Welcome to Prudhoe Medical Group Book your appointment

Welcome to Prudhoe Medical Group

Book your appointment online! Quick and easy to book/cancel appointments 24/7 You can book the same appointments online as you can on the phone. Frees up phone lines for elderly and vulnerable patients Sign up via our website: www. prudhoemedicalgroup. com Register to book your appointments online

Other online services Repeat prescriptions and medication View your medical records Sign up via our website or ask at reception. Go on, do it now! Register to book your appointments online

The Friends & Family Test We love having feedback from our patients, be it about things we’re doing well, or things we could improve upon. Please take a few seconds to complete feedback at: www. prudhoemedicalgroup. com click on link “Have your say” select option Friends & Family Test or pick up an Friends & Family Test form at reception. All feedback is anonymous Register to book your appointments online

Staff News……. . From June 2016 we welcome new GP Partner Dr Althea Carr: “I grew up in Edinburgh and went to University in Newcastle, graduating in 2002. I completed my GP training locally in 2009 and have worked in the North East since. I enjoy all aspects of General Practice with particular interest in Care of the Elderly and contraception. I also perform joint injections. I live in the local area with my husband two young children. When not at work I enjoy getting out on my bike and love spending time outdoors. I am very much looking forward to joining Prudhoe Medical Group. I will be working part time, available on Monday, Tuesday and Friday”

Further Staff News……… We have recently recruited an apprentice receptionist Julia who will be training to become a medical receptionist over the next 12 months. We have two new GP Registrars Dr Ratika Birdi and Dr Tim Bell who will be with us until August 2016. Register to book your appointments online

Blood Tests Clinics are held for blood tests on: Mon AM, Tues AM, Wed AM and Thurs AM (On Thurs appointments available from 7: 30 am) Register to book your appointments online

REFERRAL TO LOCAL PHARMACY – NO PRESCRIPTION REQUIRED You have a common condition that can be treated with a medication that is available to buy over the counter from your local pharmacy, without making an appointment. Ask the pharmacist for help and advice on the most appropriate medication to relieve your symptoms for: Coughs and colds Aches and pains Sore throat Teething Hayfever / allergies Sleep problems Skin rashes Travel sickness Heartburn Indigestion Threadworm Upset stomach Head lice Diarrhoea Scabies Constipation Athlete’s foot Colic Cold sores Piles (haemorrhoids) Fungal skin infections Headache / migraine Fungal nail infections Toothache Eczema Conjunctivitis If at any time you are concerned about your condition or if your symptoms are not improving after a few days of treatment with the over the counter medications you should contact the local pharmacist or the surgery for more advice. Please contact the surgery for further advice on 01661 839370 For more information visit http: //www. nhs. uk/Livewell/Pharmacy/Pages/Commonconditions. aspx

Taking Your Medicines Safely • Do you take Ramipril, Enalapril, Perindopril or Lisinopril? This type of medicines is helpful to many groups of patients including those with certain kinds of heart disease. It is often also used for people with high blood pressure, diabetes and some types of kidney disease. • Ramipril, Enalapril, Perindopril and Lisinopril are commonly used drugs from the ACEI group. • Whilst these drugs help to keep us healthy most of the time, they can cause difficulties if we become dehydrated. This can happen if we develop conditions such as diarrhoea and vomiting, or during flu-like illnesses. If you become unwell in this way we advise that you stop your ACEI tablets until the illness settles down. Usually this takes just a few days and then it is important to restart the medication as soon as you feel better.

Patient Participation Group • At here Prudhoe Medical Group we have a long established Patient Participation Group since 2006. • If you are currently registered as a patient at Prudhoe Medical Group and would like to help make a real difference to the community of Prudhoe, promote healthy living and help shape our local services please get in touch.

