CARLISLE HOUSE SURGERY WINTER NEWSLETTER 2014

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1 CARLISLE HOUSE SURGERY WINTER NEWSLETTER 2014 Welcome to the Winter Edition of our newsletter. We wish all our patients a Merry Christmas and Happy and Healthy New Year. As you know the doctors, staff & patients of Carlisle House support various charities and we greatly appreciate the support you give from year to year. Ann Singleton has made 3 beautiful Christmas cakes which will be raffled for this year s chosen charity, Forest Holme hospice. Raffle tickets are available at reception.

2 Feeling under the weather this winter? A minor illness can get worse quickly when you re over 60, so early advice is the best advice. Winter health advice Cold weather doesn't have to go hand in hand with illness. Here are some simple things you can do to help yourself stay well this winter. Keep warm this may help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes and pneumonia. Eat well food gives you energy, which helps to keep you warm. So, try to have regular hot meals and drinks throughout the day. Get a flu jab flu vaccination is offered free of charge to people who are at risk, to ensure that they are protected against catching flu and developing serious complications. Common winter illnesses Colds to ease the symptoms of a cold, drink plenty of fluids and try to rest. Steam inhalation and vapour rubs can also help. Prevent colds from spreading by washing your hands thoroughly, cleaning surfaces regularly and always sneeze and cough into tissues, throwing them away after use.

3 Sore throats a sore throat is almost always caused by a viral infection, such as a cold. Try not to eat or drink anything that s too hot, as this could further irritate your throat; cool or warm drinks and cool, soft foods should go down easier. Asthma a range of weather-related triggers can set off asthma symptoms, including cold air. Covering your nose and mouth with a warm scarf when you re out can help. Norovirus this is also known as the winter vomiting bug, although it can also cause diarrhoea. The main thing to do to is drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. You can also take paracetamol for any aches, pains or fever. Flu if you re over 65 or have a long-term health condition such as diabetes or kidney disease, flu can be life-threatening, so it s important to seek help early. However, if you re generally fit and healthy, the best treatment is to rest, stay warm and drink plenty of water. Getting help If you re not sure which NHS service you need, call 111. An adviser will ask you questions to assess your symptoms and then give you the advice you need, or direct you straightaway to the best service for you in your area. Ask your pharmacist Pharmacists are expert in many aspects of healthcare and can offer advice on a wide range of long-term conditions and common illnesses such as coughs, colds and stomach upsets. You don t need an appointment and many have private consultation areas, so they are a good first port of call. Your pharmacist will say if you need further medical attention.

4 See your family doctor GPs assess, treat and manage a whole range of health problems. They also provide health education, give vaccinations and carry out simple surgical procedures. Your GP will arrange a referral to a hospital specialist should you need it. Visit a walk-in centre NHS walk-in centres offer quick access to treatment for a wide variety of minor illnesses and injuries, including infections, vomiting and stomach aches. Most are managed by nurses and some also have doctors. Walk-in centres are open outside office hours and you don t need an appointment. Accident and Emergency A&E departments provide vital care for life-threatening emergencies, such as loss of consciousness, suspected heart attacks, breathing difficulties, or severe bleeding that cannot be stopped. If you re not sure it s an emergency, call 111 for advice. Follow link below to find the nearest urgent care services Search/UrgentCare/UrgentCareFinder?Location.Id=0&Location.Name=BH15%201QD&Location.Latitude= &Locatio n.longitude= &isaande=true&ispharmacy=false&isurgentcare=true&isopennow=false&milevalue=10

5 TEAM NEWS We welcomed our two new receptionists Kate and Nicole this year. New Computer System We have recently changed our clinical computer system. The new system has the facility to share your patient record with other clinicians (if you have given consent). This means that everyone who is caring for you eg; Doctors, Nurses, Consultants, District Nurses, Health Visitors can be fully informed about your medical history, including your medications and allergies. Thankyou for your patience whilst we learn this new system. The on-line services system is not yet fully functional but will be to a more user friendly system that also allows us to gradually introduce extra new facilities. We are aiming to have the on-line appointments and patient medical summaries available in the new year. If you are a smartphone user, check your app store for the Systmone app.

