Birchwood Surgery Letchworth

14/04/2026

Reminder that we are closed tomorrow (15th April) from 12:30 for mandatory protected training time.

Please make use of other local services such as pharmacies, NHS111, and Urgent Care if you have any issues that you think need to be dealt with on the day and we will be back open as normal on Thursday 16th.

02/04/2026

RAD is an established charity which provides a free advocacy service for Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind individuals across Hertfordshire.

For more information please visit: https://www.royaldeaf.org.uk

Referrals can also be sent by email to: [email protected]

31/03/2026

Our latest PPG Newsletter for this quarter is now out! Featuring a summary of the outcome from CQC Inspection which took place last year, and updates on clinical staff and Total Triage processes.

As always, physical copies will be available at reception.

23/02/2026

It’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week, and we’re here to remind you that you’re not alone 💜 This week’s theme is Community because we know how important safe and supportive communities are for those recovering, those caring for someone in recovery, and for those to recognise eating disorders signs and support that person towards the help that they need.

Beat will be sharing advice for how to get involved in your community, from how to find your own safe spaces, to how to create one yourself. Get involved with Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2026 today!

https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/

11/02/2026

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all patients for their understanding and support over the past week as we navigated the recent working changes together, particularly in light of the unforeseen national technical difficulties experienced on Monday and Tuesday. Monday was our busiest day, with an impressive 380 econsultations on the first day, culminating in a total of 1210 for the week.

We appreciate the valuable feedback, both positive and constructive, which is instrumental in refining our processes to deliver the most effective care to everyone.

02/02/2026

Update 03/02/26 11:00 - all should be back to working as normal now, hopefully this is the last update

Update 03/02/26 9:00 - econsult webpage is going down intermittently, if it doesn't load immediately for you please follow the advice below

Update 02/02/26 15:30 - we should be back up and running now, thank you for your patience with this

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We are aware of some current issues with the econsult webpage.

Unfortunately, this is a nationwide issue which has been reported and is being addressed by the relevant teams, they have advised that they have found the problem and are currently working on a fix.

In the meantime, patients with urgent symptoms are advised to attend the urgent treatment centre or use 111 online (or call and advise that we are at capacity and currently unable to triage).

For non-urgent matters, we recommend retrying later or tomorrow morning.

We will provide updates as soon as more information becomes available.

30/01/2026

A reminder that from Monday we will be moving to Total Triage.

As of next week, all GP and minor illness appointments will require completion of an online questionnaire for clinician triage.

Please access the form on our website below or utilise the in-surgery terminal if needed, support will be available in house or on the phone for those who require assistance.

Our staff will continue to answer phone calls, but appointments will not be scheduled immediately; instead, the same form and questions will be required for triage purposes.

We appreciate your cooperation as we adapt to this new system together.

Get help for your condition - or request treatment and advice from your own GP online

25/01/2026

The NHS has launched a free health and wellbeing quiz, the Healthy Choices Quiz, which provides an easy first step for those who want to feel healthier but may not know where to start.

After capturing some basic demographic information and exploring different health motivations, the quiz asks a series of lifestyle questions across six main themes: movement, eating, alcohol consumption, smoking and va**ng, mental health and sleep.

Users will then receive an overall score out of 10 based on their answers. This score indicates how their lifestyle could be affecting their health and wellbeing and how they are doing in each lifestyle area. Most importantly, it recommends what to do if they should need to make any changes.

To take the quiz and learn more, just follow the link below:
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/healthy-choices-quiz/

22/01/2026

Have your say on proposals to relocate Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to a new world class facility at Watford General Hospital and location of radiotherapy services in either Luton or Stevenage.

Members of the public, patients, staff and stakeholders are being asked for their views on proposals to relocate the Mount Vernon Cancer Centre to a new, purpose-built facility next to Watford General Hospital. This will provide access to essential acute medical services, enhanced research opportunities and a new haematology unit to allow specialist inpatient and outpatient haematology care.


Local services will also be expanded:
- Increased availability of chemotherapy at home for eligible patients.
- More diagnostic services and blood tests at local hospitals.
- A new chemotherapy unit at Hillingdon Hospital and expanded chemotherapy services at Northwick Park Hospital.
- An additional radiotherapy unit at either Lister Hospital (Stevenage) or Luton & Dunstable Hospital to reduce travel times for patients in the north


The online consultation can be found on the Mount Vernon Cancer Services Review website (mvccreview.nhs.uk) and will close on Sunday 29 March 2026.

20/01/2026

Now that we have published all our FAQ posts, we would like to respond to some of the feedback that you have raised with us:

- Notably, the changes to our processes are a necessary response to the evolving NHS contracts; the contract is a requirement that all local surgeries adhere to.

- We would like to reassure you that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not be utilised at any point during the clinical triage process.

- A clinical member of staff will review all triage requests to ensure the most appropriate outcome is provided.

- Triage forms will be available online between 8am and 6pm, and you can expect a response on the same day, with a resolution within the next working day.

- We wish to reassure you that our staff will be available to provide support to any individuals in completing the triage forms should they need it.

If you still have questions or concerns, we are more than happy to assist, but we kindly request that you review our previous posts to ensure your query has not already been addressed.

Thank you for your understanding.

18/01/2026

Day 4 of 4 addresses key concerns: privacy, inclusivity, and looking to the future. If you still have any concerns, our team will be happy to discuss them with you.

Birchwood and Sollershott Surgeries would like to express gratitude for your patience and understanding throughout our recent transformations and are optimistic that this new system will enhance appointment accessibility for all patients.

17/01/2026

FAQ Day 3 of 4 - What is the process after submitting a request, who is involved, and what options are available to you.