A GP surgery has recently closed to become a coronavirus assessment site for patients in Bracknell.

Boundary House Surgery in Mount Lane has closed in order to "reduce footfall" while the NHS cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.

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East Berkshire's Clinical Commissioning Group, which oversea GP surgeries across Bracknell, has said patients will have to visit a different surgery.

If a patient has symptoms of the coronavirus who, following a telephone assessment, need to have a further face-to-face appointment, will not be seen at their usual surgery.

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A spokesperson said: “We have been working on ways to reduce footfall through our practices across East Berkshire, using systems like e-consult, telephone appointments and video consultations to ensure we continue to provide our local community with the care they need whilst responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Primary care is operating differently and we are communicating widely and regularly to ensure people understand the new arrangements for their care and support. Our top priority is to keep our patients and staff safe and to ensure patients get the care they need.

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“All patients contacting their surgeries requiring assessment by a doctor or nurse will receive an initial assessment through on-line consultation (e-consult on surgery website) or telephone by a suitably trained clinician. Keeping people with Covid-19 symptoms separate from people who do not have symptoms is key if we are to help reduce the impact of the pandemic on patients and our NHS staff.

“Over the course of the next few weeks people may have to go to a different surgery building to the one they are used to, and might see a doctor or nurse who they not familiar with. People with suspected Covid-19 symptoms who, following telephone assessment, need to have a further face-to-face appointment, may not be seen at their usual surgery. Instead they will be directed to a specific site locally that has been set up to better deal with their needs. Whilst we realise such arrangements may be inconvenient, we think it is important to keep people safe, reduce the spread of Covid-19 and get the maximum benefit from the healthcare resources which will be available.”