NEWSLETTER ITEMS – NICK



BAKEWELL MEDICAL CENTRE

AUTUMN NEWSLETTER

2015

bakewellmedicalcentre.co.uk

Tel: 01629 816636 Fax: 01629 814958

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Staff Matters

Registrars – we have said goodbye and good luck to Drs Anna Percival and Nic Hall following completion of their final year specialist training with us and successfully passing their exams. We thank them both for all their hard work and wish them every success in their careers.

Dr Thush Goonewardene returned to us in August for his final year and Dr Darren Gillatt is also due back with us shortly. Dr Laura Spells returned from maternity leave in June, and we are delighted to say that a second baby is on the way and she will be going on her second period of maternity leave at the end of October! We will be joined for a four month spell at that time by Dr Kerrie Pope.

Catherine Wallwork who has been with us for the last seven years as part of our Practice Nurse team is leaving to return to a role in ICU at the Royal Derby Hospital. We thank her for all she has done and wish her every success and happiness with her carerr back in Derby.

We also welcome back Stephanie Mellor to our reception team.

CAR PARKING

[pic]Most of our patients know that parking is limited in the

surgery car park. We have an arrangement with the Working Men’s Club that our patients can also park in their car park during the day time. Can we respectfully remind patients that both our car parks are very busy and needed for patients, attending surgery, not to them leave them to go into town – this prevents others, often ill or elderly patients who may need the space from parking.

Thank you for your cooperation in this respect.

MERGER WITH TIDESWELL SURGERY

You may recall from our previous newsletter that we announced a merger between ourselves and Tideswell surgery. We are to remain as two separate practices although are working much closer sharing resources, ideas, skills and expertise.

This merger is designed to protect the services and care offered in both locations for many years to come as the NHS faces unprecedented pressure with an ageing population, massively increased demand and no extra resources to meet demands.

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CARERS

Are you somebody caring for someone who can’t manage without you or does somebody care for you? If you are looking after a family member, friend or neighbour for health reasons, i.e. physically or mentally disabled, mobility problems etc. could you please let us know so we can record in your medical records.

Rachel Toft, member of the reception team is our carers lead for the surgery.

Migraines[pic]

It is thought that migraines may be connected to your body clock. If this finely tuned system is knocked out of whack for example, going to bed too late, by having too much sleep, or jet lag it may react by triggering a migraine. Eating regularly is also an important factor as skipping meals can trigger an attack. Drinking plenty of fluids and preventing dehydration also helps. A study by medical researchers in the Netherlands found that people who drank 1.5 litres of water a day suffered less frequent and intense migraines.

[pic]Winter weight gain isn't just an urban myth. Research has shown most of us could gain around a pound (half a kilo) during the winter months. That may not sound like much, but over the course of a decade it can add up.

1. Stock up your kitchen cupboards

Keep your store cupboard stocked with staples such as cans of tomatoes, spices, beans and pulses, dried whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat cereals, noodles, couscous and dried fruit.

Keep some extra bread in the freezer if there's space. That way, you'll be able to create a quick and nutritious evening meal, such as a lentil or vegetable soup or stew, at short notice. You'll save money and avoid the temptation to order a high-calorie takeaway.

2. Exercise more in winter

When the outside temperature drops, it's easy to give up on outdoor exercise. In winter, we stop doing calorie-burning outdoor activities such as short walks and gardening. Reducing the amount of physical activity you do is one of the biggest contributors to winter weight gain. Cold weather and shorter days don't mean you have to abandon exercise completely. Instead,

re-arrange your schedule to fit in what you can. You don't need formal exercise to burn calories.

A brisk walk can be revitalising after being indoors with the central heating on, and it'll also help boost your circulation. Put on some warm clothes and jog around the neighbourhood, or start a snowball fight with the kids.

Most leisure centres have heated swimming pools and indoor tennis and badminton courts. If you'd rather stay at home, buy some dance or workout DVDs, and always walk up the stairs at work rather than using the lift.

