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Flu 2020 Newsletter: Flu 2020 Newsletter

Important information about the coronavirus (COVID-19)

The NHS in Telford & Wrekin and Public Health England (PHE) are well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.

The latest information on symptoms of Coronovirus infection and areas where recent travel may have resulted in a high risk of exposure can be found on nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.

Use this service if:

you think you might have coronavirus;

in the last 14 days you've been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus;

you've been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Call 111 if you need to speak to someone.

Like the common cold, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with a person with novel coronavirus via cough and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also catch the virus by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands.

Testing of suspected coronavirus cases is carried out in line with strict guidelines. This means that suspected cases are kept in isolation, away from public areas of GP surgeries, pharmacies and hospitals and returned home also in isolation. Any equipment that come into contact with suspected cases are thoroughly cleaned as appropriate. Specific guidance has also been shared with NHS staff to help safeguard them and others. Patients can be reassured that their safety is a top priority, and are encouraged to attend all appointments as usual.

Everyone is being reminded to follow Public Health England advice to:

Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.

Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

https://www.telfordccg.nhs.uk/your-health/medicines-management/coronavirus-covid-19

NEW: Text Messaging Service

Donnington Medical Practice has introduced a new text messaging service to enable Doctors, Nurses and Administrators to send text messages direct to patients. If you prefer NOT to receive texts from the practice, please let one of our receptionists know.

Telford Health Hearts: https://www.telfordccg.nhs.uk/your-health/telford-healthy-hearts

NHS Apps Library: https://www.nhs.uk/apps-library

Clinics & Services

Test Results

Sexual Health Services

Chaperones

LTC Recall

Patient Information Leaflets

Find...

Clinics

A wide variety of clinics are run by the practice. Appointments are made in the usual way via reception.

Antenatal Clinics

Full maternity medical services are available including antenatal booking and ongoing antenatal care. This is provided by our community midwives.

Health Visitors

Health Visitors normally run a Baby Clinic at the surgery on the first Thursday of each month and can be contacted at other times on 0333 358 3328.

There is also a text message service. If you have a query, text 07520 619 053

Asthma and COPD

To monitor the progress and improve the effectiveness of treatment at all ages.

Sister Penny Wallace (Asthma) Dr Hudson (COPD)

Blood Pressure And Coronary Heart Disease Prevention

By appointment with the Healthcare Assistant at reception.

Cervical Smears

All women between the ages of 25 and 65 and all sexually active women of any age are advised to have regular smears. By detecting pre-cancerous changes on the cervix, a smear will allow a woman to be treated before cancer develops. A smear involves only minimal discomfort. The vast majority are normal and for those that are not the treatment is straightforward. You can make an appointment for a smear with the practice nurse.

Diabetic Clinic

To monitor the treatment and progress of diabetes.

Dr Warner and Nurse Jo Watkins

Family Planning

Advice is available from all of the doctors during normal surgery hours. Emergency contraception can be purchased from a Pharmacy.

Immunisation And Child Health Surveillance

child_injection Although appointments are arranged there is open access to accommodate any child who has missed a vaccination. Book an appointment with the practice nurse.

At six weeks old, babies are offered a development check.

Minor Surgery

A minor op service where small lumps and bumps can be removed under local anaesthetic.

Dr Tsang

Cryosurgery

Verrucas, warts and small skin tags can be treated in the surgery with liquid nitrogen. Make an ordinary appointment with Dr Wright, Dr Milligan, Dr Hudson or Dr Tsang.

Healthy Lifestyle Advisor

The Lifestyle Advisor help you to review your health and lifestyle and can create a personal health action plan, give information on local services and ....... keep you MOTIVATED!!

If you would like to speak to someone and take the first step towards a healthier life, telephone 01952 382582, ask at reception for details or visit https://www.telford.gov.uk/healthylifestyles All support from the Healthy Lifestyle Team is completely FREE and confidential.

Flu Vaccination

This is available in October.

We recommend an influenza vaccination for the over 65s and patients with chronic illnesses, such as bronchitis, diabetes, asthma or heart failure. Please ask at reception.

Private Medicals

We are happy to carry out medicals for insurance or work purposes. Appointments can be made at reception but it is important that you make the receptionist aware the appointment is for a private medical. Please note that all private medicals and reports will entail a fee.

Immunisation For Foreign Travel

Immunisations and advice are available by appointment with one of our 'travel' nurses. You will need a 20 minute PER PERSON appointment therefore please book at least 3 weeks before you are due to travel.

Please note that the below vaccinations are only available on the NHS:

Polio (Diptheria, polio and tetanus (combined booster))
Typhoid
Hepatitis A
Cholera

You will need to contact a local travel provider ALL OTHER for private vaccinations.

Alcohol Project

An Alcohol Health Worker from Aquarius Alcohol and Addiction Services is available to offer information, support and advice on low risk drinking.

