Booking Urgent Appointments

If a patient rings for an urgent appointment they will be asked to speak to the duty doctor first. The doctor will assess the patient and agree a plan with them. The plan might include referral to a nurse practitioner or practice nurse, collecting a prescription or attending an appointment with a doctor that day. The receptionists cannot by-pass this system. Please be assured that patients who have an urgent medical problem will be seen.

Patient Survey

We have recently undertaken another Patient satisfaction survey.
Thanks to those of you who completed one of the questionnaires during your visit to the surgery over the past few weeks. The questionnaires have now been sent off for analysis, and the results are expected back in about four week’s time.
At the end of January we will be asking our newly formed ‘Patient Group’ to meet with us to consider the results of the survey. After that we will be feeding back results and outcomes to all patients via our website, Blog and Patient newsletter.

Coleridge Medical Centre Patient Participation group

We have recently formed our first Patient participation group. The group met for the first time in early December, and will be meeting again in late January to discuss the results of the recent patient survey.

The aim is to bring together a cross section of patients representing a variety of age groups, who will have different perspectives and experiences as patients of the medical centre.
The purpose of the group will be to consider the range and quality of services provided by the Practice. Members will be invited to meet with Practice representatives to discuss Patient and Practice issues and priorities, as well as any planned changes in the Practice.
The outcomes of meetings will be displayed periodically in the surgery, on the website and in the Practice Newsletter.

Christmas Opening Hours

The Coleridge Medical Centre's Christmas Opening Hours:


Thursday 22nd December - OPEN
Friday 23rd December - OPEN
Monday 26th December - CLOSED
Tuesday 27th December - CLOSED
Wednesday 28th December - OPEN
Thursday 29th December - OPEN
Friday 30th December - OPEN
Monday 2nd January - CLOSED
Tuesday 3rd January - OPEN



Remember to order your repeat medication in plenty of time for Christmas and New Year Bank Holidays.



*The Surgery would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas*

IPQ - Improving Practice Questionnaire

Over the next few weeks, we will be asking patients to participate in a Patient survey which will help us to assess how you feel about the service we offer to our patients.

The questionnaire we use is a validated survey tool that is accredited for General Practice use, and we have used it many times before in this Practice.

It will ask you about your views of the Practice and the quality of care you have received from staff.

Your responses will help the Practice to focus on areas for improvement.

If you would like to complete a questionnaire please ask one of our Receptionists at the Front Desk.

We very much appreciate your help.

Seasonal Flu

Have you booked your Flu Jab yet?

We are nearing the end of our Flu Campaign, if you would like a Flu Jab and have not yet made an appointment, please call our Receptionists on 01404 814447 to arrange an appointment.

Messages to Patients using Text (SMS) and Email

We have had a good response from patients who would be happy to receive electronic messages from us, but we would like to encourage more of you to consider this option.
With your permission we can now arrange to contact you via email or Text message (SMS).
We will only text or email you with messages that are relevant to your ongoing health care e.g. appointment confirmation and reminder, test results, health screening opportunities etc.
If you would like to receive messages from us via email or text (SMS) please complete a consent form so that we can record your agreement on your patient record.
Forms are available on the Reception & Prescription desks, in the Branch Surgeries and also on our website

Debit Card Payments

We now have the facilities to process payments by Debit card. Unfortunately we are unable to accept payment by Credit card.

Disruption in the Car Park

We would like to make all of our patients aware of the disruption which will be experienced in the car park on Monday 21st November, as there will be some tree work around the perimeter of the car park.
Parking spaces will be in short supply. Please remember the car park is for patients with limited mobility.

Thank you,

Get better without using antibiotics!

The European Antibiotic Awareness Day is on Friday 18th November.
For more information on how to get better without using antibiotics follow www.nhs.uk/antibiotics

News for Patients who are Carers

Health and well being checks will be offered from November 2011 to newly identified Carers

We will shortly be able to offer health and well being checks to more of our patients who are Carers. If you have not previously undertaken a health check as part of our Carers project, then you will be eligible under the new scheme for a full health and well being check with one of our trained nurses. This will be followed by a review appointment for a further check in six months time.

