We are now taking on

new patients!

Please read further

inside for more details.

COLOUR COPY AVAILABLE THROUGH WEBSITE! ISSUE 11: OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2019

BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE!

LET’S GET SOCIAL!

Birchwood Surgery now

has its own Facebook

group. This group is a

closed group for

patients of Birchwood

Surgery in Letchworth.

Facebook is an excellent platform to

communicate with patients and we are

hoping to reach a wider percentage of

our patient population. The group will be

used to promote campaigns, Patient

Participation Group (PPG), share our

quarterly newsletter, opening times and

general information and updates.

The link to the page is

www.facebook.com/groups/39582819764

3736/ or alternatively you can just search

for “Birchwood Surgery – Letchworth” and

the group should appear.

After a turbulent couple of months’ worth of

weather we’ve finally landed in autumn!

With the cold weather creeping in and the

nights getting darker now is a perfect time

to snuggle up with a mug of hot chocolate

and have a read of our autumn/winter tips

and tricks to stay happy and healthy this

festive season.

Inside this issue you’ll find a bit of

everything! From information about our

diabetes clinics and this quarter’s PPG hot

topic to winter wellness tips and booking

an appointment that suits you best, there

will be something in here for everyone.

Finally we’d like to say whether it’s Diwali to

Halloween, Christmas to Hanukkah we

want you to enjoy your celebrations and

we’ll see you in the New Year!

Update on ordering medication

PRESCRIPTION REQUEST & COLLECTION

Prescription request

handed in:

Prescription ready by:

Monday Thursday AFTER 3PM

Tuesday Friday AFTER 3PM

Wednesday Monday AFTER 3PM

Thursday Tuesday AFTER 3PM

Friday Wednesday AFTER 3PM

PLEASE TAKE BANK HOLIDAYS INTO

ACCOUNT AND ALLOW US AN EXTRA 48

HOURS WHEN REQUESTING YOUR

PRESCRIPTION

BIRCHWOOD TEAM

Doctors

Dr R J O Graham – Senior Partner

Dr C Whelan – Partner

Dr S Setty – Partner

Dr C Botley – Partner

Dr A Khan - Partner

Dr S Papp – Partner

Dr I Jayabalan – Partner

Dr S Graham – Salaried GP

Dr Rachel Clarke – Locum

Dr Parhar – Locum

Nurses

Lorraine

Ciaran

Shirley

Marie

Health Care Assistants

Maxine

Management

Zoe Smith – Practice Manager

Louise Briggs – Deputy Manager

Inder Gill – Front of House Manager

Lauren Coates – Nurse Manager

CHANGE TO OPENING HOURS

from 1st August 2019.

Monday – 8:30am – 6pm

Tuesday – 8:30am – 6pm

Wednesday – 7.30am – 6pm

Thursday – 8:30am – 6pm

Friday – 8:30am – 6pm

Saturday – Closed

Sunday – Closed

Urgent appointments become available

from 8:30am each morning for that day.

WHEN TO CALL

BIRCHWOOD

If you are looking to book an

appointment, a reminder that we

only book emergency

appointments on the day and

routine appointments up to four

weeks ahead.

We ask that if you are calling for

prescription queries or general

enquires, that you call from

10:00am onwards as between

8:30am – 10:00am our phone lines

are very busy with patients booking

appointments, If you are waiting for

test results, please call after 2pm,

choosing the results option.

EMERGENCY OUT OF HOURS

TELEPHONE NUMBER

If you require urgent medical advice

Monday to Friday between 6:30pm-

8:30am, weekends and bank holidays

please call NHS 111.

LUNCH TIME CLOSURE

A reminder to our patients that since

February 2018 we now close our surgery

between 12:30pm and 1:30pm for lunch

every day.

Our phone lines are also closed during

this time for non-urgent enquires.

However if you need a home visit or

urgent medical advice, our emergency

desk is still manned during this time. Just

call our surgery and follow the instructions

on the recorded phone message.

Should you need any medical advice

during this time, please call NHS 111.

Should you require any emergency

medical attention during this time, please

call 999.

ONLINE SERVICES

Did you know that you can sign up to use our online services? It is a queue free,

paperless and simple way to be able to order your prescriptions, book

appointments and request repeat medication. You will also be able to see a summary of your record

which you can print of from your own home, should you need copies.

To sign up for this all you have to do is pop into the surgery with a form of

identification (a driving license, debit card etc) and we can issue you a

username and a password. It’s as simple as that!

