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Improving access to general practice: Weekend appointments now available

Patients who are registered at this practice can now book an appointment to see a GP on the the weekends (on Saturday and Sunday). Appointments will  take place at our local out of hours hub which is The Nightingale Practice. Please speak to our reception staff to find out more.

By March 2019 everyone in England will benefit from access to general practice appointments in the evenings and weekends at a time that is most convenient to them. This is part of a national drive to help improve access to general practice and get the best possible outcomes for patients. Further information is available at www.england.nhs.uk/gpaccess

Influenza immunisation protects effectively against ‘true’ influenza. This vaccination is offered to all patients aged 65 and over and those less than 65 years with any long term condition such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease and COPD, as well as those on long term steroids or immunosuppressants. This service is available from the beginning of October each year. Any patient fulfilling any of these criteria should contact the practice nurse to discuss having a routine vaccination each winter. Please come to the Practice or telephone the number above to book your flu jab appointments, should you receive the text message from the practice.

It’s Your Practice: A patient guide to GP services has been put together by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) for patients.

This guide has been produced as part of the RCGP’s aim to build stronger relationships between you and your doctors and encourage the involvement and inclusion of you in your own care.

The guide provides helpful information on all aspects of using GP services: from finding and choosing a practice and how to get the most out of a GP consultation to accessing health records and understanding patients’ rights and responsibilities.

It is split into several sections including:

• General Practice explained
• Choosing the right practice for you
• Registering with a GP practice
• Seeing your GP – consultations
• Seeing your GP – the next steps
• After your GP consultation
• Your health record
• Your rights and responsibilities as a patient
• Get involved with your practice

The publication is part of a push by the NHS as a whole to encourage you to understand how you can get the most out of primary care – which also includes how you can become more involved in monitoring your own health.

NHS Direct

08457 4647 available 24 hours a day to give advice on medical matters.

Other Medical Services in the locality

Walk-In Centre, Royal London Hospital, White Chapel, London E 1. Tel: 020 7943 1333
Homerton Hospital, Homerton Row, London E9 6SR. Tel: 020 8510 5555

Opt out form

Information about you and the care you receive is shared, in a secure system, by healthcare staff to support your treatment and care.

It is important that we, the NHS, can use this information to plan and improve services for all patients. We would like to link information from all the different places where you receive care, such as your GP, hospital and community service, to help us provide a full picture. This will allow us to compare the care you received in one area against the care you received in another, so we can see what has worked best.

Information such as your postcode and NHS number, but not your name, will be used to link your records in a secure system, so your identity is protected. Information which does not reveal your identity can then be used by others, such as researchers and those planning health services, to make sure we provide the best care possible for everyone.

You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything. If you have any concerns or wish to prevent this from happening, please ask reception for the opt out form below, complete it and return it to the practice.

Further information can be found at http://www.hscic.gov.uk/patientconf

It is a requirement of the Department of Health and NHS England that we publish the mean earnings for the GP’s at this practice which are £34,934 for 2016/17.

Self-certification forms for the first week of your illness are available from your employer or the surgery. If you remain unfit to work after this time a doctor’s note may be required by your employer. Please make an appointment to see the doctor for this. Private medical certificates for periods of time less than one week can be requested from the doctor. There is a fee payable for this certificate.

Your directory to NHS cancer services across England. Search by postcode, hospital or cancer type to locate and compare services, both locally and nationally. Please click on the link below to learn more.

http://www.mycancertreatment.nhs.uk/

Get the Right Treatment

Every year, millions of us visit our GP with minor health problems that can be easily resolved without a doctor’s appointment.

It is estimated that every year, 50 million visits to the GP are made for minor ailments such as coughs and colds, mild eczema, and athlete’s foot. By visiting your pharmacy instead, you could save yourself time and trouble.

Self-care

Keeping a well stocked medicine cabinet at home can help you treat many minor ailments. Colds, coughs, indigestion and many other minor complaints can all be treated with medicines that are available over the counter.

Your pharmacist can advise on what you might find useful to keep in your medicine cabinet. Always follow the instructions on the medicine label and consult your doctor if the illness continues or becomes more severe.

