Any of us can develop a range of skin conditions over the course of our lives. Although, if you have never seen a dermatologist, you may not be totally familiar with what conditions that they treat. This means it is tricky to know whether it’s time for you to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist. In this blog, we discuss a few ways you might be able to tell.
If you experience acne, rest assured that you are not alone. It isn’t necessarily the case that an over the counter treatment is going to help and you may want to schedule a visit with a dermatologist. A dermatologist will be able to determine the kind of prescription treatment that would be most effective for your acne and lifestyle.
A dermatologist will be able to screen you for skin cancer. Talk to your GP or dermatologist about how often you need to be checked for changes to your skin. An annual body check is very important if you are at high risk.
This chronic skin condition is something that will cause irritation, itchiness, and flaky patches of skin. A dermatologist will be able to help find ways to manage your eczema and prescribe any necessary treatment.
If you are worried about minimizing skin damage or looking for ageing skin, a dermatologist can offer you products or lifestyle change ideas that lower your exposure to damaging elements.
You can speak to a dermatologist about any concerns you have about almost any condition that impacts your appearance. An example being, skin conditions ranging from discolourations, stretch marks, to psoriasis can all be treated by a dermatologist.
If you’ve been looking for a skin specialist based in North West London, our dermatology specialist Dr Shazia Siddiqi provides daily consultations and sessions. To find out more, register online with us today to speak with qualified skin specialists and more. You can also find online support whenever you require it. Contact us for more information.
Lots of people with coronavirus (COVID-19) have experienced mild, or even zero symptoms, but can still spread the virus. With regular self-testing now available, we can slow the spread and help protect the most vulnerable in our communities. With this in mind, a crucial step towards doing this has proved to be carrying out home testing as and when it is required.
In this blog, we will guide you through what you need to know before taking an at-home test for
Coronavirus and what steps you need to take to do the test. As well as this, we offer advice on how to register for a home testing kit yourself.
We also list some of the key symptoms of COVID-19 to help you better understand whether you may need to take a test or not, and consider some of the reasons why you might benefit from a home test.
If you have any of the following coronavirus symptoms, whether they are mild, use this service to get a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test as soon as feasibly possible:
If you have any of these symptoms, you and everyone you live with need to immediately self-isolate. Do not leave home until you get your test results, except to post a test kit or for a PCR test appointment.
You might not necessarily have any of the above symptoms, however, you can still justify using one if any of the following apply to you:
You can order a PCR test via the gov.uk website by carrying out a short questionnaire.
PCR tests are by and large intended for people with symptoms of coronavirus. The swab is then sent to a lab in order to get the required results. There is a different process for a PCR test as opposed to a lateral flow test.
If you don’t actually possess any symptoms of COVID-19 but have any reason to believe you may have come into contact with someone with COVID-19 or otherwise, you can order a rapid lateral flow test and follow the instructions to do so at home. There are separate instructions for this set out on the NHS official website.
For reassurance, you will be given detailed instructions with your test kit. If you’re doing the test at a test site and need support, a trained helper can guide you through the overall process.
These are the main steps for doing a PCR test:
Doing a PCR test on someone else
If you’re doing a PCR test on someone else, it might help to:
However, you must use a separate test kit for each person you are doing a test on.
If you do the test at a test site, they will send the swab to the lab on your behalf. If you’re posting a home test kit, you should only post it in a Royal Mail priority postbox. Do not send it to a Post Office or post it in a non-priority postbox.
If you have problems or cannot use the online service, call 119. Lines are open from 7 am to 11 pm.
Symptoms of COVID-19
The main symptoms of coronavirus COVID-19 are:
Children can get COVID-19, but they tend to get it less often than adults and it’s often less serious.
The symptoms of COVID-19 for children are:
If you’re concerned about COVID-19 or think you may have the disease or need advice about how to get tested, register with us today and we can provide you with a range of useful services. Our COVID-19 advice services support you if you’ve been in contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus. We can also offer you coronavirus home testing kits so you can be certain whether you have COVID-19 to help you determine whether your cough is anything to be worried about.
