28 Beaumont Street Practice Newsletter
Spring 2015
Welcome
The Practice has had a busy year so far and we have embraced many changes.
Doctor Robin Carr has increased his sessions and he now has clinics Wednesday morning & all day
Thursday.
Doctor Stephenson has slightly decreased her surgeries and now has clinics all day Monday and
Thursday.
We are happy to welcome Doctor Andrew Papanikitis, he has recently joined the surgery and has
clinics regularly on Friday morning.
Elaine from reception has now joined the administration team working behind the scenes upstairs
after working as reception manager for the past several years.
We are happy to welcome Rebecca who now looks after reception as senior receptionist in charge of
the reception team.
Helen Hehir has joined us at the surgery as a Practice Nurse with clinics Monday, Wednesday &
Fridays.
Vicky Eaton (Our Phlebotomist/Health Care Assistant) is also working in reception on a regular basis.
Access Ramp
We are very pleased to announce that we have a new access ramp at the rear of the building. After
discussions with our Patient Participation Group representatives it was felt that this was a priority to
allow easy access to the building for anyone experiencing difficulty with the front entrance steps.
Accessed at the the back of the building via St Johns Street, please just ring the bell and someone will
happily open the door for you.
Access to GP Services Online.
Many of our patients already use our online services to order their prescriptions and arrange their
appointments. The account is securely controlled using passwords, personal identification numbers
and phrases. Using the same account from 1st April, practices are required to offer patients the ability
to view parts of their medical record online including medications, allergies and adverse reactions. As
a practice we have decided to extend this to include immunisations. Before you start to use the
Patient Access Medical Record Viewer, you must also be registered for our online services and sign a
consent form in reception
Patient Confidentiality
We are bound by law to keep your medical and personal information confidential. This means
That staff here cannot share information about you, including details of your appointments,
results or ongoing medical issues, with anyone without the patients express permission. If you
would like a family member or friend to join you in your appointment and they are arriving
separately please tell reception otherwise we cannot even tell them you are in the building.
Prescriptions
A new way to get your medicines and appliances
The Electronic Prescription Service (EPS) is a new NHS service that lets your GP practice
send your prescription electronically to the pharmacy you choose to get your medicines or appliances
from - without the need for paper in some cases. This means there is less need for people with repeat
prescriptions to call at their GP practice just to collect a prescription.
If you feel that this would be beneficial to you please mention to your Doctor when you next see
them.
How can you use EPS?
You need to choose a place for your GP practice to electronically send your prescription to. Please
just ask one of the receptionists.
Patient Participation Group
Please do read this section on our website. We would like to know how we can improve our services
to you. Our group is now meeting regularly but we would welcome new members. We have set up an
on line patient representation group and a small patient led group who meet at the practice. If you are
interested in joining either of these groups please complete the on line form or email
jayne.manuell@nhs.net
Language Line and The Loop System
We would wish to remind patients that we have the facility for patients to request a telephone
interpreter during their consultation with their Doctor or Nurse if they wish. We can also request for a
face to face interpreter if necessary. Please do not be afraid to request one, face to face interpreters
need to be booked but telephone interpreters can be called immediately.
We do have the Hearing Loop System installed at the practice.
NHS Health Checks
Everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes or kidney disease. But these
diseases can often be prevented. NHS Health Checks can help you by assessing your risk and
offering you personalized advice on how to reduce it.
The NHS Health Check is for adults between the ages of 40 and 74 who haven’t already been
diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or had a stroke. We invite a proportion of our
eligible patients each year.
When you receive your invitation, please arrange a double appointment with one of our practice
nurses. They will check your cholesterol, blood pressure, BMI and give you lifestyle advice including
personal targets to improve your health and reduce your risk of developing these diseases.
You can learn more about what the check is and what it involves by going to the NHS website:
www.nhs.uk
If you feel that you are eligible for a health check but have not yet received your invitation you are
welcome to contact the surgery and arrange your appointment. Please do ask for a double
appointment with one of the Practice Nurses.