SMS REMINDERS

Fancy a helpful reminder about your upcoming appointments? Sign up to our

free SMS service and receive appointment reminders via text message. Please pop into the

surgery and let us know you would like to sign up, or give us a ring

and we will do it over the phone.

THE DASHBOARD

Do you have a non-urgent question for a

GP? Do you have a prescription query

and are unable to call in and talk about it

during our opening hours? Send us a

message! Use the following website to

send us non-urgent messages and get a

response within three days.

www.birchwoodsurgery.co.uk/navigator/

ask-a-doctor-a-question/

TRAVEL

We would like to remind our patients that

we have changed the format of our

travel appointments. Patients are now

responsible for finding out what

vaccinations they need and then they

can book an appointment with a Nurse

to get them. Please look at

www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk/home to find out

what you may need for your holiday.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) has

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) has

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) have

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

PATIENT

TRANSPORT

SERVICE

The East of England

Ambulance Service

NHS Trust (EAST) has

made further progress

in managing the

transport of patients. If

You need to use their

services, their

designated number is

03456051208

The contact centre is

open Monday to

Friday, 8am until 6pm

and does have an

answer phone service

which operates

outside of the opening

hours.

UTI’s Please note that if you are booked in

for an appointment for a suspected

urinary tract infection (UTI) then you will

be asked to bring a urine sample with

you / come in early and provide us

with a urine sample. We would like to

remind our patients that we do not

take samples unless a GP or Nurse has

asked for it. Thank you.

BLOOD TEST APPOINTMENTS

Just like appointments with Doctors or

Nurses, if you can no longer make your

blood test then please call us and

cancel it. We have an automated

cancel line if you do not have time to

wait in the queue. Blood test

appointments are in high demand and

go to waste when patients do not turn

up.

MINOR ILLNESS NURSES

Our Minor Illness Nurses are available to

help with acute problems and illnesses

and can prescribe medication where

appropriate.

Conditions where seeing a doctor/minor

illness nurse is NOT usually necessary:

• Diarrhoea and vomiting

• Conjunctivitis

• Most sore throats

• Coughs and colds

• Emergency contraception

• Insect bites within first 72 hours

• Chicken pox

• Hayfever

• Backache

• Scabies/lice/worms

• Mild joint pain/soft tissue injury

The Doctor’s advice for these conditions is

to seek self-care advice from

www.patient.co.uk or your local

pharmacist.

Patients who CAN be booked in the

Minor Illness Clinic:

• Breathing problems

• Mild to moderate abdominal pain

• Sore throat (for more than 5 days)

• Ear pain (for more than 5-7 days)

• Prolonged/worsening coughs

especially asthma/COPD patients

• Severe back/joint pain

• UTI’s

• Unwell with a rash

Anything ongoing or previously

prescribed for is not appropriate to be in

minor illness clinic and will need to be

seen by a Doctor.

When booking an appointment the

admin staff have been trained to triage

you to ensure you are booked into the

appropriate appointment and will seek

medical advice from both the doctors

and nurses on duty that day.

IMPORTANT – COLLECTING ITEMS FROM THE SURGERY

The surgery now asks for a form of ID to be presented to the receptionist when collecting

prescriptions or letters. This is a more robust system that we have put in place for the safety of

our patients, which prevents unauthorised persons from collecting your items. If you feel your

prescription or any documentation has been obtained by an unauthorised person then

please inform the practice, as we keep a record on your notes of who and when these

collections have taken place for security reasons.

Due to new data protection laws, the surgery will now need your consent for someone else to

pick up your prescription. This can be given over the phone or in person prior to the collection

and a note will be made on your record. ID must be shown at all times by the person

collecting your documentation.

Forms of ID accepted

Driving licence (preferably photo)

Passport

Utility bill

Bank Card

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, however your personal information is very

important to us and there have been previous incidents of identity theft and collection of

prescriptions. This can happen & you may not be aware, by providing us with ID and consent

we can prevent this from happening and stop this impacting on your health.

ELECTRONIC PRESCRIBING (EPS)

To recap for those of you who may not have read our last issue

of the newsletter, the electronic prescription service (EPS) allows

prescribers to safely and securely send your prescription

electronically to your local/usual pharmacy online. This means

less paper waste, less time waiting in ques and is efficient and

convenient for both yourself and our staff. In the future, EPS will

become the default option for the prescribing, dispensing and

reimbursement of prescriptions in primary care in England.