As well as all of this, we can also provide NHS coronavirus help to support you during your recovery and keep you up to date with all of the latest advice from the NHS and the government. When registering with us, you have access to four surgeries across North West London in Wembley, Alperton, Willesden and Queen’s Park. Register today for NHS coronavirus testing and much more. Contact us for more information.
Use this service to register with a GP practice in North and East London. You can use this service if you:
You can register for yourself or on behalf of a dependant in your care. Registering takes around 15 minutes.
We’ll ask questions about:
You’ll need to complete your application in one session, so please have these details to hand before you start.
By using this service you are agreeing to our terms of use and privacy policy.
You do not need to register with a GP surgery in the area you live.
You can register with a surgery that’s more convenient, for example closer to your work or your children’s school.
The GP surgery can refuse registration for reasons such as they are not taking new patients or it’s too far away from your home and you need home visits.
Look for GP surgeries in the area you want to register. See what they offer and how they compare. Some GP surgeries offer services than others.
When you’ve chosen a GP surgery, ask if they’re accepting registrations outside of the area and ask for a registration form.
Find out more about how to register with a GP surgery
The surgery will decide if they can accept you as a regular patient or accept you without home visits.
Because of the distance to your home, the GP surgery might not be able to offer home visits.
If you are not well enought to go to the GP surgery, other arrangements might be made.
Registering with a practice further away from home can affect decisions about referrals for hospital tests and treatment, or access to community health services. Speak to the GP about your options.
You can find out how to choose and register with a GP on the NHS website.
View more frequently asked questions
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The Covid‘passport’ could become an ever-present part of daily life in England as restrictions relax and life begins to return to normal.
Some venues and events are encouraged to require the NHS Covid Pass for entry – and it could become law at the end of September to require two doses of the vaccine.
So what exactly is the pass and how can you get it? Here’s what you need to know.
What is an NHS Covid Pass?
The NHS Covid Pass – or so-called ‘vaccine passport’ – is a record of your vaccination or test status.
This is something you can show for entry to certain events or places that may require either full vaccination, immunity from a recent positive test, or a very recent negative test.
It may be necessary for travelling abroad to some countries and, since July 19, can now be requested in England to prove you are less likely to spread the virus.
Anyone can get a pass, as long as one of these conditions applies:
How to get one
The easiest way for anyone with a smart phone is to simply download the pass on the NHS App – note, this is different to the NHS Covid-19 app.
Once you are logged in, an option to ‘get your NHS Covid Pass’ will already be laid out on the home page. Click there to access your pass.
In the app, your Covid status will include a barcode with an expiry date. This is simply the date your barcode will automatically refresh and it will update whenever you log in.
This is important to note if you are planning on either printing off these barcodes or storing them as a PDF – as they may be out of date by the time you use them.
You will, however, always be able to access up-to-date barcodes on the app itself. It is possible to get your pass from the NHS website too.
You can also ask for your pass to be sent to you in the post, either by requesting one online or by calling 119. This paper version will only state your vaccination status and has no expiry date.
Where could you be asked to show one?
Some events and venues may choose to ask for the pass.
Anywhere that fits one of the following descriptions may well opt to require on for entry:
You may also need one if you are planning to travel abroad. What the exact status of your pass – whether it shows full vaccination or proof of immunity – needs to be depends on your destination.
Is it a legal requirement? And could you be turned away for not having one?
Use of the pass is purely voluntary for businesses and organisations, although the government says it encourages its use “in facilities or events where people are likely to be in close proximity to a large number of people from other households for a sustained period of time.”
The government does, however, hope to bring forward a law at the end of September to make two jabs necessary to get into certain venues and events, including night clubs.
While venues are currently free to set their own conditions for entry, what they cannot do is discriminate, lawyer Stephanie Hayden told ITV News.
A bottle of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine
She said: “The most obvious one that comes to mind in this situation would potentially be disability.
“So, if for reasons of health, you could not take the vaccine, then it would be wrong under the current legislation and indeed unlawful for a service provider to refuse you access.”
