Produced in co-operation with PPG Group
July/August 2017 / Volume 1, Number 10
In This Issue
- Did Not Attend Appointments
- NHS Choices Comments
- Test Results
- Patient Access
- Electronic Prescribing Service
- Patient e-mail communication with the practice
- Important News
- Missed Appointments
- PPG Group looking for new members
- Dangers of UV rays(article from NHS choices website)
- Harrow Stop Smoking Service Closure
- Hay fever is a common allergic condition that affects up to one in five people at some point in their life (article from NHS choices website)
- Practice Clinical Pharmacist and information about the role
- Medication and Annual Reviews
- Patient Access –Repeat prescription requests available
- Parking facilities outside the Surgery
- Vaccinations update
- New Patient Registration
- Has your telephone number or address changed recently?
- Doctor Telephone Consultation Appointments and Telephone Triage Callbacks
- Travel Vaccinations
- Cervical Screening
- Prescriptions
- Patients on Warfarin Medication
- Family and Friends Test
- Waiting to be seen for your appointment
- Non NHS requests
- Useful numbers
- What to do when your Surgery is closed?
- Health Checksfor Carer’s and Over 75’s
- Are You a Carer?
- Family & Friends Test
Tel: 020 8952 5073
Fax: 020 8905 6658
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Did Not Attend (DNA) appointments
We are now in the position whereby each month approximately 150appointments are being wasted because patients who booked these appointments fail to attend (Did not Attend—DNA), this is an enormous waste of clinical and administrative time amounting to 25 hours! of clinical time. Please help us to help you by always cancelling an appointment you are unable to attend or no longer need, we are then able to offer this appointment to another person in need.It is our practice policy to monitor all cases of patients not attending appointments and we have been exploring various options to reduce the number of DNAs with our Patient Participation Group. Patients who repeatedly fail to attend appointments and do not contact the surgery in advance will be sent a letter reminding them to cancel appointments they no longer require in advance and asking if there are specific problems preventing them from letting us know.
Also please remember to update your mobile number with us as SMS Appointment Reminders are sent out to remind you of any booked appointments.
NHS Choices comments and reviews
Dear Patients,Why not give us your views on health services received by our Practice.
Please visit NHS choices website to write your review today. Thank you,
Bacon Lane Surgery Team
Test Results
These are available after 11am until the surgery closes. One week after the test/s, please phone for your results on 020 8952 5073 to find out whether you need to see a doctor or a nurse for review.You may not need to come in for your review, so please ask when phoning.Please note if your test is requested by a hospital/clinic, the results will go directly to the Doctor/Consultant that has requested them not the GP Surgery.
Patient Access
Patient Access is an online service offered by the clinical computer system to allow patients to perform certain tasks online. The system links into the practice clinical system and allows the patient, once they areregistered for the service to Book appointments online, request repeat prescriptions, alter contact details, without having to ring or call into the practice.Visit patient.info/patientaccess for more details.
Bacon Lane Surgery currently offers the facility for patients:- to book, view, amend, cancel and print appointments online
- to order online, view and print a list of their repeat prescriptions for drugs, medicines or appliances
- to view online, export or print summary information from their record, relating to medication, allergies, adverse reactions and Immunisations details
Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS)
Are you interested in a convenient service for prescription ordering? Do you want to save yourself time in collecting your prescription or medication?Bacon Lane Surgery usesElectronic Prescribing,and wants to offer you the chance to be part of this.
TheElectronic Prescribing system will allow your prescription to go electronically to yourchosen pharmacy(provided your review is up-to-date)YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE A COMPUTER TO TAKE PART!
If you are interested in using the Electronic Prescription Service please speak to your preferred chemist or ask at reception for further details.
Patient e-mail communication with the Practice
Please note,we do not conduct e-mail consultationsat this practiceand thereforeIf you would like to discuss any medical matters please ring the surgery on 0208 952 5073 and speak to a receptionist to book an appointment or put your name on to the triage list to speak to a Doctor.Email is only between patient and administrative staff memberandpurely foradministrative matters. They should not contain any clinical questions or requests which may require further discussion e.g. for referral - if a patient has a clinical question or wants a referral they should discuss this in a consultation.We bid you farewell, goodbye & good luck!
