Colour Copy Available Through Website! Issue 2:April-June 2017

Colour copy available through website! Issue 2:aPRIL-jUNE 2017

Telephone Options

Option 0 – Cancel Appointment (Voice mail system)

Option 1 – Appointments (Book urgent,

General appointments and cancel)

Option 2 – Home Visits

Option 3 – Prescriptions (Prescription queries)

Option 4 – Referrals (Take you through to secretaries)

Option 5 – Test Results (Results enquiry only after 2pm)

Option 6 – Medical Reports (Obtain update

on requested Medical Reports)

*NEW* Cancel Appointment

You no longer need to hang on the phone to cancel an appointment. We now have another option on our phone system.

Just press option 0 which will take you through to a pre-recorded voice mail, follow the instructions and once complete hang up the phone.

We will do the rest…

How do I Order my Repeat Medicines?

You can request your medication online (please ask in the surgery or see our website for details on how to do this) or by bringing in your repeat prescription to the surgery.

Please allow 48 hours for us to process this for you (or 72 hours if we are sending it to thePharmacy to allow for collection times. Please note that using the electronic service speeds up this process. Please speak to your chemist for further information.

If you are being prescribed medicines on a repeat prescription, you will receive enough of each medicine to last you one month.

28 day prescribing reduces the amount of medicine which is currently wasted when medicines are stopped or changed by Doctors. It also reduces the amount which is wasted when partly filled containers are thrown away.

As all your medication will finish at the same time, you should only have to visit the surgery once a month to collect your repeat prescription. It will also reduce the likelihood of needing to make an emergency request if you run out of medicine. Should you have a new medication added to your repeat prescription, please request remainder of current medications to bring them in line with one another.

Please do not stockpile medicines at home – only order those items on your repeat prescription thatyou need. Please return unwanted medication to your local pharmacy for disposal.

Minor Illness Nurses

Our Minor Illness Nurses are available to help with acute problems and illnesses and can prescribe medication where appropriate.

Conditions where seeing a doctor/minor illness nurse is NOT usually necessary:

•Diarrhoea and vomiting

•Conjunctivitis

•Most sore throats

•Coughs and colds

•Emergency contraception

•Insect bites within first 72 hours

•Chicken pox

•Hayfever

•Backache

•Scabies/lice/worms

•Mild joint pain/soft tissue injury

The Doctor’s advice for these conditions is to seek self-care advice from or your local pharmacist.

As most of these conditions can be managed at home they do not require treatment from a doctor or minor illness nurse

Patients to be booked in the Minor Illness Clinic:-

•Breathing problems-

•Mild to moderate abdominal pain

•Sore throat (for more than 5 days)

•Ear pain (for more than 5-7 days)

•Prolonged/worsening coughs especially asthma/COPD patients

•Severe back/joint pain

•UTI’s

•Unwell with a rash

When booking an appointment the admin staff have been trained to triage you to ensure you are booked into the appropriate appointment and will seek medical advice from both the doctors and nurses on duty that day.

Over the coming months all Practices are required to sign up to My Care Record which allows your record to be accessed by other Health and Care professionals to allow these services to work better together. You will find information around the surgery and on the small notice board just before the nurse’s rooms and on our website. You can also visit . If you wish to opt out of your record being shared, please ask at reception for a form.

What is My Care Record?

In west Essex, providers of health and social care services are working more closely together to better co-ordinate the delivery of care to people supported by local commissioners to develop my care record.

My Care Record is a programme which allows people to give health and care professionals their permission to access their medical records during their treatment.

The people caring for you need to access about your health and care record in order to make the best decisions about your diagnosis and treatment. This could include GPs, hospital-based clinicians, nurses, health visitors and social workers.

To enable this to happen more quickly and to improve the care you receive, a new process has been put in place. This will allow your information to be accessed by different health and care organisations, using existing computer systems.

This does not share your record with third party organisations, but provides health and care professionals, with your permission, access to view your information

Information will only be accessed with your permission and while you are receiving direct treatment by a health and care professional.

Initially, My Care Record will be hosted by the Princess Alexandra Hospital in their highly secure data centre.

What information will be made available?

The record accessed is your medical record. Examples of information that will be available include:

• Name, address, NHS Number and phone number
• Medications
• Test results and investigations
• Correspondence
• Clinical history
• Emergency department treatment
• Future and past appointments
• Health plans and alerts
• Mental health alerts and diagnoses
• Social care lead co-ordinator and your care plan.