Your Local Pharmacist

Pharmacists offer professional free health advice at any time – you don’t need an appointment. From coughs and colds to aches and pains, they can give you expert help on everyday illnesses. They can answer questions about prescribed and over-the-counter medicines. Your local Pharmacist can also advise on healthy eating.

Pharmacists can also advise on health eating, obesity and giving up smoking. Some pharmacists have private areas where you can talk in confidence. They may suggest you visit your GP for more serious symptoms. It is possible to purchase many medicines from the chemist without a prescription. Watch this short video on how you can get the most out of your local pharmacy

NHS Walk-In Centres

NHS Walk-In Centres offer convenient access to a range of NHS services for patients based in England only. You can receive treatment for many ailments including:
•infection and rashes,
•fractures and lacerations,
•emergency contraception and advice,
•stomach upsets,
•cuts and bruises, or
•burns and strains.

NHS Walk In Centres treat around 3m patients a year and have proved to be a successful complementary service to traditional GP and A&E services. Some centres offer access to doctors as well as nurses. However, they are not designed for treating long-term conditions or immediately life-threatening problems.

Accident & Emergency (A&E)

Major A&E departments assess and treat patients who have serious injuries or illnesses. Generally, you should visit A&E or call 999 for emergencies, such as:
•loss of consciousness,
•pain that is not relieved by simple analgesia,
•acute confused state,
•persistent, severe chest pain, or
•breathing difficulties.

If you’re injured or seriously ill, you should go, or be taken, to A&E. If an ambulance is needed you can call 999, the emergency phone number in the UK. You can also dial 112, which is the equivalent for the European Union.

Major A&E departments offer access 365 days a year and usually open 24 hours a day. Be aware that not all hospitals have an A&E department.
Diarrhoea

Acute diarrhoea is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection and affects almost everyone from time to time. A common cause in both children and adults is gastroenteritis, an infection of the bowel.

Bouts of diarrhoea in adults may also be brought on by anxiety or drinking too much coffee or alcohol. Diarrhoea may also be a side effect of a medication

NHS Choices
Symptoms, causes, treatment and information

Macmillan Cancer Support
Diarrhoea as a result of cancer treatments
First Aid – MP3 Downloads

To save them on your computer, right-click on any of the links below and then click ‘Save Target As…” . Click on any of the links below to play the audio files:

Burns – Explains the immediate treatment for burns and scalds.

Fits – How to deal with fits (convulsions/seizures) in adults and young children.

Wounds – Immediate actions for wounds, bleeding, and bleeding associated with fractures.

Unconscious patient who is breathing – How to deal with an unrousable patient who IS breathing (includes recovery position)

CPR for adults – Adults who have collapsed, unrousable and NOT breathing.

CPR for babies – Babies who are unrousable and NOT breathing.

Collapsed patient in detail – Explains the complete scenario including checks for breathing, circulation, etc.

These files have been prepared by Sussex Ambulance Service and comply with European Resuscitation Council Guidelines.

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Other Links

British Red Cross – First Aid Tips
Simple, straightforward and easy to understand first aid tips

St Johns Ambulance
St John Ambulance believes that everyone should learn at least the basic first aid techniques.

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These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

Coughs & Colds

A cold is a mild viral infection of the nose, throat, sinuses and upper airways. It can cause nasal stuffiness, a runny nose, sneezing, a sore throat and a cough. Usually it’s a self-limiting infection – this means it gets better by itself without the need for treatment.

On average, adults have two to five colds each year and school-age children can have up to eight colds a year. Adults who come into contact with children tend to get more colds. This is because children usually carry more of the virus, for longer.

In the UK, you’re more likely to get a cold during the winter months although the reasons why aren’t fully understood at present.

Treatment of a cold

For most people, a cold will get better on its own within a week of the symptoms starting without any specific treatment. However, there are treatments that can help to ease your symptoms and make you feel more comfortable. These are available from your pharmacy, which means that you can treat yourself, rather than needing to see your GP.

There is no cure for colds. Antibiotics, which treat infections caused by bacteria, don’t work on cold viruses.

