Routine doctor appointments at Otford Medical Practice cancelled until further notice

OTFORD MEDICAL PRACTICE: After an unprecedented week and in order to continue to reduce the risk to vulnerable patients and staff this is the current situation at the Surgery:

• APPOINTMENTS: All future routine GP appointment are now cancelled until further notice.
• A DAILY ACUTE TRIAGE service will be run for telephone and, where appropriate, video consultations.   Receptionists will take your details and a GP will call you back on the telephone. Please note: this service is for URGENT queries and conditions.
• CORONAVIRUS: The surgery continues to experience phenomenal demand on services and ask that if you are concerned about Coronavirus that you follow the 111 online advice and telephone protocols in the first instance.
• NURSE APPOINTMENTS will continue for the moment but will take place at the Kemsing surgery. If you are self-isolating, please do not attend for your appointment and let them know by calling 01959 524633 or on the webpage contact form.
• REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS: please allow at least 72 hours for processing. Please don’t over-request your medication as this will be automatically rejected. Electronic requests are better, but otherwise use the normal post box at Kemsing surgery or the new box at Otford.

RECREATION GROUND: Any previous information in this column regarding outdoor exercise has subsequently been overtaken by the new regulations concerning distancing and self-isolation. Exercise equipment on the Otford High Street Recreation Ground has therefore been ‘netted off’ to avoid use and possible cross contamination. Everyone is being encouraged to follow the Government guidelines with regard to exercising which, at the time of writing, restricts us to one period, preferably of no more than 30 minutes, of exercise distancing ourselves from others by at least two metres.

ROAD FRIENDS: Otford’s response to Coronavirus is a network of ‘Road Friends’ has been set up. The initiative is being supported by the Parish Council and long-time resident, Rod Shelton, is co-ordinating the process.

Every road in Otford will have at least two Road Friends available to help their neighbours. Every house in the parish will be notified of their local contact telephone number. In the event of self-isolation, the Road Friend is prepared to carry out necessary shopping and collect prescriptions.

If a neighbour falls ill, they should notify their Road Friend so that an extra watch can then be kept on their home. Being isolated need not mean being alone.

The network is already building and all four village churches asked for more volunteers to help. If you live in Otford and would like to join your own road’s Road Friends just call Rod Shelton on 01959 523371 or email at: rodshelton@greenbee.net

TONBRIDGE & MALLING RAMBLERS: Otford members of this group are advised that the walks programme has been cancelled until at least the end of May, following government advice on the Covid-19 virus. The website:  www.tonbridgeandmallingramblers.org.uk/ has been updated to show that all planned walks are cancelled and a new programme when Ramblers group led walks are up and running again will be circulated.

OTFORD FOLK DANCE CLUB: All meetings are cancelled until September at the earliest.   Full details of when the club start meeting again will be published as soon as they are up and running again.

SEVENOAKS RSPB GROUP: Meetings have been cancelled until further notice. Details of this group can be found on their website: www2.rspb.org.uk/groups/Sevenoaks and other news can be found on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/groups/RSPBSevenoaks/

OTHER CANCELLATIONS: The NW Kent Family History Society AGM (for members only) scheduled for Thursday 9 April and the Otford & District Historical Society meeting scheduled for Wednesday 15 April have both been cancelled. The Otford Heritage Centre will also be closed at weekends in March and April.

FAIR FEAST 2020: The organisers would like to extend their warmest thanks to everyone who supported or played any part in Fair Feast 2020 at Otford Methodist Church.  The financial outcome is that All We Can, the Methodist relief and development fund, will receive £1,576 towards its work with farmers in Ethiopia.  There, climate change has resulted in reduced rainfall and All We Can are helping the farmers to respond in ways most helpful to them and their families.  Shrove Tuesday 2021 is on 16 February.

The Otford village news is compiled by Kay Drake. If you have any news or events you would like her to consider for the My Sevenoaks Community village column you can email her at: drake_kay@hotmail.com