Winter Newsletter 2014-2015 The Lighthouse Medical Practice Patients Forum The Forum consists of patients of the surgery who work together with the Practice staff and doctors to help meet and improve the needs of patients. College Road Surgery, 6 College Road, Eastbourne BN21 4HY. 01323 735044 Ian Gow Memorial Health Centre, Milfoil Drive, Eastbourne BN23 8BR. 01323 766358 www.lighthousepractice.co.uk Issue No. 5 Chairman: Gwynne Pickering Editor: Penny Briggs We wish all patients and the Practice Team a Happy and Healthy Christmas and New Year. In This Edition Front Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Practice Team News The Practice - Did You Know? Flu Clinics Report Meet the Patient Forum members Patient Forum News Diabetes Care at the Practice Health Reminder You Said, We Did NHS England 2015/16 Contract Changes Patient Experience Surveys Eastbourne Dementia Action Alliance Touch Screen Update Thought for the Day Winter Wrapped Up Information and Booking Appointments Practice Team News We have recently welcomed new Nurse Rachel and new Health Care Assistant Debby who will both work across our sites. Rachel has come from the hospital and Debby was previously working at the Wound Care Centre in Eastbourne. Welcome to Dr Nick Woodall Dr Nick Woodall who has been working with us as a locum GP is now joining the practice for a year as a salaried GP. He was previously a GP partner at the Okehampton Medical centre in Devon. Dr Woodall did his medical training at Pembroke College Oxford and St George’s Hospital Medical School, London. He is married with two children, and has a spaniel and countless other pets, and his interests include long-distance running, camping and Christianity. The Practice .... Did you know? The Patient Forum proudly nominated Amanda Sayer, Managing Partner of the Practice, for the 2014 East Sussex Women in Business Award in recognition of all her hard work, dedication, energy, compassion and achievements with overcoming all the various challenges she has to deal with every day and in her work with us, the Patient Forum. Amanda was one of three finalists from all over East Sussex for the Awards Event held in October and we are delighted to tell you that Amanda won. Very well done and congratulations, Amanda! In Winter think about others and what kind gesture You can do to help brighten their day Make a little bit of time to telephone or talk face to face with any elderly neighbours or relatives to make sure they're safe and well over these cold months. Make sure they are keeping warm, especially at night, and have stocks of food and medicines so they don't need to go out during the very cold weather. If you're worried about a relative or neighbour, contact ESCC Adult Social Care Direct on 0345 60 80 191 (Mon-Thurs 8.30am to 5pm, (Fridays to 4.30pm) or ring the Age UK helpline on 0800 169 6565. Free Flu inoculations are still available if you are eligible – please telephone or ask at Reception for an appointment or mention it to the GP or nurse at your practice appointment. It is your best defence if you are at risk of complications from flu. A larger print version of this Newsletter is available on request. Any opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily of the Partners of the Lighthouse Practice, but we have tried to ensure the information contained is correct. They cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies. www.lighthousepractice.co.uk Meet the Patient Forum Members Malcolm Finnis Volunteers from the Patient Forum at the Flu Clinics Flu Clinics Report by Amanda Sayer Managing Partner We have carried out three Saturday clinics in October and November across our two sites, inoculating over 60% of our 5,700 eligible patients. We are sorry that some of you experienced delays at the first Saturday session at College Road. This session had an especially high volume of patients. The receptionists were trying to book everyone in on their arrival, with many patients arriving early for appointments - some up to an hour early, and some without any appointment. All this led to a build-up of a queue but we did not want to turn anyone away. After the morning session, we met as a team with the result that we changed the system. Our team of five nurses each with an administrator working in each surgery room plus volunteers from the patient forum, worked all day. The morning situation was frustrating for patients and staff. The Forum volunteers were also extremely upset and disappointed by the incidents of swearing and verbal abuse from some patients. The Practice and Patient Forum would like to remind patients that this type of behaviour towards the Practice team is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. On a lighter note, we continued with the revised inoculation process for the other two Flu clinics and these went well. We have responded to individuals who sent in emails of complaint about the first morning session. We also want to thank patients who gave us positive comments and thanks - including the patient who told us “How delightful we were during the first Flu clinic, how well we coped with a difficult