The Dame Sybil Thorndike

The Dame Sybil ThorndikeHealth Care Centre

Autumn/WinterNewsletter 2012

Dear Patients

Firstly I must apologise on behalf of BT. BT have had problems that have affected our internet connection and this has resulted in us havingmany weeks of interruptions with our computer system. It has been out of the surgery’s hands and BT will be making their own apology once I agree that the problems are fully resolved. This has had a high impact on appointments, paperwork and prescriptions but the doctors, nurses and all staff have been brilliant despite often being frustrated beyond belief. During this time of interruptions we have reverted to old-style, manual operations and carried on as much as possible but as you can appreciate, we still have quite a lot of work to catch up on.

The new online booking system is going well and if you have access to a computer this will really help you- we hope that not having to get through on the phone and being able to take a leisurely look for appointments will be a good experience. We release 50% of the appointments on the of the day appointment at 7am online, plus you are able to book in advance. All of Saturday’s appointments are available this way or through reception. I am planning to offer this same system to patients via the telephone but I need to make sure this is working properly before we implement it.

We are trying to look for another way of helping patients to remember their appointments via SMS text messaging. Missed appointments are a real problem for the Thorndike Surgery and it is not fair on those of you that are feeling unwell to find the appointments have gone. In one morning we had 19 patients who failed keep their appointments. Please make sure reception have you up to date mobile number.

Patient Participation Group NEWS

******PATIENT SURVEY BEGINNING 16TH OCTOBER*********

This group consists of Julie Stevens (chair), Angie Berkley, Sandra Covington, Elizabeth Cannell, Anne Whybrow, John Belfield, Nick Bowler, Brian Smart, Saira Willmott-Darby, Jill Peet, Elizabeth Boucher and from the practice Dr Purjara and Carol White (practice manager).

As a group we meet on a monthly basis to work together with the Thorndike Health Care Centre and its patients, enabling provision of primary healthcare services and facilities within the community.

In February 2012 we conducted our first survey of patients’ views.

Issues raised were:

Not easy to get through on the telephone

Getting an appointment with a GP of your choice

Getting an appointment within a given timescale

Positives:

There were many positive comments, mainly in relation to:

Phlebotomy (blood testing service)

Standards of medical care

Consultations with patients regarding treatment

Actions as a result:

Patients need to realise that the Thorndike Surgery is a group practice, and we recommend you make yourself familiar with at least two doctors to maintain consistency and continuity

You are registered with the group practice, not an individual doctor

The practice has introduced a system of on line booking, so it is possible for a certain proportion of appointments to be pre-booked or cancelled on line.

There is an up to date notice board with the names and photographs of staff at the practice and the availability of the doctors on duty on the day.

IMPORTANT NEWS The Flu Vaccination for the winter 2012/13

Who Should Have it and Why

This explains how you can protect yourself against flu this coming winter and why it’s very important that people who are at increased risk from flu have their free flu vaccination every year.

What is flu? Isn’t it just a heavy cold? How will I know I’ve got it?

Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it’s sometimes called seasonal flu. It’s a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly. Colds are much less serious and usually start gradually with a stuffy or runny nose and a sore throat. A bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold.

The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. In most cases, the symptoms are quite mild, but in others, they can be very serious.

Healthy individuals usually recover within two to seven days but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death.

What causes flu?

Flu is caused by viruses that infect the windpipe and lungs. And because it’s caused by viruses and not bacteria, antibiotics won’t treat it.

How do you catch flu? Can I avoid it?

When an infected person coughs or sneezes they spread the flu virus in tiny droplets of saliva over a wide area. These droplets can then be breathed in by other people or they can be picked up by touching surfaces where the droplets have landed. You can prevent the spread of the virus by covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and you can wash your hands frequently or use hand gels to reduce the risk of picking up the virus.

But the best way to avoid catching and spreading flu is to get protected, before the virus starts to spread, by having the vaccination.

How do we protect against flu?

The most likely viruses that will cause flu each year are identified in advance and vaccines are then made to match them as closely as possible.

This year’s vaccine protects against three types of flu virus.

What harm can flu do?

People sometimes think a bad cold is flu, but having flu can be much worse than a cold and you may need to stay in bed for a few days if you have flu.