If you have recieved a Carers check fairly recently then you may be entitled to a six month review appointment. If this is the case you will be contacted by one of our Carers team.

IF YOU ARE A CARER AND HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY HAD A CARERS CHECK THEN PLEASE LET ONE OF THE RECEPTIONISTS KNOW SO THAT WE CAN ARRANGE TO CONTACT YOU TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT.

*************************************************************************************

*PLEASE SEE THE NEW CARERS INFORMATION BOARD IN THE WAITING ROOM
which will display information about services available to Carers via the Virtual Carers Centre*

The Devon Virtual Carers Centre
Carer support line tel. 084556 434 435
Monday - Friday 8am - 6pm and Saturday Mornings

The Devon virtual Carers Centre has been established at Westbank, this will not be a physical building, but will be accessed through a new carer support helpline, a single telephone number that will be open from 8am - 6pm Monday to Friday and on Saturday mornings, with a local support service being available near to where you live.
This new service will consolidate and build on current services including: Devon Carers Link, Making Space, Learning disability Carer support and Devon Young Carers, and Health and well being checks for Carers.

Job Vacancy - Finance Administrator

Would you like to work at the Coleridge Medical Centre? We have a vacancy for a Finance Administrator.
For more details follow this link - http://www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk/jobscmc.html

National Stress Day

Today is National Stress Day!

Follow the link below for advice on how to cope with stress

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress/pages/treatment.aspx

How healthy are you?

Try the NHS Lifecheck challenge!

Self Care Week 2011

Self Care Week 2011 aims to embed self care across all walks of life by 'helping people to take care of themselves', especially those with a long term condition, by learning more about how they can look after their own health better. Self care is keeping fit and healthy, as well as how you take medicines, treat minor ailments, and seek help when you need it; and if you have a long term condition it’s about understanding that condition and how to live with it on a day to day basis.

http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/Yourhealth/Pages/self-care-week-2011.aspx

When we are Closed

If you have a life threatening emergency when we are closed please dial 999. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until we are open, the doctor on call can be contacted by telephoning the surgery number on 01404 814447. Your call will automatically transfer to the out of hours service. Devon Doctors can also be contacted directly on 0845 6710 270. Medical advice can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647.

Booking Urgent Appointments

If a patient rings for an urgent appointment they will be asked to speak to the duty doctor first. The doctor will assess the patient and agree a plan with them. The plan might include referral to a nurse practitioner or practice nurse, collecting a prescription or attending an appointment with a doctor that day. The receptionists cannot by-pass this system. Please be assured that patients who have an urgent medical problem will be seen.

Self Care

There has been plenty in the press concerning pressures on the NHS and that most of us could do more to look after ourselves in a healthy way, whether it's brushing teeth, treating minor ailments at home, doing some exercise or eating healthily.

If you have a long term condition there are extra things you may need to consider. Patients with long term conditions are invited to Expert Patients Programme. This is a self management course which is free for patients who live with a long term health condition.

The course looks at ways to help you manage living with your health condition. Participants report they have felt more confident and more in control of their lives since doing this course.

A similar course is available for anyone with caring responsibilities for someone with a long term health condition or disability, called the "Looking After Me" course.

To reserve your place on these courses or speak to the organiser, please contact 0800 073 0792 (calls to this number are free). Leave your name and telephone number and a member of the team will call you back.

The Expert Patient Programme and Looking After Me are services commissioned by NHS Devon.

Ottery St Mary Medical Trust

The Trust was established in 1990 to provide equipment and facilities that are not normally available from the National Health Service e.g. nebulisers, heart and blood pressure monitors. Funds are received in the form of donations and bequests usually from patients and their families. Donations are always welcome and can be made through Anne Maher (Trust Secretary) or any of the GP Partners (The Trustees). The registered charity number for the Trust is 1002091.

