Quayside Medical Practice - NI

05/06/2026

🚂 🚂🚂🚂🚂
The next Chat-Tea train will be departing from the Waterside train station to Portrush on Tuesday 16th June 2026.

🔹This event incorporates Loneliness Aware week which runs 15th-21st June 2026
🔹 The event is open to people aged 60+ yrs who have a travel pass card
🔹Please bring your travel ticket on the day and a beach towel if the weather is good 😊☀️
🔹 The train leaves for Portrush at 10.38am sharp. We ask that you arrive at the Waterside train station by 10am where you can enjoy the entertainment and meet your fellow passengers
🔹If you are joining us, please be aware that there is a short walk to cross over at Coleraine station for the connecting train to Portrush. If you need a carer to accompany you on the day to help with this crossing, just let our Social Work team know when you contact them to register your interest.

04/06/2026

Screens are part of everyday life, but young children learn best through play, interaction and time with others 💛

Guidance suggests:
✔️ Under 2s – avoid screen time where possible (except shared activities like video calls)
✔️ Ages 2–5 – aim for no more than 1 hour a day, and less if possible

Simple ways to support healthy habits:
✔️ Keep screens away from mealtimes and the hour before bed
✔️ Choose slow-paced, age-appropriate content
✔️ Watch together and talk about what you’re seeing
✔️ Make time for play, movement and family interaction instead

Too much screen time can take away from sleep, play and important developmental time – so small changes can make a big difference 💙 go to: https://beststartinlife.gov.uk/screen-time-under-5s/

04/06/2026

📌 Clinical IT System Change Update 📌

We are now live on our new clinical IT system. This is the system we use in the Practice to book your appointments, check you in, log your consultations, create your prescriptions etc.

How will this affect our patients?
▪️Our team are all getting used to the new way of working, so please be mindful of this if we take a little longer to deal with your queries/concerns. It's a big change for us all which is going to take some time to get used to.
▪️There will likely be a queue at our reception desk when you visit the Practice, hence you may have to wait a little longer to be sorted.
▪️If your query/ concern is confidential and you would prefer to speak in a quiet area away from the reception, just let our team know and they will be happy to help with this.
▪️ Telephone lines continue to be very busy, especially for the first hour of opening. We have deployed additional staff to help with this as your calls may take a little longer for us to complete.

Appointments 🗓️
▪️We continue to offer only URGENT GP appointments this week
▪️We are gradually increasing the number of GP appointments as we get used to the new system
▪️We will have a limited number of routine GP appointments available from next week
▪️Our treatment room, mental health and social work teams are operating on a reduced capacity as they too get used to the system.

Tests & Results 🔬⏲️
▪️We are processing routine bloods and BP tests again. Appointments are available to book.
▪️Results line will open at 11am today with additional staff available to answer your call

Repeat Medication Requests 💊
▪️Our online repeat prescriptions ordering system remains off-line until further notice. Patients can order their repeat prescriptions by:
> Dropping your repeat order slip into our front reception desk or pop it in the post box at the front door of the Practice, or
> Send an email to our temporary dedicated repeat prescription mailbox
[email protected]
You must state your full name, date of birth, contact telephone number and list the medications you require.
*This mailbox is for repeat prescription requests only*

Registrations 📄
▪️Our patient list remains closed to new registrations until July 2026

We continue to work hard to minimise the disruption to our service and gradually return to normal. The team have been using the old system for over 20 years and as you can imagine, this new system is a big change. We apologise for the inconvenience over the past few weeks and we are very grateful for your continued support, patience and understanding.