The flu vaccination for the winter of 2012/13 Who should have it, and why.

Some people are more susceptible to the effects of flu. For them it can increase the risk of developing more serious illnesses such as bronchitis and pneumonia, or can make existing conditions worse. In the worst cases, flu can result in a stay in hospital, or even death.

Am I at increased risk from the effects of flu?

Even if you feel healthy, you should have the free flu vaccination if you have:

heart problem

chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis or emphysema

kidney disease

lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)

liver disease

asthmatic

had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

diabetes

neurological condition, for example multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy

problem with your spleen, for example sickle cell disease or you have had your spleen removed.

Who else should consider having a flu vaccination?

You should have the flu vaccination if you are:

aged 65 years or over

living in a residential or nursing home

the main carer of an older or disabled person

a household contact of an immunocompromised person

a health or social care worker, or

pregnant (see the next section).

By having the vaccination, paid and unpaid carers will reduce their chances of getting flu. They can then continue to help those they look after.

Don’t wait until there is a flu outbreak this winter: contact your GP or practice nurse now to get your free flu jab.

I am pregnant. Do I need a flu vaccination this year?

Yes. All pregnant women should have the flu vaccine to protect themselves and their babies. The flu vaccine can be given safely at any stage of pregnancy, from conception onwards.

Pregnant women benefit from the flu vaccine because it:

reduces their risk of serious complications such as pneumonia, particularly in the later stages of pregnancy

reduces the risk of miscarriage or having a baby born too soon or with a low birth weight, because of flu

will help protect their baby who will continue to have some immunity to flu during the first few months of its life.

Talk to your GP or midwife if you are unsure about the vaccination.

I am pregnant and I think I may have flu. What should I do?

You should talk to your doctor urgently, because if you do have flu, the medicine prescribed for you needs to be taken very soon after the first symptoms appear.

As you won’t know which flu virus has caused your flu, you should still have the vaccination to protect you against the other flu viruses as soon as the illness has gone.

I had the flu vaccination last year. Do I need another flu jab this year?

The flu vaccine for this winter provides protection against some different strains of flu from last year’s. For this reason we strongly recommend that even if you were vaccinated last year, you should be vaccinated again this year.

What about my children? Do they need the vaccination?

If you have a child over six months of age who has one of the conditions listed previously, they should have a flu vaccination. All these children are more likely to become more ill if they catch flu, and it could make their existing condition worse. Talk to your GP or practice nurse about your child having the flu vaccination before the flu season starts.

Babies under six months of age should not have the flu vaccination even if they have an underlying condition.

Can the flu vaccine be given to my child at the same time as other vaccines?

Yes. The flu vaccine can be given at the same time as all routine childhood vaccines. The vaccination can go ahead if your child has a minor illness such as a cold but may be delayed if your child has an illness that causes a fever.

Not all flu vaccines are suitable for children.

Please make sure that you discuss this with your GP before the injection is given or phone for advice.

Is there anyone who shouldn’t have the vaccination?

Almost everybody can have the vaccine, but you should not be vaccinated if you have had a serious allergy to the vaccine in the past.

If you have a serious allergy to hens’ eggs you can still be vaccinated under specialist clinical supervision.

If you have a fever, the vaccination may be delayed until you are better.

Why is a flu vaccination my best protection against flu?

You can do things like washing your hands and using disposable tissues for coughs and sneezes but the vaccination will help your body to fight flu viruses. Your body starts making antibodies against the viruses about a week to ten days after the injection. These antibodies help to protect you against similar flu viruses that you may meet.

The flu vaccine will not protect you against the common cold or other winter viruses.

Will I get any side effects?

There are some fairly common but mild side effects. Some people get a slight temperature and aching muscles for a couple of days afterwards, and your arm may feel a bit sore where you were injected. Any other reactions are very rare.

Will the flu vaccine protect me completely?

Most people who have the flu vaccination will not get flu. However, like any vaccine, it does not give 100% protection. When the vaccine is well matched to the circulating virus strains, then around three-quarters of 10

those vaccinated are likely to be protected. The rest may have some protection that could reduce the severity of their symptoms.

How long will I be protected for?

The vaccine should provide protection throughout the 2012/13 flu season.