Sadly, we have to say bye to our Registrar Dr Kamal Nasr, who will be leaving in August, we wish him all the best in their future career.Missed Appointments May 2017
Doctor / 37Nurse/Nurse Practitioner / 53
HCA / 35
Other–Clinical Pharmacist/Dietician/CMN / 10
Total / 135
This is a gentle reminder, if you cannot keep an appointment, please call to tell us, so it can be offered to another patient who does need to be seen. If you are running late, it will be at the doctor’s discretion to see you at the end of their surgery session or to request that your appointment is rebooked. Thank you for your understanding.
PPG Group looking for new members ….
Why don’t you join our patient participation group? You can share your views and suggestions with the group. If you are interested Please call Chair David Bateman for details 0208 951 1784Dangers of UV rays
(article from NHS choices website)Sunburn and sun allergyare short-term risks of sun exposure.
Longer-term risks over decades include:
- rough and scaly pre-cancerous spots on the skin(solar keratosis)
- skin cancer – bothmelanomaandnon-melanoma skin cancer
- damage to the eyes from UV rays
- premature ageingand wrinkling of the skin
Protect your skin from strong sunlight by covering up with suitable clothing, finding shade, and applying sunscreen.
In the UK, the risk of getting sunburn is highest from March to October, particularly from 11am to 3pm, when the sun's rays are strongest.
You can also burn in cloudy and cool conditions, and from sunlight reflecting off snow.
Suitable clothing
When out in the sun for long periods, you should wear:
- a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears
- a long-sleeved top
- trousers or long skirts made from close-weave fabrics that don't allow sunlight through
- sunglasses with wraparound lenses or wide arms with the CE Mark and European Standard EN 1836:2005
When buying sunscreen, make sure it's suitable for your skinand blocks both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation.
The sunscreen label should have:
- the letters "UVA" in a circular logo and at least 4-star UVA protection
- a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to protect against UVB
Harrow Stop Smoking Service Closure
While across health and social care, we all recommend that smokers give up; the Council is no longer able to offer smokers support or treatment.However, the website offers a few options available to smokers who want to quit:
• Specialist advice from the national Smokefree website; millions have used the Smokefree support to help them stop smoking.
• Download a Smokefree app such as or Smoke-Free by Dave Crane. Both apps are available for Apple and Android devices as are many others.
• Order a Quit Kit
• Signup for email or SMS support
• Call 0300 123 1044 and choose option 2 to speak to an advisor (in office hours)
Hay fever is a common allergic condition that affects up to one in five people at some point in their life.
(article from NHS choices website)Symptoms of hay fever include:
- sneezing
- a runny nose
- itchy eyes
You can have an allergy to:
- tree pollen, released during spring
- grass pollen, released during the end of spring and beginning of summer
- weed pollen, released late autumn
Hay fever treatment
There's currently no cure for hay fever, but most people are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, at least to a certain extent.
The most effective way to control hay fever would be to avoid exposure to pollen. However, it's very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors.
Treatment options for hay fever include antihistamines, which can help to prevent an allergic reaction from occurring and corticosteroids (steroids), which help to reduce inflammation and swelling.
Hay fever can often be controlled using over-the-counter medication from your pharmacist. However, if your symptoms are more troublesome it’s worth speaking to your GP, as you may require prescription medication.
For severe and persistent hay fever, there's also a type of treatment called immunotherapy. It involves being exposed to small amounts of pollen over time, to build resistance to its allergic effects. However, this can take many months or even years to work.
Who's affected
Hay fever is one of the most common allergic conditions. It's estimated that there are more than 10 million people with hay fever in England.
You can get hay fever at any age, although it usually begins in childhood or during the teenage years. It's more common in boys than girls. In adults, men and women are equally affected.
You're more likely to develop hay fever if you have a family history of allergies, particularly asthma or eczema.
Self-help tips
It's sometimes possible to prevent the symptoms of hay fever by taking some basic precautions, such as:
- wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in your eyes when you're outdoors
- taking a shower and changing your clothes after being outdoors to remove the pollen on your body
- staying indoors when the pollen count is high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air)
- applying a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) to the nasal openings to trap pollen grains
Practice Clinical Pharmacistand information about the role
Femeeda our respiratory pharmacist has joined the team as a Clinical Pharmacist. What is a Clinical Pharmacist?Clinical pharmacists are highly qualified health professionals who train for many years to become specialists in medicines and how they work. They can work directly with you, as part of the general practice team, to make sure your medicines help you get better and stay well. Having a clinical pharmacist in the practice team means you can be treated by the best professional for your needs. All pharmacists are registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council.When will I see a clinical Pharmacist?
