Lost something?

While clearing out our lost property box we have found  a number of house keys, car keys, jewellery, watches and mobile phones.  If any of these items could be yours, please contact Melanie Snow, Assistant Practice Manager.  If items remain unclaimed they are destroyed or donated to charity.

Introducing Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

Chair: Dr Tim Burke

Chief Officer: Rebecca Harriott

Newcourt House, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JU

Tel. 01392 205205

www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk

28 March 2013

Dear sir or madam,

Introducing Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)

You will be aware that from 1 April 2013 clinical commissioning groups (CCG) will replace primary care trusts (PCT).  Northern, Eastern and Western Devon (NEW Devon) CCG will take over responsibility for commissioning 80 per cent of the local NHS services.

NEW Devon CCG is the largest CCG in the country serving almost 900,000 people and spending £1.1 billion of public money.Our CCG covers a large geographical area so it has been split into three arms or localities.

Northern locality
The northern locality covers North Devon, including Barnstaple, Bideford and as far south as Holsworthy and Chumleigh.
If you want to get in touch with the CCG’s northern locality you should write to:
Dr John Womersley
Northern locality chair
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG
Crown Yealm House
Pathfields Industrial Estate
South Molton, EX36 3LH
Tel: 01769 575100

Eastern locality
The eastern locality covers Exeter, Mid Devon, East Devon, and as far west as Okehampton and Moretonhampstead (but excluding Ashburton and Bovey Tracey).
If you want to get in touch with the CCG’s eastern locality you should write to:
Dr David Jenner
Eastern locality chair
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG
Old Rydon Lane
Exeter, EX2 7JU
Tel: 01392 205205

Western locality
The western locality covers Plymouth, Tavistock, Lifton, Salcombe and Kingsbridge areas to Meldon reservoir.
If you want to get in touch with the CCG’s western locality you should write to:
Dr Peter Rudge,
Western locality chair
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG
Building one
Brest Road
Plymouth, PL6 5QZ
Tel: 01752 434111

If you have a general enquiry about NHS commissioning you should write to the corporate office:
Rebecca Harriott
Chief Officer
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon CCG
Old Rydon Lane
Exeter, EX2 7JU
Tel: 01392 205205
d-ccg.corporateservices@nhs.net
www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk

Please note that the contact information for local acute hospitals and other NHS trusts remains unchanged.

Complaints and comments
People who wish to make a comment or complaint about the commissioning of health services or do not wish to raise their issues direct with the service provider (hospital, community or other local health services) should contact:
Northern, Eastern and Western Devon Clinical Commissioning Group
Complaints department
Freepost EX184
County Hall
Topsham Road
Exeter
EX 2 4QD

Please note that CCGs will not be responsible for handling complaints about GPs, dentists, pharmacies or opticians. If you wish to make a comment or complaint about these services – and it cannot be resolved locally with the practice manager – please contact the NHS Commissioning Board at nhscommissioningboard@hscic.gov.uk . You can also contact the NHS Commissioning Board on 0300 311 22 33.

To view some helpful information about our CCG, including a short guide to the CCG, a credit card sized pocket guide for patients and some posters that show our vision and mission, visit our website: www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk/whatisaccg

Should you have any further enquires or wish us to clarify anything for you please do not hesitate to contact us.  In the meantime we look forward to continue working with you to achieve our aim of healthy people, living healthy lives, in healthy communities.

Kind regards.

Rebecca Harriott
Chief Officer

Dr Tim Burke
Chair
Chair: Dr Tim Burke
Chief Officer: Rebecca Harriott
Newcourt House, Old Rydon Lane, Exeter, EX2 7JU
Tel. 01392 205205
www.newdevonccg.nhs.uk

Save a Life, Give Blood

The next donation session planned for our area is on Friday 19th April 2013 at Ottery St Mary Football Club, Wasbrook Meadows, Butts Road, Ottery St Mary.  To make an appointment please call 0300 123 23 23 or visit blood.co.uk

Dementia....the next steps?

Dementia.....the next steps?
Our Health is a website that provides information about dementia and a wide range of local dementia services.   www.ourhealth.southwest.nhs.uk 

We care for carers.  As a carer you are entitled to a health and well being check.  This is an  hour long appointment focusing on you.  If you are between 40-74 you can also choose to receive a vascular check.  This will predict your risk of developing problems such as heart disease, diabetes and stroke.    Your check is completely free of charge, confidential and personal to you. It takes place here with one of our trained health care assistants or practice nurse.  

Please contact us for more information and to find out if you can get support for the person  you care for while you have your health check.

Power Cut

Ottery St Mary experienced a power cut this morning.   Consequently our lights and computers went out and our phone system was inoperable.  We put our business continuity plan in place which means our doctors and nurses were still able to see patients.   We quickly established one incoming telephone line (we usually have eight) and therefore apologise for any inconvenience caused if you were trying to reach us by phone.

Our online appointment booking facility and repeat prescription ordering service were not affected by this power cut.  If you would like to sign up to these services please come to the reception desk with proof of ID and we can set you up straight away.

Normal services have now resumed.  Thank you for your patience.

Patient Survey Report now available on line

Our patient survey report is now online at http://www.coleridgemedicalcentre.co.uk/formsleaflets.html You can also view it by clicking 'General Information' and then 'Forms and Leaflets'    

Ready for a 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 any medical assistant when we are closed you can:

• phone NHS Direct for medical advice.  Their telephone number is 0845 4647
• pop in to your local pharmacy for advice and over the counter medication
• phone us on 01404 814447 if your problem is urgent.  Your call will be automatically transferred to the out of hours service (Devon Doctors on Call).  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

We are closed on Good Friday (29th March 2013) and reopen on Tuesday 2nd April 2013.  

We would like to wish all our patients a very happy Easter.

Dr Gibbons offers more sessions

From April Dr Gibbons will be increasing her sessions from 4 to 6 per week.  Her new sessions will be Monday mornings, Tuesday and Thursday all day and Friday mornings.  She will continue to share patients with Dr Cole.

Dr Cole's sessions (including Whimple branch surgery)  are Monday afternoons, all day Wednesday and Thursday mornings.

Dr Cox is retiring - have you said goodbye?

After more than 30 years in general practice, Dr Cox is retiring at the end of March. If you would like to, please leave him a farewell message in the book on our reception desk.

Healthwatch Devon
If you would like to be kept informed about Healthwatch Devon, you can sign up to the electronic mailing list by visiting http://www.devonrcc.org.uk/c/92/healthwatch-devon-newsletter