Duncan Street Newsletter
October - November 2010
Smoking Cessation Services
Smoking
cessation
services,
provided by the
PCT, are available at the
surgery. People who use
stop smoking services are
up to four times more
likely to successfully go
smoke free.
The smoking cessation
advisor is in surgery every
Thursday over lunchtime
and in the afternoon.
Appointments can be
booked as usual, or you
may be booked in during
another appointment.
At the first appointment
you will go through why
you smoke and what
triggers you to have a
cigarette. You will be asked
how many a day you smoke
and when your first
cigarette of the day is. This
helps you and the advisor
to choose the best way to
help you quit.
You may be offered
nicotine replacement (as
gum, patches, lozenges or
inhalator) or be referred to
a doctor to start one of the
two medications.
Smear Tests
Skin Lightening Creams
There has been a recent
warning from the Health
Protection Agency that a
number of skin lightening
creams from abroad
contain illegal ingredients,
including mercury.
All legal skin creams must
have a suppliers name and
address in the UK, along
with a list of ingredients in a
European language (usually
English). Creams without
this have been illegally
imported and may contain
illegal ingredients.
Mercury causes many
health problems and
damages the kidney, skin,
brain and nerves. Mercury
exposure is harmful to
babies in the womb and can
be passed through breast
milk.
Women aged
over 25 are
routinely called
for smear tests
every three years. After
age 50, women are called
every five years. This is a
routine test to try to detect
changes to the cervix
before they become severe,
preventing cases of cancer.
Although the test is
embarrassing, it is
uncomfortable, not painful.
If you are concerned about
having the test, you can
book an appointment with
a nurse or doctor to discuss
it.
If, after a discussion, you
decide that you really do
not want to have this test,
you can sign a form and not
be called back.
Closing for Training
The advice is to stop using
creams which may be illegal
straight away. If you are
concerned that you have
been using an illegal cream
which may have affected
your health, book an
appointment to see one of
the doctors, and bring the
cream or tub in with you.
If the surgery closes for a
half day, cover will be
provided by Showell Park
Health Centre. The
telephones will be diverted,
but there will be no walk in
service. Patients do not
have register at this
practice to be seen.
Recorded Consultations
Travel Vaccinations
The doctors at
the surgery who
are training to Travel vaccinations need to
be GPs have to be done at least six weeks
before travel to be fully
take an exam where they
effective.
are observed consulting
with patients. This checks
their medical knowledge as
well as their “bedside”
manner with patients.
You may be asked to have
one of the partners in your
consultation or you may be
asked if your consultation
can be recorded to be
watched back by one of the
partners. The consultations
are watched only by the
doctor you saw and one of
the partners and are erased
after two weeks.
Sign Language Interpreters
British Sign
Language
interpreters can
be booked for
appointments at the
surgery. The interpreters
have been specially trained
to deal with complex
medical problems and have
had training about
confidentiality.
To book an interpreter:
Telephone - 0121 707 8685
Textphone – 0121 707 4706
Fax – 0121 707 9812
SMS – 07887 622746
If you can give two months
notice, it gives our nursing
team chance to look at your
notes to see what jabs are
needed and then arrange
them in good time.
We can only book two
members of the family in at
once. If a whole family
forget their appointments,
it can waste a lot of surgery
time.
Interpreters
All patients are advised
about booking interpreters
at their new patient check.
Patients booking
appointments and
interpreters and not
attending, will not have
interpreters booked for
them again.
PCT Letters
If you get a letter from the
PCT, please answer it. If
you do not, the PCT think
you do not live in
Wolverhampton and you
may have to re-register at
the surgery.
Missed Appointments
Last month 6.3% (197)
doctors appointments were
missed and 9.2% (124)
nursing appointments were
missed.
This is equivalent to:
- six and a half days of GP
appointments
- three days of nursing
appointments
Out of Hours GP Services
From October 2010,
emergency out of hours GP
services will be provided by
Primecare.
The telephone number will
be the same – 0845 155
1800. The surgery phone
number will also still divert
to the out of hours service.
Appointments will be
provided at the Pheonix
Centre. There will be no
walk in service, as
previously. However, if you
do walk in, you will be seen
once and advised on how
best to use the service.
People who persistently try
to use the service as a walkin centre, will be turned
away and advised to phone
in.