On Monday 12th August 2019, Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, Head of the Royal College of General Practitioners offically opened St Clare Medical Centre. 

Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard unveiled a plaque at the St Clare Medical Centre, which has been described as a flagship for primary care in the South West.  This was a proud day for all involved.

SURGERY NEWS 

 

STAFF

Rosmellyn are delighted to have welcomed Dr Alexa Hollow and Dr Ryan Judge to our team of General Practioners. 

 

We were also sad to see Dr Katrin Tunstall leave at the end of March. We wish her every success for her future. 

 

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

Are you an enthusiastic and motivated person? If so you might be the person who we are looking for! Rosmellyn surgery runs a Patient Participation Group which is a route for patients to advise and inform the Practice on what matters most to patients and to help identify solutions to problems. Members of PPGs should think about the wider patient interest and not just their own personal concerns when serving on the PPG. If you think this might be for you, please contact the surgery with your contact details and we will be able to provide the current group with your information.

 

CARERS

We are currently updating our carers register; if you are a carer for a member of your family or a friend and you would like to receive some more support and advice, please leave your details with a member of our reception team who will be in contact with you. The surgery contact for carers is Sian Williams.

 

SEASONAL VIRUSES

Seasonal viruses will circulate every year.  A key part of avoiding catching the flu virus and Noro virus is good personal hygiene.  If you cough or sneeze, use a tissue and then throw it away safely.  Then wash your hands. 

 

SHINGLES VACCINATIONS

We are continuing to work through the list of patients eligible for their Shingle vaccine. You will hear from us with an invite as soon as possible.

 

MEASLES MUMPS AND RUBELLA VACCINATION

The MMR vaccine has been shown across the world to be a safe and effective way of preventing measles and mumps and can protect your child and others against these infections and their serious consequences.

Measles, mumps and rubella are highly contagious infectious diseases and spread very easily; you can catch measles if you spend just 15 minutes with someone who has the disease.

We are urging all parents of young people who have not yet had the vaccine to take advantage of this new programme.

Children in the UK usually have the first MMR dose when they have turned a year old, and a second dose just after the age of three. Two doses of MMR are needed to get the best protection from measles and mumps.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Your local Pharmacy can treat these conditions: Urinary Tract Infections, Skin conditions such as Impetigo, Nappy Rash and Sunburn as well as Conjunctivitis. Pharmacists are fully trained to advise in minor illness and medication reviews. They have onsite consulting rooms available for use.

 

NURSE APPOINTMENTS

We are very lucky to have a highly qualified and experienced team of Nurses who are specialists in such things as asthma, diabetes, learning difficulties and wound care.  Two of the Nurses are also able to prescribe medicines for you; the Doctor will often advise that one of our Nurses is the best person to see for common and minor illnesses.

 

DEMENTIA SCREENING

Certain people have an increased risk of dementia due to their other medical conditions.  If you are worried about your memory, please ask us if you would like to be screened and we will be happy to arrange this for you.

 

REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS

Surprisingly, many patients get their prescription drugs and then don’t take them.  This is a costly waste as even if they are returned unopened, they cannot be recycled.  Please think carefully before ordering repeat medication and let us know if you want to discuss reducing or stopping any medication.  You need to give us at least three working days’ notice for repeat prescriptions, so please keep an eye on your stock and avoid running out.

Please note: If your pharmacy automatically orders your monthly prescriptions, it may be worth checking what is being ordered on your behalf on a regular basis. Please let the pharmacy know if some items are not needed. Usually repeat prescriptions are issued as a 28-day supply.

 

EVENING & SUNDAY APPOINTMENTS

We offer weekly evening appointments on alternate Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6.30pm. Occasionally we will run a Sunday morning clinic. These clinics have doctor, nurse and HCA appointments available and prove popular. You may book ahead for these appointments if it is more convenient for you.

 

WHEN YOU PHONE THE SURGERY

When you contact us for an appointment, we aim to find the best route for you to the right care, with the right clinician as quickly as we can; please help us to achieve this by telling the receptionist something about what ails you so that they can help the doctors to get your care right.  It may not always be appropriate to see a doctor, depending on your condition; our nurses and healthcare assistants are all very highly trained and competent in many areas of care. The receptionists are trained to advise you of the most appropriate care path but will always direct you to the doctor if unsure or if it is obviously appropriate.  Every conversation you have with everyone in the surgery is held in the strictest confidence, and the doctors ask that you help us in this way.  All calls are recorded.

 

MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBERS & EMAIL ADDRESSES

Please keep us informed of your email address and contact numbers so that we can be sure to contact you if we need to; we will not send you emails or text messages if you ask us not to.

 

TELEPHONE MESSAGES

As a rule we do not leave a telephone message on patients’ phones to notify them that we have called. However, if you are happy for us to leave a message, please let the Receptionists know.

