Your primary healthcare team Helping you and your family to receive the right healthcare at the right time 1
Welcome to your primary healthcare team Registering with a GP practice means you are allocated a dedicated GP to help you manage your health and prevent illness. You also have the support of a wider team of health professionals, who work together to provide you with a joined-up primary healthcare experience. Your wider primary healthcare team can include: practice nurses nurse practitioners practice managers occupational therapists health visitors physiotherapists receptionists and clerical staff midwives physician assistants district nurses pharmacists stop smoking advisers care co-ordinators Some of the wider team may be based at your GP practice, to find out more visit your practice s website. Making an appointment It s our job, as receptionists, to help you access the right healthcare for your needs at the right time. Sometimes this will be an appointment with a GP, but depending on your needs it may be that seeing a nurse will be more appropriate and will enable you to be seen more quickly. When you call or drop-in to make an appointment, we may ask you questions about your needs. This will help us to book you in with the right member of our healthcare team, as quickly as we can. Each member of our team is part of a wider primary care team working for you. You can be assured that whoever you see will understand your medical background and be ready to help you. 2
If you can t make your appointment If you have an appointment that you are unable to attend, or no longer require, it s important that you cancel it. By cancelling your unwanted appointment, even if it is a few minutes before, means that other patients have an opportunity to be seen more quickly. Most practices also have an online appointment booking system. Visit your practice s website, or speak to the receptionist for details. 3
Your primary healthcare team General Practitioner (GP) GPs help you to manage your health and prevent illness. We specialise in child health, mental health, adult medicine, the diagnosis and management of acute medical and surgical problems and the management of long-term health conditions such as cardiac conditions, ophthalmology (eyes), ENT (ear, nose and throat), asthma and dermatology (skin). We are your advocate, representing your best interests to ensure you receive the best and most appropriate health and/or social care. We also provide the link to further health services and work closely with other healthcare colleagues. We re one big primary healthcare team working for you, so whether you see your allocated GP, or another clinician, you can be sure we have your health interests at the heart of all we do. Health visitors We are registered nurses who have received training particularly related to babies, children and pregnant women. Our role is to provide families with children under five years old with support and advice around the general aspects of mental, physical and social wellbeing. Healthcare assistants We support practice nurses with their daily work and carry out tasks such as phlebotomy (drawing blood), blood pressure measurement and new patient checks. We also act as a chaperone when a patient or doctor requests one. 4
Practice nurses We are qualified and registered nurses that help with health issues such as family planning, healthy living advice, blood pressure checks, dressings and cervical smears. We run clinics for long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and minor ailments clinics, but these will vary depending on your practice. Receptionists and administrative staff We provide an important link for patients with the practice and are your initial contact point for general enquiries and making appointments. We can provide basic information on services and results, direct you to the right person depending on your health requirement, issue repeat prescriptions, deal with financial claims, patient records and carry out practice audits. Practice manager We are involved in managing all of the business aspects of the practice, ensuring that the right systems are in place to provide a high quality of patient care and safety. We support GPs and other medical professionals with delivering patient services and also help to develop extended services to enhance patient care. Some of the wider healthcare team may also be based at your GP practice. Visit your practice s website to find out more. 5
Self referral in Wiltshire Across Wiltshire there are a number of organisations to which you can self-refer for help and support with your health and wellbeing. This means you can contact them directly without the need for a referral from your GP. Wiltshire IAPT service IAPT have been providing psychological services to the people of Wiltshire for the past 20 years. They provide wide-ranging support from psyhco-educational courses to one-to-one intervention. www.iapt-wilts.awp.nhs.uk Health trainers In conjunction with Wiltshire Council, Health Trainers can assist you with achieving goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They can help with building self-confidence and motivation, healthy eating, reducing and stopping smoking, drinking less alcohol, being more active and more. They can also provide access to other services and activities. www.bit.ly/wiltshealthtrainer Healthwatch Wiltshire Healthwatch Wiltshire is a local independent service which exists to speak up for local people on health and care. Healthwatch works to ensure that the health and care system in Wiltshire reflects what local people expect and need. They will listen to your opinions and experiences of health and social care services and feedback your views to the people who plan, pay for and deliver healthcare services. www.healthwatchwiltshire.co.uk Your care your support Wiltshire Council and Healthwatch Wiltshire have developed the Your Care Your Support website to provide people with information about care and support services in Wiltshire and to provide information about what services are available in your community. www.yourcareyoursupportwiltshire.org.uk 6
Looking after your health Many illnesses or symptoms, such as coughs, colds, sore throats and aches and pains can be treated yourself at home if you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet. What to keep in your medicine cabinet Painkillers Aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen are highly effective at relieving most minor aches and pains. Antihistamines Useful for dealing with allergies, insect bites and hay fever. Oral rehydration salts Indigestion treatment Oral rehydration salts can help restore your body s natural balance of minerals and fluid lost through diarrhoea, fever, and vomiting - if you can t continue your normal diet. If you have stomach ache, heartburn or trapped wind, a simple antacid will reduce stomach acidity and bring relief. Anti-diarrhoea tablets Suncream It s a good idea to keep anti-diarrhoea medicine at home as diarrhoea can happen without warning. Causes include food poisoning and a stomach virus. Keep a suncream of at least factor 15, with UVA protection. Exposure to the sun can cause sunburn and increase your risk of skin cancer. 7
Your pharmacist can help Your local pharmacist can help with many ailments including coughs, colds, asthma, eczema, hay fever, cystitis and period pain. They can give advice or, where appropriate, medicines that can help clear up the problem. They also provide advice on healthy living such as stopping smoking and eating healthily. Most pharmacies are open until late and at weekends, and many have a quiet area where you can talk to a Pharmacist in private. You do not need an appointment to see your Pharmacist. Community pharmacists will also take back any medicines that are no longer required, or are out of date, to ensure they are disposed of correctly. Some pharmacists can also prescribe prescription-only medicines for certain medical conditions. Contact us NHS Wiltshire CCG, Southgate House, Pans Lane, Devizes, SN10 5EQ www.wiltshireccg.nhs.uk communications.wiltshireccg@nhs.net www.twitter.com/nhswiltshireccg www.facebook.com/nhswiltshireccg 8