Medicines that are no longer required

Please note that we cannot accept any medicines that are no longer required. These should be returned to the pharmacy from which they were obtained.

Staff News

Welcome to Helen Wakelin, Health Care Assistant. Helen has been covering maternity leave and will job share with Emma Mullenger. We also say hello to Gaenor Wearing who has a dual role as PA to the Practice Manager and Medical Secretary.

Car Park

Our car park is continually congested with cars, many of which could be parked in the Land of Canaan car park. We are concerned at the number of minor bumps and near misses and if you park in our car park, you do so at your own risk. Please park considerately in the designated bays, otherwise you may be asked to move your vehicle before you can attend your appointment. Thank you for your co operation.

Those attending flu clinics are asked to park in Land of Canaan car park.

Fundraising

Dr Sam Cole and Dr Kate Gurney have just completed a fundraising swim for The Oxford Craniofacial Unit. This is the only centre in the UK for people with some of the rarer craniofacial conditions. Dr Cole and Dr Gurney swam from Europe to Asia across Dardonelles (one of the world's busiest shipping lanes). If you would like to support them please visit their fundraising webpage at www.justgiving.com/samantha-cole1

Announcement for Patients Registered with Dr Siggers

Dr Siggers will be leaving the practice on 30th September to move to Hampshire with her family.

We hope that Dr Siggers' patients will continue their care with Dr Sally Caswell who is currently working here as a locum GP.

We would like to thank Dr Siggers for the care she has provided for patients and we wish her all the very best for the future.

Messages to Patients using Text (SMS) and Email

We have had a good response from patients who would be happy to receive electronic messages from us, but we would like to encourage more of you to consider this option. With your permission we can now arrange to contact you via email or Text message (SMS). We will only text or email you with messages that are relevant to your ongoing health care e.g. appointment confirmation and reminder, test results, health screening opportunities etc. If you would like to receive messages from us via email or text (SMS) please complete a consent form so that we can record your agreement on your patient record. Forms are available on the Reception & Prescription desks, in the Branch Surgeries and also on our website.

Twitter

Follow us on Twitter for all the latest Coleridge News!
Our username is Coleridgeonline.

August Bank Holiday

Monday 29th August is a Bank Holiday therefore we will be closed.

We will open again on Tuesday 30th August 2011.

WHEN WE ARE CLOSED - If you have a life threatening emergency please dial 999. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until we are open, the emergency duty doctor on call can be contacted by telephoning the surgery number on 01404 814447. Your call will automatically be transfered to the out of hours service. Alternatively Devon Doctors on Call can be contacted directly on 08456 710 270. Please note that for your safety Devon Doctors record all calls. Medical advice can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or from your local pharmacy.If you require a routine appointment or have a general enquiry please contact us during our usual opening hours.

Dr Barrow returns

We are pleased to welcome Dr Barrow back as our Registrar. Dr Barrow will be with us for the next year.

Book your Seasonal Flu Injections

We are now able to book your Seasonal Flu Injection. The clinics start on Tuesday 20th September. Please telephone the surgery (after 10:00am) if you would like an injection and: -

• are over 65 years old


• live in a residential or nursing home

Or if you suffer from any of the following conditions:

• Chronic respiratory disease


• Asthma


• Suppression of your immune system (eg Splenectomy, Chemotherapy)


• Chronic heart disease


• Chronic renal failure


• Chronic liver disease


• Diabetes mellitus


• Stroke


• Multiple Sclerosis or Central Nervous System Degeneration
  

OR are: -

• A Registered Carer


• Pregnant

Magazines for the Surgery

We appreciate all the magazines which we are given by our patients, however we are only able to accept magazines that are within 3 months of date. This allows us to keep the reading material in the Waiting Room up to date and current for our patients to enjoy

Fantastic News

We are the first Practice in East Devon to have a student nurse allocated to us for a placement!Lets hope its the first of many.

