Dr. Christopher Lyddell

Clinic update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie_13th October 2020 General News | October 12, 2020 EDMONTON CLINIC...Continue reading

Greetings everyone. Here is a little bit of fun put together by my colleagues in Edmonton. I did not even believe we had so much talent in the unit. I am so proud of them!! Please watch and donate to the Tony Russel scholarship fund!! He is the dapper English man with the moustache!! ... https://youtu.be/o-yqG0yTDz8

Covid 19 update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie dated 19th May 2020 General News | May 19, 2020 ...Continue reading

Update for Grande Prairie and Edmonton clinics 2 June 2020. Greetings to everyone, I hope the warmer weather (albeit a bit wet) and more relaxed environment has cheered everyone up a bit, these have been a challenging few months!! The number of new cases in Edmonton has decreased dramatically and that is most encouraging, remember the number has decreased, not gone to a sustained zero yet so please,, be thoughtful and mindful of the safety of everyone, restaurants are opening...Continue reading

Grande Prairie Clinic Schedule Here is the upcoming clinic schedule for the visiting Rheumatology clinic in Grande Prairie for June to August 2020. There is a lot of pressure on the clinics for the coming months and unfortunately the wait times are growing so if there is any opportunity for you to come down to Edmonton and be seen, please call the Edmonton office and we will do our best to try and accommodate you.... June 19, 20 and 21st 2020 July 25 and 26th 2020 September 11 12 and 13th 2020 The clinics will be held at the offices of Grande Prairie Primary Care Oak Ridge Business Centre 11745 105th St Grande Prairie, T8V 8L1. During clinic hours we have a local telephone number that will connect you directly with the clinic, this only operates during the clinic hours: 780-296-2082 Now, I would like to mention that the re-establishment of the Rheumatology services and the donation of the State of the Art, General Electric S8 Ultrasound has been made possible but he generosity of a local business man in Grande Prairie, there will me more on this later. I will be updating the News page more frequently in the future! AN IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL PATIENTS CURRENTLY ON ENBREL OR REMICADE and RITUXAN. The government of Alberta and Alberta Blue Cross (Non group plans and ASEBP), have mandated that these drugs be switched to the equivalent bio similar drugs. This move is not unique to Canada and will hopefully achieve significant savings to the already strained provincial drug budget! All patients on these drugs will be contacted for an appointment and I will discuss this with you individually, please try to accommodate us when we call you, if you are able to travel to Edmonton we will accommodate you with pleasure, this move has to completed by THE END OF 2020, that will place a great deal of strain on available time, so please be understanding when we contact you.

Covid 19 update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie dated 19th May 2020 General News | May 19, 2020 ...Continue reading

COVID-19 update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie 7 May 2020 EDMONTON Greetings everyone and again, a slight delay but this time due to the website update, as you may have noticed the site is in the process of an update.... With regard to the situation in Edmonton, we are starting a gradual re-opening of the clinic with immediate effect. What that means is that I am starting to see all the people I have deemed in need of priority appointments, we are contacting and booking everyone. Now the numbers of people, we can see is being influenced by many factors not least being the requirement to maintain spacing in the clinic and avoid any crowding, I do share space with a family practice and we are inside the Superstore!!! Also availability of Protective equipment has to be sourced, that is in process and may take a little bit of time but generally everyone will be seen as soon as possible. Probably from the middle of the month, we will start booking elective patients on the waiting list. So, this is encouraging, the return to a resemblance of normality will be gradual and I hope, ordered. If people do not wish to come in for an appointment now, we can offer a telephone consultation or re-book you, just let us know when we contact you. The simple guidelines that will occur at the clinic are: PLEASE enter the clinic alone, no escorts or family members, if a translator or assistant is required inform us when we contact you. Do not come to the clinic if you have a respiratory illness, we will offer a telephone consult. Wear a thin layer of clothes, leave extra layers in your car. Wear a mask in the clinic. If the security at the entrance to the stores is forming a queue, let them know you are coming to the clinic. This will be challenging for all of us, let us make it work!!! GRANDE PRAIRIE The clinic scheduled for the 22nd, 23rd and 24th May is on!! The PCN has kindly agreed to accommodate us. If however you do live outside of the town and would prefer a telephone consultation, please let us know when we contact you, we can provide the service. The guidelines to be followed are: You must attend alone, if a translator or assistant is required LET US KNOW WHEN WE CONTACT YOU. A single layer of clothing please, leave the jewellery bracelets et at home. You will be required to wait in your car OUTSIDE the clinic until your appointment time, we will call you in when we are ready, so PLEASE BRING A MOBILE PHONE WITH YOU AND MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE NUMBER. We need to avoid any form of crowding in the clic, the clinic rooms are small! We will start contacting everyone soon to confirm your appointment.

