BAKEWELL MEDICAL CENTRE
SPRING NEWSLETTER
2016
www.bakewellmedicalcentre.co.uk
Tel: 01629 816636 Fax: 01629 814958
Staff Matters
GP Registrars- As usual we have seen a few comings and goings since our last newsletter. Laura Spells went on maternity leave in October. She had a lovely baby boy called Toby. We look forward to welcoming her back later this year to complete her training.
Kerrie Pope joined us as Laura left to complete her training and sadly leaves us at the end of March. We wish her well and also congratulate her as she too is expecting her second baby in the summer!
Darren Gillatt returned to us in December and will be with us until next year as he completes his final year. Thush Goonewardene leaves in August when he too will have completed his training- we wish him every success in his career and know he will be missed by our patients as well as his colleagues here at the surgery.
Following Catherine Wallwork leaving to return to ICU in September (see Autumn 2015 newsletter) we have now been joined by Nicola Green and Greta Bullock; Nicola and Greta are both experienced Practice Nurses and bring a wealth of knowledge as well as delightful personalities to our nursing team!
Julie Willard our secretary left to move down south to Hertfordshire both to be nearer to her family, but also as her husband now works in that area. We wish Julie every happiness and will miss her hard work and commitment as well as her fantastic sense of humour and thank her for all she has done for us in her five years here at Bakewell. Julie has been instrumental in creating/designing and authoring all of our very popular newsletters over the last few years. We are delighted that she is continuing to do this newsletter from a distance so the quality continues whilst we can hang onto her!
With Julie leaving, Nicky Turner has taken on the secretarial role on a full time basis (she used to share the role with Julie) and Stephanie Mellor has returned to us full time. Finally….you will recall that last February we took on Becky Rimmer as an apprentice under the Derbyshire County Council scheme. Becky has proved to be an excellent find and we are delighted that we have been able to offer her a permanent role following the end of her apprenticeship in February. Congratulations Becky!
Car Parking
We fully appreciate that parking can be tight in our car park at times, due to the ever rising demand for GP services and increasing clinics to cope with this demand. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to create additional spaces but we do ask patients to: -
· Try to get to their appointment in good time in case they have to wait for a car parking space.
· Thank you to those who walk –or cycle-it’s much healthier for you!
· Please do not abuse our staff if they ask you to move your car or not to block other spaces. This is not acceptable and is not an uncommon occurrence.
· Can we also ask patients not to park on the driveway down to the surgery car park. This is often required for emergency access should we need to call an ambulance and parking there can prevent such access
· Please do not park in the disabled parking spaces as we have a number of patients who require these parking spots.
Overall thank you to the vast majority of our patients who do park sensibly –we do appreciate it and are sorry we cannot expand our car park but there is nowhere to expand into!
DON’T FORGET………. THE CLOCKS GO FORWARD ON SUNDAY MARCH 27TH...........ONE LESS HOUR IN BED!!!
"It is easy to get a thousand prescriptions but hard to get one single remedy."
-- Chinese Proverb
Dementia Friendly Practice
Bakewell Medical Practice are proud to say we are Dementia Friends.
Last year we volunteered to be a pilot practice to enhance the service and understanding for our increasing number of patients who suffer from dementia. This has included among many things, special training for all staff and looking at signage in the surgery even down to the colour schemes we choose. The pilot has now finished and we have been assessed by the Alzheimer’s society as being very successfully Dementia friendly. The staff have all been officially deemed as “Dementia Friends” Anybody can be a dementia friend. A dementia friend learns a bit more about what it’s like to live with dementia and things you can do to help someone with the condition. GPs can help to support a person with dementia in the following ways;
· General advice on ways of preventing illness and promoting fitness
· Medical advice and treatment
· Referrals to specialists and other services
The work doesn’t stop here though and we will endeavour to put everything we have learned into everyday practice to support our patients with this condition.
For more information go online to www.dementiafriends.org.
"We have not lost faith, but we have transferred it from God to the medical profession."
-- George Bernard Shaw
Private Fees
Some services provided by NHS practices are not funded by the NHS. A fee is charged to the patient which is payable on completion of the work. These include:
· HGV medicals
· Sickness or accident claim forms
· Private healthcare forms, holiday cancellation letters, fitness to fly letters
Requests for letters such as support for housing benefits (including housing) also fall into this category. Requests for copies of medical records made under the Freedom of Information Act are also chargeable.
Because this work falls outside of NHS work, GPs are under pressure to complete this work. Please allow at least 5 days for this to be completed. If you require a medical for any form submitted, the reception staff will contact you to arrange an appointment. You will be advised at the time of submitting any such forms that a fee may be charged. GPs no longer countersign, passport applications, or blue badge applications.
Christmas Raffle 2015
We would once again like to thank all local businesses, patients and staff who donated to our Christmas raffle. The recipient this year was Derbyshire Mind who provide an excellent service helping people with mental health issues, providing quality help and support. The response was as always fantastic and we had some lovely gifts to raffle. We raised £120.00 for Derbyshire Mind and we would like to thank you all for your contributions. The success of our Christmas raffle always relies on the generosity of you all.
THANK YOU
Updating Your Personal Information
If you change any of your personal details, please remember to keep us informed as this is a really useful way of communicating quickly with patients. Sometimes unfortunately clinics need to be cancelled at short notice and this is our only means of communicating with patients. As well as telephone numbers we welcome email addresses as a means of communication. You can also change your personal details on line if you are signed up to our Patient Access system. Please stop by the reception desk if you have not signed up for our online system and reception will be pleased to assist you.