situation and how proud she is to be a patient at this surgery”. We will take several lessons forward from this for our organisation of the 2015 clinics. We have a Flu Clinic Review meeting in January at which GPs, Nurses, Managers and the Patient Forum will My name is Malcolm Finnis and I moved with my wife Brenda in 1974 from Kent where we were both born, to Eastbourne. We came here so I, as a member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants, could take up the position of Chief Accountant at Louis G Ford Limited (LGF), a key employer in the town at that time. During my time at LGF it evolved into Graham Ford Limited and I became Finance Director, covering a quarter of this British group. Some years later, the four national companies consolidated with their headquarters in Yorkshire. Rather than move away from Eastbourne, I became Company Accountant for Intergen Beauty Products in Brampton Road. Four years later I finished my career in the NHS and was Chief Accountant of Eastbourne Hospitals NHS Trust during it’s corporate life. Away from work I am a trustee of a registered charity, founder member of the Lighthouse Practice Patient Forum, and am a trustee and Chief Ranger of the Eastbourne Court of the Foresters Friendly Society. I am also a Friend of the Devonshire Park Theatre and attend this regularly with my wife to enjoy their wonderful productions. Patient Forum News Some members of the Patient Forum attended an East Sussex Patient Participation Group (PPG) Development Day run by the voluntary organisation 3VA (the Council for Voluntary Services covering Eastbourne, Lewes and Wealden). It was an opportunity to meet other local PPG group members and learn about the issues and difficulties their groups have and the improvements they have trialled and successfully established. We also had several short presentations on wider NHS developments such as the incoming ‘Friends and Family’ Test. East Sussex Women in Business Awards – Another Winner! We are proud to report that Carolyn Heaps, a previous chairman of our Patient Forum, won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 East Sussex Women in Business Awards. Carolyn was the Mayor of Eastbourne (2010/11) and is still a local Councillor amongst her many achievements. Page 2 Diabetes Care at the Practice Health Reminder by Dr Jeremy Durston The Diabetes Care team looks after around 800 diabetic patients at both sites. It comprises Lead Diabetes Doctors, Jeremy Durston and Roisin McCloskey, Sister Caroline Howells (Lead Diabetic Nurse), Lillian Navarro-Reynolds (Physician Associate) and Nurse Diane Nell. Most of our diabetes patients receive ongoing care at the Practice rather than at the Diabetes Centre at the Hospital. This includes the comprehensive management of blood sugar control using the full range of oral and injectable medications and monitoring our patients for any complications, referring them to specialist services when it is necessary. Long-term care and follow-up is vital for patients with diabetes. All our diabetes patients are invited for an annual review, with many patients having several follow-up appointments. The Lead Diabetes Doctors review the clinical records of diabetes patients who attend their annual review to help ensure that they are receiving the care they need. This is because if diabetes is not adequately treated, it can lead to long-term complications such as kidney failure, eye damage and sight loss, heart attacks and strokes, permanent nerve damage, foot ulcers and even toe, feet and leg amputations. The good news is that with the right care we can minimise the chances of these problems developing. Patients can play a big part by leading a healthy lifestyle - probably the single most important part of managing Type 2 diabetes (what most patients have). This includes eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight and doing plenty of exercise. Without a patient’s attention to these, all the medications we have available including insulin, may unfortunately not be sufficient to control the condition over time. We strongly recommend that diabetes patients attend their regular follow-up appointments and learn as much as they can about their condition so we can work together to manage their condition as effectively as possible. In addition to the services we provide at the Practice, ALL diabetes patients should be having an annual eye check with the NHS Diabetic Eye Screening Programme. For newly diagnosed diabetic patients, there is a Structured Diabetes Education Programme that we would strongly recommend, which teaches them about the condition and the importance of getting the right treatment. The diabetes GPs, Nurses and Physician Associate can help NEWLY DIAGNOSED patients enrol onto a local course. The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme aims to detect bowel cancer at an early stage (in people with no symptoms), when treatment is more likely to be effective. Bowel cancer screening can also detect polyps. These are not cancers, but may develop into cancers over time. They can easily be removed, reducing the risk of bowel cancer