Winter 2015
Dates Our Surgeries Are Closed
Please note that our Surgeries will be CLOSED on
FRIDAY 25 DECEMBER 2015
MONDAY 28 DECEMBER 2015
FRIDAY 1 JANUARY 2016
In addition, we are CLOSED on
Tuesday 19 January 2016 and
Wednesday 26 March 2016
from 1-4pm for training purposes
CQC Inspection
We have recently had our CQC
inspection and are awaiting a full
report but the verbal feedback was
that they were happy with the care
and services we were providing. The
CQC will publish the report when it is
complete and we will display the
certificate they send. We would hope
to get the report in February 2016.
Please contact Out Of Hours for any emergencies
during those times on NHS 111
PLEASE REMEMBER TO GET YOUR
PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS IN EARLY AS WE
WILL BE INCREDIBLY BUSY OVER THE
FESTIVE SEASON
Five tips for preventing cold weather asthma
symptoms
Asthma UK has this advice on how to control your
asthma symptoms during the cold weather:
1. Keep taking your regular preventer medicines
as prescribed by your doctor.
2. Keep your blue reliever inhaler with you at all
times.
3. If you find you are using your inhaler more
often than usual, ask for a medication review.
4. Wrap up well and wear a scarf over your nose
and mouth – this will help to warm up the air
before you breathe it in.
5. Take extra care when exercising in cold
weather. Warm up for 10-15 minutes and ask
your GP if they suggest taking one or two
puffs of your reliever inhaler before you start.
Inhalers and COPD appointments
When attending COPD or
Asthma appointments please
bring your inhalers with
you. People with asthma
need to be able to use their
inhalers correctly to ensure
they receive the correct dose
of treatment. The nurse can
help with technique at your
review appointment.
Home visit requests
Since April this year, the practice policy has been to telephone all those patients requesting home visits in
order to find out the urgency and nature of the visit and to discuss if a home visit is the most appropriate
way to assess the patient.
Home visits by GP’s take up a lot of valuable doctor time. Often 3 or 4 patients can be seen at the surgery
in the time it takes for a GP to visit a patient in their own home. The doctors are under a lot of pressure
and time spent travelling between patients at home is time other patients can not being seen. For much of
the time it is better for patients to be seen at the surgery. The GP will have access to superior equipment,
and therefore be more likely to conduct any necessary tests or investigations. The GP will also have access
to patients past medical records and information.
For any patient with poor mobility, we offer disabled parking at the rear of the surgery. We have a voice
call system to access use of the back door to the surgery and if required a wheelchair. The back door is
closer to the car park and our Reception Team will be happy to assist incapacitated patients in reaching the
waiting area and ‘checking in’.
GP’s aim to visit people who are genuinely house bound by their disability or illness. Due to an aging
population, age alone is not a reason for a home visit. Whilst we do accept that getting to the surgery can
be very difficult, we will try to do our best to fit around public transport and the availability of friends and
family to bring people. Please discuss these needs with us if it will make the difference between a doctor
seeing you at home or you coming in to the surgery.
However, if you do feel you need to have a doctor visit you at home, please telephone with the request
before 11am. A member of the clinical staff will telephone you back to get further details and discuss all
the options.
Posterngate Surgery Extension
Planning permission for the surgery to have two more consulting rooms and a bigger waiting
area has been approved. We are hoping work will start in the Spring. Further updates will be
given as they become available.
Olwen Fisher – Goodbye, good luck and a big thank you…….
Posterngate Surgery has been lucky enough to have Olwen as its Health Visitor for the last
16 years. However at the end of October, we sadly said our ‘Goodbye’s’ to Olwen when she
hung up her baby scales for the last time! Olwen started her Health Visiting career at
Escrick before moving to Posterngate. Over the years, many families have appreciated
Olwen’s professional care, advice and support. She will be very missed by both colleagues
and families alike. Olwen is planning to spend more time with her family and looking forward
to travelling to Canada in the near future.
We all wish Olwen a very long and happy retirement and a well earned rest.
WINTER WEATHER
Follow these tips to help you and your family keep warm and well during spells of cold
weather:
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Draw your curtains at dusk and keep your doors closed to block out draughts.
Have regular hot drinks and eat at least one hot meal a day if possible. Eating
regularly helps keep energy levels up during winter.
Wear several light layers of warm clothes (rather than one chunky layer).
Keep as active in your home as possible.
Wrap up warm and wear shoes with a good grip if you need to go outside on cold days.
If you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart
or lung disease, you should heat your home to at least 18C. It's a good idea to keep
your bedroom at this temperature all night if you can and make sure you wear enough
clothes to stay warm. During the day, you may prefer your living room to be
slightly warmer
If you're under 65 and healthy and active, you can safely have your house cooler than
18C, if you're comfortable.
STAFF CHANGES
MATERNITY LEAVE
Dr Elizabeth Butler, one of our GP Registrars, has returned to work following the
birth of her baby Lucy. She will continue her training at Posterngate for a further
year.
Finally, everyone at Posterngate Surgery would like to
wish all our patients a very