You don’t need a computer to start using EPS, as long as both your GP surgery and the

pharmacy (or other dispensing appliance contractor) offers the service then it is available

to you! You can nominate any pharmacy, whether it is the one closest to your home, on

your route to work or where you shop – and you are able to change this any time!

All you need to do is pop into the pharmacy you wish to collect your prescriptions in and

nominate them as your designated pharmacy and we’ll do all the work from there,

simple! If you wish to change or cancel this service, then all you have to do is make your

pharmacy aware that you wish to move or cancel the service and it will be done for you.

EAR SYRINGING & EAR WAX REMOVAL

Allder’s Opticians in Letchworth Garden City offer an ear syringing service.

They are located at 15 Eastcheap and do syringing on a Friday afternoon.

The current fee is £40 for one ear and £70 for both. Their phone number is

01462 673216 so please do ring them if you are interested in finding out more.

Natural Hearing in Hitchin also syringe ears and charge £40 for one ear and

£60 for both. Their contact number is 08009995992. Please ring them for more

information.

Manor Pharmacy now also does microsuction ear wax removal. They charge

£32.50 for one ear and £47.50 for both. They are located in Letchworth

Garden City, down the main Broadway road (opposite Morrisons). If you

would like more information please visit their website www.clearerears.com

or phone them on 07588105060.

DIABETIC BLOOD TESTS

We have noticed an increasing number of people not attend their diabetic

blood test for their annual diabetic review. It is vital patients attend these

blood tests appointments as without an up to date set of results we are

unable to do a full review.

If you are unable to make either of the appointments then please call the

surgery and ask to speak to the diabetic coordination and she will be able to

rebook the appointments for you.

EXTENDED ACCESS SERVICE

44 Sollershott East, Letchworth

Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6

3JW

The Extended Access Service

makes appointments with GPs

in east and north Hertfordshire

available at more times

including evenings and

weekends.

Altogether an extra 230 appointments per week are available with GPs, nurses and health

care assistants. All the staff that work within the Extended Access Service are based in a

GP Practice or Health Centres within the local area.

To book an appointment please call your surgery and enquire about what dates and

times are available to you.

The Extended Access Service is open during the following days and hours -

Monday: ………6:30pm – 8pm

Tuesday: ………6:30pm – 8pm

Wednesday: .....6:30pm – 8pm

Thursday: ……...6:30pm – 8pm

Friday: ………....6:30pm – 8pm

Saturday: ……...8am – 4pm

Sunday: ………..8am – 12pm

REMINDERS

REMINDERS

NEW PATIENTS

Our books are now open again and we are able to take on new patients.

If you are interested in being our patient then please either pop into the surgery and pick up the

registration forms or download them from our website and fill them out.

We need a GMS1 form to be completed www.birchwoodsurgery.co.uk/wp-

content/uploads/2015/10/Family-Doctor-services-registration.pdf

and either an adult or child registration pack

adult: www.birchwoodsurgery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/New-Registration-Adult-.pdf

child: www.birchwoodsurgery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/New-Registration-Child-.pdf

Once these are completed please call the surgery to book an appointment to register. You will

be given a set date and time slot in which you can come down with your completed forms and

we will register you.

When you come to your registration appointment you will need to bring some things with you. If

you or anyone you are registering is 16 or over, they will need to come to the appointment with

some photographic ID. Children under 16 do not need ID, but for children from new born to 10

years old, you will need to bring their red book with you to the registration appointment. You will

also need a utility bill that is no more than 3 months old, that matches the address you are

currently living at.

If you turn up to the registration appointment without all the necessary forms completed or the correct ID then your registration will need to be rebooked.

CERVICAL SCREENING

Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells

that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no

symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, or

pain during sexual intercourse.

A cervical screening (previously known as smear test) is a method of detecting any abnormal

cells in the cervix. This will only take a couple of minutes but potentially could be lifesaving!

We understand that not everyone can make appointments

during our regular opening hours so we are pleased to say that

the Extended Access Service are also able to carry out cervical

screenings as well!

Please look at the previous page for more information about the

Extended Access Service and please give us a ring on

01462 705040 if you would like to book an appointment.