developing. Screening is offered every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 74 and if you are aged 70 to 74 you should receive your invitation for screening by the end of 2014. People over 74 can request a screening kit by calling the freephone on 0800 707 6060. If you are 59 or younger and concerned about any family history or risk of developing bowel cancer, or any age and concerned about any symptoms, please see your GP. You said …We did … In your feedback from our 2013-2014 Patient Survey you said that you were unhappy with the Practice appointment system. What we did was to draw up joint Patient/Practice Objectives for 2014 (as shown on our website). We then took this feedback and introduced a new system at Ian Gow. This was to try and improve access. We have trialled this and done another survey. The results are extremely positive. We will be reviewing the system at College Road in the New Year. Visit by Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd to the Practice In further support by the practice of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) Campaign ‘Your GP Cares’, Stephen Lloyd was invited by Dr Folwell to visit both practice sites and talk to some of our GPs and Patient Forum members. The issue with the lack of patient transport between the Eastbourne District Hospital and the Conquest Hospital at Hastings was amongst the topics discussed. Mr Lloyd said he was impressed with the activity of our Patient Forum, including our letter to Jeremy Hunt MP, the Health Minister, regarding the RCGP Campaign which was covered in our Autumn Newsletter. Page 3 NHS England General Practice 2015/16 Contract - Changes from April Main Contract Changes Lighthouse Medical Practice Update by Amanda Sayer, Practice Manager A named, accountable GP for all patients (including children) who will take lead responsibility for the co-ordination of all appropriate services required under the contract. All patients already have a named GP as they are allocated to a GP’s list when they join the Practice. We have to ensure that no individual GP becomes overburdened with too large a list of patients to care for. A GP’s allocation of patients also has to be in proportion to the number of days they are available to see patients. You can ask to see another GP should you wish for a specific problem. However we can only offer you an appointment with them if they are available and all our GPs are extremely busy. We always want to work with patients to assist them with their care, but must balance this with caring for our GPs, most of whom are working over twelve hours each day. Further commitment to expand and improve the provision of online services for patients, including extending online access to medical records and the availability of online appointments. Online appointment bookings are already available. Please ask at Reception to be registered for access if you want this service. We are working on enabling our patients to have online access to their own summary medical records in 2015. It will be a contractual requirement for all practices to have a patient participation group and to make reasonable efforts for this to be representative of the practice population. We already have an active Patient Forum, a Virtual Patient Group, and a Sub Group who look at issues concerning the local hospitals. We welcome new members. We are developing our Facebook page and will shortly be inviting patients to join our group. Extended hours enhanced services will be extended and unchanged for a further year. We will continue to run some clinics outside of our normal surgery opening (which is Monday to Friday between 8am and 6.30pm). These clinics are presently held on Monday evenings and some Saturdays. NHS England Patient Experience Surveys We have always encouraged our patients to provide feedback to us through the patient surveys and the feedback box. NHS England now require General Practices to implement more surveys to get quality indicators of patients’ experience at their appointments. New Survey - Friends and Family Test You will now be encouraged to give feedback after your appointment via the Friends and Family Test. The form has two questions for you. The answers to the first question only are input to a NHS England system which provides the Practice with it’s own results each month. No personal details are divulged. The answers to the second question are more detailed and for the Practice’s use only, forming a vital part of planning Practice/Patient objectives for the year ahead. We are collecting your responses via the touch screens in the surgeries, on paper forms (boxes provided near the reception), verbally, and you can also email us on: [email protected]. Survey completed - New GP 5 minute Appointments - Trial at Ian Gow These appointments were surveyed in October and received very good results: 100% of patients surveyed felt their appointment addressed their health needs, 91% would like to see the new system continue and from their appointment, 91% would recommend the Practice to Friends and Family. Page 4 Eastbourne Dementia Action Alliance/3VA - Sussex Police The Patient Forum had a presentation from Esther Watts of the South East and London Dementia Action Alliance. 