Spring / Summer 2017
W
elcome to the Pall Mall Surgery spring and summer newsletteredition. We start off the year with some positive news.
During September 2016 we introduced Nurse Practitioner appointments. These appointments are managed by Nurse Practitioners and a senior General Practitioner. For further information please see pages 6 & 7.
During the Autumn of 2016 we underwent the smooth transition from Emis to SystmOne (clinical system). We would like to thank all those patients for their kind consideration whilst all the staff at the surgery became familiar with the new system, in particular those patients that had to re-register for On-Line access. Thank you all very much.
With the support of the PPG, the clinicians held a Diabetes workshop during March 2017. The event was directed at those patients that have difficulty in managing their diabetes. This was well attended with some very positive feedback.
Thank you, Dr. L.R. Nagle, Dr. H. Kennedy, Dr. J. Garcia, Dr. T. Syed, Dr. L. Evans-Smith,Dr. K. McKay and Dr.Subasinghe.
Contents
Pall Mall Charity Bake-Off...... 3
New Staff / Practice Pharmacist ………………………………………………………………………………………………3-5
Dementia Friendly Practice…………………………………………………………………………………………………………5
Practice Logo Competition………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6
Appointments (information regarding Nurse Practitioner Appointments)-7
Missed Appointments-9
On-Line Booking
NHS 111...... 10
PALL MALL WEBSITE...... 11
PALL MALL SURGERY: A TRAINING PRACTICE...... 11
Patient Participation Group
Repeat Prescriptions...... 11-12
Surgery Closure Dates
BANK HOLIDAY CLOSURE DATES 2016...... 12
Travel Clinic
Pall Mall Charity Bake-Off
During February 2017 we held the annual Pall Mall Bake-Off. Staff at the surgery baked both savoury and sweet dishes. All dishes were judged, on a taste, execution and presentation basis, by our Dr. Jose Garcia together with a couple of administrators. Sandra Plimmer won the savoury award for her Cheese Tart and Ruth Harding won the sweet award for her peanut cookies. All dishes were then sold to staff and patients of the Pall Mall Surgery. We managed to raise just over £100.00.
New Staff Members
Dr.SanjeevGunputh – Associate General Practitioner
‘I studied for my MBSS Degree at St. George’s, University of London and passed my MRCGP exam in July 2016. I have previously worked as a Biomedical Scientist in Haematology / Blood Transfusion for 15 years before embarking on a career in medicine. I have two sons aged 11 and 5. The eldest studies at Westcliff High School. My wife is a senior biomedical scientist in blood transfusion. I am originally from the paradise island of the Indian Ocean aka Mauritius! I have been an avid practitioner of Kyokushin Karate for many years.’
Rebecca O’Shea – Pharmacist
‘I have been qualified as a pharmacist since 2004, after completing my degree at The Welsh School of Pharmacy, Cardiff University. Since qualifying I have worked as a pharmacist in both the Pharmacies at Southend and Basildon & Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trusts, and also was the Principal Pharmacist for the Clinical Trials Pharmacy at King's College Hospital in London.
I joined the team here at Pall Mall Surgery in August 2016, and it did not take long to feel part of the family. The role of Practice Pharmacist is a new one, and currently across the country other GP surgeries are piloting having them join their teams. I am the first in South East Essex! I am here to help support all staff and patients with queries concerning medication and prescribing, help to facilitate safe and effective communication concerning medication between hospitals and the surgery, help optimise prescribing as driven by our local Clinical Commissioning Group, and importantly undertake medication reviews with patients. I am currently studying at King's College London to become an Independent Prescriber, which means you could be attending a clinic being run by me when I qualify in the future! I also plan to support GPs with the care they provide to our older population, and would like to work closely with patients and staff in care homes to ensure that the many medicines these patients are prescribed remain appropriate.
I was born and raised in the area, and currently live in Leigh-on-Sea with my husband and 18 month old daughter. I have the pleasure of working with my mum at the surgery, so do not be alarmed if I accidently mention "mum" to one of the receptionists!’