We are open as normal from here onwards – thank you

DATE OCCASION

Thursday 28th of November 2019 Staff training

Closing at 12pm

Monday 23rd of December 2019 8:30am – 6pm

Tuesday 24th of December 2019 8:30am-6pm

(closed between 12:30pm–2:30pm for an

extended lunch break)

Wednesday 25th of December 2019 Christmas day

CLOSED

Thursday 26th of December 2019 Boxing day

CLOSED

Friday 27th of December 2019 8:30am – 6pm

Saturday 28th of December 2019 CLOSED

Sunday 29th of December 2019 CLOSED

Monday 30th of December 2019 8:30am – 6pm

Tuesday 31st of December 2019 8:30am – 6pm

Wednesday 1st of January 2020 New Year’s Day

CLOSED

Thursday 2nd of January 2020 8:30am – 6pm

DATES FOR THE DIARY

MISSED APPOINTMENTS

Between the 1st of July 2019 and the 30th of September 2019, we recorded that 406

appointments were missed! This equates to 4,939 minutes’ worth of appointment time which

was not fully utilised. This equals just over 82 hours of wasted appointments!

These wasted hours could be appointments which you may have needed but were told we

were fully booked.

Please remember, if you can no longer make an appointment and wish to cancel it

PLEASE LET US KNOW!

There are many ways you can cancel an appointment - you can call us, write to us online,

use our automatic voice message on our phone line or sign up to our SMS service and when

you get a reminder for an appointment you no longer need, you can just reply ‘CANCEL’

and we will cancel it for you. Thank you for your ongoing co-operation.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP!

What is a Patient Participation Group?

Members of the Patient Participation Group

(PPG) are volunteers who work with the

practice to represent patients, offering views

on the services and facilities that are

provided. Patients also have the option to be

involved in the wider health issues across

North Hertfordshire.

When do we meet?

We aim to meet at the practice at least 4

times a year. We usually hold the meetings on

a Tuesday evening from 6pm onwards. The

meetings usually last a couple of hours. All

details of the meeting are forwarded to

members in advance.

What are we not?

We are not a forum for individual agendas or

personal complaints. Complaints must be

made directly to the practice to comply with

the standardised NHS complaints Procedure

and be handled under a strict code of

confidentiality. If you have a complaint,

please either speak to the practice team or

pick up the practice information leaflet on

complaints.

What do we have planned for the future?

We want to encourage additional patients to

join the group. It is expected that the PGG will

become more visible and assist the practice

with new initiatives and ideas.

We always welcome suggestions and ideas

that contribute to the patient experience

when you visit the practice. Your suggestion

can be forwarded to the Practice Manager

to be discussed with the PPG where

appropriate.

Want to know more?

If you are interested in knowing more, take a

look at our PPG board in the corridor opposite

the waiting room. Also, you can let our

reception team know and we will be able to

send you one of our information packs.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION

GROUP SPOTLIGHT

In the last couple of PPG meetings our

members have been looking at national

health issues. We have decided to

dedicate a spotlight section to each

subject. This section will be a brief

oversight of some of the things we

discussed, and then a more detailed

version can appear on our website.

This quarter’s topic is:

SPOTTING THE SIGNS & SYMPTOMS OF

ALCOHOL & DRUG ABUSE

SIGNS, SYMPTOMS & SUPPORT

Addiction is defined as not having control

over doing, taking or using something to

the point where it could be harmful to

you.

Alcohol abuse is when a person drinks in

a way that is detrimental to their self or

when a person is dependent on alcohol.

Alcohol addiction can be difficult to spot.

Unlike drugs, alcohol is widely available

and accepted in many cultures. It is often

the centre of social situations and is

closely linked to celebrations and

enjoyment.

Drug abuse is when people experience

compulsive or uncontrollable cravings for

a legal or illegal drug. Typically people

will continue to seek and use drugs in

spite of experiencing extremely negative

consequences as a result of the using.

Using drugs usually begins as an

experiment or because of curiosity. Other

times it may start from using prescription

medication to treat an illness or injury.

There has been a wide ongoing debate

around whether addiction is a choice, a

mental illness or a disease – what do you

think?

Keep an eye on next quarter’s issue to see what we discuss next!

A

L

C

O

H

O

L

Signs & Symptoms

-Neglecting your responsibilities

-Legal problems related to your drinking

-Doing reckless activates while drunk

-Drinking causing issues in your relationship

-Waking up and having to drink to get started with the day

-Regularly drinking to the point where you do not remember what you have done

-Lying to yourself or friends or family about how much you are drinking

D

R

U

G

S

Signs & Symptoms

-Loss of control over your drug use

-Continuing to use drugs even though you understand the damage it is causing you

-Continuously using drugs to avoiding coming down from the high

-Stealing or borrowing money or selling possessions to fund your habit

-Doing dangerous things whole under the influence of drugs

-Losing interest in things that once interested you

-Stealing or borrowing money or selling possessions to fund your habit

S

U

P

P

O

R

T

Alcohol

-Alcoholics Anonymous

-Drink Aware

-Alcohol Change

-Drinkwise

-NHS Choices

Drugs

-Frank

-Adfam

-Drugsand.me

-Drug Science

-Drugwise

Both

-GCL

-The Living Room

-Mind

-STAR

-Carers in Hertfordshire – Drug & Alcohol Abuse Project

REMEMBER, IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW IS

SUFFERING WITH A DRUG OR ALCOHOL ADDICTION THERE

IS HELP OUT THERE FOR YOU.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE AND THINGS CAN GET BETTER.

