LAURENCEKIRK MEDICAL CENTRE – Newsletter Winter 2013/14
In a life threatening
emergency dial 999 for
an ambulance before
calling the surgery.
Inside this issue:
Headlines: Staff News
Bowel Screening
Programme
Flu Vaccines
Minor Illness Clinic
Staff News
We have a new face who has
joined the Practice clinical
staff in the last couple of
months, to replace ones who
have recently moved on.
Ann Brake, has taken over
from Catherine Walker as
the Healthcare Assistant
working Mon, Wed, Thurs
and Fri mornings. Our GP
trainee – Dr Emma Wilson
will be returning from
maternity in February 2014
and will be here until
December 2014 for her final
year of GP training.
Practice Closure
The practice will be closed
for statutory staff training
from 1.30 pm to 6 pm on the
following dates:
12th
February 2014
12th March 2014
If you have a problem and
require emergency medical
or nursing care when the
surgery is closed please call
NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.
Bowel Screening
Programme
Bowel cancer is the
third most common
cancer in Scotland
after lung and breast
cancer. Every year,
almost 4,000 people
are diagnosed with the
disease. For men the
risk of getting
colorectal cancer over
the age of 50 is 1 in 18
(5.5%) and for women
the equivalent risk is 1
in 22 (4.5%). Bowel
cancer is easier to treat
the earlier it is
diagnosed. The
survival rate is more
than 90% over five
years when diagnosed
at the earliest stage,
compared to under
10% over five years at
the most advanced
stage.
The Scottish Bowel
Screening Programme
has been introduced to
increase the number of
patients being
diagnosed at the
earliest stages. The
Programme invites all
men and women in
Scotland between the
ages of 50 to 74 to
participate every two
years.
A letter, along with a
testing kit and
instructions, is sent to
your address soon after your 50th
birthday, and then every 2 years until
you are 75. The test is a Faecal Occult
Blood Test (FOBt). This detects blood
within your stool which you are not
able to see. You will receive your
results within two weeks, directly to
your address.
Most test results are negative, however,
if the results of the test are positive you
will be referred to hospital for further
assessment, and if appropriate, may be
offered a colonoscopy. This is the most
effective test for detecting bowel cancer
by looking at the bowel directly, using a
flexible tube with a camera, in an
outpatient setting.
If you have lost your screening kit, or
did not receive one, and you are eligible
for the Screening Programme, another
kit can be requested by ringing the
Scottish Bowel Screening Helpline:
0800 0121 833.
Flu Vaccines
The 2013/14 flu season is now almost
complete with our normal winter
vaccination programme coming towards
the end.
All patients aged over 65 are offered a
flu vaccination together with patients
with particular medical conditions
Added to these patients aged 65 and
over can also have a pneumococcal
vaccination, which is a one-off vaccine
to protect patients against Pneumonia
for the remainder of their lives.
We still have a small quantity of
Seasonal Flu vaccine available for
eligible patients so if would like a Flu
Vaccination and wish to arrange an
LAURENCEKIRK MEDICAL CENTRE – Newsletter Winter 2013/14
appointment please contact
reception to arrange your
appointment.
Cleaner and Handyperson
Vacancies
NHS Grampian is looking
for a domestic assistant to
work 6 am to 8 am or 5 pm –
7 pm Monday to Friday at
Laurencekirk Healthcare
Centre. A uniform and in
house training will be
provided.


Hoarse voice
Blocked, snuffly
nose
 Cough
 Mild headache
 Mild fever
Generally feeling
unwell or muzzy headed
Dry, scratchy sore throat
(usually the first sign of a
cold)
As well as a handyperson
who would be able to grit
the paths and clear away
snow from the paths during
the winter months. If you
are interested in any of these
roles, please contact
Ashleigh Morrison on
(01224) 557513 or email
ashleigh.morrison@nhs.net
or Marion Taylor on 01561
377258 or email
marion.taylor3@nhs.net
Symptoms should start to
improve after three days
and be gone after about
seven days (but they may
persist for up to two
weeks).
It's easy to confuse a cold
with flu, but in general flu
is more severe and
produces a higher fever
(above 38oC) and more
generalised symptoms
through-out the body such
as aching muscles,
lethargy, shivers,
nausea and vomiting.
Most colds resolve rapidly
on their own, but there are
things you can do to make
symptoms less unpleasant.
Keep well hydrated
Why antibiotics are
not always needed
Treat nasal congestion
by inhaling steam, using
vapour rubs or taking decongestant drugs
Take simple analgesia
such as paracetamol
Get plenty of rest, and
eat regularly to keep energy
levels from flagging
Colds and flu affect 15 million
people each year in the UK.
Often people make
unnecessary trips to their GP
when they should be resting at
home. However, flu can be a
serious condition for some
people, so it’s important to get
advice if you have flu like
symptoms. Cold symptoms
reach their peak after 36 to 72
hours and include:
 Runny nose and
sneezing
Minor Illness Service
Laurencekirk Medical
Centre has been providing
a nurse led minor illness
service over the last 7
months and it is proven to
be a beneficial service for
many of our patients. The
Minor illness nurse provide
daily minor illness
consultations.
Our service aims to deal
with minor problems
traditionally seen by GP’s, thus allowing GP’s
more time to deal with patients who have more
complex medical needs, encourage self care
through opportunistic patient education using
longer appointments and improve access to a
health care professional for patients with minor
illness.
The service is a safe and effective way to have
treatment at the surgery and is closely
monitored by GP’s. If your problem is one that
the nurse is unable to deal with she will arrange
for you to be seen by the most appropriate
person within the surgery.
So why do receptionists ask for details of your
problem when booking appointments?
When patients request to make an appointment
with the GP the receptionist will ask for some
brief details of as to the nature of your problem..
This is a very important part of the receptionists
duties, which they are asked to carry out on
behalf of the GPs. This is information which
patients are asked to volunteer as it lets patients
attend the most appropriate member of the
health care team. You should not feel
pressurised into divulging your medical
condition during your conversation with the
receptionist. All staff are trained to enquire
sensitively and with discretion, and are bound
by the same levels of confidentially as you
expect from your face to face consultations with
a GP.
Our minor illness nurse Anita Connell provide
daily minor illness consultations throughout the
week. She is specially trained in the
management of minor illnesses and can see and
treat a variety of problems.
Conditions commonly dealt with by the minor
illness nurses include
·
Respiratory tract infections i.e chest
infections, exacerbations of asthma
COPD.
· Ear, Nose and Throat – Tonsillitis,
earache, upper respiratory infections i.e
sinusitis
· Urinary tract infections.
· Skin conditions and infections,
wound infections, boils, abscesses etc.
· Musculo-skeletal complaints i.e
joint sprains, muscle sprains, common
injuries.
· Digestive complaints– indigestion,
constipation, diarrhoea and vomiting.