What to do when we are closed

 We will be closed on 1st January 2015     If there is a life threatening emergency please ring 999.   Please do not attend Accident and Emergency with routine problems or problems that can wait until we reopen.    If you need any medical assistance that cannot wait until we reopen please ring 111.

GP appointments are now available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from Devon Primary Link at Honiton Hospital.  To book an appointment please phone 01392 269486.  The bookable appointment line is open Thursday and Friday 0800 to 1800.

We wish all our patients, staff and friends  a happy New Year.

News update about Dr King

Dr King has recently been away from work.  We are very sorry to announce that he has recently been diagnosed with a brain tumour.   Unfortunately this means that he will not be returning to the practice for the foreseeable future.  We appreciate that this is distressing and difficult news not only for Dr King’s immediate family and friends but also for those of us who work with him, his own patients and our wider community.  We hope to be able to publish updates from time to time but would ask that you respect the family’s privacy and not ask our staff for further details at this difficult and uncertain time. 

In our newsletter we highlighted that we are, like many other GP practices, struggling to cope with demand for appointments and recruit and retain doctors.   Please be assured that we are actively recruiting for permanent doctors and in the meantime engaging temporary ones to help with the workload. 

From 1^st February 2015 and with immediate effect for Dr King’s patients, you will be asked to book with the doctor who you will then continue to see for that episode of care.  Our web site and newsletter give further details of this new system and how to access GP appointments at weekends and on bank holidays. 

Please also note that pharmacists can offer advice and often treatment for minor ailments and self limiting illness such as coughs, colds, aches, pains, sore throat, blocked nose, diarrhoea and vomiting. 

We would like to thank staff, patients and colleagues for your continued support and hope that you will continue to bear with us through this challenging time.

Ebola update

You may be aware of the patient currently undergoing ebola tests at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, as well as the confirmed Scottish case.    If you need more information about Ebola please go to the Public Health England’s online question-and-answer sheet at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ebola-public-health-questions-and-answers

Staff training 1.00pm - 2.00pm Wednesday 24th December 2014

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Wednesday 24th December 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Staff training 1.00pm - 2.00pm Wednesday 17th December

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Wednesday 17th December 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Christmas and New Year opening times plus weekend GP appointments

We will be closed on 25th December and will reopen on 29th December.  We will close again on 1st January 2015 and then reopen as usual after that.     If there is a life threatening emergency please ring 999.   Please do not attend Accident and Emergency with routine problems or problems that can wait until we reopen.    If you need any medical assistance that cannot wait until we reopen please ring 111.

Dont forget to order  your repeat medication and stock up on over the counter medicines.

GP appointments are now available on Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays from Devon Primary Link at Honiton Hospital.  To book an appointment please phone 01392 269486.  The bookable appointment line is open Thursday and Friday 0800 to 1800.

We wish all our patients, staff and friends a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year.

Changes to the way we look after you

Over the past few years we have been subject to a number of  retirements and changes to our GP team.  We know this has significant impact, not only on the practice team, but also on our patients.  We are particularly aware of those of you who have had to re register a number of times with new doctors. 

We have been discussing ways to make sure we continue to provide a safe service to you and better manage changes to our doctor team so that patients are less affected.  We would like to take this opportunity to describe a new way of working which will be implemented from 1st February 2015.

Our practice is committed to patient centred care, to provide a high quality medical service and make sure every patient has a named GP who oversees their care.  We also have a duty of care to ensure that an individual doctor’s workload is sustainable.

From February 2015 all GPs will:

· consult with patients (face to face, telephone and visits). 

· make referrals to and action letters back from other healthcare providers including hospitals.   

· request, follow up and action results for tests and investigations

· follow up and manage on going conditions

In addition GP Partners, that is Drs Chris Dilley, Simon Kerr, Kate Gurney, Matt King, Nigel de Sousa and Emma Stuart will:

· divide 16,000+ patients between them on a ratio dependent on the number of sessions they work

· oversee the care of patients on their list and delegate on-going care and consultations to non partner GPs

· also be responsible for medication reviews, carrying out quality and safety audits including prescribing and quality and outcomes framework. 

· carry out non clinical work and other management functions

What does this mean for you?

In the past we have asked you to  see your own GP.  From February 2015 you will be asked who is dealing with your problem.  If it is a new problem you will be asked to see your registered doctor or one of the other GPs.

