NEWSLETTER. Woodbrook Medical Centre Patient Participation Group MAKING YOU AWARE SURGERY HOURS. Issue 4, September 2013

Transcription

1 Woodbrook Medical Centre Patient Participation Group NEWSLETTER Issue 4, September 2013 MAKING YOU AWARE In this issue of the Woodbrook Medical Centre s Patient Participation Group (PPG) Newsletter we bring you news of lots of new developments that affect you directly. Changes are being made to the way in which prescriptions are handled. From the middle of September, Woodbrook Medical Centre (WMC) will be using a new Electronic Prescribing system. Patients who will see most change are those on stable medication regimes who make use of repeat prescriptions and in this issue we look at what you need to do in order to benefit from this new way of prescribing. There s also an article on Organ Donation. Do you know many people need transplants each year and how many organs become available? This article gives you the facts and invites you to join the NHS Organ Donation Register; it could help someone after your death. The Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which oversees the provision of care in our area, will soon be writing to every patient concerning its desire to make a summary record of your care needs available to other care providers such as out-of-hours services and Urgent Care Centres. The letter will be seeking your permission to make the information available. This can be seen as rather controversial and so we present a discussion of the pros and cons of the process. Finally on the information front, we will be telling you about a new Self-Care initiative. Did you know that around 57 million GP consultations each year involve only minor ailments? A recent report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Primary Care and Public Health concluded that people have virtually lost their ability to look after their own health. The cost implications of this are hugely significant for the NHS and this new initiative aims to at least start to fix the problem. Because of these important developments, we have had to hold over until next time the planned article on support for carers. We hope that all of this will be interesting enough to entice you take this Newsletter away with you. SURGERY HOURS Core surgery hours are from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Appointments are also available earlier in the morning and later into the evening on certain days. Details of when these extra surgeries are to be held can be obtained by contacting the surgery. You can now pre-book appointments with your Doctor by telephoning the surgery after 10.30am and through the practice Web site.

2 SUMMARY CARE RECORDS Past attempts to share patient information via computers between doctors, hospitals and other NHS agencies have not been successful because of the different computer systems in use. However, the government has not given up on trying to make the NHS more joined-up. The resulting Summary Care Records project is explained by WMC's recently-appointed Operations Supervisor Shahena Khatun. The Practice will be participating in the national Summary Care Record (SCR) project, which will be rolled out over the next few months. To enable patients to understand the process and the choices available to them, we have compiled a general guide to what to expect. What is the SCR project? The SCR project is primarily about patient safety and offers a chance to improve clinical care while providing important safeguards around consent and confidentiality. The SCR makes a selection of information available to clinicians working in emergency situations anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, allowing them to have this basic information to hand when they are making vital decisions on how best to treat their patients. What information will be shared in the SCR and how will it be used? The SCR will contain a summary of essential medical information about patients, which will include things such as current serious medical conditions, medications, any allergies and any bad reactions they have had to medication in the past. This information will be available to clinicians to ensure that patients are given the best possible care in an emergency situation. As an example, this could be when you are unwell on holiday and cannot get to your own GP; the SCR will enable another clinician to treat you with the benefit of up-to-date and relevant medical information about you. How will I know what to expect from SCR? The first phase of the project will be the Patient Information Programme (PIP), which aims to inform patients of the benefits of SCR and of their choices. All patients aged 16 and over will be sent an SCR Information Pack, which will include an opt-out form. This will take effect from 13 September but patients should realise that the PIP phase will last for a statutory 12 weeks. What happens if I don t agree to the sharing of my data? You will receive an opt-out form in your information pack which will need to be completed if you do not consent to the sharing of your data. Practices will then record this on your records. In addition to this, patients can put their opt-out request in writing to the Practice. New patients aged 16 and over registering at the Practice after the PIP phase will be offered the opportunity to opt out of SCR. Your PPG believes that making your decision to participate or opt-out could be tricky. Some of the organisations able to access your information are private companies providing services to the NHS, such as out-of-hours cover. There is political and press debate surrounding all of this and the problem of making your decision is made more difficult by the present lack of information as to what the SCR will contain, although the Information Pack should clarify this. The SCR has clear benefits for patient safety but if you feel strongly about what computer data is shared and who can access it, you may wish to ask your local MP.