What do I need to do now?

If you belong to one of the groups mentioned in this leaflet (and you are not allergic to the vaccine), it’s important that you have your flu vaccination. The vaccines are normally available from the beginning of October, depending on supplies.

For more information about how to protect yourself and your family this winter visit nhs.uk/winterhealth

Please make an appointment at reception if you are on the above list for a flu vaccination this year.

Medication

In order to help the smooth running of your repeat medication and so that we can have it ready for you two days prior to be needed it would help if you could submit the request one week in advance. Some items that you request do need to be reviewed with a GP prior to dispensing; hence some medication does take a little longer. To help speed up collection and help the running of reception it would help if patients (if they can) leave collecting until after 10am in the morning. If you have a problem with collecting your prescription because you work, if you can supply us with stamped addressed envelope we are more than happy to post to you. Alternatively, if you are with any of the chemist that collect from us you can make arrangements with that chemist and they will collect your prescription. Please order your medication through our website two options EMIS access for those that have signed up. The other option is to go through the email address.

Help us to help you:

Please phone after 2pm for ALL results. If you have an insurance query or require general information please call after 11:30. This will enable the receptionist to answer the phones to book appointments that are needed on the day.

Training:

We are fortunate to be a training practice. We have qualified doctors called ‘registrars’ who are doing further training to become GP’s. Videos of consultations may be asked to be carried out, for the purpose of training. We also have students and paramedic practitioners training at the Thorndike. We currently have Dr Halabi, Dr Shah, Dr Masoud & Dr Sukkarnan who are qualified doctors training to become general practitioners.

Home Visits

Please ring before 10:30 am in the morning to request a home visit.

This is strictly for housebound patients

News in General for 2012

The surgery closes from midday all across Medway for GP training. (Please don’t get caught out with your prescriptions we are CLOSED on the following afternoons)

Thursday 15th November

Tuesday 11th December

Thursday 17th January 2013

Wednesday13th February 2013

Thursda 7th March 2013

All practices close across Medway for training once a month. For Emergencies during this half day closure please telephone:

Medocc (Medway On Call Care) 01634 891855

Christmas & New Year Closure Dates

Christmas Eve 24th December:

Urgent on the Day problem no routine or follow up appointments

Christmas Day 25th December: Closed

Boxing Day 26th DecemberClosed

Thursday 27thDecemberNormal Surgery

New Years Eve 31st December:

Urgent on the Day problem no routine or follow up appointments

New Years Day 1st January 2013 Closed

Wednesday 2nd January 2013Normal Surgery

Opening times and useful Information

Monday – Friday 08:00 – 08:30 for medical emergencies on the telephone

Monday – Friday 8.30am to 6.30pm

Additional Appointments

Wednesday 18:30 – 19:30

Saturday (pre booked clinics) 9am – 11:30 (Two GP’s and HCA)

We offer a full range of appointments. We have 50% of our appointments that you can pre-book up to 4 weeks in advance, 50% available on the day. We also offer Saturday mornings which are pre-booked only for those people that commute to London, work unsociable hours or can be offered if unable to make an appointment during the week. Plus you can now book your own appointments online.

Patients can access services during core hours by telephone, or attending the surgery and asking at the reception.

Telephone lines are closed between 6.30pm – 8am.

Emergency calls are covered by the Out of Hours Service

(Medway On Call Care on 01634 891855

Reception closes between 12.30 – 1.30 everyday except on Thursday where it is closed between 12 noon and 2pm for staff training.

We always endeavor to see all patients with urgent problems who need to be seen, on the same day by our daily duty doctor if all of our ‘on the day’ appointments have gone. We offer pre-bookable appointments for routine and follow up appointments.

What to do if the surgery is closed

If you telephone the surgery during out of hours you will be given the number to ring for help. At most times this will be the number of Medway On-Call Care based at Chatham Maritime – 01634 891855 or NHS Direct, a 24 hour nurse-led advice line, on 0845 4647. In an emergency you should dial 999. If you just want some general advice is an excellent site to use.

Thorndike Website

you are now to access everything through the one site.

NHS Choices is available for your feedback. We have had some lovely comments given to us here at the surgery, we would appreciate you putting these on the NHS Choices website.