AUTUMN 2011

FLU VACCINATIONS

Seasonal Flu Vaccinations are available to eligible patients from Saturday 24th September. Please phone or pop in to book an appointment.

Who is entitled to a free flu vaccination?

Those patients with:

• a heart problem
• a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis or emphysema
• a kidney disease
• lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)
• a liver disease
• had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
• diabetes
• a neurological condition, for example multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy
• a problem with your spleen, for example sickle cell disease, or if you have had your spleen removed

• if you are aged 65 years or over
• living in a residential or nursing home
• the main carer of an older or disabled person
• if you are pregnant

Latest Department of Health Patient Satisfaction Survey Results for the Practice

The results of this survey can be read here »

NHS patient survey on test analysing services - have your say to influence future arrangements

What are your experiences of having tests taken and how do you get the results?

Are you happy with the service you receive or is there anything you'd like to see changed in the future? NHS East of England would love to hear from you.

Introduction

Often, when you go to your doctor for a check-up or because you’re feeling unwell, your doctor will arrange for tests to be taken to establish the state of your health or the exact nature of your illness. While the doctor or nurse may take samples for testing, the tests themselves will be analysed or overseen by pathologists as part of a pathology service. Common tests involve providing urine, blood or tissue samples.

Once the laboratory receives the samples, the pathology service will analyse them and forward their findings to your doctor. As well as determining the cause of illness, later tests can see how well you are responding to treatment.

How these tests are carried out and analysed is likely to change. It is important that you have your say now so that your needs can be taken into consideration as the new arrangements are being drafted. These changes will in no way affect your doctor’s ability to request the tests in the first place. The focus will be on how it can be made easier to collect the samples from you and analyse them quickly and accurately so that the results are available as soon as possible for your doctor to make a quick decision.

We’d love to hear from you

Would you, please, complete our short questionnaire? It will only take a few moments.

This can be done online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/272LLZ9

Alternatively, you are welcome to complete the paper version which is contained in the patient information leaflet which you can download HERE. You can return your questionnaire, freepost.

If you are involved in a LINk or other patient participation group and would welcome a member of the project team coming to give a short presentation, then please do get in touch.

We look forward to hearing from you, and thank you.

Young persons' Questionnaire on our services

We would love to hear young people's views on our services so we may improve these. If you are a patient aged between 13 and 25 years old, please take a few minutes to complete the this questionnaire (Word document) which itself has been designed by young people.

You may send it back by:

• email to matthewbutler@nhs.net 
• print it off and drop it in to front reception at the practice
• or pick up a hard copy from reception.

Many thanks for your help.

young persons information area

This Information Point is on the first floor of the practice by the large front windows. To get to the Information Point when you enter the building, just go up the stairs or take the lift to the first floor. The stairs and lift are found through the door to the right of the front reception desk. ‘The Young Persons' Health Information Point’ is a dedicated area where you can sit down and have a read of health posters and leaflets which you can take away and there are free condoms and Chlamydia testing kits too. You don't have to ask anyone before visiting this area, but if you would like help or advice please ask a receptionist.

Read our Young Persons' Guide to Services - Click here>>

Newsletter

Click here to download "The Gateway" newsletter provided by the Patient Participation Group (Winter 2011 edition)
 

New Automated Appointments Booking Line

Now by phoning the usual practice appointments telephone number 01603 228 686, you have the option to book, check or cancel appointments using an automated system, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You will still be able to speak to reception as usual during practice opening hours (Mon-Fri 8.00am-6.30pm).

When using the automated system you will need to key in the date of birth of the patient as a 6 digit number e.g. 20th June 1948 will be keyed in as 200648, and the patient’s phone number (land line or mobile). If the system does not recognise your telephone number it will ask you to record a message which the practice will pick up and we will amend your telephone number the next working day so you may then use the automated system successfully.

You will be given prompts to help you make your appointment choice; check an existing appointment time or cancel an existing appointment.

Please note to book an appointment time offered by the system you must press 0 (zero) you will then hear that the appointment has been booked successfully.

Not all appointment types can be offered on the automated system. If you need an urgent on-the-day appointment, would like to see what 48 hour Dr appointments are coming up (appointments which are only released 2 working days beforehand), or have a particular nurse appointment e.g. cervical smear test, hearing test, diabetes, ECG or spirometry test then please speak to a receptionist.

YOUR PRACTICE AND THE NEW WALK-IN-CENTRE  AND GP PRACTICE

There is a new Walk-in-Service and GP Practice at Castle Mall called the Timber Hill Health Centre.

(The Walk-in-Centre at Dussindale is now closed.)

You are able to use the Timber Hill Walk-in facility for all services without being a registered patient of the Timber Hill GP Practice.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

The practice now has a Patient Participation Group. To read about this go to our Patient Participation Group page.

summary care records on the national database

You are able to ask us not to allow your medical records as a "Summary Care Record" to be transferred to the new national database "the Spine". Do this by writing to the Practice Manager. Please be cautioned that a prime reason for the database is to improve your medical care by allowing health professionals, in addition to your GP, to access your medical records. This might be useful if, for instance, you were taken to hospital unconscious. Hospital doctors would be able to check whether you had existing conditions, allergies or reactions to certain drugs before deciding how to treat you.

The practice is changing its clinical system in the autumn 2011 and plans to upload patient summary care records to the Spine at this time.

freedom of information act

We, as with all public bodies, must publish certain information about the Practice under the Freedom of Information Act. This can be found by accessing the Freedom of Information website for NHS bodies at www.foi.nhs.uk

PATIENT SATISFACTION

St Stephens Gate had the highest patient satisfaction in Norfolk. The Survey by the Department of Health surveyed patients about convenience of access to their GP surgery. We scored 95% patient satisfaction. The highest score in Norfolk.

15 Minute Appointments

All routine doctors appointments are now 15 minutes long.  We believe a longer time allows an unhurried and thorough consultation to the benefit of the patients.