Patient Group – meet the members From left to right: Anthony Hockey (Practice Manager) Andrew Gill Lindsay Hopkins Eileen Asbury Peter Kerry Elaine Heane Tony Reid Alan Greenall (Chair of group)

Patient Group – cont’d…… • Do you want to improve health and health services in your local community? • Do you want to have the opportunity to have a voice and get involved in the way your health service is run? • Do you want to help shape and improve services and even get involved in shaping and delivering new and exciting services? • Let us hear about your experiences, views and ideas for making services better. • The Practice is looking for people from all ages and backgrounds who are enthusiastic about influencing and improving the way that local healthcare is delivered. • If you are interested, please ask for the Practice Patient Participation Group Application Form at Reception. • If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact: Anthony Hockey, Practice Manager 01661 839370 or email prudhoemedicalgroup@nhs. net •

Virtual Patient Group • What is the Virtual Patient Participation Group? • This is a group which has been set up in response to patients who have said they would like to be involved in the Patient Participation Group but are unable to attend meetings. • As a member of the Virtual Participation Patient Group we will send you emails asking you for your opinion on a range of topics. • You decide how often and when you would like to answer.

Virtual Patient Group – Cont’d…. • If you would like to become a member of the Virtual Patients Group Scheme, use any of the following methods: • Email us at prudhoemedicalgroup@nhs. net • (Please ensure you provide your name AND preferred email address) OR • Visit the Practice or Phone on 01661839370 and request a Contact Form – please return it to the Practice when you have completed it.

Self Help Guides – Mental Health The self help guides have been written by NHS clinical psychologists with contributions from service users and healthcare staff. The guides offer users the opportunity to find out more about the causes of mental health issues and provide tools to work through feelings and emotions.

Self Help Guides available…. • Guides available cover the following areas: Abuse Alcohol and You Anxiety Bereavement Controlling Anger Depression and Low Mood Domestic Violence Eating Disorders Food for Thought Health Anxiety Hearing Voices Obsessions and Compulsions Panic Post Traumatic Stress Postnatal Depression Self Harm Stress

Self Help Guides – Mental Health – continued…… • To access please visit: • www. ntw. nhs. uk/pic/selfhelp • Available online in the following formats - A 4, A 5, large print, GP printer version, audio, easy read and BSL.

Pneumonia vaccine The pneumonia vaccine protects against pneumococcal infections. A pneumonia infection can affect anyone. However, some people need the pneumococcal vaccination because they are at higher risk of complications. These include: • all children under the age of two • adults aged 65 or over • children and adults with certain long-term health conditions, such as a serious heart or kidney condition If any of the above criteria applies to you, speak to your nurse about the one-off Pneumonia vaccine. Register to book your appointments online

Are you pregnant or may have a urine infection? If so then please take time to prepare a fresh urine specimen BEFORE you see your doctor. Ask at reception for a urine sample bottle. Register to book your appointments online

Shingles vaccine Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a painful skin rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus (varicella-zoster virus) in people who have previously had chickenpox. It begins with a burning sensation in the skin, followed by a rash of very painful fluid-filled blisters that can then burst and turn into sores before healing. Often an area on just one side of the body is affected, usually the chest but sometimes the head, face and eye. Register to book your appointments online

Shingles vaccine…continued Between September 2015 and September 2016, the shingles vaccine is offered routinely as part of the NHS vaccination programme for people aged 70, 78 or 79. You become eligible for the vaccine on the first day of September 2015 after you've turned 70, 78 or 79 and remains so until the last day of August the following year. You can have the shingles vaccination at any time of year, though many people will find it convenient to have the vaccine at the same time as their annual flu vaccination. Speak to your nurse. Register to book your appointments online

Electronic Prescription Service The Electronic Prescription Service is an NHS service. It gives you the chance to change how we send your prescription to the place you choose to get your medicines or appliances from. If you normally collect your repeat prescriptions from us, you will need to visit the practice to pick up your paper prescriptions. With the Electronic Prescription Service we will send it electronically to the place you choose saving you time. Register to book your appointments online