PLEASE CALL US ON 01462 705040 IF YOU WISH TO BOOK AN APPOINTMENT TO DISCUSS THIS WITH A DOCTOR.

SUMMARY CARE RECORDS (SCR)

A Summary Care Record is a way of telling health and care staff important information about a

person. It tells staff caring for someone about their medicines, allergies and other bits of

important information. This means they can look after the person if they are not at their usual

doctor’s surgery. We are now able to opt you in for sharing your SCR with hospitals, clinics etc

meaning we can provide you with more continuous and informed care. If you would like to

share your SCR, please pop into the surgery or give us a ring and let us know and then we can

set this up for you.

DAY OPEN CLOSE

MONDAY 8:30AM 6PM

TUESDAY 8:30AM 6PM

WEDNESDAY 7:30AM 6PM

THURSDAY 8:30AM 6PM

FRIDAY 8:30AM 6PM

SATURDAY CLOSED CLOSED

SUNDAY CLOSED CLOSED

CHANGES TO EXTENDED ACCESS

From the 1st August 2019, you will see some changes to our opening and closing times on a

Tuesday and Wednesday. Currently we deliver extended hours on a Tuesday evening until 8pm

and from 7am on a Wednesday morning, with appointments also available at Sollershott

Surgery in the evenings and at weekends (please see page 5 about Extended Access).

On the 1st June 2019, Birchwood Surgery along with the other Letchworth Practices, Baldock and

Ashwell Practice became a Primary Care Network (PCN), known as Icknield PCN. This was

encouraged through the BMA GP England committee and NHS England, through national

contract negotiations for the development and rollout of PCN’s.

PCNs are groups of GP practices working more closely together, with other primary and

community care staff and health organisations, providing integrated services to their local

populations.

With the Icknield PCN now in place, there have been discussions about how we will continue to

deliver the Extended Hours Access allocation.

The Icknield PCN was required to make a decision by 1st July 2019 on how the extended hours

provisions would be managed and an agreement was made that Sollershott Surgery would take

on a large proportion of these hours required to be provided.

The PCN would like Birchwood Surgery to deliver 2.5hrs of the original 7.5hrs per week allocation,

which will be run on a Wednesday early morning from 7.30am with face to face appointments,

with the other allocated time being picked up by the Partners in the evenings between 18.30-

19.00 through telephone consultations.

This means that Birchwood Surgery will no longer remain open until 20:00 on a Tuesday evening

and will open at 07:30am on a Wednesday morning, oppose to 7:00am.

Please see the below chart for our updated opening hours.

FLU

What is Flu?

We are now in flu season and it is important for those eligible to ensure that they

have received their flu jab. It is also important to recognise the signs of flu and what to do

should you think you have it.

Flu is a highly infectious disease with symptoms such as fever, chills, aches and pains in the

joint or muscles, headaches and extreme tiredness. Flu is actually worse than a bad cold

and you may need to spend a few days in bed recovering. Although serious infections

are less common in healthy adults, they can sometimes lead to hospitalisations,

permanent disability and even death.

Each year the NHS prepares for the unpredictability of flu. For most healthy people, the flu

is unpleasant but usually self-limiting with recovery generally within a week.

However, there is a particular risk of

severe illness from catching flu for those

who are:

Pregnant

Aged 65 or over

Diabetic

Have a BMI ≥ 40

Or if you have a long-term condition of

the:

Lungs, e.g. Asthma or COPD

Heart

Brain or nervous system

Kidneys

Liver

Immune system

No spleen

The Department of Health advise vaccination to be your best option for

protection so if you’re in one of the groups listed above, don’t underestimate

the flu – book your jab from September 2018.

What should you do before you get your flu vaccination?

Inform your surgery if:

You have ever had a reaction to a previous flu vaccination

You are feeling unwell or have a raised temperature

You are allergic to hen’s eggs

KEEP CALM & GET YOUR FLU

VACCINATION!