3 ORGAN DONATION Let s start with a question: would you take an organ if you needed one? Nearly everyone would, but only 31% of us have joined the Organ Donor Register. Almost 20 million people are already on the register but more potential donors are needed. There are more than 10,000 people in the UK currently in need of a transplant. Of these, 1,000 each year that s three a day will die because there are not enough organs available. It s not all bad news, though. In 2012/13, 4,212 transplants were carried out, a year-on-year increase of 6%. This is the first time ever that transplants have exceeded 4,000 in any one year. In a report published in August 2013, NHS Blood and Transplant, the organisation that published the report and leads organ donation across the UK, says that it believes a change in public attitudes around donation is needed if more lives are going to be saved through organ transplantation. Consent or authorisation for donation is vital to saving lives through transplantation, but the percentage of families agreeing to organ donation in the UK still remains stubbornly low. Last year more than four out of ten families approached about organ donation refused to donate. Figures reveal that families are much more likely to agree to donation going ahead if they know it is what their loved one wanted. Last year, nearly nine out of ten families said yes when their loved one's decision to donate was known, for example either via the NHS Organ Donation Register or resulting from a previous discussion with their loved one about organ donation. But that leaves more than one in ten families refusing to go ahead with donation, denying their loved one what they wanted. Currently there is a shortage of donors originating from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities. People from BAME communities constitute only 5% of organ donors despite representing 27% of those on the transplant waiting list. The NHS Blood and Transplant report shows that just 33% of BAME families agree to organ donation when approached, compared to 61% of the rest of the UK population. It is acknowledged that sensitivity is required. Sally Johnson, NHS Blood and Transplant's Director of Organ Donation and Transplantation, says: We know there are connections between the numbers of BAME organ donors and people's expectations and belief systems and we need to look at what we can do to overcome their fears and worries. Generally though as far as the UK is concerned, regardless of what community you come from and despite increasing organ donation by 50% over the past five years, our views on the subject actually haven't changed. We want more people to consent to organ donation so that the UK can be proud of a donation record that matches the best in the world. Do consider joining the Organ Donation Register or at least discuss your wishes with your family. To join the Register visit or call or text SAVE to If you intend to sign up, it's still important to talk to those closest to you about your organ donation wishes.

4 ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING Some important changes to the way in which the Surgery issues prescriptions will be happening during September. The changes result from the introduction of Electronic Prescribing to Woodbrook Medical Centre. Many of these changes will not be apparent to you as a patient as they only affect the way in which the Surgery interacts with the local pharmacies. However, some of the changes may require you to take action. Those of us who are on a repeat prescription regime will see the most change and benefits. Simon Bardsley, the Practice Manager at Woodbrook met a representative of the Implementation Team back in July and discussed the needs of the Practice and aspects such as staff training. We hope that this change will help to alleviate some of the wastage of medication about which we reported in the previous issue of the Newsletter, but more about that later. What is Electronic Prescribing? Simon has written a short piece that outlines how it works. Around 1.5 million paper prescriptions are issued every day in England. With this figure expected to continue to rise by about 5% each year, we are moving to a more efficient and consistently accurate electronic system that is better able to cope with this continuing increase in prescription volumes. The new service has been designed to reduce the paper administration associated with current processes by enabling prescriptions to be generated, transmitted and received electronically. This will improve the process for patients, particularly those on repeat medication, as they will no longer need to come to the surgery just to collect a paper prescription. When you consider that around 70% of the prescriptions issued are for repeat medication, you can see what a benefit this will be in overall terms. The new service also gives patients greater freedom of choice, making it simpler for you to use a pharmacy convenient to you rather than one near to the Practice. To sign up for the scheme, simply ask your preferred pharmacy to record themselves as your first choice nomination there will probably a form to sign. Alternatively you can ask at the Reception Desk to be registered with a particular pharmacy. How do I sign up? Pharmacies will have forms, which customers will be asked to complete. The choice of pharmacy is yours to make, so give consideration to which one would be suit your needs as you will have to go there to collect your medication. You may prefer to choose a pharmacy nearer to home than to the surgery or one that s convenient when you re shopping in town. What are the benefits to me? If you are on repeat medication then you can save time by not having to go to the surgery to drop off your repeat slip and then back again to collect the prescription. The pharmacy will take care of the process for you and you need only go to collect your medicines when you are ready.