Jane Castle – Nurse Practitioner
‘I have grown up in the local area. I am one of the Nurse Practitioners within the Pall Mall Surgery. I did my nurse training inSouthend, East Grinstead and London. I enjoy all aspects of my job and feel that I do this to the best of my ability. I have a passion to learn and desire to give the best care that I can for my patients’.
Sarah Newman – Practice Nurse
I studied for my BSC (Hons) in nursing at Anglia Ruskin University. I qualified in 2006. I have worked at SGH in acute medicine. I spent 7 years as a district Nurse within the Leigh/Westcliff area, before becoming a practice nurse 2 years ago. I joined the Pall Mall Surgery in August 2016 and I really enjoy the variety that my job brings. I am married and I have a 6 year old daughter. Away from work I love spending time with my family and friends. I also enjoy travel, reading, concerts and the cinema.
Midwife – Larissa – We have a midwife attend the surgery on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Pall Mall – Dementia Friendly Practice
The surgery is currently working towards being the first Dementia Friendly Practice in the local area. Our Dementia Champions are Karen and Charlie who are working with Nancy, the strategy and commissioning officer for Dementia. Please see our notice board for more information.
Practice Logo
The practice wanted a ‘practice logo’ for the surgery. We held a competition for our practice staff to enter their ideas / designs. This was judged by the practice partners. In all there were a total of 27 entrants, each design showing the staff ideas of what the surgery represented. The winner was our Dr. Rachael Marchant who wanted to show that the surgery cares for all members members of our practice population.
Appointments
Routine GP appointments are bookable up to 2 weeks in advance and are in 10 minute slots. We also have same day GP appointments.You can book an appointment by phone, on-line or in person. Please do not be offended if you are asked to re-book for more than one problem.
Nurse Practitioner appointments are available 24 hours in advance and on the day. These appointments are for strictly over 2 year olds.
You can see our nurse practitioners for the following ailments:
- Urine Infections
- Chest Infections
- Skin / Wound Infections
- Ear, Nose and Throat Infections
- Emergency Contraception
- Exacerbation of Asthma
- Exacerbation of COPD
- Post op wound problems
- Allergies
- Bites
- Rashes
- Period problems
- Minor Injuries and Burns
- Diabetic related problems
Missed Appointments
At PALL MALL we strive to make the patient doctor experience a positive one. We are not unique in this area, but we are still in very negative territory in terms of Missed Appointments. A large number of clinical appointments are wasted each month because patients do not arrive for their appointments and fail to inform us.
For the months of January, February and March 2017 ,586clinical appointments were wasted, resulting in a cost of £18,752to the NHS.
Please inform us immediately if you are unable to attendfor your appointment
You cancancel your appointment if you no longer need it by doing one of the following:
- Telephone the surgery on: 01702 482900, select option 1 where you can leave a message
- Fax us on: 01702 714301
- Text: 07814 056692
- Email :
- SystmOne Access on-line
Please leave details of your name, date of birth and the date and time of the appointment you wish to cancel, together with the name of the doctor or nurse, if you know it.
The CCG along with Practice Patient Participation Groups have been collating information regarding missed appointments. This information is available on the CCG website‘Patients across Southend are being asked to help reduce pressure on GP practices by making sure they cancel their GP appointment if they no longer need it.
The request comes as the borough’s Patient Participation Group Forum has been investigating “Did Not Attend” (DNA) figures at each practice. DNAs are missed appointments.
Although there is no single DNA figure available for the whole of Southend, there are concerns several thousand GP appointments are being missed each month across the borough’s 35 practices. This causes a drain on NHS resources and means some patients in genuine need may have to wait longer to see their GP.
Sally Carr, Chair of Southend’s Patient Participation Group Forum says: “At our last meeting we heard one practice in Southend had more than 100 missed appointments out of 1,500 offered in a month. That’s six per cent of appointments missed which is an awful lot, and time those GPs could have spent seeing other patients.
“We hear a lot in the news about long waits for a GP appointment but if people simply let their surgery know if they are not attending their appointment it can be made available to other patients.”
Dr Jose Garcia Lobera, local GP and Chair of NHS Southend Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said DNAs are putting great pressure on the health system across Southend. He says: “As GPs we work hard to meet the needs of our patients and make it as easy as possible for them to see their doctor. But we need patients to do their bit too by letting us know if they need to cancel or rearrange their appointment.