COVID 19 Update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie Offices 21 Apr 2020 by Christopher Lyddell | Apr 21, 2020 | Uncategorized Events of the past few weeks have been trying for everyone across the globe and we as Canadians awoke yesterday to the news of tragedy in Nova Scotia. I am sure everyone will join me in being with our fellow citizens who have been part of this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost family and friends and to our R...MCP who lost a serving office in the line of duty. NOVA SCOTIA STRONG!!! After my briefing on Monday evening, we do acknowledge that there has been a significant flattening of new cases in Alberta, fewer hospital admissions, we still have concerns in the East particularly in Toronto and Montreal. We are advised at this point to not see any routine patients in our offices but rather to continue remote consultations and also encourage people to stay home and not travel. Anything urgent will obviously be dealt with. The office therefore will remain closed to routine visits, the decisions will be reviewed on a weekly basis but the chance of opening before May is unlikely. I am in the process of getting the Video facility incorporated into the practice management system, there are delay there due to demand, intersting that Webcams for computers are in extremely short supply due to the boom in Video-conferencing!! In Grande Prairie, all clinics for April have been cancelled, I am hopeful for the May clinic and will update when I have more certainty. For the coming weekend, 24/25/26 April, you will be contacted by telephone for a consultation at the approximate time of your appointment, please have questions ready, we can renew scripts, lab requisitions.

COVID 19 update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie Clinics 29 Apr 2020 by Christopher Lyddell | Apr 29, 2020 | Uncategorized Apologies for the slight delay, but here is the promised follow up for the next week or so. The clinic in Edmonton will remain closed this week and next week to routine patient bookings, just about everyone on the elective waiting list has been contacted and re-booked, a definitive date will be given obviously the moment I am going to be able to open up. I... am going to start seeing patients that I have considered priority patients next week, those patients will be contacted tomorrow and booked for next week, I will get the office prepared in the next few days. There will be some guidelines the office administrators will discuss with you, remember the clinic shares space with the Superstore and a Family practice, so distancing measures and thorough cleanliness are mandatory. Avoid watches, jewellery, bracelets etc, weather is good so wear light layers!! If possible come alone but those who need an escort (after injection) must bring the escort, we will ask if they would not mind waiting in the car. We will be as quick and efficient as possible. The clinic in Grande Prairie scheduled for the end of May 2020, 22 to 24th May is still I hope going ahead, I will be in regular contact with the PCN on this matter and keep everyone updated on this page. Things are looking encouraging in Alberta, Especially Edmonton and the North, so let us keep it that way. Until next week.

Greetings everyone, just a weekly update. Edmonton clinics will remain closed this and next week, I will be contacting everyone on their booked appointment day for a telephone consultation at approximately the appointment time, Please give me some leeway, some calls take longer than others!! I will at the consultation re-schedule the appointment, make sure prescriptions are filled and discuss any management issues!! The situation in Alberta is looking encouraging, but too ea...rly to get complacent, so please stay home, read that book you were meaning too and contact some Long lost friends, rest reflect and rejuvenate! Clinics in Grande Prairie are cancelled for the Month of April, I really am confident we will run the clinic in May as scheduled! I will approach the PCN and ask if they will be able to accommodate us for some extra time in June/July perhaps to catch up!! For April, the same applies I will contact you at the appointment time by telephone, we can attend to any medication renewals, insurance renewals and other documentation. If I deem a video conference is required we will do that through Medeo, you can download the app and register, it is free. YOU MUST REGUSTER WITH A UNIQUE EMAIL ADDRESS, the email address cannot be shared between members of the same daily ! Until next week!! Once again, www.medeohealth.com

COVID 19 Update for Edmonton and Grande Prairie Offices 21 Apr 2020 by Christopher Lyddell | Apr 21, 2020 | Uncategorized Events of the past few weeks have been trying for everyone across the globe and we as Canadians awoke yesterday to the news of tragedy in Nova Scotia. I am sure everyone will join me in being with our fellow citizens who have been part of this senseless act of violence. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost family and friends and to our R...MCP who lost a serving office in the line of duty. NOVA SCOTIA STRONG!!! After my briefing on Monday evening, we do acknowledge that there has been a significant flattening of new cases in Alberta, fewer hospital admissions, we still have concerns in the East particularly in Toronto and Montreal. We are advised at this point to not see any routine patients in our offices but rather to continue remote consultations and also encourage people to stay home and not travel. Anything urgent will obviously be dealt with. The office therefore will remain closed to routine visits, the decisions will be reviewed on a weekly basis but the chance of opening before May is unlikely. I am in the process of getting the Video facility incorporated into the practice management system, there are delay there due to demand, intersting that Webcams for computers are in extremely short supply due to the boom in Video-conferencing!! In Grande Prairie, all clinics for April have been cancelled, I am hopeful for the May clinic and will update when I have more certainty. For the coming weekend, 24/25/26 April, you will be contacted by telephone for a consultation at the approximate time of your appointment, please have questions ready, we can renew scripts, lab requisitions.

