Swadlincote Surgery has issued a message of thanks to patients for their co-operation during the current Coronavirus crisis - but warns of a more challenging time 'in the not too distant future'.

The surgery says the support from patients will 'be at its best'.

A message to the surgery's patients has been posted on its Facebook page and it reads: "As a Surgery, we would like to thank all our patients for the way they have embraced the changes in working we have been required to put in place as a result of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic - in particular the move to telephone consultations in place of face to face consultations in the surgery.

"We, like you, are receiving multiple updates a day around changing government policy in this area and our dedicated staff are doing their best to understand and implement this guidance whilst at the same time provide a clinical service.

"Like the rest of the NHS, we have to make sure our attention and resources are focussed on our most vulnerable patients with the greatest clinical need. We are also actively planning for how we could best maintain essential services were we to face significant staff absence as a result of our own staff members having to self-isolate.

"In order to release vital hospital bed space for the most critically ill patients, we anticipate that GPs will be required to play a much larger role in the management of patients newly discharged from hospital with ongoing medical needs. This will inevitably have a short term effect on our ability to provide the variety of services our patients are used to experiencing in our surgery.

"We are committed to keeping our patients informed and remind all patients to visit our website on a regular basis for updated information Swadlincote Surgery

"This is a challenging time for us all and likely to get even more challenging in the not too distant future What Swad Needs To Know

"We are confident that when the complexity of clinically managing this evolving situation is at its worst, the support and assistance from our patients will be at its best."