We have recently updated our website, so if you have a chance, please take a look.
Please note that ONLY prescriptions that are on repeat prescription can be put through to be ordered. If you require a repeat of a current medication that is not on your repeat prescription request, please talk to the reception team as they will need to consult with the GP. Please allow 2 working days for prescription requests. Please can we ask that you only ring between the hours of 11:00am-1:00pm and 2:30pm-4:00pm. The dispensary is very busy first thing in the morning.
Please note……………
With demand for NHS Services continuing to increase and with an aging population, we are seeing increased levels of prescribing and rapidly increasing medicine costs. Faced with increasing levels of demand, it is vital that we use the NHS resources as effectively as possible in order to provide the best quality care for the patients.
Paracetamol for short term use can be purchased inexpensively over the counter. Please consider whether you still need to get paracetamol on prescription. Paracetamol costs over four times as much to the NHS compared with the over the counter price.
Many patients are prescribed paracetamol regularly for long term pain management and it is a recognised therapeutic and cost effective choice and not something to change.
Please do your bit to save NHS resources– only request a prescription of paracetamol if you really need to.
On the subject of medication………………………a note from our Dispensary Manager
Did you know that medicine waste costs the NHS in Derbyshire £6.9 million every year?
The NHS prescribing budget, like most if not all budgets within the NHS, is under significant pressure. Please only order the medicines you need, when you need them.
Please check you need all the items dispensed before you leave the pharmacy. Once a medicine has left the premises, if returned, it must be destroyed even if it has never been opened. Please let us know if you stop taking any of your medicines so that we can keep your records up to date.
If you do not order something, do not worry, the item will not disappear from your repeat list unless you have not ordered it for over a year. Even then you can still
request it; a doctor will just need to double check it is still the most appropriate and safe medicine for you.
Do not over order medicines or hang onto them 'just in case you need them again.' It is a safety risk for children and others who might take them.
If you are unsure what each medicine is for then your doctor or pharmacist will be happy to help. Return unwanted medicines to your pharmacy for safe disposal.
Thank you
Elizabeth Bradwell
Dispensary Manager
Did you know?
Unfortunately no amount of antibiotics will get rid of your cold. The best way to treat most colds, coughs or sore throats is plenty of fluid and rest.
For more advice talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
EMERGENCIES
In the event of a collapse, a stroke, or chest pain that is accompanied by shortness of breath, please call 999 immediately. It is imperative that you ring for help as soon as possible as this can save a life. Ringing the surgery for such emergencies will only delay the person affected getting urgent medical care.
PATIENT CONSENT
If patients wish us to speak to a relative about your health records, please fill out the following slip below and give to reception staff.
Creamy curried carrot & butter bean soup
A smooth blended vegetable soup with Indian spice to leave simmering for hours - perfect for feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp medium curry powder
2 large carrots sliced
2 large carrots grated
3 x 400g butter beans, drained
1 pint of vegetable stock
400ml milk
Snipped chives
Serves 8-10
(254 calories per serving)
(BBC GOOD FOOD HEALTH WEBSITE)
SURGERY EASTER HOURS
The surgery will be closed on the following days;
Good Friday March 25th
Easter Monday March 28th
Please do not forget to order your prescriptions before the Easter period if you require them.
If you require non-urgent medical assistance during this period please call 111. In case of an emergency please call 999.
COMMON SUMMER AILMENTS
Summer is almost here and so is the threat of developing summer diseases. While it may be time for people to sit back and enjoy the sunny days, it is important that certain precautions be taken to keep health problems away. Here are some of the most common diseases in summer.
Sunburn - Sunburn refers to the burn caused to a living tissue such as the skin due to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. Some of the symptoms of sunburn include a red or reddish skin, mild dizziness and fatigue. If sunburn has occurred or your skin is further exposed to the UV rays, it may cause skin cancer. To protect yourself from sunburn, apply a sun screen lotion on the exposed areas of your body 20 minutes before heading out in the sun.
Heat Stroke- Heat stroke is another common summer disease, which if left untreated can be fatal. Some of the symptoms of heat stroke include difficulty in breathing, rapid pulse, high body temperature, confusion etc. You can control the effects of heat stroke by being outdoor less, especially between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you go out in the sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., wear clothes that cover your body; use a stole or shawl to cover your face and wear a hat.
Food Poisoning- Owing to excessive heat in summer, food can spoil quickly. To prevent the risk of food poisoning, put the leftover food inside the refrigerator. Food must be well-cooked to ensure that it doesn’t get spoiled. When purchasing raw vegetables and fruits, ensure that packaging doesn’t have bubbles on the top of the fruits or vegetables as that is a sign of spoilage. Also, make sure that the food doesn’t smell bad before purchasing.
Diarrhoea - Because food gets spoilt quickly in heat, diarrhoea is common in summer. Eating contaminated food and unsafe drinking habits can lead to diarrhoea. To avoid diarrhoea, make sure that you drink water only after boiling it if you are abroad and wash vegetables carefully.
Travel Clinic
If you plan to travel abroad this year and think you might need some travel vaccinations, please either go online www.bakewellmedicalcentre.co.uk and complete a travel form which you can download directly to the surgery or get a form from reception. You will require an appointment in our travel clinic where the nurse can check if you need any boosters e.g., diphtheria, polio or tetanus. This will depend on;