Queen Camel Medical Centre Newsletter

FEBRUARY 2018

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F INTEREST: Staffing Update  Staffing Update Our Healthcare Assistant Apprentice, Nick, has completed his time with us and has secured  Travel Vaccinations himself a position as a full time HCA at another practice. We wish him every success in his new role.  New Clinic We are delighted to introduce Laura, our new Apprentice Healthcare Assistant, as well as Melissa who has joined us as a Healthcare Support Services Apprentice, who will be working  Tea Parties across both dispensary and reception teams.  Dispensary We have also recruited a trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Chloe, who started with us at the beginning of February. Chloe will be working both here and at Millbrook Surgery in Castle  Online Appointments Cary. She will be with us for two days a week. More information regarding Chloe’s role will be available in the next newsletter.  Advanced Nurse Practitioner Dr. Keith Gomes Pinto also joined us in February as our new GP Registrar, he is in the final stage of his GP training and will be with us at Queen Camel for the next 18 months.  Patient Feedback Dr. Julian Hart

Dr. Julian Hart will be retiring from the practice in July 2018 after 30 years of practice in Queen Camel and 35 years working within the NHS. We are putting together a book of messages for Dr. Hart, if you would like to write a message, please collect a postcard from the reception team and put the card in the wooden post box in the lobby once you have written your message. New Partner

It’s common knowledge that recruiting GP’s is incredibly difficult for practices around the country and Somerset is no different. However, we were very pleased to see that we had a number of applicants apply when we advertised for a new partner to replace Dr. Hart. The partners interviewed in January, and we are pleased to announced that Dr. Gareth Jones will be joining us as our new GP partner in September 2018. We will provide more information about Dr. Jones in our next newsletter.

Travel Vaccinations

Summer holidays are closer than you may think. It is at this time of year that we all begin to plan our holidays. When you book your holiday, please consider whether you will need to have some vaccinations before you travel. If you do, please print out and complete the travel questionnaire on our website, or pick up a form from reception and then drop the completed form back to reception. The Practice Nurse will review your records alongside the information provided on the form and advise you on any vaccinations you may require and any costs that may be associated with such vaccinations. Please drop off the completed form at least 6 weeks before you travel. P A G E 2 New Clinic Tea Parties Once a month a tea party is held at the Tom Bevan, a Musculoskeletal Practitioner joined us in December home of a volunteer host for older people for a session each week on a Wednesday morning from 8:30am- 12:30pm. living at home. This is an opportunity for them to socialise and enjoy some tea and He offers an NHS service for patients with an acute cake. musculoskeletal problem and can deal with the following  Back and neck pain Groups of volunteers who are DBS  Sprains and strains checked will pick up those who want to attend and drive them to the home of the  Sprained ankles/knees volunteer host.  Shoulder pain The service is free and takes place on the  Osteoarthritis 1st Sunday of the month. For more details,  Sports Injuries or if you would like to attend or be a vol-  Trapped nerves unteer driver or host, contact Jackie Giles, the Tea Party Coordinator at the surgery  Whiplash on 01935 850225. There is no require- ment to help at every tea party. If you would like to make an appointment to see Tom, please call Don’t forget to reception and ask to make an MSK appointment. Our reception book your flu team may suggest you see Tom instead of GP if you have a mus- vaccination.

Contact culoskeletal problem as Tom is an expert in this field.

Reception to

make an

appointment. Dispensary

The dispensary is open from 0845—1300 and then from 1530—1825, Monday to Friday. It is also open for collection only on a Saturday, from 0830-1030. We would prefer patients to request repeat medication online. If you haven't already signed up for online access, please speak to a member of the reception team. Alternatively you can order repeat prescriptions by leaving a message on the answer- phone on 01935 850379. To speak to a dispenser, please telephone between 0930 and 1100 on 01935 850379. Please note we require 3 full working days’ notice to make up repeat prescriptions.