This model allows for:

· an increase/decrease in GPs and GP Partners. 

· a direct line of care management to be followed even if a GP partner does not do the consultation.

 · continuity of care and improved access through delegation to non partner GPs.

· time to manage paperwork for an increased list size and clinical responsibility.

· the national difficulty in recruiting GPs as well as changes in general practice culture

In addition our clinical team will continue to provide care as follows:

Nurse Practitioners

Philly Evans and Chris Hellier work  autonomously to see, treat and prescribe medicines for patients with acute minor illnesses and conditions.    

Practice Nurses

We have six qualified and experienced practice nurses who will work closely with patients to manage long term and chronic disease.  They also provide a wide range of additional nursing services including vaccines and immunisations, travel, contraception, stop smoking and treatment room services. 

Healthcare Assistants HCA)

HCAs work under the guidance of the Practice Nurses to provide blood tests, INR, health checks, dressings, ECGs, swabs, inhaler techniques, spirometer and blood pressure testing (for patients who are not suitable for self monitoring).

Local Pharmacists

Confidential (and in a private consulting room if available/requested) expert advice and often treatment for minor ailments including coughs, colds, high temperature, blocked nose, sore throat, aches, pains and headaches, hay fever and allergies, insect bites and stings, indigestion and diarrhoea, constipation and haemorrhoids, heartburn, contact dermatitis and minor skin infections, warts and verrucas, athlete’s foot, mouth ulcers, cold sores, conjunctivitis, earache, thrust, cystitis, nappy rash, head lice and threadworms.  Pharmacists also advise on wellbeing and prescription queries and concerns including a review of your current medications.

News about our doctors…….

We are very pleased to announce that Dr Sally Caswell and Dr Sarah Fletcher have joined our team on a permanent basis. We look forward to working with them both.

We recently said goodbye to Dr Tom Owens, who has taken up a partnership position in a mid–Devon practice.  We will also say goodbye at the end of January to Dr Michelle Bailey.  She will leave us to be closer to home in an Exeter practice.  In the meantime we are maintaining our service with a dedicated and experienced group of locum doctors.

Wheezy Chesty Coughs, colds, earaches and sore throats

We are currently experiencing a high number of children with wheezy, chesty coughs and croup.  Please access the patient information leaflet "When Should I Worry" to see if your child needs an urgent appointment for a cough, cold, earache and or sore throat.  Further information can be found on our Family Health pages and the leaflet can be downloaded here

Honiton MIU

The opening hours of Honiton Minor Injuries unit will be reduced to 10am to 6pm tomorrow, Friday 5th December. This is due to vacancies and staff sickness.

Put Patients First (RCGP Campaign)

We have just marked the first anniversary of the College’s “Put Patients First: Back - General Practice Campaign”, calling for an increase in the proportion of the NHS budget going to General Practice from 8% to 11% by 2017 and an extra 8,000 GPs for England by 2022. We are also just five months from a General Election so it is crucial that we keep up the momentum.

GPs have the most varied role in the NHS. We value the relationships we develop with patients over time and we put the quality of care that we deliver to our patients above anything else. We have a special role to play in the NHS because of our expertise as generalists and our location in local communities. Patients, especially the elderly, prefer to be cared for in the community, avoiding, wherever possible, trips to A&E or costly hospital admissions. We are experts in managing long-term conditions and multi-morbidities.

If we invested in General Practice, over three million patients a year could be treated more cost effectively by GPs in the community rather than in A&E. Vulnerable patients could be cared for at home, where they prefer to be treated, and the pressure on Secondary Care would be eased in the process. But at a time when we should be spending more on general practice, we are cutting back. The share of the NHS budget going to general practice fell from 10.7% to 8.4% between 2005 and 2012.

At the same time, demand for GPs’ services has increased. GPs manage 90% of all patient contacts in the NHS and we make a mammoth 360,000 patient consultations a year - 60,000 more than even five years ago. With a growing and ageing population, patients with multiple and complex illnesses are growing in number, yet the chronic shortage of GPs is making it difficult for us to care properly for our patients.
Around 80% of GPs say they are insufficiently resourced and even lack enough GPs to provide high quality care for their patients. The pressures have become so great that many talented, dedicated GPs are retiring early, going abroad or taking up other careers. More than 1,000 GPs will leave the profession each year by 2022 – and we are not attracting sufficient numbers of medical graduates into General Practice to stem the flow.
Despite the problems currently besetting our profession, we must ‘big up’ General Practice for the fantastic career that it is and encourage more medical students to become GPs. We also need to make it easier for GPs who have spent time away from practice to return by reducing the amount of red tape with which they are currently confronted.