Greetings everyone, just a weekly update. Edmonton clinics will remain closed this and next week, I will be contacting everyone on their booked appointment day for a telephone consultation at approximately the appointment time, Please give me some leeway, some calls take longer than others!! I will at the consultation re-schedule the appointment, make sure prescriptions are filled and discuss any management issues!! The situation in Alberta is looking encouraging, but too ea...rly to get complacent, so please stay home, read that book you were meaning too and contact some Long lost friends, rest reflect and rejuvenate! Clinics in Grande Prairie are cancelled for the Month of April, I really am confident we will run the clinic in May as scheduled! I will approach the PCN and ask if they will be able to accommodate us for some extra time in June/July perhaps to catch up!! For April, the same applies I will contact you at the appointment time by telephone, we can attend to any medication renewals, insurance renewals and other documentation. If I deem a video conference is required we will do that through Medeo, you can download the app and register, it is free. YOU MUST REGUSTER WITH A UNIQUE EMAIL ADDRESS, the email address cannot be shared between members of the same daily ! Until next week!! Once again, www.medeohealth.com

Greetings everyone. I trust that everyone is coping well under the storm, staying at home and listening to the experts. It is very difficult for them to be very precise with predictions as to when the situation is going to improve but at the moment we all need to stay home, keep physically and intellectually stimulated and be thankful for the tireless efforts of the people who are keeping services going at the Utility companies, our truck drivers keeping the supermarkets stoc...ked, our garbage collectors, and first responders, without them we face serious challenges!! The number of people who have lost jobs and are facing hardship mounts by the day, so compassion, understanding and a helping hand where indicated is what we need to do, we need to look after each other!! My hope of being able to see people next week in Edmonton was hopeful, I am afraid the office will remain closed and the clinics in Grande Prairie for April have been cancelled. I will contact all people who have a booking on the date and approximate time of their appointment for a telephone consultation, and hopefully we will be able to talk about re-booking face to face consultation. I am exploring the option of incorporating video links into our Electronic Medical system that will enable secure messaging and two way video consults, the system I have opted for is Medeo. It will take some time to get functional but if you are interested, register through their site, www.medeohealth.com or download the app from Apple or Android stores. The only additional information I will need from you is an Email address, family members will need their own unique Email, they cannot be shared but the site will help you set up an alias. Stay home stay health, this will pass and we will get through it together. See more

Greetings everyone. Due to this outbreak the EDMONTON office has been shut down, provisionally until the 6th April. I will be in contact with everyone booked for an appointment on the day and time of your appointment! Please keep your phone on, the call ID will be Dr. C Lyddell. We will ensure medications are renewed. Discuss any issues and arrange a follow up schedule. GRANDE PRAIRIE clinics scheduled for April have been closed and again I will call everyone on the day of t...he scheduled appointment to do the same, discuss medical issues, ensure you have medication and rebook you. I will keep posting updates here and on the website at www.lyddell.com/blog Please stay home, stay safe practice sensible social isolation and we will all get through this together!! If there are issues leave messages on our phone we are going to monitor and answer in a daily basis, messages of a non personal nature may be left on FB, but do not leave personal info, this is not secure this page is general info only!! See more

Greetings everyone, just another update regarding the upcoming clinic in Grande Prairie schedules for Saturday and Sunday the 21st and 22nd March. In consultation with the Primary Care Network, Rheumatology services and the current AHS recommendations and also a healthy dose of common sense I have elected to Cancel the clinics. A face to face service is not advisable so I will be contacting everyone to inform them of this decision and I will arrange telephone consultations w...ith everyone over the weekend and we will reschedule when air travel and community contact in a health care clinic is considered reasonable especially for patients with compromised immunity and those on biological response modifiers. I am also suggesting that patients with Rheumatic disorders, especially those on Biologic drugs and those with medical problems such as breathing disorders, heart disorders, diabetes to please stay home if possible, observe the guidelines regarding social isolation. Elective blood testing and X-Rays can be delayed for those on routine monitoring at the moment, we have added some guidelines on this on the albertarheumatology website. See more

Greetings everyone, these certainly are challenging times for everyone, those in Healthcare are facing a lot of challenges. I do not want to go through all the advice that has assaulted everyone over the past few days. The following is a link that we as Rheumatologists have published that I do hope will be of help particularly the concerns our patients on immunno-modulators have. https://albertarheumatology.com/covid-19/ Now I am going to do my best to honour clinic visits... to Grande Prairie but this may well change for reasons beyond my control. The situation is fluid and may change at short notice!! I will keep any updates of relevance posted here. Our office is dealing with a lot of calls and our capacity is limited so please be patient and understanding. Remember, sensible social isolation is imported, stay home if you can, if you feel unwell, contact the office we will re-schedule you. See more

Greetings everyone, well cannot say we have had much of a summer this year!! A little wet and cool!! It has indeed been a busy year with the Grande Prairie clinics up and running and certainly I hope we have been able to provide a meaningful service to the community. Here is the upcoming schedule for the remainder of the year. August 30 to September 1st 2019... October 10th to the 13th 2019 November 7th to the 10th 2019 December 5th to the 8th December 2019 Please remember the telephone number for the Grande Prairie clinics operates during the clinic only! We are under tremendous time pressure so please do not be late for your appointment especially if you are the first patient. As the weather gets colder we wear more layers but I am going to need access to your joints try to wear easily removed layers if possible!! Leave rings and jewellery at home bring your medication list and please visit www.lyddell.com before your visit. There is a Google maps geotag to help with directions. Look forward to being of service.