“The knock on effect of a DNA is that some patients who cannot see their GP choose to go to A&E instead and this puts pressure on the hospital. Patients should make sure they attend an appointment if they book one or cancel it well in advance if they no longer need it, so it can be made available to someone else.”
On-Line Booking
Did you know about the Pall Mall Surgery On-line access, ? The service is run on the same system as if you are doing it in person. The service enables you to:
Book an appointment to see a doctor
Request a repeat prescription
Notify a change of home address
Cancel your appointment
Medical Record Viewer
Please visit our Self-Service Area for an application form. Alternatively visit our practice web-siteat pallmallsurgery.co.uk
NHS 111
NHS 111 is a service that was introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS healthcare services in England. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it is not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time.
NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. There are also a service to enable hearing impaired users. Check the NHS UK website for further details.
When to use it
You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a life-threatening situation.
Call 111 if:
- you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency
- you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service
- you don't know who to call or you don't have a GP to call
- you need health information or reassurance about what to do next
For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local pharmacist in the usual way.
If a health professional has given you a specific phone number to call when you are concerned about your condition, continue to use that number.
For immediate, life-threatening emergencies, continue to call 999.
PALL MALL WEBSITE
Our website is regularly updated. Please visit for more information about the surgery and the services we provide.You will also find a lot ofuseful self-help information.
PALL MALL SURGERY: A TRAINING PRACTICE
Registrars and Students: At Pall Mall Surgery we train future GPs (GP Registrars), physician associates, nursing students and practice nurse trainees. Each GP Registrar is with us for up to 18 months and each FY2 doctor is with us for four months.
Some consultations are recorded for training purposes, but only with the prior consent of the patient. On occasions medical students sit in with the doctor during consultations. You will always be asked in advance if you are happy for the student to be present.
As a training practice we are inspected every three years and medical records are inspected for quality not content. If you have any objections, please let us know and your notes will be withdrawn from inspection.
Patient Participation Group
The Patient Participation Group (PPG) is a cross-section of patients who meet at regular intervals to make a positive contribution to the services and facilities offered by the practice. If you would like to become a member of this group please contact Mrs. D. Clahane, Assistant Practice Manager.
Repeat Prescriptions
Repeat prescriptions are available 48 working hours after being requested. Please bear in mind that prescriptions put through the letter box at weekends or bank holidays will not be ready for collection until 48 hours after the surgery has re-opened.
The surgery now offers Electronic Prescribing. If you would like to nominate a pharmacy that you would like your prescription to go to electronically, please let the surgery know.
Surgery Closure Dates
The surgery closes for 'Time to Learn', for an afternoon, from 13:00 hrs, generally on the first Tuesday of each month, excluding January and August. These dates are as follows :
Tuesday 4th April 2017
Tuesday 9th May 2017
Tuesday 6th June 2017
Tuesday 4th July 2017
Tuesday 5th September 2017
Tuesday 3rd October 2017
Tuesday 7th November 2017
Tuesday 5th December 2017
Tuesday 6th February 2018
Tuesday 6th March 2018
BANK HOLIDAY CLOSURE DATES 2017
Friday 14th April...... Good Friday
Monday 17th April...... Easter Monday
Monday 1st May...... May Day
Monday 29th May...... Spring Bank Holiday
Monday 28th August...... August Bank Holiday
Monday 25th December...... Boxing Day
Tuesday 26th December...... Bank Holiday.
Travel Clinic
Spring and Summer are now arriving and many of us are looking to book our seasonal holidays. We are now holding Travel Clinic Sessions. You will need to see the nurse for your travel clinic appointment as soon as possible. If your travel date is within 6 weeks, unfortunately we cannot assist with your travel vaccinations. Please contact Medical Advisory Service for Travellers Abroad (MASTA) Travel Clinic, Leigh on Sea on 0330 100 4200 or Queensway Travel Clinic, Southend, on 01702 463333. It is likely that you will be charged to receive your vaccinations at the above clinics.
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Spring/Summer 2017