What are the benefits?
Data shows that those vaccinated against Covid-19 are significantly less likely to fall seriously ill from the virus, even if it is still possible to catch it and show symptoms.
The idea behind passports is to make use of the protection vaccines offer – if people mixing within a certain venue are fully vaccinated, the chances of anyone being hospitalised after catching the virus are greatly reduced.
Are there disadvantages to the passes?
One of the fears around using a passport are the effect it could have on people who, for one reason or another, have not yet had the vaccine.
Professor of Social Psychology John Drury, from the University of Sussex, told ITV News: “You only need to look at the demographics of who is getting vaccinated and who isn’t yet to know that some groups are going to be more excluded than others by a passporting system.
“I mean, these are quite consistent patterns that young people, people from deprived communities and ethnic minorities are less likely than other groups to be vaccinated.
“So that would mean that those groups will be more excluded systematically from the activities that require passports.”
So are these passports here to stay?
The future of Covid passes will need to be decided by Parliament Credit: PA
Ultimately, this decision would need to be made in Westminster.
Professor Drury believes these passes could be accepted by the public if they are “limited” in use.
“There has been some research on the conditions under which people would accept vaccine passports,” he told ITV News.
“And that suggests that they’re more acceptable if they have limited application, which means that people are more supportive if these things are not going to be permanent.
“If you look at the purpose, it is that they are all tied around specific purposes. That’s what makes them acceptable.
“So I think it’s a political judgment about whether you might want to keep these things, but from the evidence I’ve seen, I don’t think there’s a lot of public support for permanent use of vaccine passports and similar.”
An NHS COVID Pass shows your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination details or test results. This is your COVID-19 status.
You may be asked to show your pass to travel abroad, or at events and venues in England asking for proof of your COVID-19 status.
Always check the entry requirements for the country or the venue you’re visiting.
If you’re planning to travel abroad, or want to know more about your COVID-19 status:
Information: Members of the UK Armed Forces need to visit the ‘My health care hub’ on the Defence Gateway to find out how to get their NHS COVID Pass.
Who can get an NHS COVID Pass in England
If you’re aged 16 or over, you can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel abroad. If you’re aged 18 or over, you can get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic events.
COVID Pass – Travel abroad
Details of what you need to get an NHS COVID Pass to travel abroad What you need to get a pass When you can get a pass 1 or 2 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine used in the UK Usually within 24 hours of having your vaccination – however it can take up to 5 days for your records to be updated Positive PCR test within the past 6 months After you’ve finished self-isolating and up to 180 days after taking the test
COVID Pass – Domestic events
Details of what you need to get an NHS COVID Pass for certain events and venues in England What you need to get a pass When you can get a pass To be fully vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine used in the UK 2 weeks after your 2nd dose, or 2 weeks after 1 dose of the Janssen vaccine Negative PCR test or rapid lateral flow test within the past 48 hours As soon as you get your result
If you did a rapid lateral flow test at home, report your rapid lateral flow test result on GOV.UK first Positive PCR test within the past 6 months After you’ve finished self-isolating and up to 180 days after taking the test
If you were vaccinated as part of an official clinical trial in England, you should have received a letter confirming this. The letter explains that your COVID-19 status is “fully vaccinated”.
If you have not received a letter, contact your clinical trial site.
You can also get an NHS COVID Pass showing your vaccination status for domestic events using the NHS App or the online NHS COVID Pass service. You’ll be able to get a digital COVID Pass for travel abroad soon.
COVID-19 status for children
The NHS COVID Pass is not available for children under the age of 16.
If you’re travelling abroad, your child may need to show a negative test result. Check the entry requirements for the country you’re visiting.
Children under the age of 18 do not need to show a COVID Pass to get into venues in England.
How to get your NHS COVID Pass
There are different ways to get a COVID Pass.
Get a digital version
You can get a digital version using the NHS App or NHS website. You can download it as a PDF or get it sent to you in an email.
You can get a digital version by:
You will need an NHS login to use these services. You’ll be asked to create one if you do not have an NHS login already.