Our proposals to increase the NHS budget for General Practice are winning support in high places. NHS England’s ‘Five Year Forward View’ published recently assesses how to set the NHS on a financially sustainable footing for the future. It calls for funding to be shifted from hospitals back into GP services in the community, for the number of GPs in training to be expanded and for incentives to encourage more GPs into under-doctored areas.

The three main political parties must now get behind this and make it happen. They are making noises in the right direction, but we need firm commitments - professional and public pressure on them can have an effect. We have already handed in a petition of over 300,000 signatures in support of Put Patients First: Back General Practice to 10 Downing Street and the three devolved governments. But we can still do more.
We ask you as medical professionals – and your patients - to support our campaign so that we can give patients in Devon the care that they need and deserve. You can find more information about the campaign here: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/campaign-home/about.aspx

by Dr Maureen Baker, Chair of the Royal College of GPs Council (extracted by the Devon LMC Newsletter December 15)

Friends and Family Test

You can now complete a Friends and Family Test questionnaire online or in the practice.  Tell us if you are likely to recommend us to your family and friends and tell us why you gave your response. Results from the Friends and Family Test will be published on our web site.

GP Ratings - The Dangers of Flawed Data

This week the health watchdog, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), published a list of rankings for the risk of providing poor care in general practice. The aim has been to give the public information regarding their surgeries and the quality of the services that they are offering. But are the rankings accurate or will they cause unnecessary anxiety

No serious professional would question the right of the public to know exactly what quality they are getting from their services, and this is even more the case when that service may mean the difference between life and death. General practice is an important part of many people’s lives, providing most of us with our entry point into the NHS. In fact for the vast majority it is the only contact we have with the health service from one year’s end to the next, as general practice deals with 90% of cases in house without any need for onward referral to hospital. For over 50 million of us, general practice is the only experience we will have of the NHS in the next 12 months, so these figures matter. The big question is are they reliable.

To answer this question we need to understand what the figures mean. They are an expression of the raw data gathered on each practice across a range of performance indicators and which CQC inspectors then use to guide their questions and inquiries when they visit the practice on an inspection. The data is bundled together and given a simple score from 1 to 6, the score of 1 marking a significant potential worry. In short these rankings are therefore the raw data that helps to guide the inspection process, but they are not the results of the inspection itself. It is not set in any context and is therefore free of any meaning. The CQC is clear about this in its declaration that these rankings “do not amount to a judgement of practices”, but the danger, of course, is that this is how the rankings will be seen by public and professionals alike.

In my everyday work as a GP I see many people who present with symptoms that are a very clear cause for concern. The likelihood is that the person sitting before me has some minor illness that is very simple and of no significant threat to them. However, their symptoms and the results of my examination may leave open the possibility of some much more serious diagnosis. I therefore arrange further more detailed tests to establish the diagnosis definitively before making any pronouncement. In ordering these tests I am at pains to explain to the patient what we are doing and why. I take time to set out clearly the extremely unlikely but potentially devastating diagnosis that we seek to exclude. What I do not do is scare them half to death with the blunt statement “You’ll need a test. You might have cancer.”

This is effectively what the CQC have done in publishing this data before the inspections have taken place and without any attempt to establish its validity. Of course there will be some practices within the cohort giving concern that do in fact turn out after inspection to have genuine problems. Some may even be deemed unsafe. For many, however, there will be perfectly good reasons to explain why they have recorded apparently low scores when the care they deliver is in fact excellent. There are 101 reasons why data can be skewed and it is not until one drills down in detail that it can be established whether the cause for concern is genuine.

For example, in Somerset this year an innovative deal has been reached that frees practices of the box-ticking bureaucracy linked to a scheme called QOF (the GP Quality and Outcomes Framework). This has allowed practices to do even more of their exemplary work as resources can be focused where they really matter - at the sharp end with patients who need them. In return a few boxes are left un-ticked. Better care, fewer ticks. Crucially, the CQC indicators are driven by those ticks, which raises the possibility that the rankings are completely inaccurate in Somerset. A similar scheme operated last year in Devon and Cornwall, raising doubts about the rankings’ accuracy there also.

