Autumn 2013 Newsletter
Very Important Information
Extraction of Data from your Medical Records
NHS England has commissioned a data service from the Health and Social Care Information centre (HSCIC). From Spring next year the HSCIC will be extracting coded data from your medical record.
Non identifiable personal data will be collected. This includes NHS number, date of birth, gender, ethnicity and post code but not your name. Data will be gathered not only from GP records but also other health care providers such as hospitals. This will enable researchers and people who plan health services to identify how to provide appropriate health care for everyone.
Information to be taken from your medical records includes coded data about illnesses and diseases such as diabetes, asthma, heart failure etc. and procedures such as hip replacement, coronary heart by-pass, cataracts etc. No text data, typed in by a clinician, will be taken from records and data about certain illnesses or procedures such as AIDS and pregnancy terminations etc will not be extracted.
Further information can be found in the patient information leaflet available from the reception desk or online at www.england.nhs.uk/ourwork/tsd/care-data/
This information can be taken from your records without your consent under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. If you do not want data taken from your medical record you must inform the Practice either by writing a letter to us or by completing the opt-out form which can be obtained from the Practice reception desk.
Anne Sherratt
Practice Manager
Patient Participation Groups
Four out of ten English practices have a PPG. They try to meet local needs so all are different. They can
- Provide the patient perspective by:
- helping design patient surveys, collecting feedback from patients in waiting rooms.
- advising the practice and patients of new systems and treatments
- sharing good practice by networking with other PPG`s
- sitting on recruitment panels for new staff, including GP’s
- lobbying to improve a whole range of health services.
- Promote health matters by:
- organising presentations on important health needs.
- producing a directory of self-care support groups.
- running events within the surgery on health topics
- raising awareness of key public health messages
- running volunteer support services
- Improve communications by:
- contributing to and distributing regular newsletters
- building two-way relationships between patients and the practice
- promoting awareness of and access to local health services
- developing a patient library or information resource centre
- improving the practice leaflets and website.
- Influence the development of services by:
- advising on the development of new or existing practice premises
- representing patient views on the purchase of health services
- co-ordinating with other PPGs to improve wider healthcare delivery
- bidding with the practice to provide new services
- fundraising to provide services not covered by the NHS
Patient Participation Groups make stronger the relationship between patients and their practices, which is critical to the provision of a modern, high-quality general practice.
No PPG does all 20
The Kingsbridge PPG is currently looking for new members. They meet on the last Wednesday of the month between 10 am and 12 noon. Currently the group does not have virtual or outside members i.e. those who are unable to attend the meetings but receive minutes etc. and who help with some of the work.
If you are interested please leave your name and details at Reception.
For more information on the National Association for Patient Participation – visit www.napp.org.uk
Engaging Communities Stafforshire
Conversation Staffordshire
This offers a once-in-a-life-time opportunity to fundamentally transform health and to improve outcomes for Staffordshire.
How are you going to do this and how can we help?
As the Staffordshire Health and Well Being Board we are the local organisation responsible for commissioning health and social care in the county. The Board members come from the County and District Council, the GP led Clinical Commissioning Groups, NHS England, Healthwatch Staffordshire and Staffordshire Police. It is important to note Healthwatch Staffordshire represents the public voice on the Board.
Together we have a shared ambition to build a health and social system that delivers improved outcomes for our communities in the most efficient and effective way possible.
To help take this forward, we have developed a joint Health and Well Being Strategy which will shape services over the next five years.
We now need your views on how we take this strategy forward and how we work together with all the residents of Staffordshire to improve health and well-being across the county.
Your comments are welcome on:
- How we use funding and resources
- Our priorities for year one of the Health and Well-Being Strategy.
- Supporting the frail and the elderly.
- Your role in helping to make things better.
You can follow us on Twitter – @ConvoStaffs or Facebook – Conversation.Staffordshire
To speak to us directly call on 0800 051 8371
Emergency Appointments
As winter draws closer and demand on appointments intensifies please can we ask that emergency appointments are filled by genuine emergencies only.
These are not normal appointments. Please accept that you will only be able to talk about the one urgent problem you have attended with as these appointments are only 5 minutes long.
Some important tips to follow:
- We will always see sick children and babies as emergencies.
- Patients with diarrhoea and vomiting are best staying at home to help prevent the spread of infection. If you are worried please phone for advice.
- Coughs and colds do not need antibiotics (even if you are coughing up green phlegm) so unless you are very unwell you are better staying at home and taking over the counter treatments.
- If you think you have a urine infection you may leave a specimen for the nurse to test and if it tests positive we will inform you and prescribe appropriate antibiotics.
- If you have a hospital letter informing you of a change in medication it can be left at the reception desk and will be actioned by a doctor the same day.
- If you have an emergency it would help us if you could contact us early in the day.
Dr J Merron
GP Partner
Deaf Vibe HUB
Is there someone in your family who is Deaf, Hard of Hearing or Deafblind? The Deaf Vibe Hub can help you.
The HUB is run by DEAFvibe volunteers and they have information on how to manage hearing loss, communication skills, communication aids and alerting equipment as well as offering the opportunity to try out specific equipment that could change your life.
For advice and information drop in between 10 am and 3 pm every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month at the Civic Offices, Merrial Street, Newcastle, (Meeting Room 4).
No appointments are needed, but the volunteers do pack up and finish at 3.00p.m. so it is probably as well not to arrive after 2.30p.m.!
For more information go to www.deafvibe.co.uk/deafvibehub.html
Why not sign up to Healthwatch?
You will get regular updates from Healthwatch Staffordshire via a fortnightly e-bulletin (sorry they are not able to mail regular bulletins).
You will be consulted on any health and social care consultations being run and informed of news and events from other Staffordshire and health and social care organisations.
Tel: 0800 051 8371
Fax: 01782 887890
E-mail: enquiries@healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk
Web: www.healthwatchstaffordshire.co.uk
Kingsbridge Doctors` Days Working at the Surgery
Holidays or sickness may change the Doctors` working days…but normally they will be:
Dr. Cooper
Monday all day, Tuesday a.m., Thursday all day and Friday a.m.
Dr. Lee
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Dr. Mallen
Monday
Dr. Merron
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
Dr. Hussain
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday a.m. and Friday
Dr. Helliwell
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday
Dr. Clarson
Monday a.m. and Saturday a.m.
Dr Clarke
Monday all day and Wednesday a.m.
Dr Grant
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday a.m. and Friday
Dr Benyon
Tuesday and Friday
Dr Muthumanickam
Wednesday all day and Thursday a.m.
Practice partners work Saturday mornings on a rota basis.