Patient News

We are pleased to inform you that we will be running combined Covid/flu clinics for the first time at Meon Medical Centre. The clinic dates are Saturday 7th and 14th October and Thursday 19th October. If you are eligible, you will receive an automatic invitation with the option to self-book an appointment. If you do not have a mobile phone, a member of the Reception team will contact you soon to book an appointment.

Please refer to the link here for more information on eligibility NHS England » Autumn/Winter (AW) 2023-24 Flu and COVID-19 Seasonal Campaign

These clinic dates are only for those patients who require both vaccinations. If you are eligible for or only require one vaccination for Covid or flu we will be in touch in due course to let you know the arrangements.

We are also planning to raise funds for Cancer Research UK on Saturday 14th October by running a cake stall so any donations of cake or funds will be gratefully received!

In the last four weeks, there were 63 appointments at Meon Medical Centre that the patient did not attend or the child was not brought. If you are unable to attend your appointment, please let us know by calling 01789 720820 as soon as you can. This will help us as we can then offer your appointment to another patient. This will reduce waiting times for patients and costs to the NHS.

Did you know… we are participating in a new service from 20th September 2022 that directs patients to the most appropriate healthcare professional when booking an appointment, which may be a local community pharmacist either virtually or at their pharmacy. 

We believe this is a good thing, as your local pharmacist is a highly trained and skilled clinician experienced in treating minor illnesses and will provide a timely service. This will help free up GPs to deal with more complex health needs and ensure that everyone gets treated at the right time by the right healthcare professional. 

We are keen to hear from patients using this service so we know if it is working well and how we can improve things. You will be advised how to give this feedback when you access the service. 
 

Covid-19 vaccination booster program for Autumn 2022 will begin week commencing 12th September.

We will be inviting patients to book at the following 2 vaccination sites: 

• LOMAS SUITE, Stratford Hospital : Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays
• SOUTHAM CLINIC, Southam : Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sundays.

Please wait to be invited for your vaccination but in the event of a query call on 01926 962 718.

For more information please click here.

In accordance with NHS guidelines, we are no longer asking patients to wear face masks in the Practice.

We ask that you continue to wear a mask in the following circumstances:

• You have a high temperature
• You have any respiratory issues
• You are receiving ongoing medical treatment for critical conditions such as cancer

If you have Covid symptoms or anyone in your household has Covid, please do not enter the Practice.

Thank you.

Stratford Food Bank is very hungry. We are feeding more people and receiving less food. We need your help. Please see details on this leaflet.

Please view the newsletter here.

Did you know you can get your hay fever medicines from your local community pharmacy? Learn More.

Useful Link - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/antihistamines/ 

As everywhere moves toward a post covid world with all restrictions dropped, in the NHS we are moving a little more slowly and cautiously. Our staff currently continue to test regularly using lateral flow tests and if any of our staff are positive, they will stay at home and isolate from the surgery. Likewise, we also ask that you do not come to the surgery if you have any covid symptoms or a positive test and continue to wear a mask when coming to the surgery to minimise the risk of transmission to our more vulnerable patients. We have a large filter in the waiting room that filters viruses from the air to help as well and will be keeping the windows open and fresh air circulating.

Over the last 2 years we have by necessity moved to default telephone appointments, but throughout the whole of the pandemic we have always seen patients face to face if needed. Telephone appointments and online consultations (accessible via our website) have been welcomed by some patients as more convenient, and we envisage them being a continued option alongside traditional face to face appointments. We are continually tweaking and changing our appointment system to try to provide the most efficient service that we can. We have a patient participation group that meets once a quarter that supports and provides constructive feedback to the practice and issues like this are often discussed. This is open to everyone – please contact the practice if you are interested in joining this group.

In addition to our core general practice team, we have an increasing team of staff who are attached to the practice and to whom you may be directed by our reception team or clinicians. These additional roles to general practice help us to manage our workload and provide an improved service to our patient population. We have a Clinical Pharmacist who helps us to manage medication queries and completes medication reviews; a pharmacy technician who helps us to monitor people who are taking certain medications; a First Contact Practitioner who is an advanced physiotherapist who we can refer to for initial assessment of musculoskeletal problems. In addition we have a health and wellbeing team consisting of social prescribers and health and wellbeing coaches, who we refer to for many issues such as financial and social issues that impact on a person’s health, and support with lifestyle changes to improve your health.

