WESTERN AVENUE SURGERY
Newsletter
September
56 Western Avenue, Acton, London W3 7TY Tel: 020 87434133
www.westernavenuesurgery.nhs.net
October 2015
In this issue:
* SMS
*Extended Hours
*Patient’s Group
*Vaccinations
SMS
*Register To System One
*FFT and DNA
*NHS Health Check
*Phlebotomy
*Sickness Certificate
*Annual Reviews
*Sharing Medical record
We want to keep in touch with you! Update your details.
Extended Hours
Surgery have now started text reminders to patients to confirm appointments,
texts are sent the day before allowing patients enough time to cancel
appointments no longer needed. If you have not already received a text and
would like to receive this service, please ensure reception has your up-to-date
mobile number alternatively if you don’t want to get texts then let reception
know.
The surgery is offering extended hours
appointments to see the nurse on Tuesdays
from 6:30 to 8:30pm for pre-booked
appointments only.
Patients group
Register to System one
Would you like to join our Patient Group?
This group meets to discuss issues relevant to the practice.
Members must be registered with the practice. Are you able to
provide a positive, encouraging and objective point of view?
Please ask member of staff.
Ask at reception to register now!!!
Patients register online will be given more choice
for accessing GP services. You can make or cancel
your appointments online,
renew
your
prescriptions and view your health record.
FFT
In December2014 it became a requirement of GP practices to conduct the “Friends and Family Test” to find out
patients thoughts on our service. The friends and family test is a way of gathering information and your feedback so
that we can continually review our service. Your feedback helps us learn more about what you think of your
experience .Ultimately, you’re helping us to make changes to ensure that we can offer the best possible care. It is
based on one simple question which is “how likely are you to recommend this GP practice to your friends and family if
they needed similar care or treatment?” you may be given a friends and family card by doctor or nurse while visiting
the surgery or you will find them at the reception desk. Give us your thoughts and feedback .In the future we may
gather this information via text message for those patients that we have mobile numbers for .Each month we are
going to summarise the feedback which we receive so that we can review and decide what changes need to be made.
64 % of our patients would be extremely likely or likely to recommend our practice.
NHS Health Check
Western Avenue Surgery offers NHS health check for patients aged 40-47 years old. This is your chance to get your
free MOT, it has been created to spot early signs and help prevent Diabetes, Heart disease, Kidney disease, Stroke and
Dementia which means you’ll be more likely to enjoy a healthy life .Every year, the NHS health check is expected to
help 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
It checks that some of your body’s most important systems are all running smoothly. Tests will include Blood Pressure,
Cholesterol and BMI .If you have not yet had your NHS health check and would you like one please contact our
receptionists who are able to book you on for this.
DID YOU KNOW
*That you can carry resistant bacteria
for up to one year after taking an antibiotic
That means the bacteria will not be killed off if
you are given the same antibiotics again.
This is why its best use antibiotics only when
serious and need
lifesaving antibiotics to work for you.
*You can refer yourself directly to counselling for
anxiety and depression (ASK FOR LEAFLET)
*If you are going on holiday and need more
medications to cover it :
We can issue an extended supply before
You go away. Simply indicate that you are
going away on your next repeat something really
prescription request. Please note that we
are not permitted to issue more than three
month’s supply of any medication to take
out of the country.
Sickness Certificate
You do not require a doctor’s sickness certificate for any illness lasting seven days or less. Your employer may however
require you to complete a self-certification form (SC2) which is available from your employer or on the HMRC website.
If you are sick more than seven days , your employer can ask you to given them form of medical evidence to support
payment of SSP ( SATUTORY SICK PAY ).
Named GP
From April 1st, as part of GP contract changes, all patients are required to have a named GP .In this practice,
all patients have already been allocated a named GP. This will be the same as your usual GP, most likely the
same GP as on your original medical card, if you have one. Patients will be informed who their GP is at a
subsequent interaction with the practice, whether that be by telephone or face to face appointment. The
named GP will take lead responsibility for ensuring that all appropriate services are delivered to the patient.