3VA are helping Eastbourne groups to set up the Eastbourne Dementia Action Alliance (EDAA) to ensure that the town becomes dementia friendly. The aim is to reach all voluntary groups, shops and services to ensure that they have an awareness of dementia, how it affects people, and simple ways in which they might be able to help. If your organisation would like to be involved in the EDAA please contact [email protected] Have You Become a Dementia Friend? New data from NHS Protect shows that the number of registered primary care staff assaulted at work has more than doubled over two years. 2013-14: 24 reported assaults per 1,000 registered primary care staff (1731 in total) up from 9 per 1000 in 2011-12. (2012-13: No data as Primary Care Trusts abolished). You and your children’s (and dogs’) lives depend on cars seeing you. If out at night take extra care to be seen - wear an item of high visibility that is reflective or fluorescent. Light it - Make your house look occupied even when it isn't - use automatic timer switches to turn interior lights on and off and install security lighting outside. Lock it - Keep your front and back doors shut and locked even when you are at home, fit window locks and ensure patio, garage and shed doors are secure. by Claire Carter Assaults on Primary Care Staff (including General Practice) Night Visibility - Be Safe - Be Seen Light it + Lock it + List it Touch Screens Development News Tips for people with dementia and sight loss - To draw attention to key features such as switches and sockets, handrails and furniture, use a contrasting colour background to highlight them. You can also highlight the edges of kitchen cabinets. BMA Deputy Chair Dr Richard Vautrey warned: “that as resource-strapped GPs find it tougher and tougher to meet patient demands, the risk that patients take out their frustration on those who are trying to help them increases”. Deter burglars: List it - Register your valuables at www.immobilise.com - it's free and can increase your chances of being reunited with your property. We can all become one, giving us a bit more understanding of dementia and knowledge of some small but helpful things we can do. Join at www.dementiafriends.org.uk 2013-14: total reported assaults rose 8.7% to 68,683 from 63,199 in 2012-13. The majority of burglars are opportunistic looking for properties where they think they can enter unobserved and 'work' undisturbed. We have recently added some new software to the booking in touch screens at both our sites. This will make us more efficient in collecting your up to date contact details, confirming whether or not you smoke, and reminding eligible patients to get their flu inoculation. It will significantly save time for our very busy reception teams as they deal with more involved patient queries. The touchscreen will ask you to confirm the following information that we hold for you: 1. Your address 2. Your home telephone number 3. Your mobile telephone number 4. Your smoking status and, 5. Will inform you if you are entitled to a flu vaccination Some patients have commented to us that they are not keen on their identifiable information being displayed on the touch screens and we understand their concern. We are exploring ways to provide you with some more privacy, however, currently, if you stand right in front of the touch screen the person behind you cannot see your details. It is similar to when you enter information at a bank cash point. If you see that any of your information is not up to date and needs amending, the touch screen requests you to see a member of the reception team to update your details. If you confirm that all your details are correct, the touch screen advises you which waiting room you need to go to. The software is designed to ask you all these questions each time you check in for an appointment. If your contact details are up to date and nothing has changed since the last time you attended the surgery, you can ignore the message and proceed to the waiting room advised. If you are entitled to a flu vaccination and haven't had one yet, please ask the reception team who can book this for you. We are confident the new software will make life easier for you and our reception team and save waiting time to check in for your appointment. It is your choice whether you book in for your appointment using the touch screens or wait to speak to a receptionist, but please be mindful that the latter may take a little while. Page 5 John Morris is a patient at the Lighthouse Medical Practice and has kindly written his thought for Christmas. John has been Headmaster of Eastbourne Grammar School, Eastbourne Grammar and High School and also Principal of Eastbourne Sixth Form College. Whatever happened to Christmas? Thought for the Day In my childhood in the 1930s, there was a family celebration at bedtime on Christmas Eve. There were eight of us - my parents and six children. My father would kneel down in front of the open fireplace and call up the chimney to Father Christmas. The two youngest