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Surgery Notes FROM THE FAKENHAM MEDICAL PRACTICE PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

Blood tests and anxiety – are you nervous about having blood Test results taken? Here are some simple tips to help you get through a Please telephone either surgery blood test if you have a fear or phobia notes the Fakenham or Walsingham surgeries NUMBER 32 SUMMER 2019 after 11am for the results of any tests and/or Hot weather precautions investigations that have been undertaken at the Lengthy periods of hot weather can bring 8 if applicable, check mechanical request of your doctor. health risks and it is important that you ventilations systems are switched on and remain hydrated and do not overheat. operating in summer mode The Practice does not Who is most at risk? 8 grow plants inside and outside to provide routinely telephone 8 older people, especially those over 75 shade and help cool the air patients with results. 8 babies and young children 8 check that fridges, freezers and fans are 8 If your test was people with a serious chronic condition, working properly 8 undertaken at the request especially heart or breathing problems check medicines can be stored 8 according to instructions of a hospital consultant, people with mobility problems, eg those you will need to with Parkinson's disease or who have Action to take in hot weather had a stroke telephone the hospital to 8 shade or cover windows exposed to 8 people with serious mental health obtain your results. direct sunlight problems 8 take a break from the heat by moving to 8 people on certain medications, including a cooler part of the house (especially for those that affect sweating and sleeping) temperature control 8 remember that it may be cooler outside 8 people who misuse alcohol or drugs in the shade or in a public building (such 8 people who are physically active – for as churches, local libraries or example, labourers or those doing sports supermarkets); consider a visit as a way During the summer, listen to the weather of cooling down reports and be prepared before the hot 8 open windows (when it is safe to do so) Fakenham Medical Practice ‘Did Not Attends’ (DNA) z weather arrives. You can do this by: when the air feels cooler outside than Reception 01328 851321 8 Repeat Prescriptions 01328 850324 shade or cover windows exposed to inside, for example, at night. Try to get air This is a continuing problem for the direct sunlight. External shutters or flowing through the home z Walsingham Branch Surgery NHS. Surgery Notes will have a and Dispensary shades are very effective, internal blinds 8 check that central heating is turned off permanent feature ‘DNA Corner’. This 01328 820334 or curtains are less so but cheaper and 8 turn off lights and electrical equipment will show the total number of DNA’s z Norfolk County Council easier to install that isn’t in use since the last Issue. There has been a Social Services 8 check that windows or vents can be 8 Wear loose clothing, a hat and sunscreen NEW NUMBER 0344 800 8020 TOTAL of 718 DNA’s since our last opened For more information on how to stay safe in Fakenham Medical Practice website 8 publication. check that the central heating system hot weather, call NHS 111 or visit NHS www.fmp.nhs.uk can be turned off Choices http://www.nhs.uk/heatwave

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Surgery Notes Surgery Notes Practice FMP and NHS Online Services opening hours

Existing Services referred to as ‘online consultation’. Please be aware that the Fakenham Online consultations are a way for you The present service is Systemonline, Medical Practice and Walsingham to contact the Practice without having to Patient Online Services and has been Branch Surgery open five minutes wait on the phone or take time out to operating for some time. It allows you to before the first appointment of the come into the Practice. You can contact book your own appointment with your day. named GP. the Practice about a new or an ongoing It will also show you any other issue. You can ask questions or tell your You may notice individuals already appointments which have been booked for GP about your symptoms. The Practice will inside the Fakenham buildings but you with nurses and Healthcare Assistants The NHS App lets you book GP ensure your contact is dealt with by the they are staff and certain patients who so that you can use this system to cancel appointments, order repeat right person, helping to ensure that you are have pre-booked appointments under any of these appointments. At the present prescriptions and access a range of served as quickly and appropriately as the extended hours initiative. The possible. Sometimes this will mean you will time, it is perhaps the most efficient way to other healthcare services. doors will not open before this time. cancel your appointment as you do not need a phone call with the GP or nurse, or need to call the surgery and cancellations been to reception to register and connect an appointment at the Practice and this will can be made 24/7. Under this system you to the app. While internet publicity be arranged as usual. can also request any repeat medication, indicates that it is operational this is not yet The commencement date for this new thus saving you a trip to the surgery. the case for parts of our area, which is the service has yet to be confirmed but you will This system also allows you to review reason why some of you will have blank be notified as soon as it goes live in the your summary record, summary patient screens. The deadline for NHS full Practice. record and view test results. If you use the implementation is 1 September. The Practices that are using ‘online Walsingham Surgery you may not Practice will provide training on installing consultations’ have found a number of automatically have access to these latter and using this app after that date. You will benefits: records but just call the Fakenham Surgery need to register to use the app so please 8 Patients were able to get a quicker and they will connect you to these speak to a patient co-ordinator when next response, rather than waiting for an services. in the Practice. appointment in person 8 It is more convenient as patients do not NHS App Online consultations have to travel to their GP practice or The last Surgery Notes referred to the new NHS England is supporting practices wait for the next available appointment. NHS App which was launched on 15 April. across North Norfolk to offer patients 8 GPs were able to provide more Thank you appointments for patients, offering the It can be used on your computer, tablet or alternative ways to have a consultation Healthwatch Norfolk recently visited the same level of consultation, diagnosis smartphone. It allows you to access parts with a GP or other practice-based health Practice and as part of their visit met and necessary actions (such as referral of your medical record, view test results, professional online via the internet, rather with some of you. Thanks to all of you or a prescription) as patients would get book/cancel appoint-ments and order than waiting for the next available who agreed to meet with the in a face-to-face appointment. repeat prescriptions. Some of you have appointment to attend in person. This is Healthwatch team.

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