The public deserves an accurate and robust inspection regime to assure quality in general practice. What it has been given in these misleading figures is a half baked and distorted picture that is likely to cause serious anxiety. General practice is close to collapse with chronic under funding and severe workforce shortages. It is likely that, for the first time ever, 2015 will see significant numbers of people simply unable to find a GP as some surgeries close their doors forever. On this background the public and the profession deserve better than this shoddy approach from a watchdog that is supposed to be the guardian of quality.

Dr Mark Sanford-Wood

Devon Local Medical Committee

20^th November 2014

Staff training 1.00pm - 2.00pm Thursday 20th November

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Thursday 20th November 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

How to get help for a minor injury

IF YOU HAVE A MINOR INJURY

THE NEAREST MINOR INJURIES UNIT IS

HONITON HOSPITAL

OPEN FROM

0800 UNTIL 22OO

Minor injuries are usually cuts, grazes, minor falls, animal bites, minor burns, bruising, sprains, strains, foreign bodies and minor bumps

OTTERY HOSPITAL MINOR INJURIES WILL BE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

THERE IS NO MINOR INJURY UNIT AT THE SURGERY

Staff training 1.00pm - 2.00pm Thursday 13th November

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Thursday 13th November 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Dr Sally Caswell

We are very pleased to be able to welcome Dr Sally Caswell to our practice team.   Many of you will know Dr Caswell as she has been working with us as a GP locum.  We are delighted that she has agreed to take up a permanent post here as from today.

Armistice Day

As a tribute to all those who lost their life fighting for their country we will be observing the two minute silence on Tuesday 11th November 2014 at 1100.

The Future of Community Health Services

The NEW Devon CCG has announced that the next public meeting on the future of community health services will be held on Wednesday 26th November 2014 at:-
The Institute,
Yonder Street
Ottery St Mary
EX11 1HD

1800 to 2000

If you would like to find out more about this event please contact Christy Thurlow on 01392 356117. Booking is not essential but is helpful for planning.

Minor Injuries

Tomorrow,  Thursday 6th November 2014, the minor injuries unit at Ottery Hospital will be closed.  The nearest minor injury unit to Ottery is Honiton Hospital.  Honiton is open from 0800 until 2200. There is no minor injury unit here at the surgery.

Minor injuries are usually cuts, grazes, minor falls, animal bites, minor burns, bruising, sprains, strains, foreign bodies and minor bumps.

Bonfire Night

Wishing Ottery St Mary and all our patients a safe and enjoyable tar barrel and bonfire night.  Here's the link to NHS Choices web site where you can find lots of info on firework safety.  http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/fireworksafety/Pages/Fireworksafety.aspx

Telephone cover Monday 20th October 2014

Our phone lines will be closed today between 12.00pm - 2.00pm

The surgery is however open as normal.

In a life threatening situation, please ring 999.  For urgent needs, please ring 111 where your call will be answered by an advisor who will ask some questions to assess your symptoms.

111 will give you the healthcare advice you need or direct you to the appropriate local service - for example, Devon Doctors, minor injuries unit, emergency dept, community nurse or Pharmacy.

Our phone lines will be open as normal from 2.00pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Staff training Thursday 16th October

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Thursday 16th October 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

They're back

Free seasonal flu vaccinations are now being offered to all eligible*patients.  Please book your appointment by telephoning 01404 814447 (after 1030 am please).  Please do not wait for us to write to you.  

* A flu vaccine is available free on the NHS for:

• anyone over the age of 65 

• pregnant women

• children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long-term heart or respiratory disease)

• children and adults with weakened immune systems

• adults over the age of 18 at risk of flu (including everyone over 65)

• children aged six months to two years at risk of flu

• children aged two to 18 years at risk of flu

• healthy children aged two, three and four years old

It is given as an annual injection to:

The flu vaccine is also given as an annual nasal spray to:

Despite popular belief, the flu vaccine cannot give you flu as it doesn't contain the active virus needed to do this.

The flu vaccine is available from October each year.

Health Services in Devon Are Changing

This includes changes in the way in which the following are provided:

Community hospitals
Community services
Stroke services
Minor injury units
Walk-in centres

The NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group would like to invite members of the public to a series of public meetings and drop-in sessions where you can find out more about these changes and how these may affect you.