. 3. Watch out for high-calorie drinks 

It's important to consume hot drinks throughout winter because it will help you keep warm. But some hot drinks are high in calories.

Milky, syrupy coffee shop drinks and hot chocolate with whipped cream can add a lot of calories to your diet. A Starbucks medium cafe mocha, for instance, contains more than 360 calories.

Stick to regular coffee or tea, or ask for your drink to be "skinny" (made with skimmed milk). Also, limit your alcohol intake as much as possible.

4. Get your winter greens

Eating a wide variety of foods ensures you get a range of nutrients, including vitamins and minerals. Don't get stuck eating the same food every day.

Look out for root vegetables, such as swedes, parsnips and turnips, and winter veggies such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale and artichokes. They're filling as well as nutritious, so they will help you resist a second helping of trifle.

NHS Living Well website

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“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

― Hippocrates

BABY CLINIC

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From the beginning of September the Baby Clinic will ONLY be held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of every month.

Clinics on the following Wednesday:

2nd September

23rd September

7th October

28th October

Each month will continue 2nd and 4th Wednesday thereafter

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Some facts about the Common Cold

(as it’s THAT time of year again)……

An adult can expect 2-4 colds a year and a young child, 3-8 colds a year! Usually symptoms peak after 2-3 days and then ease off. Symptoms are usually gone within a week. However in some cases they can take up to 3 weeks to clear completely, especially coughs.

There is no magic cure for the common cold!

There is no treatment that will shorten the length of the infection. Treatment aims to ease symptoms whilst your immune system clears the virus. Antibiotics do not kill viruses, so are not any use for colds.

The main treatments for a cold are:

• Paracetamol or ibuprofen to ease fever, sore throats, aches and pains

• Making sure that you drink enough fluids

• Steam inhalation to help clear the nose

Most colds do not cause complications….

However some colds may trigger coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath in people with asthma or other lung diseases. Sometimes people can develop a secondary bacterial infection in the chest, sinuses or ears. If you symptoms get worse after a few days, or if you have concerns about a specific complication, you should consult your doctor.

Chicken Cacciatore [pic]

This low calorie chicken dish is easy to make and takes 30 minutes to cook

Cooking time 30 minutes

273 calories per serving

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

• 4 skinless chicken breasts

• 1 onion, chopped

• 250 g (9oz) white mushrooms, sliced

• 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 bay leaf

• 150 ml (¼ pint) chicken stock or water

• Large handful rocket

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Fry chicken over a high heat for 6 mins, turning once. Lift chicken out; set aside on a plate.

2. Heat the remaining oil in the chicken pan and fry the onion and mushrooms over a medium heat for 8 mins, until beginning to soften. Stir in the tomatoes, oregano, bay leaf and chicken stock. Return the chicken to the pan, bring the mixture to the boil and simmer for 15 mins, turning the chicken halfway through the cooking time, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

3. Remove the bay leaf, then season well and stir through the rocket. Serve with seasonal vegetables or crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Bakewell Medical Centre

Flu Campaign 2015

If you are eligible for a flu vaccination, or think that you may be eligible, flu sheets will be available at reception. We have tried to outline some of the questions and queries that you might have. Our flu campaign for this year is as follows:

Are you eligible?

All patients 65 and over

Any patient under 65 who suffers from a chronic condition including (but not exclusively) respiratory, heart, immunosuppression and kidney conditions.

All pregnant women

Any carers

Children aged 2-4 years old (as at 31st August 2015) their vaccination is given as a nasal spray.

The majority of patients who are admitted to hospital with flu – or who die from the virus are under 65 age bracket (including pregnant women) and suffer from a long term or chronic condition. Do NOT underestimate flu – it can be an extremely debilitating and dangerous illnesses.

When will clinics be held?

