Authorised cohorts eligible for a Flu vaccine in AW 2025/26 are:

From 1 September 2025-31st March 2026:

• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2025
• primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
• secondary school aged children (from Year 7 to Year 11)
• all children in clinical risk groups aged from 6 months to less than 18 years

From 1^st October 2025-31st March 2026:

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 18 years to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by  the green book)
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme

Thank you for your patience.

Please note Flu vaccinations for House bound patients will be administered by the District Nurses and they will contact you before they visit you. 

Thank you for your patience.

Please visit our website regularly for more updates.

In addition to the medical students we will now also train doctors who are on the GP training scheme in the UK.

Our vision for the Practice is immense and is always to be the bedrock for our local community and its health .

Our purpose in becoming a TRAINING PRACTICE is not only to train the next generation of NHS workforce, but we are also looking at attracting young doctors trained in modern ways of working as GPs to join our practice and take it safely into the future . 

The new GP registrars along with the medical students will be given hands on experience in our little rural practice and influence the movement of clinicians into rural settings. Thereby having positive impact on barriers perceived by next generations of clinical and non-clinical workforce.

What does this mean to our patients?

You may be seen with trainee doctors in the room with you.

You may have a telephone consultation with a trainee doctor.

You may have appointments with a trainee doctor

We encourage you to see our Trainee doctors /Medical students to give them a full rounded clinical experience and help them become competent by the end of the training here with us

However, you can still opt out of this if you do not wish to be consulted by a trainee GP or medical student, just let our practice support team know at reception or over the phone.

Thanks for your cooperation

Pinfold Management

At Pinfold Medical Practice, we are committed to ensuring your referral to hospital for further specialist care is processed smoothly and efficiently. To help manage this process effectively, it is important that you understand the next steps and your role in them.

Once our clinical team completes and sends your referral to the hospital, the responsibility for managing the hospital appointment passes to you. The hospital will contact you directly to arrange this or you may have to go online or ring to book your appointment.

The Referral Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

1. We Complete & Send Your Referral
   Our team will finalise your referral with all necessary clinical information and send it securely to the hospital provider you have agreed upon.
2. You Will Receive a Notification
   The hospital will contact you to book your appointment. Please be vigilant, as these notifications are now primarily sent via:
• SMS text message to the mobile number we have on file.
• Email to the email address we have on file.
• Notification via the NHS App. We strongly recommend downloading and checking the NHS App regularly.
3. You Book or Confirm Your Appointment
   Upon receiving the notification, you must follow the instructions to book, confirm, or manage your appointment directly with the hospital.
4. Managing Queries or Problems
   If you have questions about your hospital appointment, please use the contact details on the appointment letter sent to you. If you need to call, please use the relevant number on the letter sent by the hospital or below.

Key Information & Contact Details

• Your Responsibility: Once the referral is sent, you are responsible for responding to hospital communications, booking the appointment, and attending it.
• Keep Your Details Updated: It is vital that you inform us immediately if your mobile number or email address changes.
• General NHS Appointment Booking Line: For general appointment enquiries, please call:
  📞 0345 608 8888
• MSK/Physiotherapy Appointments: For matters specifically related to Musculoskeletal (MSK) or Physiotherapy services, please call:
  📞 01388 455 200
• Always Check Your Letter: The most accurate and specific contact information will always be on the official appointment letter or communication you receive from the hospital.
• Our Role: Our role is to manage the clinical referral. We cannot book or rearrange hospital appointments on your behalf.

Thank you for your cooperation. This process helps ensure hospitals can manage their appointments efficiently and get you seen as quickly as possible.

Summary of Key Actions for Patients

To ensure patients can act on this information easily, here are the critical steps:

As a small rural practice, our objective is to provide a high standard of comprehensive traditional health care whilst embracing medical advances and new technologies.  We are also a training practice for both third year and final year medical students.

We accept new patients living in our practice area, which includes the towns and villages of Butterknowle, Woodland, Copley, Hamsterley, Etherley, Toft Hill, West Auckland, Cockfield, Evenwood, Staindrop and Stainton.

Teesdale PCN

Teesdale PCN is a partnership of organisations working together. These practices come together to help people live healthier lives.

PCNs also work along side staff, patients, their carers, families and the public to provide better healthcare.

Benefits of Primary Care Networks

PCNs have many benefits for patients, for example:

• patients can receive support for more complicated conditions
• they can access multiple different types of support in their area
• wider types of services available

Durham Dales Health Federation 

Durham Dales Health Federation supports all partner GP practices to ensure , maintain and develop the provision of primary care services in the rural and urban communities in Durham Dales area. we work very closely with them to ensure continuity of care and extended access to primary care service which is provided at Bishop Auckland Hospital.