NHS Friends and Family Test
The NHS Friends and Family Test is an important
opportunity for you to provide feedback on the
services that provide your care and treatment, and
has been available in GP practices since
December 2014.
Primarily this was available in hospital wards, A&E
and maternity services but is now available more
widely in the NHS.
When you are discharged from a service, or within the 48 hours following, you will be asked to
answer a question about how likely you would be to recommend their service. In our GP surgery,
these leaflets are available at reception and in the waiting room, and we welcome all patient
comments regarding their experiences.
We would be grateful if our patients would take the opportunity to fill in one of these cards
anonymously whilst in the waiting room so the results can be gathered and be available for
everyone using our service. The results will be available on the NHS Choices website.
Are you a carer for friends or family?
At the time of the 2011 Census, there were
30,649 people in Bolton who said they had
caring responsibilities. The person they care for
may need help because of long term illness,
physical disabilities, mental health problems or
substance misuse.
Many carers may not be in touch with any
services and simply see themselves as sons,
daughters, wives, husbands or friends.
Caring roles which involve daily personal and physical care have a significant impact on the carers’
physical health. Our nurses offer health checks for all our patients who are recognised as a carer.
If you look after someone, please let us know so that we can make sure you are offered an
annual health check with our nurses, and can be given the most up to date information and learn
about support from local groups.
If you have any questions, or are not sure if you fall into this category, please speak to Reception
who will be happy to advise you further.
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Controlling your Diabetes
If you have diabetes, not only will you be
offered 3 monthly and annual checks with the
nurse at the Practice, but you will also be
offered annual screening checks for your feet
and eyes either at the Diabetes Centre or the
hospital.
Diabetes related eye problems such as
glaucoma and cataracts are common
conditions, as are foot ulcers, but all can lead
to more serious problems if left unchecked.
Diabetic retinopathy is caused when diabetes affects the small blood vessels in the retina. In
some people, blood vessels may swell and leak fluid. This can cause damage, which can lead to
loss of vision. High blood pressure can play a part in this damage, and it is important that this is
checked regularly.
Foot ulcers are also common, and if left untreated they can become infected and lead to severe
problems. Tests are carried out that check the foot sensation (monofilament test), foot pulses, any
abnormalities with nails or corns, and any previous ulcerations.
You will be offered an appointment either at the hospital or at the Diabetes Centre in Bolton, and it
is important that patients attend for these checks every year so any problems can be detected
early. If you have any queries, our nurses would be happy to discuss these with you at your
regular diabetic health checks, or you can make an appointment with the GP.
Shingles Vaccinations
Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is
a painful skin rash caused by the
reactivation of the chickenpox virus
(varicella-zoster virus) in people who have
previously had chickenpox.
If you are aged 70-72, 78 or 79 you are
eligible for the shingles vaccination this
year.
It is given as a single dose, and unlike the
yearly flu vaccination this is only required
once and can be given at any time of
year.
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It’s Flu Season Again!
We have now received the flu vaccinations at
the Surgery and we are making appointments
for patients who are in the ‘at risk’ groups.
If you usually have a flu vaccination and would
like one this year we can make you an
appointment. We will be doing Saturday flu
clinics during October, so please ask at
reception for further details of dates.
Those considered to be at risk are the following:
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Patient with diabetes
Pregnant ladies
People aged 65 and over
Patients who have long term conditions will also be offered a vaccination. These includes
conditions affecting:
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Heart
Lungs
Kidneys
Liver
Brain/Nervous system
Immune system
Spleen
Children ages 2, 3 and 4 are also being offered the flu vaccination in the form of a nasal spray
rather than an injection. If you would like to arrange an appointment for your child, please speak to
reception.
E – Referral Service (formerly Choose & Book)
If you have seen the Doctor, and he/she feels that you
need to be referred for further assessment, in most
instances you will be directed to the e-referral system.
By using the e-referral service, you will be given a choice of
where your treatment takes place and at what time. You
will be able to decide which location is best for you to get to
and what appointment time based on availability.
You will be given paperwork with a booking reference,
password and choice of location to make your
appointment, which can be booked by phone or online.
If you prefer to have a private referral, you will need to make the appointment at your chosen
location and let us know the details, so the Doctor can provide the appropriate letter. If you are
choosing to make a private appointment, please allow enough time between your initial GP
appointment and your referral appointment for your letter to be completed. Letters are not done
the same day, and the GP’s need time to be able to prepare the relevant paperwork for your visit.
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Emergency Appointments
Each day we are able to offer emergency appointments with
either the GP or the Nurse Practitioner. These appointments are
for urgent medical problems which cannot wait to be dealt with,
or helped with over the counter medicine.
Adults will be offered a triage appointment with the GP in the first
instance, where the Doctor will contact you by telephone. If you
need to be seen, you will be offered an appointment later the
same day at an agreed time.
All children under 12 years of age will be offered a same day
appointment
Emergency and triage appointments are not for use for sick notes, referrals or repeat
prescriptions. If you require any of these, please speak to reception who will be able to advise you
further.
Please note, we are not able to offer emergency or triage appointments on Saturday mornings.
And finally…….
Staff members and patients have been raising money for lots of good causes over the last few
months, including Macmillan Cancer Support and Bolton Hospice.
8 year old Ella Janicki took the hugely brave step of completing the ‘Brave the Shave’ challenge to
raise money for Macmillan. The challenge was to shave off all her hair and Ella’s target was to
raise £250 – she managed to double this this and raised a fantastic £440!
Also our receptionist Eve completed the 5K colour run in Queens Park in August and managed to
raise £105 for Bolton Hospice.
Friday 18th September was Jeans for Genes day, where staff donated money to the charity and
wore jeans to work for the day. Between us all we managed to raise £28.
25th September was the Macmillan Coffee Morning. The girls baked and brought in cakes and
treats to sell to raise money for those who need Macmillan’s support. It was extremely popular
and our patients were extremely generous with donations, helping us to raise over £130, so thank
you to all who contributed!
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