If you would like to find out where the closest meeting is happening to you or you would like a copy of the proposals, but you don’t have access to the internet, please call Keri Ross on 01392 267680. Alternatively, you can email keri.ross@nhs.net

Details of all meeting dates and drop-in sessions can be found on the CCG website here:
www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/involve/whats-on/100405

Coleridge Medical Centre closed 1.00pm - 5.00pm Thursday 2nd October 2014 for staff training

Coleridge Medical Centre

CANAAN WAY • OTTERY ST MARY • DEVON EX11 1EQ

Telephone: 01404 814447 • Fax: 01404 816716 •

e-mail: coleridgemedicalcentre@nhs.net

Training Afternoon 

Please note on

Thursday 2^nd October 2014

The Coleridge Medical Centre will be closed

between 1:00pm and 5:00pm for staff training.

However the flu vaccination clinic and retinopathy clinic will run as normal. 

In an EMERGENCY please dial 999

If you have an URGENT problem please

ring:

NHS 111 service by dialling

1-1-1

For Medical advice please ring:

NHS 111 service by dialling 1 1 1

Staff training Thursday 25th September 2014

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Thursday 25th September 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Transforming Community Services more information and dates of meetings

Message from Dr David Jenner, Chair – Eastern Locality, NEW Devon Clinical Commissioning Group

Proposals for change: For more details on the CCG’s processes for Transforming Community Services please see the following webpage: http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/get-involved/community-services/101039

Dates of consultation meetings:  We will now commence a 12 week period of involving and consulting which will end  12^th December 2014. A series of public events and drop in session will run through the 12 week period and the dates of these meetings can be found here: http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/whats-on/transforming-community-services--eastern-events/101191 

The health and wellbeing scrutiny committees in Devon and Plymouth will also be kept up to date throughout to ensure the process for involving local people in these important proposals is fully scrutinised. This includes opportunities for each of the committees to examine the proposals.

Contact details for the CCG

You can contact the CCG through various ways and we want to hear from you.

Find us on the internet: NEW Devon CCG Website, Eastern Locality page: http://www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/eastern

Speak to us: 01392 356 082

Email us: D-CCG.EasternLocality@nhs.net

Write to us: Eastern Locality, Newcourt House, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JU

We are your local stop smoking service

The Stoptober challenge is just around the corner.

We're here for you when you are ready to quite smoking.  With us you are more likely to quit with the help of face to face support and the use of stop smoking medicines.

We are local and easy to access, you'll get a personalised programme of support and someone who understands your journey, whom you can confide in.  Plus you can test your carbon monoxide levels and see your progress.

Call us now to book your first appointment

FREE one day event

• Diagnosed in the last few years?
• Want more information?

Living with Diabetes - learn how to live well with Type 2 Diabetes.  Exeter, Wednesday 22 October 2014 at Exeter Racecourse.

To book:

• Go to www.diabetes.org.uk/LWDD
• Call 0345 123 2399
• Email lsdd@diabetes.org.uk

Learn how to maintain a healthy diet and become more confident in managing your diabetes day to day
Ask diabetes experts your questions and get practical up to date information
Meet other people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes

Living with Diabetes days are funded thanks to Diabetes UK's National Charity Partnership with Tesco.
Diabetes UK is a charity registered in England and Wales (215199) and in Scotland (SCO39136).

My Cancer Treatment

A new interactive website designed to help make informed decisions about where to access cancer services can by found at www.mycancertreatment.nhs.uk 

The My Cancer Treatment website shows where NHS services are available in England, for both common and rarer cancers.  It is updated monthly and includes information on 2,200 clinical services - such as waiting times, patient experience survey results and national benchmarking.

When we are closed over the August bank holiday

As the bank holiday approaches it is worth thinking about what you would do if you or a member of your family became unwell over the holiday period.  We recommend that you:-

• stock up on over the counter medicines.  Your pharmacist can also give you advice on treatments and products available.
• check you have enough prescription medicine to see you through the holidays and if you are going away pack enough for at least the duration of your holiday. 

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Please avoid using emergency/urgent services and hospital A&E departments for routine problems or for problems that can wait until we reopen.

We are closed on Monday 25th August 2014 . Otherwise we are open as usual.

