The Willows Medical Centre Newsletter
FLU CLINICS 2017BOOK AN APPOINTMENT & OPEN ACCESS CLINICS
Date / Time
Thursday 28th September / 2.00pm – 5.30pm - Open access
Wednesday 4th October / 1.30pm – 4.30pm – Book appointment
Thursday 12th October / 1.40pm – 4.00pm – Open access
Saturday 14th October / 8.30am – 10.30am - Book appointment
Saturday 14th October / 10.40am – 11.40am – Open Access
Wednesday 18th October / 9.30am – 12.30pm – Book appointment
Friday 20th October / 1.30pm – 4.00pm – Book appointment
SHINGLES vaccination who’s is ELIGIBILE
Shingles vaccination, who is ELIGIBLE ……..a
ü - Eligible
x - Non eligible
x / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / x / x / x / ü / ü
69 / 70 / 71 / 72 / 73 / 74 / 75 / 75 / 76 / 77 / 78 / 79
Eligible on 70th birthday / Eligible on 78th birthday / Eligible on 78th birthday / Eligible on 78th birthday
Patients remain eligible for the shingles vaccine up until their 80th birthday
BOOKS WANTED
If you have any books cluttering up a spare room, please can you bring them to the Surgery.
The books will be selling for £1 and the proceeds will go to the Charity of your choice. Thank you
BHF – 6 TOP TIPS ON LOSING WEIGHT
1. Forget the food fads - Faddy diets might shed pounds in the short term but are unlikely to keep the weight off in the long term.
2. Get off to a good start - Eating breakfast will make you less likely to snack on fatty and sugary snacks later on, and studies have shown that people who have a regular breakfast tend to be slimmer than those who don’t. So while it might sound unlikely, eating more in the morning might mean you actually eat less throughout the day.
3. Make a list - Planning what you’ll buy before you go to the supermarket will help you to resist temptation when you’re there, as well as ensure you have all the ingredients you need for healthy meals throughout the week.
4. Take caution with your portions - Even healthy food contains calories, so if your portions are too big, you will struggle to lose weight. Try using a smaller plate or bowl to help you cut down without feeling deprived.
5. Everyday eating - Make changes that you can stick to every day – little things like drinking skimmed milk instead of semi skimmed, or using low-fat spreads instead of standard ones. They might seem insignificant, but they can make a big difference over time.
6. One slip does not make a fall - It’s normal to find you have days when it feels more difficult to keep to your plans. Don’t think that this means you have to write off that day completely and give up. Learn from it and get straight back on track.
NHS FRIENDS AND FAMILY TESTS
PLEASE SUPPORT YOUR SURGERY – YOUR FEEDBACK IS IMPORTANT
The NHS wants to ensure that you have the best possible experience of care.
The NHS Friends and Family Test is a way of gathering your feedback about your experience so we can make improvement to our services.
Your feedback will help us learn more about what you think about our service – what you like and what you think we could improve. Ultimately you’re helping us to make changes that will improve our services.
You can complete a form in the reception area OR on the online on The Willows website.
MYWELLBEING COLLEGE
Talking through life’s ups and downs
Help is available
We provide a confidential therapy service and we will help you work through these difficult feelings. We can also give you further information if needed.
Working with other local services, we will help you to access psychological therapies which can help you with problems such as:
Anxiety
Panic attacks
Depression
Relationship issues
Sleep problems
Phobias
Difficult or challenging life events
Post-natal Depression/Anxiety
Post-Traumatic Stress
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Health Anxiety
Appointments are provided in localities across Bradford, Airedale, Wharfedale and Craven, and you may have to travel for your appointment. The service offers appointments between Monday – Friday, 9-5pm. This service is available to people over 16.
How to contact the service - You can register yourself by calling 0300 5555551
Confidentiality
Confidentiality is very important to us and can be discussed at any time with your therapist.
Records of your treatment will be stored electronically. Only staff within the MyWellbeing College team will be able to access these unless you agree to share them with others e.g. your GP practice. Permission for any sharing of records will be discussed with you.
However, as for all the NHS, specific information may need to be communicated to other professionals (even if you don’t want us to) should there be risk of harm to yourself or other people, issues of protection to children or vulnerable adults, or threats to the State.
Useful telephone numbers
Bradford Bereavement - 01274 771545
Citizens Advice Bureau - 0344 245 1282
Debt Centre (National) - 0808 808 400
Guide-Line (12.00 – 21.00) - 01274 594594
Mind Centre - 01274 730815
Samaritans - 01274 547547
First Response - 01274 221181
DO YOU SUFFER FROM CHEST INFECTIONS
Chest infections are very common, especially during autumn and winter, or after a cold or flu. Most short term coughs are due to a viral infection and will usually disappear within 3 weeks. Although most are mild and get better on their own, some cases can be very serious, even life-threatening. Antibiotics do not work for viral infections.
The main symptoms of a chest infection are:
ü A chesty cough
ü Breathing difficulties
ü Chest pain
It's also common to get headaches and have a high temperature.
If you have a chest infection, you should:
ü Get plenty of rest
ü Drink lots of fluid to prevent dehydration and to thin the mucus in your lungs, making it easier to cough up
ü Treat headaches, fever and aches and pains with paracetamol or ibuprofen
ü Stop smoking straight away
Antibiotics
Your GP WILL NOT routinely prescribe antibiotics for acute bronchitis for a number of important reasons:
Most cases of acute bronchitis are caused by viral infections, which mean that antibiotics will have no effect.
You are almost as likely to experience a side effect from taking antibiotics, like vomiting and diarrhoea,as you are toreceive any benefit from the treatment. The more antibiotics are used to treat mild conditions, the greater the likelihood that the bacteria will develop resistance to antibiotics and go on to cause more serious infections.
