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.

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*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.