Practice Updates

30th Oct

On Line Access to Medical Records

You can now view your GP record online.  You will be able to see information such as your medications, allergies, test results, immunisations, and illnesses.

You can also book and cancel appointments and order repeat prescriptions online. 

Your GP record can be viewed on a computer, a tablet, or a smartphone, using a website or an app.  This means that you can look at your GP record online 

whenever you want, without needing to print it.  Your GP online record is up-to-date and more secure than a printed version which could be lost or seen by others. 

You can also look at your online record after your appointment to make sure you understood what your doctor or nurse told you. 

Your GP record is written to help medical staff look after you.  This means that sometimes you may not understand everything you see.  If you find something you 

don’t understand, you can go to the NHS Choices website - www.nhs.uk.  NHS Choices is the NHS website for patients where you can look for information about illnesses, how to look after yourself, and find NHS services in your local area.  If you have further questions about what you read, you can talk to your doctor or nurse. 

In some cases, your GP may think it would not be good for you to look at your GP record online. If this happens, your GP will talk to you about it.  It is up to your GP to decide if you should be allowed access to your online record.  You cannot change information in your record yourself. 

If you would like to start using online services, see the 'GP online services@ guide for more information www.nhs.uk/GPonlineservices

Diagram
29th Sep

We are improving the way we work with patients with long-term conditions.

We are improving the way we work with patients with long-term conditions

Patients living with certain long-term conditions will be encouraged to attend a Yearly Health Check. Long-term conditions are those that impact over a long period of time, such as diabetes and heart diseases.

 Patients will receive personalised care and support from healthcare professionals from their general practice. This will cover things that patients say matter most to their health and wellbeing, from the best treatment for their condition, to wider things like employment, housing, and mental health.

 Our goal is that by planning care together with care, patients will have the confidence to manage their health, reduce their risk of being admitted to hospital, and have a better quality of life.

 

Who is this for?

Initially, we will cover nine long-term conditions:

  • Cardiovascular disease (for example, strokes, health failure, ischaemic heart disease, and peripheral artery disease)
  • Diabetes
  • Hypertension (High blood pressure)
  • Hyperlipidaemia (High cholesterol)
  • Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
  • Atrial fibrillation
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

 In the future, we will look to expand this to cover more long-term conditions.

 

What can you expect?

If you have one of the long-term conditions listed above, you will be encouraged to have at least three check-ins per year. Each stage is described below for you:

  1. Attend your Check and Test Appointment

In your Check and Test Appointment, a health professional will carry out all the checks and tests you need to monitor and manage your long-term condition. You may be sent for a blood test and have other checks like a blood pressure check and weight check. We may discuss lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise with you too.

 If you need an interpreter, please let us know so we can arrange one for your appointment.

  1. Receive your test results and your Care Plan

After two to four weeks, you will receive your test results (by post, text, or email, however you prefer).

We will also send a blank document called a Care Plan.

 A Care Plan is an agreement between you and your healthcare professional to help manage your health and support day to day. In your Care Plan, you can record things that are important to your health and wellbeing. This can include anything from your life, like employment, housing, or mental health.

 A Care Plan covers:

  • What is important to you and the goals you have
  • How to get the most out of your medication
  • The care and support you need from others

 A healthcare professional will review your Care Plan with you in your Discussion Appointment. You can start filling out your Care Plan before your appointment or you can fill it during your appointment.

  1. Attend your Discussion Appointment

You will then be invited to a Discussion Appointment with a healthcare professional. This may be another team member (such as a nurse, health care assistant, pharmacist, social prescriber link worker) who is best placed to support your care and can spend more time with you. This appointment will take around 30 minutes.

 You can discuss your long-term conditions, test results, treatment, and anything else that is affecting your health, from housing to employment. Together we will look at what matters most to you and agree some goals. Your Care Plan will be updated with what has been agreed.

  1. Attend your Follow-Up Appointment

Three to six months later, you will be invited to a Follow-Up Appointment. This will last up to 15 minutes and is an opportunity to update your Care Plan with a healthcare professional, considering what is going well and where you may need more support. You may have more than one Follow-Up Appointment in a year.

 Watch the short film below to see an example of a patient’s journey through the key stages of the process and help you understand what to expect from your Yearly Health Check.

 With subtitles - https://youtu.be/2uNlBbuHflY

 Without subtitles - https://youtu.be/FhTbMDLpMQ0

 How will I be contacted if this is for me?

We will contact you via text, phone call, or letter to organise your appointments. We will contact patients over the year so please do not worry if you do not hear from us right away. If you are concerned or have questions, please contact us.

 

 

 

4th Jun 2021

Community Pharmacist Consultation Service ( CPCS )

We are participating in a nationwide approach to improve access for patients to GP appointments. This is called the NHS Community Pharmacy Consultation Service (CPCS), which commenced in 2019. The aim is to direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare professional. This may be a GP or your local Community Pharmacist. 

 

From Wednesday 16th June 2021, if your symptoms could be resolved by a booked consultation with the Community Pharmacist instead of the GP, you will be given a same-day referral to your local preferred NHS Community Pharmacy who will contact you by phone in a timely manner. If you have not heard from the pharmacist after a few hours, please feel free to ring them.

Please do not visit the pharmacy, wait for them to book you in for the consultation, either face to face or a phone call.

Pharmacists are highly trained and skilled clinicians experienced in treating minor illnesses. The CPCS will help us to free up GP appointments for people with more complex health needs and ensure that everyone gets treated at the right time, by the right healthcare professional. 

 

Here is a short video that explains more about this service

 

If referred to a Community Pharmacist, your online consultation form or summary that includes summary of your symptoms will be shared with them. They will contact you to discuss your query, which may be over  the phone or in person, if required. The Community Pharmacist will recommend the most appropriate treatment, which may be purchased over-the-counter. As part of a wider NHS initiative, this is called 'Self-Care'. More information can be found here.

After your consultation, the Community Pharmacist will update us and advise if any further follow-up is required. 

 

Application for Online Access to Medical Records
10th Jul 2020

Are you registered for online services either via the NHS App or Patient Access but cannot see test results or other aspects of your medical record? 

Complete and submit the Application for Online Services Form so that your record can be updated. 

NHS App
7th May 2020

NHS App

Online Services are available for patients to:-

  • View and order repeat medications
  • view your medical record
  • book and cancel appointments (currently switched off in practice due to current Covid Response)  
  • Submit an eConsult

Find out more and download the NHS App here: www.nhs.uk/app

Proxy Access is also now available which allows parents, family members and carers to access health services on behalf of other people. For example, children, dependants you care and relatives. For more information, please click here