Self-help

There are a number of self-help measures that may help to ease the symptoms of a cold.
•Drinking enough fluids to prevent dehydration.
•Steam inhalations with menthol, salt water nasal sprays or drops may be helpful.
•Vapour rubs may help relieve symptoms for children.
•Hot drinks (particularly with lemon), hot soups and spicy foods can help to ease irritation and pain in your throat.
•Sucking sweets or lozenges which contain menthol or eucalyptus may sooth your throat.
•Gargling with salt water may help a sore throat.

You should try to make sure you get enough rest if you have a cold. It’s not usually necessary to stay off work or school.

Colds & Flu
A factsheet on the causes, symptoms, treatment & prevention of colds & the flu

NHS Choices – is it the common cold or the flu?
Colds and flu can share some of the same symptoms (sneezing, coughing, sore throat) but are caused by different viruses, and flu can be much more serious. Find out

Factsheet – Common Cold
Information about the diagnosis, treatment and symptoms of the common cold

Feedback Form

Did you know that you are able to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions online?

To get online access, please bring a valid photo ID to the practice and ask the reception team for a pin code letter which you can use to register through this link:

*Coronavirus update*

During the coronavirus pandemic we have suspended online appointments but patients can still book a telephone call with the GP. This is booked the same way as a regular appointment via the online booking system but instead of coming in, the GP will call you back on that day and triage your problem appropriately.

https://patient.emisaccess.co.uk/register

Due to new contractual requirements, we now have to allocate all patients with a named GP.
This is a good idea in principle, and in fact we always encourage patients to aim for continuity with one particular doctor, especially for ongoing problems. However, with more than 10,000 patients this is inevitably going to involve an automated process, leaving us with the situation that people will on paper have a ‘named GP’ but in practice will be seeing a different regular doctor.

Please be reassured that the allocation of a named GP does not commit you to seeing that particular doctor.
However, if you are new to the practice, or do not already have a regular doctor, then your named GP would be a good first port of call when choosing pre-booked appointments (as opposed to same day access appointments, where the emphasis is on access rather than continuity).

Confidentiality & Medical Records

The practice complies with data protection and access to medical records legislation. Identifiable information about you will be shared with others in the following circumstances:

• To provide further medical treatment for you e.g. from district nurses and hospital services.
• To help you get other services e.g. from the social work department. This requires your consent.
• When we have a duty to others e.g. in child protection cases anonymised patient information will also be used at local and national level to help the Health Board and Government plan services e.g. for diabetic care.

If you do not wish anonymous information about you to be used in such a way, please let us know.

Reception and administration staffs require access to your medical records in order to do their jobs. These members of staff are bound by the same rules of confidentiality as the medical staff.

Freedom of Information

Information about the General Practitioners and the practice required for disclosure under this act can be made available to the public. All requests for such information should be made to the practice manager.

Access to Records

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 and Access to Health Records Act, patients may request to see their medical records. Such requests should be made in writing and records can take up to 30 working days. No information will be released without the patient consent unless we are legally obliged to do so.

Complaints

We make every effort to give the best service possible to everyone who attends our practice.

However, we are aware that things can go wrong resulting in a patient feeling that they have a genuine cause for complaint. If this is so, we would wish for the matter to be settled as quickly, and as amicably, as possible.

If you have a complaint or concern about any of our services, please let us know. We welcome suggestions regarding how any of our services may be improved. Or you may direct your complaints directly to the Practice Manager or NHS England – London Region at NWLCSU.CBLondonComplaints@nhs.net

Violence Policy

The NHS operate a zero tolerance policy with regard to violence and abuse and the practice has the right to remove violent patients from the list with immediate effect in order to safeguard practice staff, patients and other persons. Violence in this context includes actual or threatened physical violence or verbal abuse which leads to fear for a person’s safety. In this situation we will notify the patient in writing of their removal from the list and record in the patient’s medical records the fact of the removal and the circumstances leading to it.

This service offers you quick access to your GP practice, where they know you and have your full medical record. We recommend this service instead of going to A&E.

1. Phone the surgery any day between 9:00am and 1:00pm.
2. Reception can then put you on the Duty Doctor list.
3. The Duty Doctor will call you back that day.
4. The Duty Doctor will decide what you need which could be:

•  Advice over the phone
• An appointment at the surgery,
• A home visit
• Or a referral to a different service.

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