would ask our father to ask Father Christmas on all our behalf, for the presents we particularly wanted to receive. The older children had of course participated when they were younger, becoming spectators as they no longer believed in Father Christmas. My father showed a surprising talent for mimicry as he provided Father Christmas’s end of the conversation most realistically as well as his own. Even when I no longer believed it all to be genuine, I found myself wondering how the right presents always seemed to arrive! Later of course I realised that this happened by our parents chatting to us about our hopes a month before Christmas. My Father was a devout Christian, so how could he deceive us in this way? Christians believe in the truth and the value of truth, but even the best of us like to wander into fiction from time to time. We regret the commercialisation of Christmas and many other factors of 21st-century life. It is so easy for us to sit down and bemoan what now seems to us to have been a golden age. It has always been very difficult for people in every age to appreciate the way of life of other generations. The ancient Greeks were just as ready to despise the younger generations as we are tempted to do. A colleague of mine was very perceptive when we worked at a school in Cornwall. The list of teachers on the school calendar was always ordered by the length of time they had been at the school. My colleague said to me “I always look at the list and think that all those who are further up the list than I am are fogeys, whereas those behind me are undoubtedly too inexperienced to be much good.” If we want to rediscover the joy of Christmas, we shall not find it in the past with ourselves at the centre of it, but in the lives and feelings of those around us now. If you would like to share a thought for the day in this newsletter or have any other comments on it please send it to Gwynne Pickering via email to: [email protected] Looking after the NHS Budget Think how You can help Think before calling an ambulance - Is it really necessary for you or the patient or can you call NHS 111 for advice? Think before reordering prescriptions Is it really necessary? Please just reorder the items you really need on your prescription. Think before missing a GP or hospital appointment for no good reason There have been over 2,600 missed appointments at the Practice in the last six months. Please inform the surgery as soon as possible if you are unable to keep your appointment, so another person can be seen. 415 Sept Oct Nov The staff are being trained on this, and we will update you when it is ready to go live. Current Ongoing Survey – How Do You Find Our Physician Associate Service at College Road? The latest feedback is extremely positive from patients who have appointments with Lillian Navarro-Reynolds, and we will publish this when we have received more. 478 457 We are in the process of installing an automatic patient messaging service called MJog to provide appointment reminder text messages to one mobile telephone number of a patient where you have informed us of this number (thus it’s very important to keep us informed of any changes to this). Our aim Missed appointments Please don’t be part of these statistics Page 6 January: “A New Year - a new start and way to go!” Winter Wrapped Up e Stay Warm - this can help prevent colds, flu or more serious health conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression. The cold weather puts more strain on our hearts which have to work harder to maintain our body heat, so if you have heart or respiratory problems then stay inside if possible. You may be vulnerable to cold-related illnesses if you have a long-term health condition, or are disabled, aged over 65, or you can't afford to heat your home properly. If you are over 65, aim to keep the main rooms you use at 21C (70F). Check out any financial help you could be eligible for, such as the Winter Fuel Payment. See helpful tips on the Age UK website www.ageuk.org.uk e Get More Sleep - we naturally want to hibernate with the longer nights. e Eat Sensibly - food is a vital source of energy helping our bodies keep warm and our immune system fight colds. Try to have a hot meal and hot drinks through the day and keep active in the home if you can. Eat more dairy products if you can (low fat is better), to provide protein, vitamins and calcium to keep your bones strong. Feeling Under the Weather? Health Problems Worsened in the Winter Remember Your Local Pharmacist is highly trained. Seeking early advice from them may help nip health problems in the bud before they get more serious - particularly important in the winter for older patients and those with existing respiratory conditions. Some tips… Colds – wash your hands regularly to destroy cold viruses you can pick up from surfaces such as door handles, and use disposable tissues. Asthma – cold air is a major trigger of asthma symptoms. If you suffer from asthma you should stay indoors on very cold and windy days. If going outside wear a scarf over your nose and mouth. Be extra vigilant about taking your regular medications. Healthwatch