The Village Practice
Summer 2015 Newsletter
www.villagepracticethornton.nhs.uk
Dr Doel Retirement
We have some sad news, Dr Doel has now retired from the Village Practice. He has been
with us for 30 years and we are very sad to see him leave.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his hard work and support over the
many years with The Village Practice and wish him all the very best in his retirement.
Goodbye to Dr Johnson & Dr Mistry
We are very sad to have to say goodbye to Dr Tom Johnson and Dr Tina Mistry who will be
leaving us at the end of July are moving on to pastures new. We wish them both the best of
luck in the future.
Welcome
We would like to welcome our new GP partner to the practice, Dr Paul Stafford. He will be
joining our team in August. Also, we will be welcoming our new GP trainee Dr Hollie
Wilkinson who will be taking over from Dr Johnson and will be with us for the next 12
months.
We have 3 new members of staff Emily, Jodie and Chris and would like to welcome them to
the Patient Services team.
Services Available Online
Why not register to join our online services, were you can book
appointments and order your prescriptions. Simply ask a member of the
team for more details.
Appointments Available
Routine Appointments Monday to Friday
Early morning appointments from 7am for workers on a Wednesday
Late evening appointments for workers on a Monday/Thursday
Same Day Appointments for emergencies
Nurse Triage Appointments for chest/eye infections etc
Nurse appointments for chronic disease reviews
Electronic Prescription Service
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is an NHS service. It gives you the chance to change
how your GP sends your prescription to the Pharmacy of your choice to get your medicines
or appliances from. If you collect your repeat prescriptions from your GP, you will not have
to visit your GP practice to pick up your paper prescription. Instead, your GP will send it
electronically to the Pharmacy of our choice, saving you time. You will have more choice
about where to get your medicines from because they can be collected from a pharmacy
near to where you live, work or shop. You may not have to wait as long at the pharmacy as
there will be time for your repeat prescriptions to be ready before you arrive. This started in
January 2015.
Patient Participation Group
We still have vacancies available if patients would like to join our
patient participation group. This involves patients being able to pass
on their views with regards to how the practice works and how they
think things could be improved. For any information please ask at
reception how to participate.
Sponsored 5K Run
Congratulatoins to Adele, Judith, Tracey, Lisa, Emma & Emily who took part in the Trinity
Hospice Colour Splash local 5km colour run on Saturday 25th July. The girls have raised
nearly £300 – Well Done Girls!!!
Bank Holiday Closing Times
We will be closed ALL day on Monday 31st August 2015 and we will re-open again Tuesday
1st September normal opening hours. Please remember to order your prescriptions early so
that you have your medications in time for this closure.
When we are closed
If you require urgent medical assistance which cannot wait until the surgery re-opens, please call
1-1-1. Calls to the NHS 111 service are free from both landlines and mobiles. If you have a life
threatening medical emergency please dial 999.
Helpful Tips for this Summer
Insect Bites
In the UK, insects that bite include midges, mosquitoes, fleas, bedbugs and, although not strictly
insects, spiders, mites and ticks, which are arachnids. Insects that sting include bees, wasps and
hornets. An insect bites you by making a hole in your skin to feed. Most insects sting as a defense by
injecting venom into your skin. See your GP if you've been bitten or stung and there's a lot of
swelling and blistering or if there's pus, which indicates an infection. Dial 999 and ask for an
ambulance if you experience any of these symptoms after a bite or sting:
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wheezing or difficulty breathing
nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
a fast heart rate
dizziness or feeling faint
difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
confusion, anxiety or agitation
Treating insect bites and stings
Most bites and stings are treated by:
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washing the affected area with soap and water
placing a cold compress (a flannel or cloth soaked in cold water) over the area to reduce swelling
Try not to scratch the affected area to avoid infection. If you're in pain or the area is swollen, take
painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when your body loses more fluid than you take in. When the normal water
content of your body is reduced, it upsets the balance of minerals (salts and sugar) in your body,
which affects the way it functions. Water makes up over two-thirds of the healthy human body. It
lubricates the joints and eyes, aids digestion, flushes out waste and toxins, and keeps the skin
healthy.
Some of the early warning signs of dehydration include :
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feeling thirsty and lightheaded
a dry mouth
tiredness
having dark coloured, strong-smelling urine
passing urine less often than usual
A baby may be dehydrated if they:
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have a sunken soft spot (fontanelle) on their head
have few or no tears when they cry
have fewer wet nappies
are drowsy
Preventing hay fever
The main triggers of hay fever are tree and grass pollen," says Maureen. "Pollen from weeds
and shrubs can also trigger symptoms. The pollen count is always higher on hot, dry days.
Fungal spores are around on most mild damp days, but are particularly high after harvesting
and in the autumn." The following tips can help you avoid pollen and lessen the chances of
hay fever:
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Don’t mow your lawn - Ideally, if grass makes you sneeze, ask someone else to mow your lawn
when the pollen count is high. "If you react to grass and you spend time on the lawn, you'll get
breathing symptoms and often also hives.
Create a barrier - Smear a nasal barrier balm inside your nostrils, or use a drug-free nasal spray or
dab of petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) to prevent pollen sticking to the lining of your nose.
Time it right - If possible, avoid outside activity when the air is warming up and cooling down as
pollen count is highest at these times, around 8-10am and 5-7pm.
Shut the windows - Don’t drive with the windows open, as this will allow pollen to come in. Open
bedroom windows at night, but close them when you get up in the morning .
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Wash your hair - Pollen is sticky and may be in your hair, It can then transfer to your pillow and
affect you during the night. If you’ve been out in the evening, wash your hair and change your clothes
before going into the bedroom.
Vacuum - Pollen can live in carpet, so make sure you vacuum regularly.
Think about your medication - Talk to your GP or pharmacist about your hay fever, if your
symptoms are not controlled by your current treatment. Non-sedating antihistamines may be
adequate for mild or intermittent hay fever symptoms, but many people will need to use a steroid
nasal spray (available from a pharmacy or prescribed by a GP) to treat the inflammation in the nose
caused by hay fever. This must be used regularly, and relief will be felt after a few days. It should be
continued once or twice daily until the hay fever season is over.
Start treatment early - Most people wait until symptoms start before they begin treatment, but
the nasal spray needs to be started at least two weeks before symptoms appear, so that the
medication is already in your system when pollen triggers your hay fever. Take your antistamine as
soon as your symptoms start.
Don’t ignore hay fever - Hay fever can make everyday life miserable and tiring, with sneezing,
watery eyes, runny nose and an itchy throat. However, many hay fever treatments are available from
your GP, and symptoms need to be controlled as hay fever can also cause asthma attacks or increase
your risk of developing asthma. There is a strong link between hay fever and asthma. If you have a
food allergy, eczema or hay fever, you're more likely to develop asthma, so it's important to take hay
fever seriously and treat the symptoms adequately to prevent asthma symptoms. There are many hay
fever treatments, and symptoms can be controlled.
The Village Practice
Thornton Medical Centre
Church Road
Thornton
FY5 2TZ
Telephone: (01253)854321
Fax : (01253)862854
Prescriptions : (01253)859991
Surgery Opening Hours
Mondays & Thursdays : 8am to 8pm
Tuesdays & Fridays : 8am to 6pm
Wednesdays : 7am to 6pm