Medications for Xmas Period

Catch up flu jabs

If you missed our clinics, we may have vaccine left over for the over 65s, vulnerable people and anyone with long term health conditions. Please phone to check and make an appointment with one of the nurses if you wish to have this.

Medications for Xmas period

Please don’t leave Xmas medication ordering until the last minute as this puts pressure on our dispensers at a busy time of the year. If you have enough to last until the early January, please wait – we’ll be open then!

Guess the weight competition

Congratulations to the winner of the “Guess-the-weight-of-the-pumpkin” fundraising competition. Mr B picked up the monster which weighs 39.4 kilo, but we are yet to see a portion of pumpkin pie!!

Someone else was very close and we had to get out our calculators to work out, to the gram, who was closer.

Thank-you also to Marian on reception who grew and donated the pumpkin! Your donations raised a whooping £132.60

The cake stall

Thank-you to everyone who brought cakes in for the stall and for all those that purchased cakes as well!. They were gone by 10am on the morning of our second flu clinic! We all raised a delicious £118.60for our medical equipment fund when all donations were counted

DNAs – 69 in October.that equates to 11.5 hrs clinicians time wasted . PLEASE PLEASE TRY AND ATTEND FOR THE APPOINTMENTS YOU BOOK THANKS!

Clinical corner.

Please try not to use Senna for constipation. It is a stimulant laxative and long term use damages the bowel, permanently. Not only that but it is hardly ever necessary if people drink enough fluid, are active, have a good fruit and vegetable containing diet and, failing that, regularly use stool softeners (which don’t enter the body so are completely safe). Our clinicians almost never have to use stimulant laxatives in routine medical practice. ‘But it’s natural’ people say. Yes, but it’s still a chemical and no less damaging. ‘But it’s been used for hundreds of years’ people say. Yes, but it’s still a chemical and no less damaging. Please discuss with a clinician at the surgery if you have any questions. We can prescribe stool softeners on a repeat basis.

Government prescription charge

If you are asked to pay for a prescription, just a gentle reminder that this money goes to the Government. It is not for Cradley surgery and we have to pass it on. The government is clamping down on prescription fraud and a few of our patients have been fined for not filling in the back of the prescription correctly. It is your responsibility to ensure this is done. We even have a magnifying glass at dispensary for those who’ve forgotten their glasses! Please be kind to our dispensers if they explain the need to do it accurately.

Statins

This is an excerpt from an article in the highly respected professional medical research magazine, The Lancet.

‘Controversy over the safety and efficacy of statins has harmed the health of potentially thousands of people in the UK. 200,000 people stopped taking statins after adverse media coverage in 2014 (it hasn’t gone away – Ed) and this will result in 2,000 additional cardiovascular deaths (stroke and heart attack) in the UK in the next decade’. This public reaction driven by the media has been compared to the autism/MMR scare.’

Dr Patsy doesn’t mind medical controversy and unknowns – this is part of all health care – but she does object to debate being run by the media and the consequent loss of trust. This has irretrievably harmed the provision and practice of medical care.

Urine samples

Please be advised that the procedure for providing samples has changed due to changes at the labs. Please ensure that you bring a sample in from home when requested in a clean container with a well fitting screw top lid . Please be advised that we can no longer supply urine bottles for hospital appointments. Please enquire at reception if you are unsure of the procedure.

Our NHS

Did you know that according to their patients 90% of GPs in this country provide ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ care. This fact is buried by the media in favour of negative news stories

Care Navigation

There has been a lot written in the press recently about the new ways that healthcare are going to have to manage their resources effectively to ensure that we can continue to offer the best range of services we can. Within the surgery and also the wider Herefordshire community we have a number of different professionals who are often the best person to handle your needs rather than a Doctor. With that in mind Dr Patsy Dye and Dr Chris Spruce have asked the Front of house team on reception to glean a little more information from patients to ensure that they are able to direct the call or book the appointment with the most suitable person. Please help us to help you by offering this information if asked as it may save you a trip or a wasted appointment

Please don’t forget that all the staff at the surgery are covered by a very stringent confidentiality code.

Waiting room books

Thank you very much for the recent donation of books for our toy baskets, it was very kind and we know all of our children will enjoy the new stories available

Finally a quick note to say Thank you for all opf your ongoing support this year . We have had some great feedback through our Friends and Family questions and the ,m,poney raised towards the new Micro suction kit has been amazing

GREAT NEWS- The kit has bene purchased and the training organised so in the new year we will be able roll out this great new service for Cradley Patients

Happy Christmas and New Year from all the team at Cradley Surgery.Here’s to a fabulous 2018