Moving into the year we are looking forward to getting back to seeing everyone for regular annual medication reviews and as many of you are already aware we tie your annual review in with your birthday month. We will be sending out a reminder text and remember that if you need a blood test, please get it done before your review so that the clinician has all the information to hand when they see you. Sometimes we will ask you to complete an online form with information – for instance home blood pressure readings – prior to your review. In some instances if everything is stable and you have no concerns we will be able to update your review date just with the information that you provide. However, if you are not able to access the internet, or find the form too difficult to complete, that is not a problem and you can book a medication review appointment.

I’d just like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our patients who, in the main, have been very understanding of the changes that we have had to make and the delays that have sometimes resulted. It has been hard at times for our team, especially when staff have been absent - our reception team particularly have to juggle sometimes the demand for appointments with a reduced clinical team to provide them. However, we have had some lovely messages of support, little cards of thanks and very often chocolates and biscuits- even flowers last week! Your support and appreciation of the work that we are doing really helps keep morale up, so thank you for your understanding and support. We would also like to welcome two new members of staff to the Reception team: Jenny Hillard and Sarah Hubbard, both welcome additions!

Nursing Update

How is your New Year’s resolution to quit smoking going?

Research has shown that it is easier to quit with support from a Smoking Cessation Advisor.

You can book a telephone or face-to-face appointment through reception. We can give you expert advice on a range of proven methods to help you quit. Then give you professional support during the first few months that you stop smoking.

Did you know that:

• after 20 minutes blood pressure and pulse start returning to normal
• after 24 hours carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear out smoking debris
• after 48 hours ability to taste and smell improves
• after 3–9 months lung function improves up to 10%
• after 5 years the risk of heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker
• after 10 years the risk of lung cancer is halved and the risk of heart ischaemia falls to that of someone who has never smoked.

Dispensary Update:

We have been made aware of an app called “Hey Pharmacist” which enables patients to order their medication via this app. This app is not connected to us in any way and we ask patients not to order via the Hey Pharmacist app.  

Patients can order medication via the NHS app, online web form on our website, or dropping your repeat slip into the surgery. Please do not hand medication orders in at the hatch or over the phone. Thank you  

A massive thank you to our patients for the great number of generous donations of medicines, nappies, baby clothes, dressings etc. to help the Ukrainian people. In addition to regular deliveries to Warwick hospital, a friend of the Practice also delivered a van load of goods directly to Ukraine on 21st March. 

The Nicol Unit have been inundated with donations and we will not be able to deliver any more items there. Instead, please access the link here to make a donation

Women will not usually need to have a cervical screen if they are, or could be, pregnant. This is because pregnancy can make it harder to get clear results. 

Screening can resume 12 weeks after birth. If you have had an abnormal result in the past you may need to be screened while pregnant.

Alice was part of one of the first cohorts of girls to be offered the HPV vaccine at school.

The HPV vaccine is extremely successful in reducing the risk of cervical cancer, but does not reduce the risk completely which is why it is still vital that women who have had the vaccine still attend screening appointments regularly.

The case study is available to download here  and picture here.

A weblink to the case study can be found here.

A woman who has been cured of cervical cancer is urging all women to attend cervical screening appointments.

In 2011 Kate Tonner had been putting off booking her screening for a year before a nurse persuaded her to have it done after she had raised concerns during a routine appointment.

A full case study is available to download here and picture before cancer, picture weeks after surgery and picture - now.

Meon Medical Centre is taking part in the national PANORAMIC clinical trial, which aims to find new antiviral treatments for people with COVID-19 that can be taken at home. 

To be eligible to join the trial you will need to have a positive test for COVID-19 and symptoms that are likely to be caused by COVID-19, starting in the last 5 days. The trial is open to people aged 50 or over, or 18-49 years with an underlying health condition. 

If you are registered at Meon Medical Centre and would like more information, please contact us on 01789 720820. You can join the trial online, even if you are not currently registered with our practice. For full details, visit www.panoramictrial.org .

CONSIDERATION, RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY

• Our aim is to provide a good efficient service for our patients.
• All our staff are trained and expected to be helpful, polite and courteous to all patients. All staff will try to help each patient with their individual needs. To enable us to achieve this please help us to help you. Please keep us informed if your personal details change, such as a change of name, address or telephone number.
• We are committed to giving you the best possible service. This will be      achieved by working together and taking shared responsibility for your health. During the corona virus pandemic, many services have been disrupted. Some examples are the increased waiting lists for hospital procedures and a national shortage of blood bottles. This has also meant some disruption to annual reviews for medical conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension. Please be aware that annual reviews are due in your birth month and don’t wait for us to remind you to book in.
• Following consultation you will receive the most appropriate care, given by suitably qualified people. No care or treatment will be given without your informed consent. In return we would ask you to try and follow the medical advice offered and to take any medication as advised.
• You will be treated as an individual and will be given courtesy and respect at all times, irrespective of your ethnic origin, religious beliefs, personal attributes or the nature of your health problems.
• We ask that you treat the doctors and all practice staff with the same courtesy and respect.
• If a patient commits an act of violence or abuse towards the doctors, a member of the staff or to any other person present on the practice premises or in the place where the medical services are being provided, they will be removed from the practice list with immediate effect; the police will be contacted and asked to attend.

