January 2012
HEALTH INSURANCE
If you are interested in Private Medical Insurance we suggest you look at this website which provides independent advice and quotes from all leading UK health insurance companies.
BOWEL CANCER AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
The Department of Health will launch the first national campaign to raise public awareness of the symptoms of bowel cancer on 30th January 2012. The campaign will run for 9 weeks, targeting the over 55s, using TV, radio, press and bus advertising. The campaign will encourage people who have had these symptoms for 3 weeks or more to see their GP.
SUMMARY CARE RECORDS GO LIVE
Surrey has moved a step closer to creating emergency care records for everyone in the county who wants one. The county’s first records have been successfully created at a Surrey GP practice in Woking. It marks an important milestone and means that NHS Surrey can now start rolling out summary care records for the 1.2 million people living in the county. The NHS is introducing summary care records in every part of the country. The new ‘emergency care summary’ will improve the way information is stored and managed and will make it even easier for health professionals to get vital information in an emergency. The new system is being piloted at five practices in north west Surrey before it is rolled out across the rest of the county, over the next year. In March 2010 NHS Surrey wrote to everyone registered with a Surrey GP to make them aware of our plans to introduce summary care records in Surrey and how to opt out if they preferred not to have a record created.
The core records will contain information about a patient’s medicines, any allergies and any bad reactions, and on each occasion patients will be asked for permission to view the record. Patients have the right to change their mind about allowing access at any time.
Additional details – for example information about serious health conditions - may be added over time but only if patients confirm they want them included.
Anyone registered with a Surrey GP can choose whether or not they want to have a record created.
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If you want a record, you don’t need to do anything and a record will be created for you.
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If you would prefer not to have a summary care record, you can choose to ‘opt out’. To do this, you need to fill in an ‘opt out’ form and return this to your GP practice. They will then make sure your preferences are noted and a record will not be created. Forms are available from GP practices and they can also be downloaded from www.surreyhealth.nhs.uk.
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If you previously opted out, the project team and the practice will ensure that your wishes are respected.
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If you completed an ‘opt out’ form some time ago and have now changed your mind and want a record, it’s not too late – just talk to your practice and they will be able to help.
NHS staff will only be permitted to access health records if they are directly involved in a patient’s care and have the patient’s consent as they will need permission to view it each time, where this is possible. Strict security measures will also be in place at all times.
Almost 10 million summary care records have now been created across the country. Feedback has been positive from patients and healthcare staff alike.
Anyone who wants more information on summary care records can call the NHS Care Records Service Information Line on 0300 123 3020 or see www.surreyhealth.nhs.uk.
IVF TREATMENT
NHS Surrey to reinstate treatment from April 2012
LONGMEAD SURGERY CLOSURE
Longmead Surgery is now closed. Any clinics which were held at Longmead have been transferred to one of our other surgeries.
PATIENT PARTICIPATION and FEEDBACK
The role of patients in the organisation and make up of NHS Services has been given far greater prominence by the introduction of the NHS Constitution and the recent changes that have been introduced.
As a practice we have always strived to provide as good a quality and range of services as possible, and we hope to continue to do this, but in future would like to involve our patients more in the decisions we make.
We are looking to set up a ' Reference Group' that we could share ideas with and get feedback from. This would be a 'virtual' group - in other words, correspondence would all be by email (the number of which would be relatively few)
We would not pass on your details to anyone else, and you would receive no unsolicited email as a result of giving us your details.
If you would like to get involved, please give your name and email address to reception or email :
vicki.parnell@nhs.net ( with the subject line ' patient reference group ' ) or download and fill in the form on the Home page
The information gleaned from this group would be used in addition to enhance the findings of the Focus Groups set up by the established Patient Participation Group ( PPG - more information on the PPG given below )
TOUCH SCREENS
In order to encourage patients to give us their feedback - we have installed special touch screens in the waiting rooms of all four surgeries. Please have a look !