Seasonal Flu Appointments for SystmOnline Users

If you use SystmOnline to order your repeat prescriptions, you can now also book your Flu appointment!
Flu Clinics begin in September and appointments are available to book now.
More dates will be added later.

Please remember that for these Flu Clinics, parking in the Coleridge Car Park is for Disabled patients only.

Dr Cole's Fundraising

Dr Sam Cole is planning a fundraising swim at the end of August. Along with Dr Kate Gurney they will be swimming from Europe to Asia across the Dardonelles, the worlds busiest shipping lane. If you would like to support Sam please visit her fundraising webpage on https://web.nhs.net/owa/redir.aspx?C=4e8f2833ec274f06a4759be5d6d2d866&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.justgiving.com%2fsamantha-cole1Thank you

Whimple Branch Surgery

We are now able to offer Nurse appointments to all of our patients at our Whimple Branch Surgery.

The Nurses offer all routine appointments e.g. blood tests, Blood Pressure checks, dressings, ECG's, hypertension reviews etc.

The only appointmens which they can not offer at Whimple are :-
-1 Audiograms
-2 24 hr BP /cardiocall/24hr ECG monitor fittings
-3 Coils
-4 Spirometry at present but hope to address that soon
-5 Yellow fever vaccinations
-6 Cryotherapy

In the near future the Whimple Branch Surgery will be in regular use, allowing us to see patients in both Whimple and Ottery.

It will become common that you may receive letters inviting you for checks at the Whimple Branch Surgery, this is to allow us to increase the number of patients which we can see.

If you are unsure as to where the Whimple Branch Surgery is, then please do not hesitate to contact us.

Research

It has been a busy year for our research team and we are grateful to the sixty people who have agreed to take part in a wide range of studies. Thank you to those who may have volunteered but did not quite fit the required criteria for study.

Last year we recruited patients to the 'SNIFS' (Steam Inhalation and Nasal Irrigation For recurrent Sinusitis) research project run by the University of Southampton. We have just started a pilot study organised by the University of Warwick called 'DDELPHI' (Doctor Delivered Physical activity Intervention) in which a select group of six people are given a pedometer and measure the number of steps they take in a week. These studies are long term, but eventually we will be able to report results in our newsletter.

We also work with our local researchers at the RD&E Hospital and Peninsula Medical School. The Diabetes department is particularly active and diabetic patients get regular invitations to take part in studies. This research is very useful in developing treatment in the long term but there is no pressure on anyone to take part. Please let us know if you would prefer not to be contacted.

Seeking the Views of Patients

We are keen to seek the views of our patients from time to time regarding the range and quality of the service that we provide.
We are continually working to maintain and improve the service we provide in the Practice, and your feedback would be invaluable to help us gauge the effectiveness of some of our plans and decisions.

Using email, we would like to recruit a small group of patients who would be willing to respond to the occasional short survey. This group will be formed from a random selection of patients who have consented to receive emails from us.

If you are willing to help us in this way we would be pleased to hear from you, please ensure that you have completed a consent form to receive email from us. You can do this by following the Link on our website http://www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk/smsandemails.html or completing a form at the Reception desk.

If you are willing to take part in our surveys please send an email headed ‘Patient Reference Group’ to coleridgemedicalcentre@nhs.net

Surgery Closing Times

On Wednesday 29th June 2011 we will be closing at 6.00pm.
We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Seasonal Flu Injections

We are now able to book your Seasonal Flu Injection. The clinics start on Tuesday 20th September. Please telephone the surgery (after 10:00am) if you would like an injection and: -

• are over 65 years old


• live in a residential or nursing home

Or if you suffer from any of the following conditions:

• Chronic respiratory disease


• Asthma


• Suppression of your immune system (eg Splenectomy, Chemotherapy)


• Chronic heart disease


• Chronic renal failure


• Chronic liver disease


• Diabetes mellitus


• Stroke


• Multiple Sclerosis or Central Nervous System Degeneration

OR are: -

• A Registered Carer


• Pregnant

Carers Project

The Carers Project in its current form ended on the 31 March 2011. We joined this Pilot Project in the first stage in July 2008 providing support and advice appointments for Carers. In the second phase starting in March 2010 the appointments became more structured, with a preparatory workbook for Carers to complete, and the option of a vascular check when indicated. Both pilots have been subject to an evaluation study carried out by the University of Plymouth, and direct feedback to the NHS, to support the development of new policies focusing on the welfare of all Carers.