Repeat Prescription Request Prescription will be ready to made on: collect: Monday Thursday

Tuesday Friday

Wednesday Monday

Thursday Tuesday

Friday Wednesday

QUEEN CAMEL MEDICAL CENTRE P A G E 3

Online Appointments Flexercise

Flexercise is a gentle chair based If you wish to, you can use the internet to book appointments with a GP. exercise class to improve coordina- Our Patient Participation Group (PPG) have asked if we could trial booking tion and increase flexibility. It is a blood test appointments online again, so we have now made Healthcare social group gathering on a Thurs- Assistant appointments available online. Please only book these appoint- day between 2pm and 3pm, in the ments if you are due a regular blood test, or if a GP has asked you to make winter and spring. Each course runs an appointment for a blood test. for 6 weeks. If you don’t have online access and wish to apply for it, please speak to a For further information on member of the reception team. flexercise, please contact the surgery on 01935 950225 and ask for the Health Coaches. 2017 GP Survey Results.

“100% of

respondents find

it easy to get Advanced Nurse Practitioner through to the surgery by We are delighted that we have been able to recruit a trainee Advanced Nurse Practitioner to compliment our phone” practice team. Demand for GP appointments is increasing all the time, and at times there are other health professionals that can deal with a patients need more appropriately. Chloe will be working very closely with the GP team at Queen Camel to help support those patients that need to be seen “on the day”.

The reception team will ask for a brief summary of your problem and may offer you an appointment with Chloe if it’s appropriate. Chloe has over 10 years of experience working as an A&E nurse She will be working towards and Advanced Nurse Practitioner qualification with us.

All members of the practice team adhere to our very strict confidentiality policy and we hope that patients will be happy to give the reception team a brief summary of the problem, so that they can book an appointment for you with the most appropriate member of the practice team. You can, of course, withhold that information and the receptionist will book you with a GP as soon as possible.

Pre-Diabetic Clinics

We have established a pre-diabetic clinic, where we are offering patients who have had a recent blood sugar result that is slightly higher than normal, an appointment with a Health Coach. These patients are at increased risk of developing Diabetes, which can lead to serious complications. Making changes to your diet and activity levels can help prevent you from developing Diabetes and the Health Coaches can help to point you in the right direction with regard to the changes you’d like to make to lead a healthier lifestyle.

Your GP or Practice Nurse may suggest you book a pre-diabetic appointment directly. Otherwise, we will be contacting eligible patients directly. If you are not pre-diabetic but would like advice on diet and lifestyle, please contact the Practice and ask Emily to give you a call. www.queencamelmedicalcentre.co.uk

Queen Camel Medical Centre West Camel Road Patient Feedback Queen Camel We welcome your feedback on our services. Please use the forms Yeovil, BA22 7LT in reception to complete a short survey, or leave a suggestion in our box in the waiting room. Phone: 01935 850225 The NHS collects its own feedback which is published on the NHS Fax: 01935 851247 Choices website. E-mail: [email protected]. We are pleased to note that we have the 2nd highest feedback of any Somerset practice and we have been within the Top 3 or 4 practices since the NHS set up NHS Choices.

Your experience is incredibly important to us and we will always listen to any feedback that you would like to give. Email Addresses

We would like to be able to contact patients more regularly by email. We would only use your email address for information relating to the Practice and would not give your email address to any third party organisation. If we currently hold an email address for you, the reception team may check it is still current when you call in. Otherwise, if you are happy for us to contact you via email, please send an email at the address below, stating your name and address. [email protected].

Improved Access

Queen Camel, Bruton, Milborne Port, Millbrook and Wincanton GP Practices are now working collaboratively to offer appointments to their own and each other’s patients who cannot easily access primary care services during normal working hours. Four of the practices in turn will offer extra appointments with a health care professional between 6.30pm and 8.00pm Monday – Friday and Queen Camel will offer appointments (for all practices) between 9.00am and 10.30am on a Saturday. Millbrook Surgery will additionally offer appointments from 7.30 – 8.00am on a Tuesday.

In order to book an appointment you need to contact your registered practice who will ask for some information regarding the reason for the appointment. This is to ensure that the appointment offered is appropriate for you. You need to agree to your medical record being shared with the host practice who are providing your appointment. The clinician providing your appointment needs to have full access to your medical record.

If you would like an appointment during one of these sessions, please contact Reception and request an “Improved Access” appointment. These appointments can either be on the telephone or face to face. You must contact your own practice in order to make the appointment.