Practice News |
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The Brook Health Centre Swinneyford Road Towcester NN12 6HD Telephone: 01327 323900 |
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January, 2012
January Newsletter
HAPPY NEW YEAR Happy new year to all of our patients. If you are in an at risk group don’t forget to ask for your flu vaccination as we have very few left.
Silverstone Dispensary Silverstone surgery continues to have a dispensary from which any patients living in villages are able to get their prescriptions. The dispensary also offers a delivery service to any housebound patients. The dispensary remains open all the time the surgery is open, and prescriptions can be collected and ordered as before from Silverstone surgery, or by the following methods:
· Telephone · Repeat slip: hand you repeat slip from the right side of your prescription to reception and tick the items required. · E mail: Towcester.prescriptions@gp-k83620.nhs.uk silverstone.prescriptions@gp-k83620.nhs.uk
· The front page of this website. You will need to register for this service – please ask at reception.
Please allow at least 48 hours for repeat prescriptions.
Please note: The new number for out of hours service is Northamptonshire Out-of-Hours 03336 664 664 (Calls at local rate) Monday to Thursday 6.30pm-8.00am Friday 6.30pm to Monday 8.00am Also bank holidays
Health Visitor Appointments to see the health visitor can be made at Silverstone surgery. Clinics are held on the second Monday afternoon of each month.
Patient Participation Group We would like to hear what you think of our current services and what you would like to see us offer in the future. GP commissioning is not far away now and it will be up to you the patient to tell us how you want your money spending.
The idea of the group is not to be a platform for individual complaints but to be a voice for your age or social/ethnic group and tell us what you do and do not like or provide positive suggestions on how we can better serve the community.
We have a patient participation group already who meet every 8 weeks at the surgery for one hour to put forward ideas and opinions on how we can make things better. We would like to hear from all age groups from young mums to carers and young professionals. If you cannot spare the time to attend the meetings then why not become part of our virtual patient group and contact us by email. In turn we will take your suggestions to the meetings and let you know the outcome.
Diabetic Retinal Screening This is now being held at the practice every Wednesday afternoon. If you are eligible for this screening programme you will receive a letter inviting you to attend.
NEW LATE AND EARLY SURGERIES AT TOWCESTER Monday 7.00pm Tuesday & Wednesday 8.00pm Thursday – Friday 6.30pm We are now open from 7.30am on Mondays and Wednesdays
Missed Appointments What would you say if the practice could offer an extra 16 hours of GP/Nurse appointment time every month? That is what would be available if those who make appointments cancelled them making them available for those who really want them. Please try and think of others and don’t book an appointment unless you really plan to arrive for it. If you need to cancel let the practice know. Use the online appointment system and you can cancel/ remake an appointment at any time day or night. Thank you.
Nurse Practitioners Nurse practitioners are highly trained nurses who have undergone advanced education, prescribing and clinical training. They have skills to assess and treat most minor illness and can prescribe appropriate medication if indicated. They provide an alternative to seeing a doctor if you need to be seen urgently. In most cases the nurse practitioner will be able to deal with your problem without referral to a doctor. If she feels you need to see a doctor she will book an appointment for you. A wide range of medical conditions can be treated by our nurse practitioners.
Breast Feeding Support Group The Breastfeeding Support Group is held on a Monday morning 11-12.30 in the Health Education Room, 1st floor. This is a drop in session, open to all breast feeding mums. It provides peer support and a venue to meet other breastfeeding mums.
Baby Clinic This is held on the first and third Wednesday morning of the month,10.30-12 in the Health Education Room.
Appointments—Tips to help you PLEASE NOTE WE CAN BOOK APPOINTMENTS FOR YOU UP TO 6 WEEKS IN ADVANCE.
URGENT ACCESS APPOINTMENTS: New name for ‘Book on the day’. This is a clinic run jointly by the duty doctor and nurse daily in the mornings. This is available for patients to be seen on the day when they ring for emergencies. Appointment times are shorter and in order to keep the session running smoothly we do ask patients to only ask the doctor or nurse about one problem – that which is the emergency.
Telephone Consultations The doctors and nurses are available to talk to any patients who may request it. Please ring and the receptionist will be pleased to put your name on the list for the doctor or nurse to call you back at the end of surgery
Parking Please be aware that patrols are being carried out to monitor parking in this area. The following parking offences each carry a fixed £30 penalty: Obstruction of the pavement Obstruction of a bus stop Obstruction of the road Parking on a junction
Osteopathy at the Brook Susie Burgess is now running a private osteopathy clinic from the Towcester surgery on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She is also able to offer Pilates classes or on a one to one basis. For further information please visit the website www.back-at-ease.com
Infertility Clinic An infertility clinic is held at Towcester surgery once a month. Patients referred for initial infertility investigations in Northampton will have the option to be seen locally instead.
Blood Results etc Please remember to call for your blood results after 2-3 days, preferably after 10.00am as the phones are very busy before then. We run phlebotomy clinics at Towcester on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings and at Silverstone on Wednesday mornings.
DO WE HAVE UP TO DATE CONTACT DETAILS FOR YOU INCLUDING NEXT OF KIN and MOBILE?
SMS TEXT REMINDERS If you would like the surgery to send reminder texts to you about appointments or flu clinics etc then please either complete a slip at reception or just advise one of the receptionists.
Patient Access to Medical Records In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998, patients are entitled to request to see their medical records. The records can be viewed on the computer in the presence of a clinician or a copy can be printed and collected from the practice reception. The request must be made in writing with a signature to the Practice Manager and will be dealt with within 21 days. A GP may refuse the right to release the medical records of a patient in certain circumstances. A fee of £10 will be charged for a copy of electronic medical records and £50 will be charged for copies of paper records.
Parking in the ambulance station car park is for staff only
Telephone Recorder—Please note all telephone calls are recorded for security and training purposes. |
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January, 2012
Online Patient Survey
Here at the Brook Health Centre, we’re always keen to know how we’re getting on and of there is anything we can do to improve our service to patients. We hold an annual paper patient survey, but here’s an opportunity for you to inform us how you use some our services.
The survey only take a couple of minutes and is entirely anonymous. The information you submit is processed by Survey Monkey in the US. |