URINE SAMPLES

Please can all patients who hand in any samples at the reception desk, make sure they have completed a symptoms form and hand that in along the sample. This will then allow the clinician to deal with sample appropriately.

This also refers to the Carers that bring in sample for their residents.

DURHAM COUNTY

CARERS SUPPORT

New Member of staff

We welcomed Claire to the reception team back in December.

Amanda Barker our Healthcare assistant is reducing her hours and Karen Slater will be starting with us in her role as a Healthcare assistant this month.

Support Student

As from this month we will be having a student from University of Teesside working alongside us once a week.

Shingles Catch up

All patients who have a date of birth either on:

2/9/45 and 1/9/46

2/7/42 and 1/9/45

2/9/37 and 1/9/38

2/9/36 and 1/9/37 up to 80th birthday if over 80 then not eligible

Not received a shingles vaccine? Please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment.

Health watch

Count Durham

The Consumer Championforhealth and social care

Visit their website:

Or for more information email:

Nurse Roles

Nurse Practitioners are registered nurses who have acquired the formal education, extended knowledge base and clinical skills beyond the registered nurse level to practice in an advanced nursing role. A Nurse Practitioner can examine a patient and establish a medical diagnosis by client history, physical examination, andprescribe treatment

Practice nurses are qualified and registered nurses. They can help with health issues such as contraception, cervical screening (smears), travel health advice and immunisation, child immunisation, wound management and dressings. The practice nursesrun clinics for long-term health conditions such as Asthma, COPD and Diabetes

Healthcare assistants support practice nurses with their daily work and carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (taking blood), blood pressure measurement, new patient checks, ECGs. Weight Management and assisting with minor surgical procedures are also part of a Health Care Assistants role. They may act as a chaperone when a patient or doctor’s requests

Child Vaccines

Have you missed an appointment for your child for their immunisations?

If so please contact the surgery to arrange an appointment at your earliest convenience.

Training Dates

The surgery will be closed on the following afternoons from 12.30 pm, Thursday 23rd March, Wednesday 19th April and Wednesday 17th May for essential staff training, if you need to see or speak to a doctor during these sessions please dial 111 for advice or if urgent dial 999 for an emergency.

Changes of Personal Details

As soon as you change your address or telephone/mobile number please can you update us here at the surgery, so that we can continue to communicate with you effectively?

Arriving on time

Please can I remind all patients that you must arrive on time for your appointment. If you are running late please contact us as soon as possible. If the self-check in screens won’t accept you, please see a receptionist at the desk that will have to speak to the clinician to confirm you can still be seen.

Patient Confidentiality & Privacy

We would like to stress the importance we place on the privacy of information between our patients, visitors and staff. Out of courtesy please give enough space between thepeople in front of you in the queue at the reception desk so that conversations with the receptionist remain private.

The reception area can become busy, especially at peak times and when the receptionists are held up by telephone calls, therefore to avoid queues please try whenever possible to use theself-check screen. If you still need to speak with the receptionist please be patient and they will see to you as soon as possible

Thank you for your co-operation

Next Newsletter June 2017