Clinical Pharmacists can provide expert advice on your medicines. They can help by making sure the medicines you are taking are right for you, reviewing yourmedicines andhelping you with lifestyle changes to help manage your condition. A clinical pharmacist can help with…
Managing long – term conditions
Reducing side effects from medications
Reviewing medicines you’re taking for a long-term conditions
Understanding changes to medicines
Managing common illnesses such as colds, hay fever and diarrhoea
To speak to the clinical pharmacist, please speak to reception.
For more information and case studies, please visit NHS England at or speak to a member of the practice team.
Medication and Annual Reviews
Some patients who have complex medical problems or who are on a lot of different medications are often required to attend the surgery annually to be reviewed by the doctor.This may involve you having some bloods tests done prior to being seen at the practice. You may receive a telephone call, a letter to your home or a reminder message on your prescription form or your Pharmacist might remind you to call the surgery to collect blood test forms or book the appointment. Failure to book a review appointment on time can often result in delays to issuing your medication when you request it after your review date has passed.
The right side of you prescription form will often tell you when your medication review is due by.
Parking facilities outside the Surgery
We would like to request that all patients allow sufficient amount of time prior to the appointments in order to use “Pay & Display” parking. The surgery cannot be held responsible for not working machine or for any patients who receive a Penalty Notice as this is administered by the council. At times, there is a shortage of parking and we would ask those patients who can walk to their appointment to do so.Thank you for your understanding in this matter.
Vaccinations update
Men ACWY Vaccine-At what ageshould teenagers andyoung peoplehave the vaccine?The Men ACWY vaccinationprogrammeis being delivered to teenagersand first-time studentsin a carefully planned programme over the next three years. The priority is to vaccinateall teenagersfrom school year 9 onwardsbefore they complete school year 13. There is also a catch-up vaccination programme for first-time students up to the age of 25.
Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy
Pregnant womencan help protect their babies by getting vaccinated – ideally at 20 weeks, after the foetal scan, up to 32 weeks pregnant.New Patient Registration
The Practice is currently accepting new patients within our catchment area. Please speak to a member of the Reception team regarding the registration process and a suitable time to register.All new patients registering with the practice are required to complete a new patient formgiving details of past medical history, medication etc.We also require all patients to give one proof of identity and one address when they register.
You will need to provide following information and documents:
• NHS Number
• Passport
• 2 Proof of address (utility or council tax bill)
• Name & address of previous GP
• Previous home address
• Place of birth (town & country)
• RED book - Immumisation detailsfor children under16
If you are new to the UK and registering with a GP for the first time, you will be required to provide us with proof of settlement (this is additional to the documents as listed above).
If you do not have your NHS number, an additional form will be given to you for completion prior to registration.
Please note we do not register children under 16 years old without mother/guardian.
Has your telephone number or address changed recently?
Do we have your correct contact details?There may be occasions where we need to contact you urgently to discuss your test results or a referral or send an appointment confirmation and reminder text to your mobile. So it is very important that you please inform us of any changes as soon as possible, by completing a change of details form (available from reception).
Doctor Telephone Consultation Appointments and Telephone Triage Callbacks
Most Telephone Consultations are scheduled for the end of the doctor’s clinic, which is normally between 1-2pm and 6-7pm. However, there may be occasions when the Doctors have free time because another patient has not attended their appointment, so may they may call you in between patients or perhaps before they start their session.The same applies to Triage Callbacks, our doctors do try to call you back around the time you have requested or have been advised you will be called, but sometimes this may not be possible due to emergencies in the practice or other calls taking longer than expected and they may call you earlier or later than scheduled.
We understand you may have stepped out of work to receive a call that didn’t not come when expected and on the rare occasions when this happens, we apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused and the doctor will try to call you back again and leave a message (if possible) if they still did not get to speak to you. If that happens,
Please contact our reception team on 020 8952 5073 - option 1, who will handle your call accordingly.
Travel Advice and Vaccinations