02/06/2026

Enjoy the sunshine safely ☀️ Even on cloudy days in Northern Ireland, UV rays can still damage your skin – so it’s important to protect yourself every time you’re out and about 💛

✔️ Use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and 4–5 star UVA protection
✔️ Apply generously 20–30 minutes before going outside
✔️ Reapply every 2 hours, and after swimming or sweating
✔️ Don’t forget easy-to-miss areas like ears, neck and hands
✔️ Stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm when the sun is strongest

Sunscreen doesn’t give 100% protection, so combine it with shade, clothing and sunglasses for the best protection 🕶️ Taking a few simple steps can help reduce your risk of sun damage and skin cancer – for you and your family 💙 Go to: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/protection-sun

28/05/2026

If you’re living with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), you’re not alone and support is available to help you manage your condition.

IBD mainly includes:
🔹 Crohn’s Disease
🔹 Ulcerative Colitis

These are long-term conditions that affect the digestive system and can cause symptoms like abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fatigue and weight loss, often coming and going in flare-ups

Need advice or support?
👉 Find out more:
https://westerntrust.hscni.net/service/inflammatory-bowel-disease-service/

27/05/2026

If you've just found out you're pregnant, you can now self-refer directly to your community midwife - no need to visit your GP first.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, please contact your specialist team as soon as possible.

27/05/2026

❗ It's important that we hold your correct contact details on our systems. Please let us know if your records need updating.

27/05/2026

The Pharmacy First service is available at participating community pharmacies across Northern Ireland.

If you have an everyday health condition, you can use the Pharmacy First service to get advice and treatment from your local pharmacist, without waiting for a GP appointment.

See the link below for more information on the services provided.

The Pharmacy First service is available at participating community pharmacies across Northern Ireland. If you have an everyday health condition, you can use the Pharmacy First service to get advice and treatment from a local pharmacist, without waiting for an appointment to see your GP. Many communi...

26/05/2026

📌 Clinical IT System Change Update 📌

⏰ 1 week to go !! ⏰

Reminder that we will be live with the new clinical system from Tues 2nd June.

This week, we are continuing to work through our transition plans. This will impact our services as follows:

Appointments 🗓️

▪️Friday 29th May & Monday 1st June - we won’t have system access therefore can only offer restricted URGENT GP appointments.
▪️Tuesday 2nd to Friday 5th June - we will be live on the new system but whilst we get used to how it works we can only offer restricted URGENT GP appointments.
▪️Our treatment room team will continue to offer essential appointments for dressings and urgent tests
▪️Our mental health and social work team will offer urgent appointments

Tests & Results🔬⏲️

▪️Routine blood and BP tests will not be available from Thursday 28th May to Monday 8th June
▪️Results line will be closed from 12:30pm Thursday 28th May and reopen Thursday 4th June at 11am
▪️ Urgent results will be followed up by a GP

Repeat Medication Requests 💊

▪️Our online repeat prescriptions ordering system is off-line until further notice. Patients can order their repeat prescriptions by:
> Dropping your repeat order slip into our front reception desk or pop it in the post box at the front door of the Practice, or
> Send an email to our temporary dedicated repeat prescription mailbox [email protected] You must state your name, date of birth, contact telephone number and list the medications you require.


*This mailbox is for repeat prescription requests only *

Registrations📄

▪️Our patient list remains closed to new registrations until July 2026


We will be working hard to minimise the disruption to our service. We apologise for the inconvenience and thank you for your continued support and understanding.

26/05/2026

Walking is one of the easiest ways to boost your health and wellbeing, and it doesn’t require any special equipment or gym membership. Even a brisk 10-minute walk a day can improve your mood, increase energy levels and support heart health. 🚶‍♀️💚✨

Regular walking can help:
• Improve heart health and reduce risk of disease ❤️🩺
• Boost mood and reduce stress and anxiety 🌿💙
• Increase energy levels and improve sleep ⚡🌙
• Support weight management and overall fitness ⚖️✨

You don’t need to do hours of exercise to see benefits. Short, regular walks all add up and count towards the recommended activity levels.

Making walking part of your daily routine, whether it’s a lunchtime walk, walking to work or getting outside with friends, can have a big impact on your physical and mental wellbeing. 💚🚶‍♂️✨