This is largely about formalising responsibilities as we already do this work. Please note that the named GP
will not be the only doctor that ever sees the patient, as of course, as a group practice; patients are free to
see whichever doctor they wish. As a reminder for continuity of care, we would always ask you to keep to
the same GP for an on-going problem if you have any questions regarding your named GP please ask us.
Diabetic ,Asthma, COPD,
Home Visit
If you have diabetes, asthma
or COPD and have not yet had
you annual review, then please book
your appointment with the nurse or
Patients do not have an automatic right to a home visit.
Doctors are required to consider a home visit for medical
reasons only. If you think you qualify for a home visit
please ring before 10:30am.All visit requests will be
the health care assistant.
medically assessed to check if appropriate.
Why we ask patients to present with one problem per appointment
We know that all round the country; it’s difficult to get an appointment with the GP these days.
There are fewer GPs around and demand continues increase. People are living longer, cases more complex.
You may have a lot to discuss with your GP when you finally get to see them .But many patients do not
realise that 10 minutes is not very much time to discuss multiple problems. In any consultation, a doctor
must take a brief directed history ,ask relevant questions , perform necessary examination ,complete
request forms and type everything up on computer as well as carry out essential work related the GP
contract. Once you consider all this, 10 minutes is barely enough time for one problem, let alone several.
It has been shown in studies that presenting multiple problems to the doctor increases the risk that mistakes
will be made. The stress of not completing one task, before having to move on the next text, risks distracting
the doctor and may cause important things to be missed. For instance, referral letters may be forgotten to
be dictated, prescriptions may be left on the printer, a potentially serious problem may not be given the full
attention it merits because the doctor is rushed or already running late .In a climate where clinical risk and
patient harm are now at the forefront of everyone’s minds, we would therefore kindly ask that all patients
only present with one problem per appointment. This should always be the problem causing the most
concern .The doctor will always ail to deal with urgent, life-threatening or emergency issues as they present;
this means that everything else could possibly wait until the next available appointment. This policy is put in
place for the safety of both patients and doctors, Therefore please do not be upset of the doctor ask you to
rebook.
Did Not Attend Appointments
Remember: Always cancel appointments you no longer required:
Recent figure show that between July 2015 and September 20185 we had a total of missed appointments
throughout the surgery equates to 215 GP appointments ,153 nurses appointments and 116 health care
assistant appointments. Through this period it shows that 484 hours were wasted that could have been
spent treating other patients that needed our service. We can do a lot better. Only YOU can help .Please let
us know as soon as possible if you no longer require or cannot make your appointments as last minute
cancellations are wasted appointments .So next time you are unable to get a GP appoint5ment as quickly as
you would like , think of all these missed appointments .
Vaccinations
It will soon be the time of year to start thinking about your annual vaccinations.
*Annual Flu
Are you aged 65 and over or you have Diabetes, Asthma, Chronic diseases or you are pregnant? If you are
and have not received your influenza vaccination, please contact the surgery to book your appointment for
the annual vaccination.
*Nasal Flu Vaccinations for Children
We will this year be offering a nasal flu vaccination to all children aged 2, 3 and 4. We will be writing to Parents in the
year with more details.
*Vaccination against Pneumonia
Are you aged over 65 or between 2 and 64 and you has diabetes, asthma or COPD? If you have not been immunised
against pneumonia, please contact the Surgery to arrange your vaccination.
*Vaccination against Shingles
Are you aged 70, 71, 72, 78 and 79? If you are, and have not received your shingles Vaccination, please contact the
Surgery to book an appointment to receive this vaccination.
Phlebotomy clinic
Hammersmith Phlebotomy clinic is no longer available for outpatients. You can ask our staff members to provide
you with a local clinics list for your blood test.
Urine sample can be left in the surgery for hospital collection Monday to Thursday before 10:30 AM.
Sharing your medical record
Now you can choose whether to share your information with other care providers and how it is shared
.Sharing medical record leaflet is available in our reception area for more information.
(Your records are handled securely and confidentially).