ISSUE 19
THORNTON MEDICAL CENTRE PRESENT’S
THORNTON NEWS
WELCOME TO OUR SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER WHICH WE HOPE YOU WILL
FIND INFORMATIVE. THE NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE VIA OUR WEBSITE OR
AT THE MAIN RECEPTION.
STAFF TRAINING
THE SURGERY WILL CLOSE ON THURSDAY 18TH AT 12 NOON FOR STAFF
TRAINING. WE WILL REOPEN ON FRIDAY 19th AT 08.00 am.
USEFUL
CONTACT
INFORMATION
Surgery main number
0113 2310626
LOCAL
PHARMACIES
Pudsey Pharmacy2570400
Surgery fax number
0113 2015079
Prescription e-mail address
prescriptions.thorntonmedicalcentre@nhs.net
Co-op Pharmacy 2639606
Lloyds Pharmacy 2637210
Boots Pharmacy 2637378
Surgery website
www.thorntonmedicalcentre.nhs.uk
NHS Choices website
www.nhs.uk
Out of hours Free phone 111
Cohens Pharmacy 2636780
ASK PHARMACIES
ABOUT THEIR
DELIVERY SERVICE
STAFF COMINGS AND GOINGS
The surgery is happy to welcome back Dr N. Sinden who is now a
salaried GP.
We would also like to welcome our new GP registrars and FY2
doctors, Dr A. Chaudhry, Dr T. Ishfaq and Dr A. Brooke-Gandhi.
PRESCRIPTIONS
We now take requests for sick notes and repeat medication over the
telephone. We ask that you ring after 11.00am to order as up until then we
are taking phone calls for appointments and are extremely busy on the
telephones. Therefore you do NOT need to make an appointment with a
Doctor for repeat medication or sick notes as reception staff can now take
this for you. Appointments are for patients who are ill and need to see the
GP.
PATIENT FEEDBACK
We would like to receive feedback from patients as to whether you find our
newsletter informative and any comments and suggestions would be helpful,
even compliments would be nice! You can send any comments and
suggestions to pamela.wilson@nhs.net. Your comments may be featured
in our next newsletter.
OPEN DAY
The surgery will be open on Saturday 13th from 11.00 till 14.00 for people to
come and have a look round the surgery and see what services are on offer in
the community.
Nurse Ayesha will be holding several small fun sessions of first aid for
children.
WHO SHOULD BE IMMUNISED AGAINST THE
SEASONAL FLU VIRUS?
THE AIM IS TO PROTECT PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE LIKELY TO
DEVELOP COMPLICATIONS FROM FLU. CURRENT ADVICE IN
THE UK IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE IMMUNISED AGAINST THE
SEASONAL FLU VIRUS EACH AUTUMN IF YOU;
 ARE AGED 65 OR OVER.
 HAVE ANY CHRONIC (ONGOING) LUNG DISEASES.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE CHRONIC BRONCHITIS, EMPHYSEMA,
CYSTIC FIBROSIS AND SEVERE ASTHMA (NEEDING
REGUALR STEROID INHALERS OR TABLETS). IT IS ALSO
RECOMMENDED FOR ANY CHILD WHO HAS PREVIOUSLY
BEEN ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL WITH A CHEST INFECTION.
 HAVE A CHRONIC HEART DISEASE.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE ANGINA, HEART FALIURE OR IF YOU
HAVE EVER HAD A HEART ATTACK.
 HAVE A SERIOUS LIVER DISEASE SUCH AS CIRRHOSIS.
 HAVE DIABETES AND ARE TAKING EITHER INSULIN OR
TABLETS FOR IT.
 HAVE A POOR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
EXAMPLES INCLUDE IF YOU ARE RECEIVING
CHEMOTHERAPY OR STEROID TREATMENT (FOR MORE
THAN A MONTH), IF YOU HAVE HIV/ AIDS OF IF YOU HAVE
HAD YOUR SPLEEN REMOVED.
Flu clinics start from Monday 22nd September and we have a Saturday
flu clinic on 27th September. Please phone or call in to surgery to book
an appointment.
CHILDHOOD IMMUNISATIONS
Just a reminder to make sure your child’s immunisations are up to date. If
your child is due to be immunised, please contact the surgery to make
an appointment with one of our Nurses. If you are unsure about
immunisations or would like some advice, please feel free to contact
the surgery and speak to one of our Nurses or your Health Visitor.
PRACTICE BOUNDARY
We now have a map of our Practice boundary available for patients to view.
It can be found on our website or you can ask for a copy at the main
reception.
CHRONIC DISEASE REVIEWS
If you are unsure if you are due your chronic disease review, please ring the
surgery and the reception staff will check your review date and book you in
if necessary. This includes diabetes, asthma, hypertension, stroke, CHD,
COPD, CVD and CKD reviews.
ZERO TOLERANCE
We have had an increase in abusive behaviour
from patients towards staff and we would like
to
remind all patients that we are a zero
tolerance Practice. Abusive or threatening
behaviour and language towards staff will not be tolerated. Any
occurrences of this will be recorded in your medical records and will
lead to your removal from the Practice list. Please would all patients be
aware that staff are following Doctors instructions and not trying to be
‘gatekeepers’.
TARGET AFTERNOONS/ STAFF TRAINING
As most of you will already be aware, the surgery closes once a month on a Thursday
afternoon for staff training.