Telephone: 0300 456 4251

Smoking Cessation

If you are thinking of quitting smoking, there are smoking cessation clinics held every Tuesday morning within the main building. This service is currently run by Healthy Lifestyle and can be contacted on the following:

Tel: 01952 382582 or visit https://www.telford.gov.uk/healthylifestyles

NHS Health Checks

We are all at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or kidney disease, but these diseases are preventable. An NHS Health Check will assess your personal risk of developing one of these conditions, and give you advice and support to reduce your risk.

If you are aged 40 to 74 and you do not suffer from any of these conditions you will be invited by your G.P Practice to attend for an NHS Health Check.

If you do not want to wait for an invitation you can contact reception and they will be able to arrange your appointment as long as you are eligible for the check.

Test Results

tests_and_results Our telephone lines are busy, especially during the morning, so please telephone after 10am for test results.

Note that the practice has a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection and we will only release test results to the person to whom they relate unless that person has given prior permission for the release of this data or they are not capable of understanding the results.

When you take your test you will be told how long it will be before the results are returned to the practice.

It is your responsibility to check your results and to make an appointment to discuss them with your doctor if you are advised to do so.

Please note that there are some results that your GP may prefer to discuss with you in person. If this is the case you will be told to book a routine appointment or contacted to make an appointment; please do not insist on having a call back or speaking to another doctor.

Sexual Health Services in Telford & Wrekin

The Sexual Health service provides a range of sexual health services to people of all ages in Telford & Wrekin.

Please read the important information below about sexual health services - October 2020:

All service users must call the sexual health team on 0300 123 0994 in the first instance, so the most appropriate service option can be offered to them.

Face-to-face services in clinics will continue to be by appointment only.

Clinics for Implant/Coil procedures be prioritised for service users who currently have an Implant/Coil in situ – please ensure patients are aware of this before advising them to call the service.

Some services remain unavailable; the service user will be advised accordingly.

People aged 16+ can order a free STI testing kit online at sh24.org.uk – patients should be advised of this wherever possible.

We do not offer coils for non-contraceptive reasons, nor routine cervical screening.

The latest service information on our website openclinic.org.uk.

If you have any questions, please contact the service manager on 0300 123 0994.

Chaperones

There are occasions when patients need to be assessed by a doctor which might involve intimate examinations.

This Practice is committed to putting patients at ease whenever possible, and if you wish a chaperone to be present during your examination please do not hesitate to ask the doctor.

It may not be possible for such a chaperone to be provided immediately and you might have to return for the examination to be carried out at a mutually convenient time.

Trust is important in the relationship between GP and patient and we would, at all times, wish you to feel able to ask for a chaperone, should you require it.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING YOUR MEDICAL CARE

Following an internal review of processes regarding Long Term Conditions (LTC), the following recall process will be implemented with effect from 1 April 2017:

All patients will be recalled to attend for their annual review within the month of their Date of Birth. So, if you were born in November for example, you will be recalled to attend your annual review within November each year.

Prior to your annual review appointment, you will be sent a letter with a blood form enclosed (if required). You will need to have your blood test done BEFORE YOUR ANNUAL REVIEW by attending PRH or, booking onto one of the visiting phlebotomy clinics which are scheduled every Friday morning.

‘Monitoring Blood Tests’ are carried out at the practice by the HCA. If you are taking any of the medication listed below, ask the HCA to do your ‘recall bloods’ at the same time as your monitoring bloods.

Amiodarone Methotrextrate

Azathioprine Penicillamine

Ciclosporin Sodium aurothiomalate

Leflunomide Sulfasalazine

Lithium Warfarin

We are trying to amalgamate our clinics to minimise your attendances and as such, the following will be applied to our specialist clinics:

If you have:	You will need:	Blood Test Required:
Category A: Diabetes ONLY	Annual/bi-annual review with the Practice Diabetic Nurse Specialist	Blood test will be required BEFORE you attend this appointment
Category B: Asthma ONLY	Annual review with the Practice Asthma/COPD Nurse Specialist	No blood test required
Category C: COPD Only	Annual review with COPD Team	No blood test required
Category D: Asthma and COPD	Annual review with the Practice Asthma/COPD Nurse Specialist	No blood test required
Category E: Diabetes and/or including another condition: 1. CHD 2. Stroke 3. Hypertension	Annual/bi-annual with the Practice Diabetic Nurse Specialist	Blood test will be required BEFORE you attend this appointment
Category F: Asthma/COPD and/or including another condition: 1. CHD 2. Stroke 3. Hypertension	Annual review with the Practice Asthma/COPD Nurse Specialist	Blood test will be required BEFORE you attend this appointment
Category G: 1. CHD and/or 2. Stroke and/or 3. Hypertension	Annual review with the HCA	Blood test will be required BEFORE you attend this appointment