East Sussex (HWES) www.healthwatcheastsussex.co.uk The Patient Forum had a presentation from Elizabeth Mackie the Volunteer and Community Liaison Manager for Healthwatch East Sussex who tells us: “HWES is your independent consumer champion for health and social care having a responsibility to actively engage with the community and encourage local people to share their opinions on the health and social care services that are available in East Sussex. HWES works hard to ensure that all sections of the community are represented in the decision making process and that your views are listened to, recorded and reported. Contact us with any concern or query and we can signpost you to further support or information or where to get help if you wish to make a complaint about a service”. Norovirus – the winter vomiting bug is extremely infectious and unpleasant. It is important to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration if you have symptoms. Email [email protected] telephone 0333 101 4007 or Text 07826 021114 Aches and Pains – in winter our aches and pains can feel more acute. Exercise can help boost our mind and body whether it’s a walk outside, or a yoga or Pilates class. This is a free confidential housing support service for people aged 65 E and over living in East Sussex, provided P S by Eastbourne Homes Ltd and funded by East Sussex County Council. STEPS’ aim is to help their clients particularly at difficult times, to support them to stay living independently and feel safe in their own home or help them to find a home that is more suitable to their needs. The same STEPS’ support worker will visit you at home whilst you receive the service. Telephone 01323 436414, text 07970 668 106 or email: [email protected] Cold hands – Raynaud's phenomenon is a common condition making fingers and toes turn pale then blue or red and painfully throb. It is a sign of poor circulation in the small blood vessels of the hands and feet. Always wear gloves when outside and avoid smoking and caffeine which aggravate symptoms. STEPS To Stay Independent S T to stay independent Page 7 Information and Booking Appointments Surgery Information NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm Extended hours Monday 6.30pm-8pm alternating between the two sites and Saturdays every six weeks 8am-10am alternating between sites. College Road Surgery - Tel: 735044 Ian Gow Memorial Health Centre - Tel: 766358 every day of the year and directs patients to the service that is best able to meet your needs taking into account your location, the time of day you are calling and the capacity of local services. Dial 111. 111 has a confidential interpreter translation service available in many languages. When should I use 111? l When it’s not a life threatening situation so less urgent than a 999 call l when you cannot see your own GP for instance when the surgery is closed l when you feel you cannot wait or require reassurance about what to do next. Times for Contacting a Doctor Reception Open 8am -6pm Between 6pm - 6.30pm When the Practice is closed you can contact a doctor out of hours call: 03000 242424 After 6.30pm when the Practice is closed - Call the NHS on 111 (All calls are free) Practice Website Lots of regularly updated information. www.lighthousepractice.co.uk The Practice Booklet 2014 Booking appointments Available at Reception. Patient Notice Board Speak to a receptionist in person or telephone during our opening hours. Helpful information leaflets. Online booking: You need to register with us to enable you to use this facility. Please contact our Practice Administrator on 01323 766358 or email: [email protected]. Telephone automated booking: Call the surgery between 6.00am and 10.30pm to book, check or cancel a ten minute GP appointment using the Automated Booking system following the instructions. We must have your up to date details on our records to enable you to use this service. Book in advance appointments are put into the system monthly. Book on the day appointments open up at 6.00am each morning and 2.00pm in the afternoon. Telephone Advice from your Doctor You may feel that your problem could be solved by talking to your doctor on the telephone. Contact us during opening hours, leaving your name, number and brief details of your problem. A doctor or team member will then call you later. Practice Facebook ...is on it’s way. Feedback Received on the Autumn Newsletter “You have managed that difficult balance between providing information in a friendly and relatively informal way and being overly instructional.” Catherine O’Connor “I was very impressed both by the content and the way in which information was presented. It reflects the good quality of all the services provided by the Doctors, Nurses and all the ancillary staff based at both sites.” Malcolm Webster Keep in Contact Have you given us your contact email address? We are now using emails to communicate to patients as another way to keep you up to date. Email: [email protected] Are there any other changes to your contact details including telephone numbers? Page 8
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