We have over 2,000 patients to vaccinate and in order to complete these as quickly as possible to mitigate the chances of catching flu early in the season; we are aiming to

complete our campaign by late October. This will mean a very concentrated campaign and we need the co-operation and understanding of all our patients please.

There will be four main clinics held when a number of nurses and doctors will be giving the vaccinations. These will be as follows and run between 2:00pm and 6:00pm.

Tuesday 29th September

Thursday 8th October

Tuesday 13th October

Thursday 22nd October

In addition there will be two Monday evening sessions primarily for those who work or for those patients who rely on friends/relatives (who work) to bring them to the surgery. These will run from 5:30pm-7:30pm on the following dates:

Monday 5th October

Monday 19th October

For children – to try to make things easier for both children and parents – we are holding a clinic on Saturday 17th October between 09:00am and 1:00pm as in previous years. We will be writing to parents of all eligible children offering a time on that morning – if for any reason you are unable to make it please let us know as soon as possible.

In addition to the above clinics, there will be another weekly Friday afternoon session throughout October and into November for those who cannot make the dates above but if you are seeing a GP or nurse for any other reason over the next few weeks and are eligible for a vaccination, please ask for it during your appointment.

Finally as we are opening for the children‘s flu clinic on Saturday 17th October there will be availability for adults to also have their vaccination on that morning.

All sessions will be by appointment only – we do hope that we have supplied plenty of different options for those who work or need a carer or relative to bring them to the surgery.

Our requests to you

As we have so many patients to vaccinate, the flu clinics are for this purpose only and therefore in order to reduce congestion as far as possible, we regret that no other issues can be discussed when you attend for our vaccination.

Clearly the fact that we have very limited car parking remains a big problem so we respectfully ask that if you are able to walk or at least share transport that you do so please and that as soon as you have had your vaccination (and had a few minutes required rest) that you leave again. We are planning to have potentially 100 patients coming per hour at peak times.

Home visits

Home visit are solely for those patients who are totally housebound and unable to get a lift in via a relative/friend/taxi. They are not by appointment – clearly if a patient is housebound then they should be at home for any time. Our District Nurses may therefore call in ‘on spec’ if they are passing and know that you have requested a home visit.

We thank you very much in anticipation for your cooperation in helping us to deal with this exceptionally busy time and workload. If you have any questions or suggestions, please do not hesitate to speak to any of the GPs or Nick Derbyshire, Practice Manager.

THANK YOU

PATIENT ACCESS

If you are not already signed up for Patient Access, please stop by the reception and ask the receptionist to register you for this. There are many things that you can do to make your life easier as listed below;

• Book appointments online (GP appointments only)

• Order repeat prescriptions

• Update personal information

• Register as a patient

• View a summary of your medical records, medications

and any known allergies. (Access to patients records is by written

request).

Care Quality Commission

We hope that many of you will be aware of the results of our recent CQC inspection. You will have heard much on the news about the role of the CQC and the part that they play in ensuring that services provided (and in addition to GP’s this includes hospitals, care homes and dentists).

We received a report giving us the highest possible rating of ‘outstanding’ – these rating were across the board in all five areas.

• Are services safe

• Are services effective

• Are services caring

• Are services responsive to people’s needs

• Are services well-led

We are naturally immensely proud to receive such a report (this is available on our website; on the noticeboard in the practice or if you don’t have access to the internet and wish to take a copy away with you, we will be pleased to print a copy for you if you ask at reception).This is one of the very best scores in the country and we feel that it reflects the hard work, commitment and knowledge of our whole team here at Bakewell whom we are very grateful to. Such a rating does not mean we will sit back; indeed the opposite applies where we continue to improve our services and care, respond appropriately to our patient needs to ensure we provide safe, efficient and caring services in a local environment.

APPOINTMENTS - [pic]

We are still finding our reception team in particular are getting a small number of particularly rude and aggressive patients when they cannot get an appointment immediately or with a GP of their choice on a specific day and time.

