccination.

We strongly encourage you take advantage of this free vaccination.

A booking link will be sent to eligible patients via SMS and patients will be able to book an appointment at a time to suit.  Alternatively, you can call the surgery on 02920 739999, please be aware that our admin team will confirm eligibility and may turn you away if you are not suitable for the vaccine.

For further information regarding the RSV vaccine, please visit https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/immunisation-and-vaccines/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv-vaccination-information/