When we started in 2008 we had very limited awareness of how many of our patients were Carers. To date we have now identified 302 Carers and provided 194 of them with Carers check appointments and ongoing support and advice. For the future we await details of new specification for Carers Support in Devon. More details on this when available, will be posted on our website and included in the next Practice Newsletter.

*Carers Week 13th - 19th June 2011*

Travel Advice

If you are going to travel abroad please plan your health requirements as soon as you book your trip. We prefer not to give travel advice by email or phone. Instead we ask that you go to the website www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk, print out the travel advice for each country you intend to visit and then make an appointment in our travel clinic. Please bring your print out with you. The nurse will discuss your health requirements and start treatment as required.

Fundraising

The practice team regularly raises funds for charity. Beneficiaries of this year's efforts are Cancer Research, Children in Need, Zambia Appeal, Devon Community Foundation, Hospiscare, Help Scheme and Comic Relief. We would like to thank everyone who has generously donated prizes, baked cakes, invented all sorts of ingenious ways to get us to part with our money and of course all those who give so generously to such worthwhile causes. In addition we would like to thank patients, visitors and staff who donated to the Poppy Appeal. You raised £82.23.

Disruption in June

We would like to make all of our patients aware of some disruptions which we will be experiencing during June 2011:

During the week commencing 6th June our builders will be refurbishing the patient toilet next to the Nurses suite. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

From the week commencing 13th June for a period of approximately 4 weeks, South West Water will be replacing the mains water pipes along Canaan Way. Our entrance will be between two sets of traffic lights which may make entering and exiting the car park difficult. Please use the public car park at Land of Canaan whenever possible.

Messages to Patients using Email and Text (SMS)

We have had a good response from patients who would be happy to receive electronic messages from us, but we would like to encourage more of you to consider this option. With your permission we can now arrange to contact you via email or Text message (SMS). We will only text or email you with messages that are relevant to your ongoing health care e.g. appointment confirmation and reminder, test results, health screening opportunities etc. If you would like to receive messages from us via email or text (SMS) please complete a consent form so that we can record your agreement on your patient record. Forms are available on the Reception & Prescription desks, in the Branch Surgeries and also on our website.

New Surgery Times

From 19th May 2011 Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons will change their work patterns. Dr Cole will see patients on Monday afternoons, Wednesday mornings and Thursday mornings and afternoons. Dr Gibbons will see patients on Monday mornings, Tuesday mornings and afternoons and Friday afternoons. Dr Stuart will move her Whimple to Monday mornings and Dr Cole will be at Whimple on Wednesday mornings.

Dr Jean Brown

Dr Brown has reduced her hours. To make her list of patients more manageable it has been necessary to reduce Dr Brown's list size. Patients who are affected by these changes have been informed that they will be transferred to the care 0f Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons.

Bank Holidays Approaching

WE WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 22nd TO MONDAY 25th APRIL AND FRIDAY 29th APRIL TO MONDAY 2nd MAY.

Please order your repeat prescription so that you do not run out of medication over the bank holiday period.

WHEN WE ARE CLOSED

If you have a life threatening emergency please dial 999. If you have an urgent medical problem that cannot wait until we are open, the emergency duty doctor on cal can be contacted by telephoning the surgery number on 01404 814447. Your call will automatically be transfer to the out of hours service. Alternatively Devon Doctors on Call can be contacted directly on 08456 710 270. Please note that for your safety Devon Doctors record all calls. Medical advice can be obtained from NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or from your local pharmacy.

If you require a routine appointment or have a general enquiry please contact us during our usual opening hours.