Electronic Prescription Service…cont’d You need to choose a pharmacy for us to electronically send your prescription to. Ask reception to add your chosen pharmacy for you. Once added, all your prescriptions will go to your chosen pharmacy. You do not need a computer to do this. N. B. some medication is exempt (e. g. strong painkillers and sleeping tablets) Register to book your appointments online

Contacts & Consent Mobile phone number and email address: If you have them, please make sure we have them! If you change your mobile or home phone number please let us know. If you do not want us to send you text message reminders for your appointment then please tell us. Register to book your appointments online

DNA stands for ‘Did Not Attend’ and is a common phrase used in healthcare to denote where a patient without prior notification ‘Did Not Attend’ their appointment. It costs the NHS hundreds of millions of pounds each year and increases patient waiting times. If you have an appointment you can’t attend, be it here or elsewhere, please call and cancel/reschedule it. This means the appointment can be given to someone else and isn’t wasted. Register to book your appointments online

DNA…continued Help us to help you! Please ensure that if you have booked an appointment with us and can no longer attend, call us to cancel. If you’ve booked online, you can also cancel online. By doing this simple task we can keep waiting times down and offer you more appointments when you need them. Register to book your appointments online

Flu Vaccine Certain people are more likely to catch flu, such as: • anyone over the age of 65 • pregnant women • children and adults with an underlying health condition (particularly long-term heart or respiratory disease) • children and adults with weakened immune systems Register to book your appointments online

Out of hours If you need to speak to a healthcare professional outside of our opening hours please call NHS 111. You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the right help, whatever the time. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are FREE from landlines and mobile phones. Register to book your appointments online

Out of hours…continued When to use NHS 111 You should use the NHS 111 service if you urgently need medical help or advice but it's not a lifethreatening situation. Call 111 if: • you need medical help fast but it's not a 999 emergency • you think you need to go to A&E or need another NHS urgent care service • you don't know who to call • you need health information or reassurance about what to do next Register to book your appointments online

Do you know how to use the internet? If you do, we’d really appreciate it if you could book your appointments online. Whilst we love to hear from you, our phone lines are becoming increasingly busy. To help us help you, if you can book your appointment online, please do so. That way the phone lines are available for those who are unable to use the internet (e. g. the elderly and vulnerable). Appointments available online are the same as those available over the phone. Register to book your appointments online

Extended Hours As part of our required contractual services for our patients we offer extended hours for patients who cannot attend during normal working hours to see a GP, Practice Nurse or a Health Care Assistant. These appointments are early morning or later evening. Please ask at reception Register to book your appointments online

Abdominal aortic aneurysm screening The aorta is the main blood vessel that supplies blood to your body. It runs from your heart down through your chest and abdomen. In some people, as they get older, the wall of the aorta in the abdomen can become weak. It can then start to expand form what is called an abdominal aortic aneurysm. The condition is most common in men aged 65 and above. Register to book your appointments online

Abdominal aortic aneurysm…continued Men are six times more likely to have this type of aneurysm than women. The chance of having an aneurysm increases with age. Your chance of having an abdominal aortic aneurysm can also increase if: – You smoke – You have high blood pressure – Your brother, sister or parent has, or has had, an abdominal aortic aneurysm If you are a man over 65 and have never been invited for AAA screening, you can contact the screening programme on 0800 804 8002 Register to book your appointments online

Fire evacuation In the unlikely event of a fire you will be asked by staff to vacate the building as safely and as quickly as possible. We keep a register of all patients in the building which we use during a fire evacuation. If you check in and then leave without attending your appointment, please let reception know. If the fire alarm sounds, your co-operation with staff instructions is essential to a swift and safe evacuation of the premises. Register to book your appointments online

Fire evacuation…continued • Patients in the waiting room will be escorted by one of our Fire Warden staff members to the nearest Fire exit. • Patients in clinic rooms will be escorted from the rooms with the clinical staff member to the nearest Fire exit. • Our Fire Assembly point is situated to the rear of the car park. Register to book your appointments online

• If you would like to view this presentation in full please visit our website: • www. prudhoemedicalgroup. com