Staff training 13th August

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Wednesday 13th August 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Note to self........

Please remember to come to your appointment; write it in your diary, put it in your phone or sign up for text message reminders.  Please cancel an appointment if you no longer need it so that someone else can use it.

Keep cool!

Click the link to  NHS choices for good advice about how to stay well during hot weather http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Summerhealth/Pages/Heatwave.aspx.  Don't forget to keep an eye on elderly and vulnerable neighbours and friends too.

If you need medical help or advice when we are closed please dial 111

Staff training

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesday 1st July 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Have you struggled to get an appointment today?

If so you are not alone.  Demand for GP services is increasing, there are more patients to see, more test results to read and more paperwork.  Many GP surgeries are simply overwhelmed.

We care about the current situation and want to work with patients and the government to find solutions to provide a better service.  The BMA is calling for long term sustainable investment in GP services now to:

Attract, retain and expand the number of GPs
Expand the number of practice staff
Improve the premises that GP services are provided from

Show your support for us.  Join the campaign at bma.org.uk/yourGPcares  Tell @The BMA on Twitter why you care about your GP practice #yourgpcares

The Future of General Practice

Did you know:-

• waiting times to see a GP or practice nurse are soaring
• Funding for general practice is plummeting
• Up to 100 practices in the UK - serving 700,000 patients face closure

You may also be aware that there is an acute shortage of doctors coming into GP training and a significant lack of local GPs able to cover as locums when our own doctors are on holiday, off sick etc.  

Dont let this be the future of general practice.  Join the campaign today by signing the petition at

www.putpatientsfirst.rcgp.org.uk
or sign the RCGP petition at our reception desk

you can also write to your local MP to share your concerns.

As our local LMC representative, Dr Gurney recently attending the national LMC conference held in York. The conference is an opportunity for representatives to create policy for future General Practitioners Committee (GPC) and  British Medical Association (BMA) action fro the following year.   Please follow this link to the BMA web site to watch GPC Chair Dr Chaand Nagpaul's keynote speech and webcasts of the two day conference in full.

National Carers Week

We are supporting carers and offer health and well being checks.  If you are a carer please contact us to book your appointment.  If you need support to attend a health and well being check or any advice concerning carers and your caring role please contact Devon Carers

Devon Carers is an information, support and short breaks service run by eight organisations working together to improve the quality of services for all carers in Devon; give us a call to find out how we can support you.  

Helpline (open Mon-Friday 8am to 6pm and Sat mornings 9am to 1pm)

  08456 434 435

 Benefits to carers include:

contact with someone to give you advice and support;

access to Flexible Breaks Grants for help towards a holiday, hobby
or leisure activity;

access to the Take a Break sitting service, providing subsidised short
breaks to give you time off from caring;

a Carer Alert Card to ensure the person you care for gets help if
something unexpected happens to you

a regular newsletter with information about events in your area. 

When we are closed over the end of May bank holiday

As the bank holiday approaches it is worth thinking about what you would do if you or a member of your family became unwell over the holiday period.  We recommend that you:-

• stock up on over the counter medicines.  Your pharmacist can also give you advice on treatments and products available.
• check you have enough prescription medicine to see you through the holidays and if you are going away pack enough for at least the duration of your holiday. 

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Please avoid using emergency/urgent services and hospital A&E departments for routine problems or for problems that can wait until we reopen.

We are closed on Monday 26th May 2014 . Otherwise we are open as usual.

Staff training

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Tuesday 20th May 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

When we are closed over the early May bank holiday

As the bank holiday approaches it is worth thinking about what you would do if you or a member of your family became unwell over the holiday period.  We recommend that you:-

• stock up on over the counter medicines.  Your pharmacist can also give you advice on treatments and products available.
• check you have enough prescription medicine to see you through the holidays and if you are going away pack enough for at least the duration of your holiday. 

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Please avoid using emergency/urgent services and hospital A&E departments for routine problems or for problems that can wait until we reopen.

We are closed on and Monday 5th May 2014 . Otherwise we are open as usual.

Dr Russell and her canoe

Good luck and best wishes to Dr Sarah Russell and her husband who will have a very busy Easter holiday taking part in the Devises to Westminster International Canoe Race.  They are raising funds for  Devon Air Ambulance Trust.     If you would like to show your support and generosity you can do so online at www.justgiving.com/jackandsarahrussell or text JRSR99 £5 to 70070

The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Race starts in Devizes, Wiltshire and finishing just downstream of Westminster Bridge in central London, opposite the Houses of Parliament. The race has been held annually over the Easter Weekend since 1948.