View the Patient Survey Summary - November

We are pleased to share with you the recent results from our in depth patient survey. We had over 500 responses, with 528 individual comments added. The vast majority were positive and were similar in theme to this:

Thank you all so much for everything you do and working so hard through the pandemic. The kindness and level of care and service shown to my son was just wonderful. All staff I have had contact with have been exemplary. Far and away the best Practice I have been a patient of. Very many thanks

In addition, we had feedback on the areas that could be improved. Please see below what was said and what we are doing about it:

• Lack of awareness of Extended Access: For the last 2 years, we have worked with neighbouring Practices to provide appointments with Clinicians at evenings and weekends. There are telephone and face to face appointments available, Reception staff will discuss availability when you call.
• Lack of awareness of the Patient Participation Group: This is a group of local patients who are willing and able to represent the views and concerns of our wider patient base. Meetings take place four times a year and have been held remotely since 2020. The convenience of this has meant we have seen an increase in the level of participation, as well as the demographics of our patient base being better reflected.
• Clinicians not as pro-active as they used to be following up blood test results:Clearly there has been greater demand on Clinician time during the pandemic. Please be aware that a call is only made if test results are abnormal. We are about to publish a Patient Charter where we ask that patients work with us in taking responsibility for their health.
• Over 75 health reviews: These are not currently a commissioned service.
• Minor surgery clinic: This is currently not a service provided at Meon. Patients will be referred onto the Wellesbourne Medical Centre.
• Can we have a ‘window’ of time for telephone consolations with GPs? We now indicate a 2 hour time frame for a call back, although it is not guaranteed.
• Website notices need to be relevant and timely: We will now publish a monthly update on the website and Facebook that will also be circulated via local parish newsletters.
• How will you have capacity in your existing premises to serve a growing population? This is considered in the longer term  as part of Clinical Commissioning Group planning. The patient base is growing steadily, but we are seeing the largest growth in the number of appointments requested per patient.
• Staff can appear unhelpful: We have recruited new staff as Receptionists and Dispensers in the last 6 months and all patient feedback has been positive. We have a huge demand for GP appointments at the moment but we will always try to help patients- Extended Access and E Consults are two of the other options available. Last Monday alone, we received 240 calls into the Practice in the morning.
• Patient privacy: We have changed the way that we work so that if you call in at Reception asking for test results or other private information, we will offer to print the results or discuss them in a private area.

EMIS Health have received reports from both Patient Access users and people who have never registered for the service, that they have received Covid passport emails purporting to be from Patient Access.

They would like to share the following guidance from Patient Access:

• EMIS Health advise users of Patient Access to check the name and email address of the sender; all emails from Patient Access will come via an email address that ends in @patientaccess.com.
• EMIS Health advise users never to click on any log in links that you receive via email but to visit the site via the address bar of your browser instead so that you know you are on the genuine Patient Access log in page. You can find more information and guidance on our information security page here: https://www.patientaccess.com/security
• EMIS Health strongly advise users to set up their Memorable Word security feature, as well as using biometrics (fingerprint ID) if they use the app.
• Email addresses used to register for Patient Access account are secure. They do not share any data and no data is ever saved or stored on any device you use to access Patient Access.

How is my GP working - Leaflet

Campden Home Nursing have recently opened Jecca’s house in Chipping Campden, offering a variety of cancer support services. 

Please see this leaflet timetable of events.

Is your child aged 2-3 and born between 01.09.2017 and 31.08.2019?We now have children's nasal flu vaccinations in the surgery! Please contact reception to book your child into one of our flu clinics.

Flu: 5 reasons to get your child vaccinated - Primary School (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Please check this poster from the BMA.

The current NHS Digital (NHSD) extract of GP data for Research purposes (known as the GPDPR) has been delayed due to NHSD wishing to review the way in which this data will be collected, to conduct more public involvement and information about the plans and change the way in which patients can opt out of the extract of their GP data.

