***Seasons Greetings from the Surgery*** /
Christmas Opening Times
«We close on Wednesday 24 December and re-open on Monday 29 December «
« We close on Wednesday 31 December and will re-open on Friday 2 January 2015 «
If you become ill when we are closed you should contact either NHS direct on 08454647 or www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk for advice, telephone NHS 111 for emergency help or advice (not life threatening), or if it is a life threatening situation call 999.
Reminder of Dispensary Hours
The Surgery, including Dispensary, is closed between 12.30 and 1.30pm each day and the Dispensary phones are off between 12.30 and 2.30pm each day. Reception staff do not have access to the Dispensary when it is closed, so please collect medication during the opening hours. We are aware that our telephone lines are very busy in the mornings, particularly on Mondays, so please note there are alternative ways to order repeat prescriptions. There is a repeat prescription ordering box located just inside the main doors to the Surgery, you can order online via the prescriptions option on our website www.harburysurgery.org.uk/ and you can order via Patient Access (phone Surgery for details of how to register).
Please order and collect any medication in good time before we close for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
New Law on Driving having taken Certain Drugs
Key messages
• A new law on driving after taking certain drugs (including some medicines – see below) is coming into force in March 2015
• This law states that it is an offence to drive with certain drugs above specified levels in the body, whether your driving is impaired or not
• If you are taking these medicines as directed and your driving is not impaired, then you are not breaking the law
• Keep taking your medicines as prescribed
• Check the leaflet that comes with your medicines for information on how your medicines may affect your driving ability
• Do not drive after taking your medicines until you know how they affect you
• Do not drive if you feel drowsy, dizzy, unable to concentrate or make decisions, or if you have blurred or double vision
• If your driving is impaired then you are guilty of breaking the law
What is the issue?
A new law on driving with certain drugs above specified limits in the body is expected to come into force on 2nd March 2015.1The list of drugs includes certain medicines that are sometimes abused, such as medicines used to treat:
1 Dependent upon the approval date of the regulations by Parliament
• extreme pain (morphine, diamorphine, ketamine)
• anxiety or inability to sleep (diazepam, clonazepam, lorazepam, oxazepam, temazepam)
• drug addiction (methadone)
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD (amphetamine)
• multiple sclerosis (nabiximols)
If you are found to be driving with any of these medicines above the limits in your body, you could be guilty of breaking the law. But if you are taking the medicines according to the advice of your prescriber or leaflet in the package, and your driving is not impaired, then you are not guilty of breaking this law.
What will happen if I’m stopped by the police?
The police may use a roadside test to see if you have taken any of the drugs. If the test detects any relevant drugs, the type and level of the drugs in your body can be confirmed by a blood test taken at the police station. The law provides you with a “medical defence”. This states that you are not guilty if:
• the medicine was prescribed, supplied, or sold to you to treat a medical or dental problem, and
• you took the medicine according to the instructions given by the prescriber or the information provided with the medicine.
But if your driving is impaired, you are guilty of breaking the law.
What should I do if I need to take any of the specified medicines?
Keep taking your medicine as prescribed. Check the leaflet that comes with your medicine for information on how your medicine may affect your driving ability. Do not drive while taking your medicine until you know how it affects you. Do not drive if you feel drowsy, dizzy, unable to concentrate or make decisions, or if you have blurred or double vision.
For further information on this new law, go to: www.gov.uk/government/collections/drug-driving
'Look before you book' this Christmas, says Food Standards Agency
/ The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is calling on people to check the food hygiene ratings of restaurants before booking Christmas meals out with family and friends. A poll released today found that almost half of the UK public (46%) never check food hygiene ratings of places they plan to eat in.Catriona Stewart Head of the Food Hygiene Ratings Scheme, said: 'Nobody wants the embarrassment of booking a Christmas meal that is less than perfect. The people we spoke to through our poll spend a lot of time and effort planning festive meals to make sure their family and friends have a good time, yet very few make food hygiene a top priority. 'We are urging everybody to look before they book if planning that special Christmas meal. It’s quick and easy to check a restaurant’s food hygiene rating online – just go to the FSA website: www.food.gov.uk/ratings. If you’re out and about, you can also check for the green and black ratings sticker on display and if you can’t see one just ask.'
Patient Participation Group
We have a patient participation group at the Surgery who meet every three months. If you are a patient and would like to be involved in this, please phone the Surgery and let us have your name and contact details. We will contact you when there is space for new members. Thank you.
Staff News
We have had a lot of changes in the Surgery over the summer months. Stacey has started her maternity leave and we wish her well and look forward to hearing good news. Our Practice Manager of 11 years moved on to pastures new in October. We wish Helen every success in her new position. We welcomed our new Practice Manager in October, Mr Asim Arif. Asim has worked as a Practice Manager for seven years and joins us with a wealth of experience.
Air Ambulance
You may have noticed that we have a collection box for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance in reception. It was recently emptied and we are pleased to report that a total of £133.26 was given to this very worthwhile cause. Thank you to all patients who contributed to this.
First Aid training for carers
We are hoping to arrange a free first aid course aimed specifically at Carers in the New Year. It is likely to be on a Wednesday afternoon and last approximately an hour and a half. If you are interested and you are a carer registered with the Practice, please let us know. If you have not registered with the Practice as a Carer, but would like to attend, please let us know and we can send you the appropriate forms for registering.
Friends and Family Test
When you visit the Surgery over the next few months we will be giving you a postcard sized survey asking for your opinion on the Surgery and whether you would recommend it to your family and friends. The survey is anonymous (completed cards are posted in a box) and the results will be published on our website, on NHS Choices and NHS England websites at monthly intervals. This is a valuable feedback tool and we would urge all patients to try to complete the card. Thank you.