NEWSLETTER OF THE PATIENT REFERENCE
GROUP, THE HEALTH CENTRE, ROYSTON
DR BROWNRIGG
Dr Melita Brownrigg will be leaving the practice in early August. The GPs and
staff wish her well for the future. The practice is in the process of recruiting
her replacement. In the interim, please be assured that the Practice will
continue to look after your care.
EXTENDED HOURS
Patients who find it difficult to attend the surgery during normal working hours,
can book one of our “pre-bookable appointments” on a Monday evening
from 6.30pm to 7.30 pm and a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday early
morning from 7.00 am to 8.00 am.
DO YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH TO US AT BUSY TIMES?
Please visit our website at www.roystonhealthcentre.co.uk to find out how to
Sign up to our internet booking appointment system.
APRIL AND MAY 2012
In April 2012, 163 patients did not turn up for their appointment and in May
this figure was 174.
Following a suggestion from the Patient Reference Group, the GPs trialled
writing letters to patients who fail to turn up for appointments. This has proved
to be costly to the Practice and may not be effective.
We will continue to note the name of patients who do not attend
appointments and if a person does not attend 3 times in one year, an alert will
be added to that patient’s record. When the patient telephones for a new
appointment the receptionist will need to refer the patient to the GP and not
given an appointment. The GP can then contact the patient direct with details
of when they can be seen.
STOP SMOKING CLINIC
The Health Centre runs a “stop Smoking Clinic” on a Tuesday afternoon.
please telephone our reception to book an appointment with her. Sofia can
offer advice and support to anyone who wishes to give up smoking.
OUTPATIENT CLINICS
Please be assured that all outpatient clinics are still being run at Royston
Hospital whilst the Primary Care Trust continues with plans to provide
alternative accommodation for these clinics.
BOOKS FOR CHARITY
We are happy to accept donations of books which we then sell to patients in
our waiting room to raise money for charity. Charities we have donated to
include The Lennox Children’s Cancer Fund, Help For Heroes and Sudden
Cardiac Death In The Young. We are currently raising money for The Garden
House Hospice.
OUR SECRETARIAL OFFICE
Our Secretaries and admin team are happy to help you with the following:
A. Results of Laboratory tests: Please ‘phone our office on 01763
244992 between 9.00 am and 5.00 pm. You will need to allow 3-5
working days after your test has been done so that the result is back
from the laboratory.
B. Hospital Referrals done by your doctor
PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP
If you would like to become a member of our on-line patient reference group,
please complete one of our forms available in our reception and pass this
back to one of our receptionists.
NON-NHS WORK
If you have a non-NHS request for your doctor, e.g. a private letter or report
please be aware that your doctor will make a charge for this service. Your
request may also take up to 2-3 weeks for your doctor to complete. Please
address these request s “For the attention of the OFFICE” so that they can be
passed to the doctor.
IDEAS FROM GPs
We have successfully formed a cross-county boundary Cluster
Commissioning Group, so we can continue to look to Addenbrookes Hospital
for secondary care and not Hertfordshire based hospital care. The Practice
partnership are doing there best to ensure NHS resources are used as
economically as possible and are grateful for our patients’ support in our
quest for cost efficiency.
SORE THROATS
Have you ever wondered why sometimes the doctor will prescribe antibiotics
for a sore throat and sometimes they won’t? It’s because of the differences
between bacterial sore throats and viral sore throats.
Bacteria are large invaders – they are cells, just like the cells of which our
bodies are made up. They can live outside our body cells, along side them
and do their damage.
Viruses are tiny, dot-sized by comparison. Think of a full stop compared with a
fried egg to get the picture of their size difference. Viruses can’t live outside
our cells, they invade the cells and the cells give them protection from
attempts to kill them.
Antibiotics can kill bacteria, but they can’t touch the viruses.
Most sore throats are caused by viruses, the same sort of viruses that cause
winter coughs and colds.
So next time you see your doctor with a sore throat, you could ask them “do
you think it’s a viral sore throat? In which case I don’t need antibiotics just hot
honey and lemon drinks and a painkiller?”
Dr. M. .Brownrigg
24 07 2012