Appointments

We are currently experiencing a huge demand for appointments and at the same time there are quite a few occasions when patients have not kept their appointment. If you no longer need your appointment or you are unable to attend, please telephone to let us know so that we can then offer the appointment to someone else. Missed appointments waste valuable clinical time and delay others being seen.

Login to our site and order your medication online

Sign up for online access by coming to the reception desk with your photo ID. You will be issued with a username and password.

Login via the login tab on our homepage.

Currently this only allows you to order medication securely and rapidly online but we have plans for other facilities in the future!

Website back online

After a stormy few days switching web hosts our web site is back up and running. We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

You will find a new format and revised content. We hope you like it!

Celebrating succes for the Carers project!

Congratulations to the Carers Team and all staff and GP's on a tremendous achievement in the second phase of the Devon Carers Project. This has been a tremendous team effort and every member of the Practice has played a part in some way.

• Final number of checks achieved 200(201?) exceeding our target of 194 and achieving a bonus payment for reaching target.


• PK's weekly drop-in sessions since January have been well received.


• Number of recorded Carers has risen from 192 last November to a final total of 303.


• Many of our patients have benefited significantly from being identified as Carers, and have taken advantage of the support and guidance that has been offered.

We have been very fortunate here in Ottery to have been supported and inspired by one of our GP's who is lead GP for the Devon Carers Project. This has had a huge impact on the acceptance and support for Carers amongst GP's and staff in East Devon, and particularly in this Practice.

Newton Poppleford Surgery

Unfortunately our Newton Poppleford Branch Surgery will be closed on Friday 1st April due to unforseen circumstances. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you.
The Coleridge Medical Centre, Ottery St Mary will be open as usual.

Join our team?

We are currently looking for a PA to our Practice Manager / Medical Secretary.

25 hours per week

Salary negotiable

Suitable candidates will have excellent organisational and communication skills. You will be asked to demonstrate good touch and audio typing & IT skills including use of Microsoft Office suite. An understanding of medical terminology is desirable.

Please ring 01404 814447 or download an application pack.

 

Closing date for completed applications is 13^th April 2011

Spring gardening time

On Monday 28th March our boundary shrubs will be trimmed. There will be a wood chipper on site and as a result there will be reduced access to our car park. We ask able bodied patients and visitors to please park in the public car park next door to the surgery. We would prefer that our car park is used only by those with limited mobility.

Carers Project

The Carers Project in its current form is due to end on the 31st March 2011. We joined this Pilot Project in the first stage in July 2008 providing support and advice appointments for Carers. In the second phase starting in March 2010 the appointments became more structured, with a preparatory workbook for Caers to complete, and the option of a vascular check when indicated. Both pilots have been subject to an evaluation study carried out by the University of Plymouth, and direct feedback to the NHS, to support the development of new policies focusing on the welfare of all Carers and provided 194 of them with Carers check appointments and ongoing support and advice.

All our planned appointments for Carers checks for this project have now been booked, but we can still offer some short appointments for support and advice until the end of March. If there are any Carers who feel they have missed out on a Carers check appointment do let us know and we will do our best to accomodate you.

For the future we await details of the new specification for Carers Support in Devon. More details on this when available, will be posted on our website and included in the next Practice Newsletter.

Messages to patients using email and Text (SMS)

We have had a good response so far from patients who would be happy to receive electronic messages from us, but we would like to encourage more of you to consider this option. If you have any questions or concerns our Receptionists should be able to help you.

With your consent we can now arrange to contact you via email or Text Message (SMS) we will only text or email you with messages that are relevant to your ongoing health care e.g. appointment confirmation and reminders, test results, health screening opportunities etc.

We respect your privacy and will only contact you in this way if you give us your permission. If you would like to receive messages from us via email or text (SMS) you will need to complete a consent from so that we can record your agreement on your patient record.

To take advantage of this service, please contact the surgery to complete a consent form. Forms are available on the Reception & Prescription desks, in the Branch Surgeries and also on our website.