Our previous newsletter highlighted this issue and why we had to change our system. Primarily this was to ensure that we provide a safe and caring service to those who need it. Many patients now aggressively ‘demand’ an appointment but don’t actually need one – they may have a form to fill in, a medication query or just need to speak briefly to a GP, regarding for example a blood test result.

Most patients are now very happy with our ‘triage’ system whereby the duty GP will call them (and calls are priortised by the GP so when you speak to the reception, please give them as much information as you are able to) if a patient needs to be seen urgently they will be given an appointment on the same day. If it is for something a little less urgent then the GP will book an appointment on a different day with, if at all possible, the GP of your choice.

Our CQC report highlighted that our services are safe, effective, responsive and caring in these days of huge and increasing demand on the NHS where many practices are facing closure or a reduction of services and patients often have to wait a month for an appointment, we have designed a system which given the demands for appointments is as safe and responsible as it possibly can be.

We are sorry that this doesn’t meet the needs of all our patients all of the time, but we strongly feel that a safe and caring system is fundamentally the most important aspect of our services to our patients.

EXAMINATIONS AND SICKNESS CERTIFICATES

It should be noted that GPs are not required to provide sick notes for school children. When children are absent from school owing to illness, schools may request a letter from a parent or guardian and this is no different during an exam period. However, children who have missed exams due to illness are frequently told by schools that a note from a doctor is required, but there is no requirement for this to be provided by a GP. Aside from the fact that parents/guardians are responsible for excusing their children from school, GP’s cannot provide retrospective sickness certification. When a child suffers from a long term condition, any certification will be provided by the responsible specialist.

The GPC has sought and received confirmation from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulator that Awarding Organisations make no requirement for pupils to obtain a medical certificate in support of their application for special consideration. Students are asked for information in support of their application, but this may take the form of a statement by the school. The Joint Council for Qualifications has confirmed that as far as they are concerned, if a student was absent from an examination as a result of illness and has the support of the school or centre to be absent, special consideration will be granted on that basis. Awarding organisations do not instate that medical proof is provided.

Laugh away germs……….[pic]

The next time you’re having a giggle, rejoice in the fact that you’re also boosting your immune system. Japanese researchers discovered an increase in disease-fighting cells in the blood samples of people who had watched a funny film. The levels stayed high up to 12 hours afterwards.

Drug Amnesty collections 30th July 2015

Organisation and publication of our drug amnesty were arranged by the Practice. Flyers were passed out both in the surgery and all local pharmacies. A display board showing unused medication or out of date items were in the waiting room. Members of the PPG were in the waiting room all day to collect items and keep them secure. Information sheets were then placed in the waiting room for patients to read whilst making their appointments. The PPG found speaking formally to patients; several facts became evident and were repeated by the majority of them as follows;

1. Patients did not realise it was their responsibility to complete the tick boxes on the repeat prescription form thinking the GP knew what they needed and would only prescribe these items.

2. Patients thought that the GP would remove any items no longer needed or not suitable for treatment or that they had finished a course of treatment, before the usual review.

3. There was a general lack of awareness of the price of drugs and that many drugs could be bought much more cheaply at the chemist or the supermarket items such as (Aspirin, Paracetamol etc.)

4. Despite media reports regarding the amount of money wasted on unwanted and unused medications/dressings, patients still seemed

quite shocked by the photos of the repossessed items shown in the display and thought a “wake up call” was needed.

The conclusion was that it was generally thought a drug amnesty day to return unused items was very useful. It was also evident that a number of older people did not know or hadn’t thought that disposal of drugs by usual household means was dangerous. Many of our younger patients did seem to be aware of this.

We believe this was a very useful exercise to educate our patients regarding the costs involved of ordering unwanted drugs. We may in due course make this a regular practice.

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DON’T FORGET………. THE CLOCKS GO BACK ON SUNDAY 25TH OCTOBER AT 2AM...........ONE HOUR EXTRA IN BED!!!