ICP MERGER
ICP has formally merged with two other local practices run by Dr. Nabih Sidhom - The Stoneleigh Medical Centre on Stoneleigh Broadway and Cox Lane Surgery on Cox Lane in Ewell. The full range of ICP's services will now be available to all our patients ( 32,000 approximately) regardless of which site they use for their regular GP service. For more information on this merger see ' History of the Practice'
TRIAGE TEAM
We are planning to improve our Urgent Care Service and make it more efficient. Commencing on 1st June 2011 Monday - Friday(mornings only) all calls from patients requesting an urgent ' on the day' appointment will be passed on to a member of the Triage Team ( doctor or nurse ) who will offer telephone advice, or, an appointment if necessary.
SMOKING CESSATION CLINIC
Our Smoking Cessation Clinic takes place every Wednesday from 8.30am - 11.30am at Stoneleigh Medical Centre, The Broadway, Stoneleigh
Please note that patients do not have to be referred by a GP but can just telephone the surgery on 0844 412 2232 to make an appointment.
For more information or help on Smoking Cessation :
pick up a leaflet in the surgery,
or
click the link below :
www.surreyquit.net or telephone : 0845 602 3608
'KNOW YOUR RIGHTS' CAMPAIGN
The 'know your Rights' campaign is aimed at helping vulnerable people, particularly older people, disabled people and low income families claim money to which they are entitled. It is organised in partnership with Citizens Advice, Age UK London and supported by London Councils and the Department of Work and Pensions.
To book face to face advice and practical help to claim, call your local Citizens Advice Bureau - 0844 826 9701 or Age Concern - 0208 942 8256 or click on a link below:
X RAYS - NEW CHARGES FOR COPIES
Any copies of X rays requested by patients will now incur a fee of £5.00
HARD OF HEARING ?
The Epsom Hard of Hearing Support Group meets on the second Friday of each month at the Longmead Centre, Sefton Road, Epsom from 2pm - 4pm. They have a range of excellent speakers with tea and coffee. Someone is always available to carry out minor repairs to hearing aid equipment and to issue batteries. An outreach worker from the Audiology team is present at most meetings to offer advice ( technical and practical ) to members of the group. To make contact with the group telephone :
Harry Corben - 01372 721061
BLIND or PARTIALLY SIGHTED ?
The Epsom & Ewell Club for the Blind meets fortnightly on Thursday afternoons at Swail House, Ashley Road, Epsom from 2.15pm - 4.15pm. They have talks, musical entertainments, afternoon tea & a raffle. In July they have a special Birthday Lunch. They would welcome new members. For more information telephone Mary on 01372 723057
NEW WOMENS' HEALTH/ FAMILY PLANNING CLINIC
In tandem with the drop - in clinc on a Thursday evening, we are offering a new Womens' Health and Family Planning Clinic for a trial period. This clinic will offer appointments for pill/ IUD checks, vaginal/ STI swabs, contraceptive injections and emergency contraception ( no smears ). Please ring if you want to make an appointment.
NEW TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE
We have just launched a new SMS ( text messaging service ) ! This will be used to send text messages to patients via their mobile phones to keep them up to date on health information - eg; Stop Smoking, Weight Management and much more.
If patients want to receive such information, but have not given us their mobile phone number - please telephone the surgery and make sure that we update your records.
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP ( PPG )
The PPG works to improve communication between the Practice and its patients, to ensure the services on offer truly meet the needs of all patients. The group has some great ideas to take forward and has recently recruited several new and enthusiastic individuals to join the group and share their ideas on how services can be changed and get involved in making those changes - for the good of the patients and the Practice.
You can contact the group by emailing :
vicki.parnell@nhs.net ( Information Manager )
SAMARITANS
The Samaritans are available every Thursday evening at The Old Cottage Hospital Surgery. Appointments from 4.30 - 7.30. Drop - in session from 5.30 - 7.30.
If you are going through a hard time, Samaritans will listen, in total confidence, to your feelings and help you talk things through. Any person wishing to talk with a Samaritan can book an appointment through Reception or just drop in on a Thursday session between 5.30 and 7.30pm.
REARCH DATA COLLECTION
For more information on Research Data Collection click here
HEALTHCARE TRAVEL COSTS SCHEME
To access more information about HTCS or for help in making a claim the helpline number is: 0845 850 1166
CURRENT GP REGISTRARS
To be advised