How is this information used?

The information available in the record from your care provider is in a chronological order so that your care provider can see a relevant history of your care. They will always update their own care record with any new information. This helps them to make better decisions about your care. Access is only with your explicit permission.

The organisations that could be involved in the service are:

•GP practices in west Essex

•Princess Alexandra Hospital Trust

•South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

•North Essex Partnership Foundation Trust

•Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust

•Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust

•East of England Ambulance

•IC24 (111 provider)

•Out of hours providers (such as PELC, HUC)

•Essex County Council and their care providers (such as Essex Cares)

•Hertfordshire County Council

•Other local hospitals (such as Addenbrooke’s, Whipps Cross and Broomfield)

You can tell your care provider if you don’t want them to make your information available by completing a form available on www. mycarerecord.org.uk or by asking your care provider for one. Your record will be edited and no information will be available to access.

Access to your information

My Care Record is simply a reflection of your individual records held by the organisations above and therefore you should contact them directly if you wish to have a copy of the information held about you. The contact details for each organisation’s Data Protection Officer or Team is below.

Contact details for data protection officers

Princess Alexandra Hospital
Medical Records Manager, The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Hamstel Road, Harlow, Essex, CM20 1QX
Tel No: 01279 827341
Email: / South Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Access to Records team, Mental Health Unit, Basildon Hospital, Nethermayne, Basildon, Essex, SS15 6NL
Tel No: 01268 246873/246889
North Essex Partnership Foundation Trust
Information Governance and Medical Records Manager, NEP, 103 Stapelford Close, Chelmsford Essex CM2 0QX / Essex Social Care
Transparency Team, Essex County Council, PO Box 11, County Hall, Chelmsford, CM1 1QH
Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust
Access to records, Hertfordshire community NHS Trust, Unit 1a, Howard Court, 14 Tewin Road, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 1BW / Hertfordshire Social Care
Data Protection Team, Hertfordshire County Council, CHO150, County Hall, Pegs Lane, Hertford, SG13 8DF
Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust
Records and Access to Information Team, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, 99 Waverley Road, St Albans, AL3 5TL
Tel No: 01727 804707/804228 / Please contact your own General Practice directly for a copy of your GP record.

For further information on My Care Record please visit .

April – Bowel Cancer Awareness Month

How common is bowel cancer?

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, after breast, prostate and lung cancers.

Over 41,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in the UK. More than nine out of ten new cases (94%) are diagnosed in people over the age of 50, and nearly six out of ten cases (58%) are diagnosed in people aged 70 or over. But bowel cancer can affect any age.

More than 2,400 new cases are diagnosed each year in people under the age of 50. 1 in 14 men (7%) and 1 in 19 women (5%) will be diagnosed with bowel cancer during their lifetime.

Possible Symptoms

• The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

• Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo.

• A change in bowel habit lasting three weeks or more.

• Unexplained weight loss.

• Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason.

• A pain or lump in your tummy.

Bowel cancer is treatable and curable, especially if it’s diagnosed early!

If you have concerns, please book an appointment to see your GP.

More information can be found at

Chasing your Referral?

Did you know that you do not need an appointment with your GP to get an update on your referral?

The surgery has a turnaround period of 48hrs for non-urgent referrals, once your referral has been received by the hospital it will go through a process of being triaged by a consultant and professional clinical advice given on your appointment need.

The Government's national target for referrals for treatment is 18 weeks? That means that they have 18 weeks in which to see you, diagnosis the cause of your problem and treat, should they think necessary.

If you have not received an appointment with regards to your referral, please contact the provider you were referred to and ask for the relevant department secretary or outpatient department.

Lister Hospital, Stevenage – Contact Centre: 01438 284444

Pinehill Hospital, Hitchin – Main Switchboard: 01462 427207

Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge - MainSwitchboard: 01223 245151

Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Luton – Main Switchboard: 01582 491166

PhysiotherapistNevells Road, Letchworth: 01462 679929

If you have been booked an appointment through the Choose and Book system and wish to change the appointment, there are a number of ways that you can do this.

1. Ring the provider that you have been referred to as per the numbers above and make them aware that it is a Choose and Book appointment.

1. Login to the internet using the details sent to you by us via the post, by going onto will need your booking reference number and password to make changes.

1. Alternatively you can contact the Choose and Book team on 0345 60 88 88 8 who can help change or cancel your appointment.

Please do not ring the surgery as we cannot change the appointment on your behalf.