5 The pharmacy will let you know when a review date is imminent so that you can arrange to see your doctor. This will ensure that your prescriptions continue to arrive. Once the scheme is in place, pharmacies with multiple branches may allow you to pick up from other branches, for example if you re on holiday. You may wish to ask about that before signing any particular pharmacy s nomination form. If your nominated pharmacy offers on-line ordering, you can order from home and even receive s or text messages telling you when your medicines are ready. How will it help with medicines wastage? You will have full control over which items you order. You will see the items listed and if you use the on-line service you can much more easily check your list against your stock of items at home before ordering. This will enable you to order just those items that you know you need alleviating waste. When is this happening? Staff training will take place on 4 September and Electronic Prescribing goes live at WMC on 17 September. FLU VACCINATIONS Free vaccinations against influenza are available to patients in what are considered as at-risk groups. You are entitled to a free vaccination if: you're aged 65 or over you're pregnant you have a serious medical condition you live in a residential or nursing home you're the main carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if you fall ill your child is in an at-risk group. You should also be offered the flu vaccination if you are a healthcare or social care worker directly involved in patient care. There will be a Vaccination Clinic at the Surgery on two Saturdays, 12 and 26 October, from 8.30am until 12.30pm. Those of you not in any of at-risk categories, are reminded that flu vaccinations can be obtained privately from many pharmacies. The cost is typically in the region of 13. OUT-OF-HOURS CARE When the surgery is closed a doctor is always available for urgent medical advice by telephoning the surgery on Your call will be diverted automatically to the out-of-hours answering service, which will deal with your problem.

6 PPG SUGGESTION BOX As usual, we report on matters of concern communicated though the PPG Suggestion Box located in the Surgery. Listed here are the two suggestions received in the period up to August 2013 and the responses from the Practice; both relate to Reception. When there is a queue staff behind the scenes could help clear the backlog. We make every effort to avoid queues occurring and Reception staff are encouraged to call for help from colleagues if they see a queue developing. All staff should give assistance when possible however they may be involved in work of an urgent nature and may not be able to interrupt this to serve at the reception desk. Answer the phone in the morning. The speed with which incoming calls are answered, especially at 8.00 am, has long been an area which has caused concern. Approximately 18 months ago the Practice upgraded its telephone system and according to the results of subsequent patient surveys, an improvement has been seen, which is encouraging. We now have 8 incoming lines available to receive calls and reception and administrative staff are available to answer calls between 8.00 and 8.30, our peak time. After 8.30 calls are answered by our reception staff, who aim to do so within 4 rings. Patients should be aware that answering the telephone is our first priority as the call may require an urgent response and on occasions might result in a member of staff having to ask a patient at the reception desk to wait while they answer the telephone. Our Reception Manager, Jennie, is very keen to provide our patients with an excellent service and is happy to discuss any specific concerns with you. You can also pass comments to the PPG by on ask@woodbrookppg.org.uk. SURGERY NEWS Since the last Newsletter, we have said goodbye to Lorraine Unwin, Practice Nurse, who was also a member of the PPG. Lorraine left us on 28 June. Although this leaves us one nurse short, we are actively seeking a replacement to have the nursing team back at full capacity again. Dr Rahman (FY2) finished her placement with us on 30 July and has been replaced by Dr Neal Kennedy (FY2), who started a four-month stint with us in August. Dr Williamson also finished her placement with us on 6 August and has been replaced by Dr Priya Rughani who is a Registrar and will be with us for 12 months. Shahena Khatun started on 19 August in the role of Operations Supervisor and will be looking after the day-to-day running of the practice. She has worked in GP practices for around 11 years and will be fulfilling the role of Secretary to the PPG. We also welcome a new receptionist, Emma Newton, who will start with us on 2 September. In other news, congratulations to our registrar Dr Kelly-Louise Pesticcio who has recently married and is now Dr Blaze. Unfortunately, Dr Newton will be having a planned procedure on 6 September and will be off for a few weeks afterwards to recuperate. We wish her the best of luck and a speedy recovery.