TREATING HAY FEVER
· Before visiting your GP, you could first visit your pharmacist and try treating your symptoms with over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines.· If these fail to improve your symptoms, make an appointment to seeyour GP as you may need treatment with prescription medications.
· Treatment options are discussed below.
· Antihistamines
· Antihistamines treat hay fever by blocking the action of the chemical histamine, which the body releases when it thinks it is under attack from an allergen. This prevents the symptoms of the allergic reaction from occurring.· Antihistamines are usually effective at treating itching, sneezing and watery eyes, but they may not helpwith clearing a blocked nose.
· They are available in tablet form and also as nasal sprays.
YOUR PHARMACY IS THERE TO HELP
YOU DON’T NEED TO WAIT FOR A DOCTORS APPOINTMENT.
GO STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHARMACIST FOR EXPERT ADVICE AND TREATMENT
You can get quick, friendly advice and treatment with your Pharmacist at Cohens for the following Minor conditions:
Hay Fever, Blocked Nose - Sore Throat, Ear ache –Fever - Cough or Cold, Teething Pain, Thrush
Sprains or Strains
KNOWING THE SYMPTOMS OF BOWEL CANCER
The Symptoms of Bowel Cancer include:
§ Bleeding from the bottom and/or blood in your poo
§ A change in bowel habist lasting 3 weeks or more
§ Unexplained weight loss
§ Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
§ A pain or lump in your tummy
If you have any of these concerns or if things just don’t feel right, go and see your GP.
WHY ACT F.A.S.T ABOUT A STROKE
When a stroke strikes act F.A.S.T.
Face has fallen to one side
Arms can you raise tour arms
Speech is blurred
Time if you notice any of these signs, make the call dial 999
Reducing your risk
Some people are more at risk of having a stroke if they also have certain medical conditions, including:
Ø High blood pressure, High cholesterol, Atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat), Diabetes
It is important that these conditions are carefully monitored and treated to reduce your chance of having a stroke.
The risk of having a stroke is higher among people in certain ethnic groups, including South Asian, African and Caribbean. This is partly because high blood pressure and diabetes are more common in these groups.
There are also lifestyle factors that may significantly increase the risk of having a stroke. They include:
Ø Smoking, Being overweight, Lack of exercise, Poor diet, Excessive alcohol consumption,
Poor diet, Excessive alcohol consumption
Leading a healthy, active lifestyle is vital to help reduce your risk of having a stroke.
DIARROHEA & VOMITTING
WHAT CAN YOU DO FOR YOURSELF
Stop all dairy products
ü Ensure that frequent drinks of water, very dilute fruit juices or apple juice. Start with sips.
ü For the very young or very elderly, it is important to replace lost salts by taking Oral re-hydration
ü As the diarrhoea reduces, gradually try more solid food, grated apple or carrots and lean meat are fine. Dry bread or crackers are also fine. Avoid green vegetables.
MOST IMPORTANTLY
ü Avoid spreading Infection
ü Wash your hands after going to the toilet
ü Wash hands after changing your baby’s nappy
ü Clean the toilet often with disinfectant
ü Always clean under the toilet seat
ü
KNOWING THE SYMPTOMS OF BOWEL CANCER
The Symptoms of Bowel Cancer include:
§ Bleeding from the bottom and/or blood in your poo
§ A change in bowel habist lasting 3 weeks or more
§ Unexplained weight loss
§ Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
§ A pain or lump in your tummy
If you have any of these concerns or if things just don’t feel right, go and see your GP.
ACCIDENT & EMERGENCY ATTENDANCE
Patients are reminded that Accident and Emergency departments are intended for serious injuries and life threatening conditions.
Recently there has been an increasing number of patients going to their local A&E departments with minor problems that could be treated elsewhere will delay treatment for more seriously ill patients.
Going to A&E with conditions that should be treated elsewhere will delay treatment for more seriously ill patients.
A&E doctors and nurses frequently report their frustrations at having to deal with trivial ailments which prevent them dealing with more serious cases more efficiently.
Many patients will have experienced the long waiting times at A&E departments largely due to the increasing numbers of people attending the departments who should not have been there.
Accident and Emergency is an extremely important and valued part of the NHS and is vital to those members of the public who have suffered a recent injury or accident or who have developed a sudden serious illness.
Minor ailments can be dealt with by your GP by appointment or by the telephone rapid access clinic.
Minor ailments can also often be dealt with by seeking advice from your local pharmacist.
NHS 111 is available for advice 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
We obviously DO NO WANT to discourage anyone from using A&E in the event of a serious accident or emergency.
However, we are just asking you to think first about your options and what would be the most appropriate one for you.
What is a Patient Participation Group?
We are planning a Patient Participation Group meeting on Monday 4th December 6pm, to be held in the meeting room at The Willows Medical Centre.
Every PPG is unique, evolving to meet local needs. Most commonly, they work with their practices to offer the patient perspective on the services that are provided. PPGs also help to improve communication, to encourage patients to take more responsibility for their health and to provide practical support.
Patient participation is:
Patients working with a practice to:
Contribute to the continuous improvement of services;
Foster improved communication between the practice and its patients;
Help patients to take more responsibility for their health; and
Provide practical support and help to implement change.
Varied to suit local needs
• Each group determines its own activities according to the needs of the community and the practice itself.
Based on co-operation
PPGs work by building a relationship between the practice and its patients that breaks down barriers and shares information.
PPGs can develop to influence the wider NHS, most notably the decisions that are made on behalf of patients about the services that are to be available to them.