THE CASTLE MEDICAL GROUP
Newsletter – December 2014
Doctors


Dr Ron Higson – Dr Higson left the practice at
the end of August to pursue a full-time career in
dermatology. He was a GP here for 24 years
and will be greatly missed.
Dr Kirsty McCreath – we are pleased to
announce that Dr McCreath gave birth to a baby
boy in September. Mother and baby are both
doing well. Dr Latif is covering Dr McCreath’s
maternity leave.
Appointments – The New System
The practice introduced a new appointment system on 1
October 2014. Patients are now able to pre-book a
routine appointment with a doctor of their choice up to 6weeks in advance.
Each day 70% of all available appointments are prebooked: the remaining 30% are for urgent matters that
need to be dealt with on the day.
Patients are now also able to view a summary of their
medical records using Patient Access, starting with
details of their medication, allergies and adverse
reactions and immunisations. This is called the Medical
Records Viewer.
Later in the year we will be able to give access to test
results and other parts of the patient’s own medical
records. Patients will need to sign a consent form to
access the Medical Records Viewer, which they can do
at the reception desk.
Patient Feedback
There are now several ways in which patients are able
to give us feedback on our services. Here are the main
ways:
Friends and Family Test – from 1 December 2014
patients must be able to give anonymous feedback
about their GP Practice. Patients will either be able to
leave feedback through the practice website or via a text
message, which they will receive after each appointment
at the surgery.
Our aims are:


To improve continuity of care by encouraging
patients to see their own doctor as often as
possible
To improve access to non-urgent care by
offering routine appointments within a few days
We are no longer providing a “book on the day” service
at the practice other than for urgent medical matters.
This system will only work if patients are able to prebook an appointment within a reasonable period of time
with the doctor of their choice, and if patients do not
expect to be given an appointment on the day when it is
not urgent.
We will be monitoring waiting times for routine
appointments with each doctor over the coming weeks,
and would welcome any feedback from patients.
On Line Access to Medical Records
Patients may now book their GP appointments and order
repeat prescriptions online, through our practice website
at www.castlemedical.co.uk. This facility is called Patient
Access.
Patients will need to register for the service, which can
be done through the website or at reception. After you
have registered, you will be required to provide proof of
identity at reception before you can use the service.
There will be two simple questions. The first: “How
likely are you to recommend our GP Practice to
friends and family if they needed similar care or
treatment?”
The second: a follow-up question which may be
determined by patients themselves, probably through
the Patient Participation Group.
NHS Choices – www.nhs.uk
Suggestion Box – located on our reception desk.
Please let us know your comments and suggestions
about the practice by completing a slip of paper at the
reception and placing in the suggestion box.
Practice Website – www.castlemedical.co.uk
Please do not leave comments about the practice on
social media sites such as Facebook. If you wish to
make a complaint about the practice please ask for a
Complaints Leaflet or go to our website for further
information about how to complain.
Patient Participation Group
We run a patient group jointly with Pendleside Medical
Practice, and collectively try to involve patients in how
local health services are provided.
We are always looking for new members – we meet
once every 3 months, for an hour, at 6.00 pm. If you
would like to join us please contact Phil Mileham
(Managing Partner), or leave your details at the
reception desk. The next meeting is on Tuesday 2
December 2014.
Mental Health
Your local mental health services provide psychological
assessment and treatment for common mental health
problems. You may of course consult your GP should
you be experiencing mental health problems. However,
you may also contact the service yourself, should you
prefer.
You may self-refer by calling:
01282 657116 (Mon-Fri 9-5).
Self-Referral Forms are also available from your GP
Practice.
There is also a Mental Health Helpline available in the
evenings and at weekends:
0500 639000 (Freephone)
Healthy Minds Academy – this is a partnership of
professional organisations in education and mental
health, offering courses and workshops including
building self-esteem, wellbeing and skills for life.
You may call the Healthy Minds Academy on:
07475 480735.
Over 75?
Earlier this year the government announced that all
patients over the age of 75 would receive additional help
from their GP Practice. This includes making sure that
everyone is aware of their named GP.
In addition, the practice will assess whether patients
over the age of 75 are being looked after – this may
mean that we check our records to see whether people
are already seeing their doctor or practice nurse for an
existing condition. If not, we will contact them to see
whether they need any help. It may be that people are
perfectly well and need little or no additional help, but it
could mean that patients are invited to come in and
discuss their health and social care needs with the
practice. Patients may also be offered a home visit if
they are unable to come into the surgery.
We have a team of people who will provide that care
including an Assistant Practitioner (Melanie Whaites)
and two new Healthcare Assistants (Elaine Wilkinson
and Nichola Carson).
In conjunction with other local practices we have also
employed a Community Matron to look after the most
vulnerable older people in the locality. She will work
closely with the District Nursing Team based at the
health centre.
Dementia
This is all part of an effort to keep people well in their
own homes.
As you may have heard in the news, GPs are being
asked to help identify and support people with dementia.
In the Ribble Valley there are many people who may be
suffering from dementia, or in the early stages of
dementia, who have not sought help or consulted their
GP.
Avoiding Hospital Admissions
There is help available for both people suffering from
dementia and their carers. If you are worried about a
family member, and you think they may be suffering
from memory problems, they can be assessed simply by
their GP and referred if necessary.
As a practice we are involved in a scheme to identify
patients who may be at risk of hospital admission. Once
identified, these patients are monitored by the practice
and an individual care plan put together by their GP and
other healthcare professionals. The GP is then able to
monitor the patient’s care and provide support through
community nurses and other professionals to keep
people well within the community. We are also able to
monitor any hospital admissions and provide quick
access to their GP or Nurse if required.
If you are caring for someone with dementia and need
help or support, please contact Carers Link at the
number below.
Carers
Diabetes (Patient Education Programme)
Are you caring for a member of the family, neighbour or
friend? Did you know that you can get help and support
(sometimes financial) if you are caring for somebody?
If you suffer from diabetes, or have been advised by
your doctor or practice nurses that you are at risk of
getting diabetes, you may now join an education
programme set up by the local practices in Clitheroe and
Whalley to help you learn how to manage your condition.
This is called the X-PERT Patient Programme – and is a
6-week course that runs throughout the year.
Please ask at reception or speak to one of the Practice
Nurses for more information.
The practice is trying to encourage people who are
carers to let us know. We can signpost people to a
fabulous organisation called Carers Link, who offer
practical help and support to people. They can offer
breaks from your caring role, help in an emergency, a
sitting service, grants to help you take a break, a free
information pack and other support.
If you are a carer please do tell someone on reception –
they will give you more details about Carers Link. You
may telephone them yourself on 0345 688 7113
They also have a website which you can use to contact
Carers Link on www.eastlancscarers.org.uk