Dr. G.C. Ackerley
& Partners
Autumn Newsletter
Prescriptions
In order to maintain a high level of service, to handle
increasing workload and to minimise errors, we ask you
PLEASE to order your prescriptions by one of the
following methods: 
Welcome to the first edition of our practice newsletter.
Who's Who?
GP's:
GP Locums:
Dr G.C. Ackerley, Dr D.S.
Virdee, Dr V.F. Ashman &
Dr M.S. Bandrapalli
Practice Manager:
Assistant Manager:
Practice Nurses:
Dr B. Rajeshkar, Dr R.
Ellis & Dr A. Yalamanchili
Julie Lee
Marie Butcher
Linda Wood, Jo Hepworth
(and Amanda Lloyd from
the 5th Oct 2011)
Phlebotomist:
Meena Patel
Appointments
Always telephone the
surgery early morning if
you need to be seen
that day. We offer face
to face or telephone
consultations with
either a GP or Nurse.
Receptionists are fully trained and are required to
follow practice procedure, therefore they will ask for
further information to offer you an appointment most
suitable to you. All staff pride themselves on being
helpful and polite, please extend them the same
courtesy.
Infectious Diseases - If you think
that you have an infectious disease
that can be passed on to other
patients while attending the surgery
e.g. Chickenpox, please inform the
reception staff on your arrival.

Tick the repeats slip provided with your
prescription; or
Write your name, date of birth, address and the
name of the medication on a piece of paper
which then sign and date.
Please then send your request to us through the post,
drop-in at reception or post through the door should
the surgery be closed.
Only in exceptional circumstances do we accept
repeat prescription requests over the telephone.
Please allow 48 hrs for your prescription to be
prepared. Your prescription can be collected from the
surgery or you can request that we send it direct to a
local chemist.
Early prescriptions
If you need to order your repeat prescriptions earlier
than expected please don’t be offended if you are asked
why you need the medication early. The G.P.s will
always request this information before issuing the
prescription.
Test results
A gentle reminder to all who have a test performed
here at the Surgery:
Please contact us about a week after the test has been
taken or sent off to find out the result.
If the result is normal the receptionist is often able to
tell you immediately.
If the result is abnormal we can then let you know what
action is required and make any necessary arrangements
such as booking you an appointment.
If the result is borderline we may ask you to arrange a
repeat test after a given interval to check things are
improving. Thank you!
Annual winter ‘flu jabs’
Don’t worry, there’s still some
time but we thought you might
like to know we’re planning
ahead.
We will be giving the jabs in the
usual fashion in October this
year and will start to take
bookings in September.
This year’s jab is going to contain bits* of 3 viruses: the
swine ‘flu virus and two other viruses. Even if you had
the swine flu jab you will still need this one so that
you’re even better protected for the winter (which
could be worse than usual after the pandemic).
Unusually, this seasonal jab is also going to be
offered to all pregnant mums who didn’t have the
swine flu jab when it was available. This is because swine
flu seems to affect pregnant women more than normal
flu and we are expecting swine flu to reappear this
winter.
[* yes, the vaccine only contains parts of each virus so it
is impossible to catch ‘flu from the vaccine, contrary to
popular belief!]
Patient Participation Group
The first meeting of the practice participation group is
due to take place on the 27th Sept 2011 at our Astill
Lodge Surgery from 1.30pm to 2.30pm. We are inviting
any patients who would like to get involved in
improving current services and developing new ones to
come along. Please enquire at reception. (There may
be limited places.)
Thinking of Quitting Smoking?
Get help and advice in our Smoking Cessation Clinics
held on Friday mornings at both of our surgeries.
Please ask at reception for details.
How to Manage……… a Sore Throat
Sore throat (pharyngitis) is very common. It is usually
caused by an infection in the throat. Soreness in the
throat may be the only symptom. In addition, you may
also have a hoarse voice, mild cough, fever, headache,
feel sick, feel tired, and the glands in your neck may
swell. It may be painful to swallow. The soreness
typically gets worse over 2-3 days and then usually
gradually goes within a week. In about 1 in 10 cases the
soreness lasts longer than a week. You may also
develop a sore throat if you have a cold or flu-like
illness.
Tonsillitis is an infection of the tonsils at the back of
the mouth. Symptoms are similar to a sore throat, but
the fever and the general feeling of being unwell may be
more severe. You may also be able to see some pus
(white spots) on the enlarged red tonsils. So what is the
treatment for sore throat and tonsillitis?
Not treating – This gives “Mother Nature” a
chance and is usually the best option as many throat
infections are mild and soon get better.
Drink Plenty - It is tempting not to drink very much if it
is painful to swallow, however this can lead to mild
dehydration (especially if you have a fever). Mild
dehydration can make headaches and tiredness much
worse.
Paracetamol or Ibuprofen - Both medications ease
pain, headache, and fever. To keep symptoms to a
minimum it is best to take a dose at regular intervals as
recommended on the packet of medication rather than
'now and then'. For example, take paracetamol four
times a day until symptoms ease.
Aspirin gargles - These may ease the soreness.
(There is little research evidence that confirms this.
However, it is a popular treatment and may be worth a
try.) Dissolve some soluble aspirin in water and gargle
for 3-4 minutes, 3-4 times a day. Swallow the aspirin
after gargling for additional symptom relief, unless you
are also taking ibuprofen tablets (in which case, spit out
the aspirin after gargling). Children under 16 should
NOT have aspirin. Other gargles, lozenges, and sprays
that you can buy at pharmacies may help to soothe a
sore throat. However, they do not shorten the illness.
Do I need an antibiotic?
Usually not. Most throat and tonsil infections are caused
by viruses, and antibiotics will not kill a virus. Some
throat infections are caused by bacteria, however, even
if a bacterium is the cause, in most cases an antibiotic
does not make much difference to your recovery rate.
Your immune system usually clears these infections,
bacterial & viral, within a few days. Also, antibiotics can
sometimes cause side-effects such as diarrhoea, feeling
sick, rash and stomach upsets, therefore, most doctors
do not prescribe antibiotics for most cases of sore
throat or tonsillitis.
An antibiotic may be advised if the infection is severe, if
it is not easing after a few days, or if your immune
system is not working properly (i.e. if you have had
your spleen removed, if you are having chemotherapy,
etc).
It is very unusual for sore throats to continue beyond 23 weeks so it would be sensible to see your G.P. for
symptoms that linger beyond this timescale so that
other causes of sore throats can be checked for.
Should you require a copy of this Newsletter to take home then please ask at reception.