The race is 125 miles long and has 77 portages. The first 52 miles are along the Kennet and Avon Canal to Reading, the next 55 miles are on the River Thames to Teddington. The final 17 mile section is on the tidal portion of the Thames.

The race is a severe test of skill, physical and mental stamina and planning which produces a memorable sense of achievement for those successfully completing it.  To find out more go to http://www.dwrace.org.uk/index.php

Devon Air Ambulance Trust raises funds to keep two helicopters flying in Devon. Independent of Government funding, operating costs of the service are met by public fundraising/donations. Paramedics provided by South Western Ambulance Services NHS Foundation Trust, supported in part by the Charity.

When we are closed over the Easter bank holidays

As the bank holiday approaches it is worth thinking about what you would do if you or a member of your family became unwell over the holiday period.  We recommend that you:-

• stock up on over the counter medicines.  Your pharmacist can also give you advice on treatments and products available.
• check you have enough prescription medicine to see you through the holidays and if you are going away pack enough for at least the duration of your holiday. 

If you need medical assistance when we are closed you can:

• phone the  NHS 111 service for medical advice by dialling 111.
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication.
• If your problem is urgent phone the NHS 111 service by dialling 111. To avoid putting undue pressure on this service, please only phone  if your problem cannot wait until we reopen.
• phone 999 immediately in the event of a life threatening, medical emergency.

Please avoid using emergency/urgent services and hospital A&E departments for routine problems or for problems that can wait until we reopen.

We are closed on Friday 18th April and Monday 21st April 2014 . Otherwise we are open as usual.

Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons

We are very sad to announce that Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons have decided to resign from the practice and will leave in July/August 2014.  We know that this news will come as a shock to some patients, particularly to those who have recently transferred from Dr Long’s list.  We can reassure you that Dr Cole and Dr Gibbons have not taken their decisions lightly and not without much thought and deliberation.  They are leaving to spend more time with their young families with a more flexible commitment to general practice.  We are recruiting for new doctors and will be able to update you on our progress as soon as possible.

You may not be aware that while we are open from 0800 until 1830 our doctors start their day much earlier and finish much later.  This is so that they can complete the administrative work to support their patients’ clinical care (referrals, follow ups, research, phone calls, letters, reviews, meetings) and visit patients at home and in Ottery Hospital.  Our GPs also have other commitments such as training and examining medical students, training GP registrars, research projects and staff support and education.  In addition some of our GPs work on projects outside the practice such as clinical commissioning and prescribing.  They also work collaboratively with other practices and providers including community health teams (nursing, mental health teams, school nurses, health visitors),  secondary care consultants, nursing homes and pharmacists.  As GP Partners they spend time strategically developing their business and monitoring the operation of the services we provide and the back office functions to support these services eg finance, personnel, premises and IT.

Web site maintenance

Our web site will be  taken offline at 22:00 on Friday 4^th April and will be online again by 08:00 on Saturday 5^th April.  During this time you will be unable to access the website.  If you wish to order a prescription or book an on line appointment please to  https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/Login  We are sorry for any convenience during this down time.

Registration letters from NHS England - please respond if you get one

Message from NHS England

The NHS is carrying out work in Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly to make sure the patient details on GP lists are accurate.  Letters are being sent to some patients, but not all.

If you do receive a letter, please either confirm your details or submit any changes. Changes can be made by returning the form in the prepaid envelope. If the details are correct, you can confirm by freepost, by freephone, via text message or online.

It is important to respond to the letter, as GP lists do get out of date over time. If we don’t have an accurate record of your name and address, then we or a hospital may not be able to contact you with important information.

We may also need to contact you:

·         with test results

·         to invite you for bowel, breast or cervical screening to protect against cancer, for example

·         to offer vaccination against infectious diseases such as flu or measles, mumps and rubella

·         to give you an appointment as part of your plan to stay healthy if you have a long-term illness

Please respond to the letter within four weeks, so the NHS can be certain about your details. Otherwise, the NHS will assume that you have moved away, and begin the process to remove you from the practice list.

Hoax Email from NICE - message from NHS England.

