Welcome to Keats Group Practice

Mental health

The festive season can be fun, but it can also be overwhelming. It’s okay to feel a mix of emotions and it’s important to make time for yourself. It can be difficult to cope if you struggle with your mental health, you have other things happening in your life or you’re alone.

Here are some tips to help you manage:

• Set boundaries: It’s okay to say no.
• Take breaks: Rest is just as important as celebration.
• Talk: Speak to someone if you feel lonely or stressed.
• Be kind to yourself: You’re doing your best.

For more support, this link is helpful: https://www.mind.org.uk/information...tmas-and-mental-health/christmas-coping-tips/

Flu

Reminder: Flu season is here, protect yourself!

The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. Becoming unwell during the cold winter months can leave you even more vulnerable to complications.

It’s not too late to have your vaccination! If you’re eligible, book your appointment as soon as you can.

Care for older adults

No one should feel lonely over Christmas. For older people in our communities who are waiting for the phone to ring, just having someone to talk to can make their day. Age UK offer a telephone friendship service which can bring much-needed comfort to those in need alongside a 24-hour advice line.

If you have older neighbours or relatives, keep in touch this festive season – it can mean the world to them!

Age UK advice line: 0800 678 1602. Free to call 8am–7pm, 365 days a year.

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/get-involved/brighter/

https://www.ageuk.org.uk/services/befriending-services/sign-up-for-telephone-befriending/

World Aids Day, 1st December

Held every year on 1st December, World AIDS Day is more than a ribbon. We continue to advocate for access to testing, treatment and prevention for everyone.

It’s also the perfect time to review a few tips on keeping ourselves and communities safe in preventing HIV.

• Use condoms consistently and correctly
• Get tested regularly
• Talk openly with partners about sexual health

Together, we can work towards a future where HIV is no longer a global threat, aiming to end new cases by 2030.
https://tht.org.uk/support-us/world-aids-day/what-is-world-aids-day/


Crohn’s and colitis, 1st-7th December

Crohn’s disease and colitis are often invisible to the outside world but they deeply impact on the lives of the 300,000 diagnosed sufferers in the UK.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is not just a stomach ache; it’s fatigue, uncertainty, flare-ups, strict diets, hospital visits, and strength that often goes unseen. It can cause a range of symptoms, such as:

• Diarrhoea
• Blood or mucous in your poo
• Stomach pain
• Feeling very tired or generally unwell

If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms over a prolonged period, it’s worth making an appointment to speak to your GP.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/crohns-disease/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuytsHjQvqc

Grief Awareness Week, 2nd-8th December

Losing someone we love changes us and how we see the world. This Grief Awareness Week, the focus is on growing with grief.

Pain doesn’t fade, but as time passes, with support, compassion and strength, you can find that your hope returns, shaped by your memories.

If you’re struggling with grief, please reach out: https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org/ngaw/

#GriefAwarenessWeek

International Day of People with Disabilities, 3rd December

International Day of People with Disabilities (IDPWD) celebrates and promotes the rights of everyone with a disability, and this year the focus is on building an inclusive society.

Not all disabilities are visible, and everyone deserves to access society and healthcare without barriers.

We’re an accessible, disability-friendly practice – if you require support, please do contact our reception team. We’re here to help you.


Food banks

With the cost of living soaring, more and more people are struggling to feed themselves and their families.

There’s nothing worse than hunger when you’re cold, and if you’re struggling to feed yourself or your children, a food bank can supply an emergency parcel with enough food for at least three days.

To receive support from a food bank, you’ll need a referral for a food voucher. Contact your local Citizens Advice: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/food-bank/using-a-food-bank/

Remember, if you are in need, your local foodbank is there to help:
https://www.trussell.org.uk/emergency-food/find-a-foodbank

Digestive health

Changes in diet over Christmas, including rich food and less movement, can play havoc with the digestive system, leading to issues such as heartburn, constipation and reflux.

These tips can help to keep your gut healthy over the period of indulgence:

• Limit your alcohol intake
• Eat a varied diet – try to include vegetables and grains to help gut movement
• Take some time to relax – stress and anxiety can increase the speed of digestion, causing diarrhoea and bloating
• Make time to move! Even a gentle walk after dinner can make a huge difference
• Consider a probiotic

However you celebrate, have a gut-friendly season ahead! https://www.kingedwardvii.co.uk/health-hub/how-to-have-a-gut-friendly-christmas

Check out our Winter Newsletter - Patient Newsletter - Welcome to Keats Group Practice

Christmas closures

Over the festive season, our opening hours will remain the same, and we will only be closed on bank holidays. 

Prescription ordering can be busier than usual in the weeks leading up to Christmas. Please ensure you order your medication with extra notice during this time, and you have enough to cover the festive period.

Medical help over the festive season

England

During the festive season, general practice hours may vary. If your general practice isn’t open, you can find help and advice here: https://111.nhs.uk

If you need help in an emergency, you should attend A&E, or in a life-threatening emergency, call 999

Book your free flu vaccine now and protect yourself this winter

Winter can be tough on your health and can increase some people’s chances of becoming unwell from flu.

If you are pregnant or living with a long-term condition, it is particularly important to get your free flu vaccination.

If you live with a long-term health condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, asthma/lung conditions, liver or kidney disease, cancer, or a weakened immune system, you’re at greater risk of developing more serious illnesses from flu. These include bronchitis and pneumonia, and it can also make existing conditions worse.

The flu vaccine is safe, effective and free for you. It helps prevent serious illness and keeps you well and out of hospital this winter.

Children can also get sick from flu and pass it on easily to others.

That’s why the free flu vaccine is offered to all children aged 2–16. For younger children, it’s a simple, safe nasal spray instead of a needle injection.

You are eligible for a free flu vaccination if you are:

·       Under 65 and living with a long-term health condition

·       65 and over

·       Pregnant

·       A child aged 2 -16

·       The main carer of an older or disabled person.

·       A frontline health or social care worker

Book your free flu vaccine at your GP practice or local pharmacy today.

If you are a parent, you can book your child’s flu vaccine or nasal spray through your GP or school immunisation team.

For more information about the flu vaccine visit LondonWinterWellness.nhs.uk or Flu vaccine - NHS

Evening and weekend appointments available 

Evening and weekend GP appointments are available here / at GP hubs in this borough this winter.

This means you will be able to see a GP, nurse or other health professional at a time which is most convenient for you.

Speak your GP about booking an appointment at your nearest GP hub Contact Us

Flu vaccine guidance for Muslim families

The full guidance and advice can be found here: British Islamic Medical Association

In brief

• Adults: the standard injectable flu vaccine does not contain porcine products. 
• Children: the nasal spray (LAIV) contains porcine gelatine. Many parents choose the injectable alternative as it does does not contain gelatine . Your GP or school immunisation team can provide it.
• Religious views: some Islamic scholars consider the nasal spray permissible due to medical need, while others prefer avoiding porcine ingredients when alternatives exist. 

Read the full guidance from the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA): BIMA Flu Advice