Practice Newsletter September 2009

OUR PRACTICE LIST IS NOW OPEN

REGISTERING AS A NEW PATIENT

At this practice, this is done through the completion of a written form available at reception or you can download this form as a word document from the front page of our website. The surgery reviews applications weekly and patients who have recently moved to our boundary area are considered for registration. You will be requested to telephone following your application for the answer.

LORDSWOOD COMMUNITY HEALTHY LIVING CENTRE

Dr O. S. Singh & Partners moved to our new premises on Friday 25th August 2006, having spent two years in temporary accomodation. We have been here almost 18 months now and as with any new accommodation we have been experiencing a few teething problems! You will be pleased to know that we are coming to the end of problems and are well and truly settled into the new building now.

This brand new, state of the art facility is situated just a little further up Sultan Road, where the old site used to be. This new, multi-professional centre was created by the Medway PCT, other local health and social care bodies and the private sector, and incorporates the latest technology and patient centered amenities, all geared towards making your care more efficient and effective. Among the new facilities is an Internet Point for patients, enabling them to easily access health promotion advice. There is also a cafe on the ground floor, near the main entrance that faces the Kestrel Shopping Precinct which is now open and seem to be very popular.

All of the staff involved in the Practice have bigger consulting rooms, each brimming with the latest in healthcare equipment. From healthier couches in the treatment rooms to a stylishly furnished waiting area with a special playing area for the kids (to stop them tearing your hair out), there's little that hasn't been improved from the old building.

The Patient Self-Check In System and call system have now been installed.

APPOINTMENT SYSTEM

We are constantly looking at ways of meeting the demands of our very busy practice. We pride ourselves on offering a good service to our patients from the minute you walk through the door to the care by the clinicians. We offer all routine appointments to be book able in advance. Emergency only appointments will be booked on the day. We have appointment slots for telephone consultations and triage with all the doctors on duty every day. We are also now able to offer very early routine appointment slots from 7.00-8.00am Tuesday and Thursday, and late routine appointment slots from 6.30-7.30pm Monday evenings.

Please try to plan in advance when making appointments for return visits to a specific doctor. To be able to cope with the demands of our busy Practice, Mondays and Fridays will be kept for emergencies only, book on the day appointments (at the receptionist's discretion there will be some pre-booked at the beginning of surgeries, depending on the demand).

Appointments to see a GP can be booked in the usual manner by contacting the practice’s appointments line during normal hours.

Please do inform us if you are unable to keep an appointment as another patient could use it. Our DNA(Did Not Attend) rate is very high and is displayed monthly on our call system.

We are now sometimes using SMS messaging to remind patients of their appointments. Please ensure we have the correct mobile number to contact you on.

EXTENDED HOURS

This practice will be extending its opening times for pre-booked appointments only from 1st April 2008 and appointments will be available on Monday evenings from 6.30pm to 8.00pm and Wednesday mornings from 7.00am to 8.00am.

Appointments are intended for patients who have difficulty accessing the surgery during core opening hours (8.30am to 6.00pm daily).

Once all the allocated appointment slots have been booked, no further appointments outside of core hours will be made available.

The Out of Hours Services is still operating during extended opening times and is available to treat patients with unscheduled care needs after 6.30pm and before 8.00am and at weekends and bank holidays.

It will not be possible to access a full range of services during the extended hours period, for instance there will be no nurse available outside the hours of 8.30am and 6.00pm and therefore no access to phlebotomy and other services. It will not be possible to contact the surgery by telephone as telephones will be passed to the Out of Hours Service, neither will it be possible to pre-book appointments or collect or order repeat prescriptions.

Please remember that the extended hours appointments outside of the core hours of 8.30am and 6.00pm are pre-booked and intended for those who find accessing our GPs difficult during the working day.

TRAINING PRACTICE

This Surgery is a training practice. We have GP Registrars, FY2 Doctors, medical and nursing students. Videos of consultations may also be carried out for training purposes, ofcourse after obtaining permission from the patient.

PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINATION (PCV)

Your child should be immunised with their booster dose of PCV at 13 months of age. This vaccination provides longer-term protection against pneumococcal infection. After immunisation with the PCV booster, out of ten babies immunised, one or two may get swelling, redness or tenderness at the injection site or get a mild fever. Giving your baby MMR and PCV at the same time will not overload their immune system. From birth, babies' immune systems protect them from the germs that surround them. Without this protection, babies would not be able to cope with the tens of thousands of bacteria and viruses that cover their skin, nose, throat and intestines. This protection carries on throughout life.

