News

Queens Road Surgery is pleased to announce that we are now accepting patient registrations from individuals who live outside our usual practice boundary.

This is known as Out of Area Registration.

If you live outside our catchment area and would like to register with the practice, please read the information below carefully before submitting your registration request.

Important Information About Out of Area Registration 

Before registering as an Out of Area patient, it is important that you understand the following:

• As an Out of Area patient, the practice is not obligated to provide home visits. There may also be limitations regarding your access to local community-based services, including adult social care, district nursing, and other community healthcare services.

• If you experience an urgent medical condition or injury and are unable to attend the surgery in person, you will be advised to contact NHS 111. NHS 111 can help arrange appropriate care within your local area, which may include a face-to-face appointment or, where necessary, a home visit.

• If you develop complex, ongoing, or long-term healthcare needs that require support from local community services, we may recommend that you register with a GP practice closer to your home address.

• Please note that we will regularly review Out of Area registrations. If, at any stage, we believe that your healthcare needs would be better met by a practice nearer to where you live, we may advise you to register with a local GP surgery. Our priority is to ensure that all patients receive safe, accessible, and appropriate care.

Interested in Registering?

If you live outside our practice boundary and would like to register with Queens Road Surgery, please contact our reception team or complete our online registration form. We will be happy to discuss any questions you may have regarding Out of Area Registration.

We are now contacting eligible patients regarding their spring COVID-19 vaccinations.

Our clinics will begin in the week commencing 13th April.

📅 Please note: All clinics are by appointment only.

If you are eligible, we will be in touch with you shortly.

We will shortly be offering the COVID spring booster vaccine to eligible patients at the practice.

At present, we are awaiting confirmation of vaccine delivery dates. Once these have been confirmed, we will schedule our clinics and begin inviting patients.

Appointments
Please do not contact the surgery to arrange an appointment at this time. All eligible patients will be contacted directly when clinic dates are available.

Housebound Patients
Patients who are housebound will be contacted to confirm whether they would like to receive the vaccine. Those who consent will be referred for vaccination to be administered at home.

Eligibility
To find out if you are eligible for a COVID spring booster, please visit:
https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/covid-19-vaccine/

We appreciate your patience and understanding and will provide further updates as soon as more information becomes available.

We understand that some parents and students may be concerned following recent news reports about meningitis cases.

Current information suggests these cases involve MenB (meningococcal group B). The MenB vaccine is part of the UK childhood immunisation schedule and is routinely given to infants. It is not routinely offered to older children, teenagers, or university students, but is available privately – information about private vaccine providers can be found online.

Students and young people may be eligible for the MenACWY vaccine, which protects against groups A, C, W and Y. This vaccine is routinely offered in Year 9 (ages 13–14) and can still be given up to the age of 25 (including university students) if it was missed.

If you or your child is unsure about vaccination status:

• Vaccination history can be viewed on the NHS App, or our team can check your records
• If eligible and overdue, we can arrange an appointment for the MenACWY vaccine

Please note:

• Year 9 students are currently being vaccinated through school programmes as part of the routine schedule (this is not related to the recent news reports)
• At present, we have not received any additional guidance from health authorities

If you have concerns or would like us to check your vaccination record, please contact the practice.

Travel Vaccinations Policy

We can only provide vaccinations to patients registered at the surgery.

In order for us to arrange any travel vaccinations available on the NHS for you, you can either:

1. Attend a private travel clinic, they will tell you which vaccinations are needed for the area you are travelling to. You will need to take a printed list of your vaccination history, which we can provide you with. Please bring the written copy of the travel advice recommendations to the surgery.
2. Ask for a printed list of your vaccination history, then visit this website which will advise you on the recommended vaccines for your travel area. Once you have done this, fill in our vaccine form and return it to the surgery.

>> NHS Travel Vaccine Form

If possible, provide us with documentation at least eight weeks before you are due to travel, because some vaccinations need to be given well in advance to allow your body to develop immunity and some involve multiple doses spread over several weeks.

The Practice Nurses will check the information provided and ensure that the vaccines are in stock or arrange a prescription for you, you will then be invited to make an appointment.

Free travel vaccinations (available at the GP surgery)

The following travel vaccinations are available free on the NHS:

• Diphtheria, polio and tetanus (combined booster)
• Typhoid
• Hepatitis A (including when combined with typhoid or hepatitis B)
• Cholera

These vaccines are free because they protect against diseases thought to represent the greatest risk to public health if they were brought into the country.

The practice will be able to provide these vaccines for you given enough notice. Any forms sent less than 8 weeks from the date of travel will be rejected – you will need to consult a private clinic if there is less than 8 weeks until your date of travel.

Private travel vaccinations (available at a private travel clinic)

You will have to pay for travel vaccinations against:

• Hepatitis B (when not combined with hepatitis A)
• Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitis
• Meningococcal meningitis
• Rabies
• Tuberculosis (TB)
• Yellow fever

Yellow fever vaccines are only available from designated centres.

The NaTHNaC website can help you find where to get a yellow fever vaccination.

The cost of travel vaccines at private clinics will vary but could be around £50 for each dose of a vaccine. Therefore, if a vaccine requires three doses, the total cost could be around £150.  It’s worth considering this when budgeting for your trip.

Malaria prophylaxis

Drugs for malaria prophylaxis are not prescribable on the NHS. You will have to buy them or pay for a private prescription.

Travel Vaccinations

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/travel-vaccinations/

Travel Health Checklist

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/travel-health-checklist/

Any forms sent less than 8 weeks from the date of travel will be rejected – you will need to consult a private clinic if there is less than 8 weeks until your date of travel.

Queens Road Surgery is not a specialist travel centre.

Dr Clarke retired as Senior Partner earlier this year, reducing her hours and continuing to work in Women's Health.  After many kind wishes and a fantastic retirement party in the summer, she has decided at the end of 2025 is right time to fully retire after 25 years at Queens Road Surgery. She would like to add the following words to this announcement:

"I would like to express my gratitude to both patients and colleagues alike for their tremendous support and encouragement over the years.  It's been immensely rewarding to have worked it the community I grew up in, truly feeling that I found my place in life. Medicine as a career has been the best. There are so many people who've helped me along the way – anonymous donations of textbooks, work experience and mentorship.  My GP training at Leadgate Surgery, hospital posts around the North East as well as teaching many Newcastle Medical students have been particular highlights and very rewarding.

I've lots of plans to keep me busy but realise I will miss all the roles and people terribly!

Attending Dr John Hamilton's funeral recently reminded me that he qualified as a doctor the year I was born! It seems like only yesterday when he told me that – life is short, and now things have moved full circle.

My appreciation, thanks, and warm wishes to everyone,

Dr Andrea Clarke"