What is NHS login
How long digital versions are valid for
If you’ve had:
If you download your COVID Pass as a PDF, always check the expiry date before using it.
If you’re fully vaccinated or had a positive test result, the barcode on a PDF is valid for 30 days.
Get a paper version (vaccination status only)
You can get an NHS COVID Pass letter sent to you in the post.
This shows you’ve been vaccinated against COVID-19. It does not show COVID-19 test results.
You can ask for a letter after having your 2nd dose of the vaccine, or after a single-dose Janssen vaccine. You may need to wait 5 working days before using the service, so that your record will be up to date.
You should get the letter within 5 working days.
You can use your letter at venues in England where you need to prove your COVID-19 status 2 weeks after you have been fully vaccinated.
You do not need to be registered with a GP surgery or have an NHS login for this.
You can get a letter by:
It is also known as a COVID-19 post vaccination letter. The paper version does not have an expiry date.
Protecting your data
When you access your NHS COVID Pass via the NHS App, or directly via the NHS website, you will use NHS login. NHS login has advanced security features to protect you and minimise any risk of fraud.
Your COVID Pass only shows your vaccination record or test results, and no other personal health records.
COVID Passes and vaccination status in other parts of the UK
Page last reviewed: 5 August 2021
Next review due: 19 August 2021
Adults who can show they are fully vaccinated can avoid quarantine when returning from amber list countries.
Demonstrating your Covid status may also be needed to go to nightclubs and some other venues in England, from the end of September.
In England, the NHS Covid Pass can be used to show your Covid status.
It can be used domestically and for travel if:
You can also use it in England (but not for travel) if:
You can download it via the NHS app (not the NHS Covid-19 app), if you are registered with a GP. You can also get it via the NHS website.
Once you are logged in you can select “domestic” and “travel” pass options.
The system generates a QR code, which lasts for 28 days.
You can also request an NHS Covid Pass letter by calling 119. This only shows vaccination status and has no expiry date.
Under-16s can’t get an NHS Covid Pass because most children aren’t being vaccinated.
Make sure you apply via the official website or app. Do not click on unsolicited emails or texts.
Ministers want “higher risk” settings in England – including nightclubs – to use the NHS Covid Pass. The government plans to make it law by the end of September – when all 18-year-olds will have had the chance to be fully vaccinated
At present this is not a legal requirement – so clubs don’t have to ask for proof.
Some nightclubs and venues have already decided to require customers to have the NHS Covid Pass.
Making the jab compulsory for university students has not been ruled out by the government. It says they will get “advance warning” if they need to be vaccinated before moving to halls of residence.
In Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the government was considering “the possible, albeit limited, use of Covid status certification for access to certain higher risk venues in future”. An app including vaccination details is being developed.
The NHS Covid Pass – or equivalents in other parts of the UK – allows fully vaccinated adults to avoid quarantine when they return from amber-list countries.
France has been an exception to this rule but this is no longer the case from 9 August.
Adults fully vaccinated in the US and most European countries also don’t have to self-isolate upon arrival from amber-list countries. Those vaccinated in the US can show a CDC card and proof of US residency, such as a passport or Green Card.
Proving your vaccination status is also required by some other countries for entry.
The government says more than 30 countries, including Greece and Spain, now accept the NHS pass.
You must check your destination’s entry rules before you book – and keep checking them before you travel.
In Wales, double-vaccinated adults no longer have to self-isolate if a close contact tests positive for Covid.
And from 16 August fully vaccinated adults and under-18s in England also won’t have to self-isolate if a close contact tests positive for Covid.
Scotland plans to introduce similar rules for adults, and is considering whether it can do the same for under-18s.
Over-16s in Scotland can request a paper copy of their vaccination status via the NHS inform website, or by calling 0808 196 8565. An app is being developed.
You can download the NHS Covid Pass in Wales, or you can request a paper copy by calling 0300 303 5667, at least five days after your final dose.
People in Northern Ireland can apply for the certificate online and use it for travel. Holidaymakers have been asked to use the service only if they are travelling soon, because of technical problems.