A hoax email, claiming to be from NICE, has been sent to people around the country to make them believe they may have cancer.
Some of these emails have been sent to people in Devon and Cornwall, causing inevitable distress and triggering calls to their GP or to hospitals.

NICE is advising people who have received the email - the subject line of which is important blood analysis result - to delete it without opening and not to click on any links. It is currently investigating the origins of the message.

Sir Andrew Dillon, NICE Chief Executive, said: “A spam email purporting to come from NICE is being sent to members of the public regarding cancer test results. This email is likely to cause distress to recipients since it advises that ‘test results' indicate they may have cancer. This malicious email is not from NICE and we are currently investigating its origin. We take this matter very seriously and have reported it to the police.”

The story is running in the media, but I hope this message will help you provide reassurance to any patient who contacts you about the email.
See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26565144

What to do when we are closed

From today if you need medical assistance outside our usual opening hours

you must ring 111

The 111 service will help you to find the right care to meet your needs including the Devon Doctors service.

The number is free of charge to ring from landlines and mobiles although you will need 1p credit on your mobile phone.

The automatic transfer from our main switchboard number to Devon Doctors will no longer be available.  

Coleridge Medical Centre closed 12:30pm - 4:00pm Wednesday 5th March

Please note on

Wednesday 5^th March 2014

The surgery will be closed

between 12:30pm and 4:00pm

 For important staff training

In an EMERGENCY please dial 999

If you have an URGENT problem please

ring:

01404-814447

and your call will be transferred to Devon Doctors on Call

For Medical advice please ring:

NHS 111 service by dialling 111

The surgery will be open again from 4:00pm

Important Information About Out of Hours

From 10th March 2014 if you need medical assistance outside our usual opening hours

you must ring 111

The 111 service will help you to find the right care to meet your needs including the Devon Doctors service.

The number is free of charge to ring from landlines and mobiles although you will need 1p credit on your mobile phone.

The automatic transfer from our main switchboard number to Devon Doctors will no longer be available.  

Staff training

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm today, Wednesday 26th February 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Care Data

The Care Data sharing programme has been suspended for six months.  Information and links about care data sharing, including an opt out form can be found on our web site under Health and Social Care Information Centre.

Staff training

The surgery will be closed between 1pm and 2pm on Thursday 20th February 2014 for staff training.  We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause

Health and Social Care Information Centre - more information and links

Patient Information Line

The national patient information line went live on 6th January.  The five most common questions have been:

1. Can I change my mind?  (FAQ 12)
2. I can’t get to my practice to object, what should I do? (FAQ 10)
3. How long have I got to decide if I want to object? (FAQ 11)
4. What is the secure environment mentioned in the leaflet? (FAQ 3)
5. Do I have to do anything if I want my information to be used?  (FAQ 17)

If you have any questions, please contact the national patient information line (0300 456 3531) or to the patient FAQs.  Accessible formats including Braille, audio and large print are available from the patient information line.  In addition, large print and audio formats are available from the patient website.

Animation

It is important that we communicate with patients in a range of formats.  So today, NHS England is launching an animation to support awareness-raising.   The main aims of the animation are (a) to explain the care.data programme and (b) to remind patients that they have a choice.  Subtitles are available.  

Misconceptions

There are a number of public misconceptions about how data will be used.  These are mostly due to a confusion around the different types of data that will be released by the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC). To make it easier for the public to understand,NHS England is referring to the different types as: red (personal confidential data), amber (pseudonymised) and green (aggregated or anonymised) data.  Each “colour" of data is protected by a different suite of privacy safeguards.  For an explanation, see this blog by the Chief Data Officer.  

For the avoidance of doubt:

• Data will not be made available for the purposes of selling or administering any kind of insurance
• Data will not be shared or used for marketing purposes (FAQ 23)

• NHS England and the HSCIC will not profit from providing data to outside organisations

Privacy Impact Assessment

For patients who wish to understand more about how their data is protected, NHS England has published a privacy impact assessment for the care.data programme.  This document provides details about the privacy implications of the programme (both negative and positive) and explains how they are mitigating each risk. In addition, the HSCIC has published a privacy impact assessment for all the personal data it processes, which includes the data extracted for care.data.

Summary Care Record

NHS England are that there continues to be some confusion about the differences between the Summary Care Record and the use of data for purposes beyond direct care.  For details, see FAQ 14