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 6-weeks in advance.
Each day 70% of all available appointments are pre-booked: the remaining 30% are for urgent matters that need to be dealt with on the day.
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 pre-book 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.
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.
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.
Dementia
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.
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.
If you are caring for someone with dementia and need help or support, please contact Carers Link at the number below.
Diabetes (Patient Education Programme)
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.
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.
This is all part of an effort to keep people well in their own homes.
Avoiding Hospital Admissions
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.
Carers
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?
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