Medication reviews [pic]

It is important to keep up to date with your medication reviews to ensure that you are on the most beneficial mediation and dose. If you are notified that your review is due when you pick up your prescription, please make an appointment at the surgery.

Wear it pink – Friday 23rd October [pic]

Breast cancer touches the lives of millions of us in the UK. For every woman or man who develops breast cancer, there are families, friends and loved ones who also feel the fear and uncertainty the disease brings. By wearing it pink you’ll be helping the 50,000 women and 350 men diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK.

The staff at the surgery will be wearing pink on Friday 23rd October. We will be collecting for breast cancer on this day and would appreciate your support.

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As usual we will be holding a Christmas Raffle, this year’s recipient being the Derbyshire Mind. Last Christmas we supported the Clinic at Lesotho and raised over £150, in a great effort by Surgery staff and all those who supported us by providing raffle prizes and buying tickets. Please see letter attached below from a member of the medical team to Dr Williams after receiving last year’s donation. We had a really lovely display of prizes last year, and hope this to be the case again this year. Tickets will be on sale in early December, so please help us to support this very worthy cause. Derbyshire Mind established as a local mental health group in 1967 and is affiliated with the national charity Mind.

Derbyshire Mind is committed to improve work in the local mental health services. They make it possible by offering quality services and try to increase the public understanding of mental health issues.

Letter to Dr Williams from the Lesotho Clinic after they received last year’s raffle donation money.

“Dear Dr Williams

It is with great pleasure to have this chance to write to you. We would love to say thank you so much for the gift towards the health work. It has been a very great blessing to the community and us as a team. It is always a sad thing to go and see people who are needy and not being able to help them, but having received this money from you we bought some food for some patients and bought some of the things for the team to enable them to do their work such as gloves, soaps, antiseptics etc. and also paid some hospital trips. God bless you.”

Please help us raise money for our chosen charity this year Derbyshire Mind.

THANK YOU

Outreach clinics – Bakewell Medical Centre

The surgery now has consultants from Claremont Hospital holding clinics here on a monthly basis.

Mr C Stoddard – Gastroenterology

Mr Miller – Orthopaedic

Mr Anderson – Orthopaedic

Mr Blundell – Orthopaedic

Mr Davies – Orthopaedic

You will need to see a GP first to be referred into these clinics.

Dermatology – Dr Mark Wood

A Dermatology clinic is held once a week every Friday morning here at the surgery. You will need to be referred by a GP for your initial consultation and will need to book your own appointment.

Audiology

‘Scrivens’ hold a clinic at the surgery once a month on a Wednesday all day. You can be referred for hearing tests by your GP. You will be given paperwork to book your own appointment.

AAA

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm – This is a screening program carried out by staff from the Royal Derby Hospital for men 65 years and older. You should receive a letter from the service when you turn 65 inviting you for a screening. If you have not received one then please see poster in waiting room with information to make your appointment.

Community Matron Clinics

Sara Land, Community Matron runs clinics Wed, Thurs and Friday mornings between 09:00-10:30 and Thursday between 4-5pm.

Sara is able to assess, diagnose and prescribe for many health issues. If Sara is unable to deal with your health complaint, she has access to a GP. If you are unable to get an appointment and feel you would be happy to see Sara, please ask if there is an appointment available.

CHRISTMAS SURGERY HOURS

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Please note the surgery will be closed over the festive period on the following days:

Friday 25th Dec - Xmas day Closed

Monday 28th Dec – Closed

Friday 1st January – New Year’s Day Closed

Please check our closing times on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve

Please ring NHS 111 for medical advice and 999 for emergencies when

the surgery is closed.

[pic]PLEASE CAN WE REMIND PATIENTS TO ORDER THEIR PRESCRIPTIONS EARLY BEFORE CHRISTMAS TO AVOID RUNNING OUT OVER THE HOLIDAY PERIOD – THANK YOU

WISHING OUR PATIENTS A HAPPY AND HEALTHY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

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