May 1st-7th Viral Meningitis Awareness Week

Molleret’s meningitis is the name given to a recurring form of meningitis.This is a rare condition believed to be caused in many cases by infection with a member of the herpes family of viruses. If you have experienced viral meningitis more than once, we would encourage you to ask your GP to investigate it to try and determine the cause. If the herpes simplex virus is identified as the cause, treatment is possible with the anti-viral drug Aciclovir.

It is not known how many people get viral meningitis in the UK each year.Most cases of viral meningitis are not severe enough to need hospital admission and treatment, but experts believe there are many thousands of cases. Although rarely life-threatening, it can make people very unwell, and while most people do make a good recovery, for some recovery can be slow and after-effects long lasting.

Many different viruses can cause viral meningitis.The most common group of viruses to cause viral meningitis are called enteroviruses. These viruses live in the intestines and can commonly cause colds, sore throats, vomiting and diarrhoea. Only rarely do these viruses spread through the body to the meninges to cause meningitis. Other causes include the mumps, measles and herpes viruses.

For more information visit or call them on 0808 80 10 388.

June 6th-16th – Prostate Cancer Awareness Week

Am I at risk?

In the UK, about 1 in 8 men will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. Older men, men with a family history of prostate cancer and black men are more at risk. If you are worried about your risk, or are experiencing anysymptoms, go and see your GP. They can talk to you about your risk, and about the tests that are used to diagnose prostate cancer.

Signs and symptoms

Prostate cancer that’s contained inside the prostate (called localised prostate cancer or early prostate cancer) doesn’t usually cause any symptoms. But some men might have some urinary problems. These can be mild and happen over many years and may be a sign of a benign prostate problem, rather than prostate cancer.

Changes to look out for include

• needing to urinate more often than usual, including at night– for example if you often need to go again after two hours
• difficulty starting to urinate
• straining or taking a long time to finish urinating
• a weak flow when you urinate
• a feeling that you’re not emptying your bladder fully
• needing to rush to the toilet – sometimes leaking before you get there
• dribbling urine after you finish.

Less common symptoms include

• pain when urinating
• pain when ejaculating
• blood in your urine or semen*
• Problems getting or keeping an erection – this isn’t a common symptom of a prostate problem and is more often linked to other health conditions such as diabetes or heart problems.

*Blood in your urine or semen can be caused by other health problems. Talk to your doctor if you see any blood in your urine or semen.

For some men the first symptoms of prostate cancer might be new pain in the back, hips or pelvis. This can be caused by cancer that’s spread to the bones (advanced prostate cancer). These symptoms are often caused by other problems such as general aches or arthritis. But it’s still a good idea to get them checked out by your GP.

Most men with early prostate cancer don't have any symptoms. If you're worried about your risk or are experiencing any symptoms, visit your GP or speak to our Specialist Nurses.

For further information visit

Prostate Cancer UK’s March for Men is a series of walking events raising money to help stop prostate cancer being a killer.

Take part in Jeff Stelling’s March for Men, a brand new event in London, Leeds and Glasgow or organise your own walk.

If you would like to join March for Men – and help beat prostate cancer go to

June 12th-18th – Diabetes Week

The simple fact is, diabetes is serious. There are currently 4.5 million people in the UK living with the condition, and 11.9 million more at increased risk of getting Type 2 diabetes.

Despite these huge numbers, 25 per cent of people don't think diabetes is something to worry about. They aren't concerned about diabetes, and they don't understand what it is. It's our job to change that, to make people stand up and take notice.

Type 1 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body have been destroyed and the body is unable to produce any insulin.

Type 1 diabetes accounts for about 10 per cent of all adults with diabetes and is treated by daily insulin doses – taken either by injections or via an insulin pump. It is also recommended to follow a healthy diet and take regular physical activity. Type 1 diabetes can develop at any age but usually appears before the age of 40, and especially in childhood. It is the most common type of diabetes found in childhood.

Type 2 diabetes develops when the insulin-producing cells in the body are unable to produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance).

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in people over the age of 40, though in South Asian people, who are at greater risk, it often appears from the age of 25. It is also increasingly becoming more common in children, adolescents and young people of all ethnicities. Type 2 diabetes accounts for between 85 and 95 per cent of all people with diabetes and is treated with a healthy diet and increased physical activity.

In addition to this, medication and/or insulin are often required.

In Type 2 diabetes there is not enough insulin (or the insulin isn’t working properly), so the cells are only partially unlocked and glucose builds up in the blood.