7 HEALTHWATCH LEICESTERSHIRE Healthwatch Leicestershire is an independent organisation dedicated to the improvement of Health and Social Care in the county. It is one of 152 such organisations in England and has the strength of the law behind it, backed by Healthwatch England. The aim is to provide people and communities of Leicestershire with a stronger voice to influence and challenge how health and social care are provided locally. It works on your behalf to ensure that your views about a service you receive such as a visit to a dentist, doctors, hospital, day care centre or care home are heard and acted upon. You are invited to contact Healthwatch Leicestershire thought its Web site ( or on under its Your Voice Counts challenge. Healthwatch actively invites you to join through its mailing list so that you can be kept up-to-date with all the latest health and social care news and events in Leicestershire. It is also looking for volunteers to help it spread the word about its services to local people and communities. You can sign up for the alerts and/or to volunteer on the Healthwatch Web site at SELF-CARE FOR LIFE TAKE CONTROL As we highlighted in the introduction to this Newsletter, a recent government report said that people have virtually lost their ability to look after their own health. In Aneurin Bevan s new NHS, people sought help for health problems caused by communicable diseases, bad sanitation, poor housing and malnutrition. Now, 65 years later, the massive demand on the NHS is largely due to people s inability to look after their own health and choose healthy options. By taking responsibility for our own health, we can reduce the burden on GPs and the NHS in general. We ask that you consider the following facts and then judge your lifestyle choices against them. 57 million GP consultations each year involve only a minor ailment; diseases caused by obesity reduce life expectancy by 3 to 13 years; alcohol misuse results in 15,000 deaths each year; more than 15 million people in England live with a chronic health problem; a 10kg reduction in average weight can reduce overall deaths by 20%; there is a 4% increase in demand on health services each year; around 80% of deaths from major diseases such as cancer are attributed to lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, excess alcohol and poor diet; 70% of us indulge in at least two of the above; a 50bn funding gap in the NHS is predicted by 2020; diabetes care accounts for 10% of the total NHS budget; in England in 2012 over 90% of prescriptions were dispensed free of charge; treatment in A&E costs between 59 and 112; a 24-hour stay in hospital costs 400 excluding the cost of specific treatment; an ambulance journey costs 249; a GP consultation costs 43.

8 MEET THE PPG In this issue we welcome a new member and say goodbye to two of our established members. John Bristow joined us as a new member in June. He has worked as a volunteer at Loughborough Hospital for five years and served a similar time volunteering for LOROS. This experience within the field of healthcare will surely be of great benefit to the PPG and so we welcome him to our group. In the same month, we said goodbye to Darren Brittain. Darren has been a member of the PPG since it was set up in 2012, but his work commitments often keep him busy in the evenings and it has proved increasingly difficult for him to attend the meetings. Penny Burns, who also joined the PPG at its inception, has moved away from Loughborough and is no longer a patient of the practice so we have sadly had to say goodbye to her at our July meeting. We thank both of them for their contributions to the PPG and to these Newsletters and we wish them both good health and success in the future. You ll both be missed. The title of this section of the Newsletter is Meet the PPG and you will actually have chance to do so if you attend the Flu Vaccination Clinic on Saturday 12 October. We will have a stall at the Surgery and will be happy to talk to anyone who is interested in our work or joining us. If you wish to meet us for a chat but you are not attending for a flu jab, do come along anyway. We should very much like to hear from anyone who wishes to join us. At the moment we are looking to plug gaps in both our gender and ethnic profile targets, so applications from ladies and those from ethnic minorities would be particularly welcome. If you think that you can contribute to the work of the PPG, then please ask at Reception for details of how to join us or join@woodbrookppg.org.uk. PPG MEMBERSHIP Patient Members Colin Machin - Chair Alfred Geary Hasmeeta Parmar Keith Verrall John Bristow Representing the Practice Shahena Khatun Operations Supervisor and Secretary to the PPG Simon Bardsley Practice Manager Representing Boots Pharmacy Pamila Kalia NEXT TIME In the December issue we will be taking a look at support for carers and the role that they play. We will also be giving you an insight into GP training and along with seasonal articles we will provide updates on some of the important matters raised in this issue.