In theory, a baby could respond effectively to around 10,000 vaccines at any one time. The baby's immune system can and does easily cope with the MMR and pneumococcal vaccines at the same time.

The routine childhood immunisation programme has now changed.

From more information please visit: www.immunisation.nhs.uk or www.mmrthefacts.nhs.uk

PNEUMONIA VACCINATION

Everybody aged 64 and over should now be immunised to help protect them against pneumococcal infection, which can cause disease such as pneumonia, septicaemia (blood poisoning) and meningitis. Most people will only need to have the vaccine once. You may need a second dose if you have certain conditions such as a damaged spleen or no spleen, or problems with your kidneys. Please ask the receptionist for an appointment with the practice nurse or read the fact sheet for further information or call NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

INFLUENZA VACCINATION

The vaccine is avaliable from October by guidance given by Department of Health, all those aged 65 & over,COPD, Asthma, CHD, Chronic Renal disease, Chronic Liver disease, Diabetes or Immuno-suppression. If you fall into any of these categories and have not yet been vaccinated, please contact reception to book an appointment with the Nurse. You will need to be vaccinated annually.

SUMMARY CARE RECORDS

By now you will have recieved the information pack with regards to Summary Care Records. NHS in England has introduced Summary Care Records as a part of the NHS Care Records Service. Overtime NHs organisations will keep your health care records on computers that link up your notes, allowing them to get access to information in a safe and secure way. You will have access to your Summary Care Record, whenever you want it, through Healthspace (a secure internet site).

To register, you will need to set up a basic Healthspace account and choose your user ID and password. You will then need to set up an advanced HealthSpace account before you can view you Records. For this you will be required to take proof of identity documents to one of the local Healthspace Agents. The step-by-step explanation is available on www.healthspace.nhs.uk.

Unless you choose not to have a Summary Care Record, healthcare professionals treating you across England will be able to see your Summary Care Records. You have the option of Opting-Out of having a Care Record. For this you will have to complete the Opt-Out form and hand it in at Reception, which will then be entered onto your notes.

For a copy of leaflets for more information on this, please visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk or the Service helpline on 0845 603 8510.

CARERS

Are you a carer? Do you look after someone who is disabled, frail, or unable to look after himself or herself? Please let the receptionist know so that we can record this in our records and be of any assistance to you.

CHRONIC DISEASE REVIEW

Asthma/ Diabetes/ Blood Pressure/ Heart Disease etc. If any patient has a chronic disease, it is essential that they are seen at least once a year to review their treatment and ensure they are on the correct medication. If you are invited to attend a clinic, please try to keep the appointment or ring to change the time if not convenient.

HEARING LOOP

We now have a portable hearing loop installed at the surgery for the hearing impaired. Please ask the receptionist and she will be pleased to help you.

BLOOD PRESSURES

Are you over 45 years of age?? Have you had your blood pressure taken in the last 5 years?? If not, please make an appointment with our Health Care Assistant to have a routine blood pressure check. Ask while you are here!

MEDICATION REVIEWS

Currently our list size is 8,800 and we have approximately 50% of those patients on repeat medication. You will be asked occasionally to make an appointment with a doctor for a medication review, or you may be telephoned at home. The appointment is to discuss the medication, problems and issues relating to that medication. Other problems should be discussed at another time, wherever possible.

SMOKING CESSATION

We are currently updating our patient records with smoking status details and you may recieve a telephone call from oneof our administrators for information to update your medical records. Occassionally we will attach a slip of paper for your information with your prescription advising you that you are due a blood pressure check or again asking your smoking status or weight/ height. All this information is used to keep your medical records updatated.

Do you want free expert help to stop smoking? Freephone 0800 2346805

 

INSURANCE FORMS/LETTERS

May we remind patients that when requesting the doctor to complete a form or write a letter on your behalf, there will be a small charge. We do not charge for a referral letter for a private consultation. Also we need a minimum of one week to complete these forms and preferably two weeks. If General Practitioner Reports are requested from insurance companies and you wish to see this report before it is sent, you have 21 days from the date which we recieve the request to view it. Once this 21 days has elapsed we will send the report off to the insurance company.

PATIENT DATA SHARING

This practice takes part in research studies and issues anonymised patient information for this purpose.

(The website will be updated periodically, as and when new information becomes available)

Reception: 01634 337443