Notices are in place to advise patients of the date so that you are aware you will not be
able to collect any prescriptions, sick notes etc.
Our Practice also shares our building with the Community Health team and on our
staff training days, the Health Team are still working. Although the main doors are
locked, staff still need access to the building as well as patients who have
appointments with podiatry etc.
Unfortunately, we have had a small number of patients who have followed staff or
patients who have been authorised access, into the building and have become very
aggressive when told they cannot collect their prescriptions.
WE ARE A ZERO TOLERANCE PRACTICE and this kind of aggressive behaviour
will lead to your removal from our practice list. Please remember that the staff are
only doing their job and any patients who become aggressive, as well as being
removed from our list, will be reported to the police.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY
HEALTH TEAM ON OUR STAFF TRAINING DAYS, PLEASE DO NOT TRY
GAIN ACCESS TO THE BUILDING.
STAFF TRAINING DATES 2014 – THE SURGERY CLOSES AT 12 NOON ON
THE DATES BELOW;
THURSDAY 18TH SEPTEMBER
THURSDAY 16TH OCTOBER
THURSDAY 20TH NOVEMBER
THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR COOPERATION.
NHS HEALTH CHECKS
The NHS Health Check is a sophisticated check of your heart health. Aimed at adults
in England aged 40 to 74, it checks your vascular or circulatory health and works out
your risk of developing some of the most disabling – but preventable – illnesses.
Think of your NHS Health Check as being your "midlife MOT". It checks that some
of your body's most important systems are all running smoothly. Among other things,
your blood pressure, cholesterol, and BMI will all be checked and your results given
to you.
Crucially, your NHS Health Check can detect potential problems before they do real
damage. Everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney
disease and some forms of dementia. The good news is that these conditions can often
be prevented. Your NHS Health Check will assess your risk of developing these
health problems and give you personalised advice on how to reduce it. It's free of
charge, including any follow-up tests or appointments.
Thousands of people have already had an NHS Health Check. They are now armed
with information and support to reduce their risk of developing heart and vascular
problems. Why not join them?
Together, the vascular conditions identified by the NHS Health Check are the biggest
cause of preventable deaths in the UK, affecting more than 4 million people.
Every year, the NHS Health Check is expected to help:
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save 650 lives
prevent 1,600 heart attacks and strokes
prevent 4,000 people from developing diabetes
detect at least 20,000 cases of diabetes or kidney disease earlier
If you want to avoid being a statistic, it's worth making an appointment for an NHS
Health Check as soon as you get your invitation. You'll be invited for an NHS Health
Check every five years if you are between 40 and 74 years old, as long as you don't
have an existing vascular condition.
At the check, you'll be asked some questions about your lifestyle and family medical
history. You'll also have some routine tests. From these, your healthcare professional
will be able to give you an idea of your risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease
and diabetes. As well as a breakdown of your results, you'll get an overall score giving
your risk of getting heart disease or stroke. If you're over 65, you will also be told the
signs and symptoms of dementia, and you'll be made aware of memory services
nearby.
After your results have been explained, you’ll be offered personalised advice and
support to help stay healthy, and lower your risk if any of your results need
improving. This advice could include suggestions on small changes to your diet or
how much exercise you should take if your risk is low or moderate.
If you are at higher risk, your healthcare professional might want to discuss whether
you should be taking medicines to control your blood pressure or cholesterol, along
with help to take action such as losing weight, becoming more active or stopping
smoking.
By having a routine NHS Health Check for these conditions every five years, you can
take action early and greatly improve your chance of a longer, healthier and happier
life. You may be surprised how some small, long-lasting changes to your lifestyle can
make a huge difference.
Once you've had your NHS Health Check, you'll have a good idea of what your risk is
of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and certain types
of dementia. There are some risk factors for these diseases that can't be changed; for
example, your risk increases with age. But there's a lot you can do to reduce your risk.
You can:
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maintain a healthy weight
be physically active
eat a healthy and balanced diet
stop smoking
cut down on alcohol
Your NHS Health Check will give you information and support to help you reach
your health goals and enjoy a better quality of life. By acting to reduce your risk,
you'll have more chance of dodging the debilitating and potentially disabling effects
of illnesses such as diabetes and stroke.
ARMLEY HELPING HANDS
Are you over 60 and wanting to get out and have fun? Armley Helping Hands is a
registered charity working in the Armley and Wortley district of Leeds. They have a
large team of volunteers and staff offering a friendly, supportive environment to assist
you in maintaining your independence, improving quality of life and reducing social
isolation by getting you involved in your local community.
To find out how to become a member, contact them on;
Armley Helping Hands
Strawberry Lane Community Centre
Strawberry Lane
Armley
Leeds
LS12 1SF
0113 2799292
THE FUTURE OF GENERAL PRACTICE?
 Waiting times to see a GP or Practice nurse are soaring
 Funding for general practice is plummeting
 Up to 100 practices in the UK – serving 700,000 patients – face closure
DON’T LET THIS BE THE FUTURE OF GENERAL PRACTICE – JOIN THE
CAMPAIGN TODAY!
www.putpatientsfirst.rcgp.org.uk
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
We are still looking for new members for our group, if you are interested, please ask
at reception for a form.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Please visit our website www.thorntonmedicalcentre.nhs.uk for up-to-date information.
W
e hope you have found the above information useful. Please look out for our next
newsletter after the 1st October 2014.