Practice News

Latest News

24.06.2025

As you may have seen on the news, prescriptions for Mounjaro injections to help people lose weight, will be available at GP surgeries in England - but only for those who meet very strict criteria. Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro®) is a weight loss medicine that makes you feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry. It comes in the form of an injection which you inject yourself, once a week.
 
The first phased cohort eligible for Mounjaro on the NHS must meet the following:
 
• Have a BMI of 40 or over (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background)
AND
• Have a diagnosis of FOUR out of the five following conditions: type 2 diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnoea
 
If you do not meet both of the specified criteria, Cross Keys will not be able to prescribe Mounjaro for weight loss, as you do not qualify under NHS guidelines. We have identified the small number of patients eligible for this NHS service, and will be in contact with them directly to discuss this further.

25.07.2024

Changes to our appointment booking process from Monday 5th August.
 
Our reception desk will be closed until 8:30am going forward, meaning you will not be able to book an appointment at the reception desk until after this time. The surgery will remain open from 8:00am as usual for pre booked appointments, and you will still be able to phone for an appointment from 8:00am. Remember, you can use the AskFirst app 24/7 to check your symptoms and book appointments online.
 
We have seen demand on our services increasing so have had to establish new ways of working, whilst continuing to deliver a high-quality service without compromising care and patient safety. Therefore, we are moving away from a ‘First come, first serve’ basis to a fairer system based on clinical need.

16.05.2024

Should you have an outstanding referral and are yet to hear from the hospital with an appointment you will need to call the appropriate department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital (where we send the majority of our referrals) on 01296 838888, this is the Bookings Appointment Line and the staff there will be able to give you an update on your appointment.  Unfortunately, the Secretaries at Cross Keys Practice do not have any ‘magic numbers’ to enable them to get through any sooner. 

Should you have issues trying to make contact with the Bookings Appointment Line you can also contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Service on 01296 831120.

15.05.2024

As a practice, we have decided to revert back to all patients having a named GP.

In 2022 patients under the age of 65 who did not have a chronic health condition were  given a generic “Dr Cross Keys Practice” status meaning their care would fall under any doctor consulting that day. This decision was made due to staffing levels within the practice. This meant the workload could be distributed evenly amongst the doctors, while giving patients continued access to a GP.

Since hiring 3 new GP Partners and 2 new GP’s we are now in a position to allocate all patients a “usual GP”. This will aid continuity of care and build stronger relationships between GP’s and  patients.The allocation process will take around a month. After this time, if you would like to know who your usual GP is, please ask when you are next in the surgery. Please do not call reception for this matter specifically.

For a full list of our GP’s and GP partners please here.

14.05.2024

After 20 years of hard work, sadly Dr Ally Wilson will not be returning to Cross Keys Practice. She will be greatly missed by staff and patients alike.

 

Page last reviewed: 24 June 2025
Page created: 03 June 2021