Currently the only way to opt out is to complete a Type 1 opt out form and return this to the practice. There was a deadline of the 1st September but this deadline has been removed (see below):

However, this extract will not be taken until the NHSD have changed the way it will take the data and respect the patient’s choice for using their data.  NHSD are introducing the following changes to the opt outprocess which will mean that patients will be able to change their opt-out status at any time:

• Patients do not need to register a Type 1 opt-out by 1st September to ensure their GP data will not be uploaded.
• NHS Digital will create the technical means to allow GP data that has previously been uploaded to the system via the GPDPR collection to be deleted when someone registers a Type 1 opt-out.
• The plan to retire Type 1 opt-outs will be deferred for at least 12 months while we get the new arrangements up and running and will not be implemented without consultation with the RCGP, the BMA and the National Data Guardian.

This means that you can opt out at any time in the future and NHSD will delete data that they already have taken for research purposes, the deadline of the 01/09/2020 has been delayed until a new system of opt out is developed.  Hopefully, this will be a simple centralised approach via the NHS app or NHS website to avoid paper form and administration work for your GP.

We will update you when we know more about the NHSD plans to change how you can control who has access to your data.

For further information on this - please click here.

Please be aware that we are experiencing some delays to our medication supplies from wholesalers. This is due to staff shortages of delivery drivers and staff working at these distribution sites needing to self-isolate due to Covid-19. We apologise for any inconvenience experienced by this and have been assured that the wholesalers are doing everything they can to minimise disruption.

The highest priority for the NHS remains the safety of staff, patients and visitors. While COVID restrictions will end in many settings in England from 19 July, everyone accessing or visiting healthcare settings must continue to wear a face covering (unless they are exempt) and follow social distancing rules.

Public Health England’s infection prevention control guidelines and hospital visiting guidance are therefore set to remain in place for all staff and visitors and across all health services including hospitals, GP practices, dentists, optometrists and pharmacies to ensure patients and staff are protected.

Read the infection prevention control guidance for further details.

Please do not contact the surgery to enquire about covid vaccination certificates.

We are unable to issue this certificate at the practice.

Please see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/demonstrating-your-covid-19-vaccination-status-when-travelling-abroad for further information.

Proof of your vaccination status will be available on the NHSapp, which is also valuable for accessing your health records and ordering repeat prescriptions. Refer Online Services page to download it.

Alternatively you can call the NHS helpline on 119 (from 17 May) and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you've completed your course of the vaccine, the letter may to take up to 5 days to reach you.

The prostate specific antigen (PSA) test is a blood test to see if you might have prostate cancer and to monitor treatment for prostate cancer. Please check the link for details.

Please follow Dementia Help and Support for more information on dementia services.

CPR isn’t always the best treatment for an individual. That’s why CPR conversations need to happen. Please follow this link to know more.

https://www.resus.org.uk/public-resource/cpr-decisions-and-dnacpr

Please follow this leaflet to identify Covid-19 symptoms.

Sources: World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Group is for those in South Warwickshire whose lives are affected by cancer of the Prostate; the men, their partners and their families.

We usually meet every two months on a Tuesday in St Andrew’s Church Hall in Shottery near Stratford-on-Avon. We suggest a £3.00 donation per person for the free parking, refreshments and hire of the room. We generally have a speaker for the second half of the meeting.

Address: Church Lane, Shottery, Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 9UL

Due to the current coronavirus emergency we are not holding any meetings at present.

Online meeting timing - 3.00-4.30pm on Tuesday 15th September 2020.We offer telephone support to individuals with prostate cancer and we also have a buddy system.

Contact person - Doug Badger (Support Group Organizer)

Email - badgersett@live.co.uk

Phone: 01789 488422 or Text on 077 84545 513.

In addition, you may like to contact one or both of the available helplines

Prostate Cancer UK free helpline (staffed by specialist nurses) -0800 074 8383

TACKLE free helpline (staffed by men with prostate cancer) - 0800 035 5302

Please be advised that the process for eye emergencies has changed.Instead of attending hospital straight away, please call our specialised telephone numbers:02476 964800 or 02476 964802 or 02476 964806 (Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm)(Saturday, Sunday and Bank Holidays 9am to 12pm) 07823 535 863 (Out of hours)In the event of this number being unavailable out of hours, please try again or contact the on-call ophthalmologist via the switchboard on 024 7696 4000. 

You will be spoken to by an expert clinician who will give you specialist advice on the next steps to take.This is not a walk-in service. Please only attend the Eye Outpatient department if you have phoned in advance and have been advised to attend.