 

DEVON AND CORNWALL CARE RECORD

The new Devon and Cornwall Care Record gives healthcare staff a more complete view of your medical history.

For you, this means quicker diagnoses, safer treatment and more co-ordinated care.

Find out more at www.devonandcornwallcarerecord.nhs.uk

 

 

In March 2018, NHS England published guidance about reducing the prescribing of medicines or treatments that are available to buy over the counter.

This means that certain medicines may no longer be prescribed if you can buy them over the counter. This leaflet will explain the changes, why they are happening and where you can get more information and support.

What conditions are included in this change?

Medicines available to buy over the counter will not be routinely prescribed for the following 35 conditions:

• acute sore throat
• conjunctivitis
• coughs, colds and nasal congestion
• cradle cap
• dandruff
• diarrhoea (adults)
• dry eyes or sore tired eyes
• earwax
• excessive sweating
• haemorrhoids
• head lice
• indigestion and heartburn
• infant colic
• infrequent cold sores of the lip
• infrequent constipation
• infrequent migraine
• insect bites and stings
• mild acne
• minor burns and scalds
• mild cystitis
• mild dry skin
• mild irritant dermatitis
• mild to moderate hay fever
• minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and fever (such as aches and sprains, headache, period pain, back pain)
• mouth ulcers
• nappy rash
• oral thrush
• prevention of tooth decay
• ringworm or athletes foot
• sunburn
• sun protection
• teething and mild toothache
• threadworms
• travel sickness
• warts and verrucae

Probiotics, and some vitamins and minerals will also no longer be routinely prescribed, because most people can, and should get these from eating a healthy, varied and balanced diet. Details about healthy eating is available on the NHS website.
In special cases some people will still be able to get prescriptions for the conditions (or medicines used to treat them) from the list above.

Why does the NHS want to reduce prescribing of these medicines?

The NHS has to make difficult choices about what it spends taxpayer money on and how much value the taxpayer is getting for that money. Medicines to treat these conditions are available to buy over the counter. Pharmacists can advise patients on self-care and also on which are the lowest cost versions of medicines available.

By reducing the amount the NHS spends on treating these minor health conditions, the NHS can give priority to treatments for patients with more serious conditions such as cancer and mental health problems.

What are the benefits of going to the pharmacy instead of making an appointment to see your GP?

Pharmacists are trained clinicians who have the knowledge and skills to help with many healthcare conditions, and you don’t need an appointment to speak to a pharmacist. Visiting a pharmacist first helps to make more GP appointments available for people with more complex healthcare needs.
If you have something more serious, the pharmacist is trained to signpost you quickly to the right medical care.

What can you do?

By keeping certain useful medicines at home, you can treat common conditions immediately and you won’t need to see a GP. The medicines you may want to keep at home could include:

• a painkiller to help treat minor conditions associated with pain, discomfort and fever
• indigestion medicines, oral rehydration salts and treatments for constipation and diarrhoea
• treatments for seasonal conditions such as colds and hay fever
• sunblock and after sun
• some basic first aid items would also be useful

If you have children make sure you also have products suitable for children.

Speak to your pharmacist for advice on what medicines to keep at home, where to store them safely and how to use your medicines.

Ensuring you have a well-balanced, healthy diet will mean most people don’t need to take vitamin supplements or probiotics. If you do wish to take these products to avoid you becoming deficient, you can buy them from a pharmacy, a supermarket or online.

What about patients who need to take medicines for these conditions regularly or in special situations?

Some individual patients may still be prescribed a medicine for a condition on the list. The reasons vary for each condition and GPs, nurses or clinical pharmacists will speak to you individually if this affects you. The main reasons are:

• treatment for a long-term condition, for example regular pain relief for chronic arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease
• treatment of more complex forms of minor illnesses, for example migraines that are very bad and where over the counter medicines do not work
• patients prescribed over the counter medicines to treat a side effect of a prescription medicine or symptom of another illness, for example, constipation when taking certain painkillers
• the medicine has a licence which doesn’t allow the product to be sold over the counter to certain groups of patients. This may vary by medicine, but could include babies, children or women who are pregnant or breast-feeding
• the prescriber thinks that a patient cannot treat themselves, for example because of mental health problems or severe social vulnerability (not just having a low income)

What if my symptoms don’t improve?

Your pharmacist can advise on how long you can expect to experience symptoms for the conditions listed. If your symptoms have not improved after this time or you start to feel a lot worse, contact your GP or call 111. The emergency department and 999 should only be used for life threatening emergencies. There is lots of advice on the NHS choices website to help you choose the right service

Where can you find more information and support?

• You can speak to a pharmacist who can help with advice and treatments for the conditions listed.
• NHS choices has lots of information and advice on treating minor health problems with self-care
• Find out more about the conditions for which over the counter medicines should no longer be prescribed on the NHS England website

If you have any questions about the items which are no longer going to be prescribed, then please email them to: kccg.contactus@nhs.net.