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Noticeboard

Daily Bulletin

Morning everyone. The cases in Northumberland continues to rise and stands at 96.

Easter Holidays
All GP practices have been asked by the Government to operate as normal during the Easter holidays so we will be open on Good Friday and Easter Monday for normal services. The Glendale Pharmacy is not open on those days but is open on Easter Saturday for medication collection. However, if you order medication on the Friday or Monday, please don't expect it to be ready early morning on the Saturday or Tuesday as the pharmacist won't receive it until they open at 9am that morning.

Lets hope people don't take the nice weather we are supposed to be getting as an opportunity to come up to the country like they did a few weeks ago. Hopefully the message has been taken on board by now.

Temperature checking
If you are asked to attend the surgery at any point a clinician will now be checking your temperature before you can enter the building. This will be carried out with a thermometer similar to a hand-held supermarket scanner so don't be alarmed if you see this in their hand when they open the door.

If you do have a temperature you may be taken to our isolation room which has been stripped of all but the desk and chairs. Again, please do not be alarmed at this but, if there is any suspicion of infection then we have to have a room that can be deep cleaned.

Patients asked to attend for an appointment
If the doctor or nurse asks you to attend then, unless you have a condition which means that you must be accompanied, then please don't bring anyone with you as we don't want to offend anyone by saying they can't come in.

As always, stay safe folks and thanks for your understanding during these difficult times for us all.

Previous posts

Collaborative Working arrangements across North Northumberland General Practice

We have been working hard with our primary care network to ensure that whatever challenges we may face in the coming months we can continue to provide you, our patients, continued access to essential healthcare from your local practice.

Although testing for healthcare workers is now available and will reduce the number of staff who are isolating when a household member has symptoms, there remains the risk of healthcare workers being too unwell to attend work if they contract the virus. We are concerned there is a risk that this may mean some practices are left without GPs available to care for their patients for short periods of time.

Therefore in order to ensure that our patients always have access to a General Practitioner we have taken the temporary step of activating access for every GP across the North of Northumberland in each of our practices. Although we have made this access available immediately this will only be used when a GP is working to support a practice and only to access the records of those patients who need their input. This may include but is not limited to consultations (telephone or face to face), issuing medications and reviewing test results.

If you have any concerns or wish to discuss this further please speak to our practice manager

AT RISK PATIENTS

Due to the high demand from patients for letters for employers and advice, we have decided to write to each patient with long-term conditions who are considered to be high risk.

These are not the patients that the Government have already written to as being at very high risk.

If you think you are in a high risk group and don't receive a letter by the beginning of next week, please give us a call.

We are under huge pressures at the moment so please be patient and don't call us requesting a sick note or isolation note due to coronavirus as this will act as evidence for your employer.

The groups are:
* Patients with diabetes with an HbA1c greater than 75, recent diabetic ketoacidosis or poor medication aherence.
* Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who have required hospitalisation in the last 12 months or who have required 2 or more courses of steroids or antibiotics.
* Patients with asthma with a history of hospitalisation in the last 12 months or ever been admitted to intensive care.
* Patients with significant heart failure which has required hospitalisation for the heart failure within the last 12 months.
* Patients with multiple longterm conditions
* Patients taking continuous oral corticosteroids or 20mg of prednisolone or more for over 4 weeks.
* Patients taking some immunosuppressive or immunomodulating medication who have not been contacted by the Government such as cyclophosphamide, leflunomide, methotrexate.
* Other patients the GP considers would be at high risk.

Thanks.

ENRICHED SUMMARY CARE RECORD

Most patients have a summary care record which shares important information between healthcare professionals such as medication, allergies and adverse reactions which is extremely useful if you are seen by another doctor other than  your own GP including hospital admissions.   There is now the enriched SCR which also includes important medical history and procedures, immunisations and anticipatory care information such as your wishes for emergency care or end of life plans.   This ESCR will be especially helpful when treating patients with urgent medical needs such as hospitals or by out of hours doctors.  It also saves  you having to try to remember what conditions you have plus any allergies and medications you take, especially important for elderly patients who may not remember as well as they used to.     

If you would like to have an ESCR, please let  us know and we will tick the box in your records. You may also be asked this question by our doctors or reception team in the future.   

Clinics & Services
Travel Vaccinations
Non-NHS Services
GP clinics 6.30pm - 8pm
Health Checks
Contraceptive Services
Find...

Practice Nurse Clinics (Wednesdays and Thursdays)

nurseOur practice nurse, Maureen Birdsall, manages the following conditions as well as general nursing and occasional blood taking.

To see Maureen you will need to let the receptionist know what you are coming for as we need to book the appropriate time-slot for you and it also enables the nurse to prepare any equipment she might need. The following times apply.