6 Surgery times: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday AM Dr s Rogers, Guduru & Scott PM Dr s Nelms, Rogers & Guduru AM Dr s Nelms, Crinion & Guduru PM Dr s Nelms, Crinion & Guduru AM Dr s Nelms, Rogers & Guduru PM Dr s Nelms, Rogers, Guduru & Scott AM Dr s Nelms, Rogers & Crinion PM Dr s Rogers & Crinion AM Dr s Nelms, Guduru & Scott PM Dr s Nelms, Guduru & Scott Visit our web site to see the rest of our team and services EVENING SURGERIES Carlisle House surgery holds evening surgeries from 6.30 pm 8pm on Mondays. If you have difficulty getting into the Practice during the day time hours of 8.30am 6pm this will be ideal

7 MISSED APPOINTMENTS: If you are unable to attend your appointment for any reason please let us know as soon as possible. You may leave a message on our answerphone at any time. The appointment can then be allocated to another patient SURGERY WEB SITE Visit our Surgery web site to view the Practice services including Clinic times, and information about our appointments, repeat prescriptions and lots of other useful information.

8 TRIAGE We offer daytime appointments, evening appointments and telephone consultations, but if you have an emergency that can t really wait then request TRIAGE TELEPHONE FOR TRIAGE Triage is a system to determine the priority of a patient s treatment based on the severity of their condition. 1. Telephone the reception and request Triage 2. A Doctor will telephone you and ask about your symptoms (it is essential that you keep your telephone line free/answer immediately) 3. A Doctor will assess and decide what to do to help you. Will I get an appointment? They may make an appointment that day, either with themselves or another Doctor. They may be able to give advice over the telephone and book a follow up appointment for another day. They may be able to reassure you that your symptoms are not serious and transfer you to reception to make a routine appointment. They may prepare a prescription for you.

9 SMOKESTOP If you are serious about wanting to give up smoking speak to your GP who can refer you to the local NHS Stop Smoking Service or you can telephone the clinic on You are never too old to quit! OUT OF HOURS SERVICE Telephone number 111 You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it s not a life-threatening situation. Call 111 if: You need medical help fast but it s not a 999 emergency You think you need to go to A&E or need another NH urgent care service You don t know who to call or you don t have a GP to call You need health information or reassurance about what to do next For less urgent health needs, contact your GP or local Pharmacist in the usual way. For immediate, life threatening emergencies, continue to call 999

10 PALS at Carlisle House The Practice operates the Patient Advocacy Liaison Service (PALS). Any patient who requires advice regarding a query relating to their treatment or care may ask for this service. A leaflet explaining this in more detail is available from reception, but if you have any questions regarding the service please ask to speak to Jill Tobin. CARERS GROUP If you are caring for someone and need advice and support, please register with the surgery as a Carer Contact Lorraine for further assistance. Our reception notice boards and the Carers section of the practice website contain details of useful support services for carers. Poole Well-being Collaborative A service operating across Poole to work with individuals to improve their health & well-being. Latest events/info for winter 2014 include: Christmas Day/boxing day lunches Free Art Workshops CRISP Carer s Newsletter (Information folder in reception waiting room.) Useful numbers The Carers Support Service General info/support/advice: Handyman service: Carerslink:

11 Patient Reference Group Join our Patient reference Group (PRG).we would like to hear your views The Practice would like to invite you to join our PRG and let us know how you feel we are doing as a Practice. We would like your opinion on the range and quality of the services provided by the surgery. The PRG, together with the Practice, will agree which priority issues should be covered in our next local Practice Survey. What will I have to do? The PRG is an community simply register at reception or via the website. We will then contact you occasionally to obtain your views. NHS ORGAN DONOR REGISTER We thoroughly endorse the NHS scheme and a detailed leaflet is available in the waiting room. If you have questions please speak to a member of staff. PRACTICE INFORMATION LEAFLET Our Practice Information Leaflet sets out general information about the Practice and we hope you will find this helpful. If you have any comments or queries please let us know. We will continue to produce this Newsletter from time to time. We now have a website address:

12 When you receive a letter asking you to book an appointment, please can you quote the reference on the letter to ensure that we book you in to the correct clinic. If you have any queries regarding the request please bring the letter with you. It would be a great help to us if you ring after 11am. CAR PARK When using the car park please be considerate to other patients and park in such a way that does not inconvenience others. If you think you may be impeding another vehicle please let reception know upon your arrival. If in doubt, please use Sainsbury s car park. The staff have more important things to do than sort out disputes between drivers!! NB The Practice is not obliged to provide patients with car parking We would remind you that use of the car park is at the car user/owner s risk. The practice will not be held responsible for any loss or damage to a vehicle using the car park.