Cervical Smear20 minutes
Diabetic Annual Review20 minutes
Health checks (well man, well woman, 40-74 and over 7520 minutes
Heart disease and BP annual review15 minutes
Annual asthma review20 minutes
Annual COPD review30 minutes
Contraception15 minutes
Baby immunisations20 minutes
Smoking cessation – 1st clinic30 minutes
Smoking cessation follow up15 minutes
Travel vaccinations20 minutes

Updated on 10th May 2012 at 12:49 pm

The distric nurses work between Wooler and Belford and mainly visit patients in their own homes but they also carry out some clinics in the surgery.  Appointments are made via reception.

Clinics

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday   12 – 12.30pm

  • eg  dressings, removal of stitches, B12 injections.

Normally Thursday once or twice a month

  • ear syringing (oil must be put in the ears for at least 2 weeks before they can be syringed)

 Wednesday afternoon

  •    Leg ulcer clinic

The District Nursing Team can be contacted on 01668 280040/41.

Child Health

The practice nurse carries out the immunisations on babies and children under 5 during her normal clinics,

The doctors carry out the 6 week baby check during normal surgery hours.

The health visitor and nursery nurse hold routine child health checks in their clinics which are held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the  month between 9.30am and 11.30am in the Health Education Room on the first floor.

If you have any queries about your child’s health, please contact the surgery or the Health Visitor, Heather Bruce on 01668 280042.

The National Child Measurement Programme (NCMP) is an important programme to tackle obesity in the population. As part of this programme, children in reception year (aged 4–5 years) and Year 6 (10–11 years) have their heights and weights measured during the school year.  Each child’s result is based on a BMI centile, which provides information as to whether a child is a healthy weight for their height, age and sex. It is not a perfect measure, but it is one of the best ways to tell if a child is a healthy weight.

Change4Life  is  a programme which promotes positive lifestyle changes to children and families.  To learn more, click on the link to their website http://www.nhs.uk/change4life

Midwifery

Sue Aisbitt is our local midwife and provides care from early pregnancy until your baby is approximately 10 days old.

At antenatal appointments during pregnancy, Sue plans your care with you, discussing your choices and arranges scans and consultant referrals as needed.  She advises on all aspects on pregnancy, labour, delivery and postnatal care.

Sue also provides antenatal classes as a group or on a one-to-one basis with yourself or with family members.  covering topics such as labour and pain relief, delivery of baby, infant feeding and caring for your new baby.   

Sue is in the surgery all day on a Tuesday and can be contacted on 01668 280047.  At other times, when on duty, she can be contacted at Berwick Maternity Unit on 01289 356622.

As soon as you think you are pregnant and would like an appointment with Sue, please leave a message at reception and she will get in touch with you to arrange a suitable time.

If you are just at the pregnancy planning stage, Sue is also happy to discuss any queries you may have and give advice.

Minor Surgery

Updated on 26th April 2012 at 1:48 pm

The doctors perform minor surgical procedures in the surgery for the removal of warts, cysts, skin tags and some skin lesions and suturing following injury.  Cryotherapy (freezing) is used to remove skin tags and warts and a pre-clinic appointment should be made with Dr Miller to examine the lesion and decide if cryotherapy is suitable.

You will need to see  the doctor for an initial consultation prior to surgery.  An appointment will then be made with the doctor and the Practice Nurse to carry out the procedure.

Results are normally back within 2 weeks and you will be informed as soon as possible.

Counselling

Counselling provides a one-to-one service in the practice with  a trained counsellor.  Patients can talk about their problems in a relaxed and confidential environment. 

The doctors normally offer counselling to patients who they think might benefit from talking to someone or patients can ask to be referred when they see the doctor.

Smoking Cessation

Smoking is one of the main risk factors of heart disease.  We are here to help you give up and can offer a range of products to help reduce the craving for nicotine you experience when trying to give up smoking.  Please make an appointment with the practice nurse.

Weight Reduction

Updated on 26th April 2012 at 1:46 pm

If you are obese or overweight, you have an increased risk of developing various health problems. Even a modest amount of weight loss can help to reduce your increased health risks. The best chance of losing weight, and keeping the weight off,  is to be committed to a change in lifestyle. This includes eating a healthy diet and doing some regular physical activity, walking is a great way to keep fit, and we have some of the most beautiful walks in and around Wooler.

How can I lose weight?

Some people lose weight by strict dieting for a short period. However, as soon as their diet is over, they often go back to their old eating habits, and the weight goes straight back on. Losing weight, and then keeping it off, needs a change in your lifestyle for life.   For advice visit the Change4Life website 

The practice nurse will offer advice on weight reduction and exercise and can help with monitoring your weight.  We also have the Northumberland Health Trainers in the surgery on a weekly basis who can advise on health matters.   

 
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