Please arrive in good time for your

appointment. You can also help the clinic

run smoothly by taking off your

coat and rolling up your sleeve

(on the arm you don’t write

with) before you are called for

your vaccination.

Flu season will start in

September and each year the

surgery plans to vaccinate as

many of our 6000 entitled

patients as possible. Your pharmacist can

also give you a flu jab, however unlike

your surgery they will not give you other

vaccinations that you may be eligible for

(for example, pneumococcal or shingles).

Patients aged 70-76 and 78 – 79 are

entitled to a shingles vaccination. This

helps protect against this

painful infectious disease which

can have long term effects.

We also offer pregnant women

the whooping cough

vaccination alongside flu which

your pharmacy will not. Having

the whooping cough

vaccination boosts immunity in women so

that the whooping cough antibodies are

passed from mother and baby to protect

infants in the first few months of life.

Letters + SMS invites will start to go out from September to eligible patients. If you have not

received an invite and feel you may be eligible then please ask at reception.

Who is eligible?

Children aged 4,- 9years - will be vaccinated at school

Children aged 6 months – 3 years – will be invited by the surgery for vaccination

Children aged 10 – 17 years - will be invited by the surgery for vaccination if eligible

Adults aged 18 – 64 years - will be invited by the surgery for vaccination if eligible

Adults aged 65 + - will be invited by the surgery for vaccination

Housebound patients – will be contacted and visited by a doctor or nurse throughout the

flu season.

Who are at risk?

Pregnant people

Why is flu more serious in pregnancy?

During pregnancy, a woman’s natural immunity to infections

reduced in order for your baby to grow. This therefore means

pregnant women are more susceptible to getting flu and the

serious complications associated with it, such as pneumonia

which can follow on.

Diabetics

Why is flu more serious for people who have diabetes?

Diabetes can have an effect on the immune system which leaves

diabetic more susceptible to infections. In diabetics flu can cause

blood sugars to become deranged which can lead to hospital

admissions and even death.

Those aged 65 and over

Why is flu serious if you’re aged 65 or over?

With age the immune system weakens, leaving older people more

susceptible to flu and then develop complications such as

pneumonia.

Those with Asthma or COPD

Why is flu serious for people with Asthma or COPD?

Patients with lung problems like Asthma or COPD are more likely

to catch flu. Flu can be more serious in people with these

conditions as it is possible they will go on to develop

pneumonia.

Children

Why is flu serious for children?

For most people, flu is limited to being an unpleasant

disease. However, for the very young the flu can be

serious.

The virus can be contracted at nursery, school or at

home and it can spread easily.

By vaccinating your child against the flu you help to

protect them, and make it much harder for the flu virus

to spread.

For most children under the age of 18 their flu

vaccination is a painless but tickly nasal spray!

THINK PHARMACY!

Don’t let winter bugs get you down!

Here is a list of common winter complaints that can be dealt with by going to your local

pharmacy.

Colds

Flu

Painful joints

Cold hands and feet

Dry skin

Flu

NHS tips on how to stay healthy this winter

Banish winter tiredness

Many people feel tired and sluggish during winter. This is due to the lack of

sunlight, which disrupts our sleep and waking cycles. Try these tips:

get outdoors in natural daylight as much as possible

get a good night's sleep – go to bed and wake up at the same time every

day

destress with exercise or meditation – stress has been shown to make you

feel tired

Eat more fruit and veg

When it's cold and dark outside, it can be tempting to fill up on unhealthy

comfort food. However, it's important to ensure you still have a healthy diet

and include five portions of fruit and veg a day.

If you find yourself craving a sugary treat, try a juicy clementine or satsuma

instead. Winter vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, swede and turnips can

be roasted, mashed or made into soup for a comforting winter meal for the

whole family. Explore varieties of fruit and veg that you may not normally eat.

Drink more milk

You are more likely to get a cold in winter, so make sure your immune system is

in tip-top condition. Milk and dairy products such as cheese, yoghurt and

fromage frais are great sources of:

protein

vitamins A and B12

calcium, which helps keep our bones strong

Choose semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk – rather than full-fat – and low-fat

plain yoghurts.

The main things to remember are to stay hydrated, stay

wrapped up and try to stay at home to avoid spreading any germs to other people

Try new activities for the whole family

Don't use the cold winter months as an excuse to stay in and lounge around.

Instead, get out with the whole family to try out a new activity –maybe ice

skating, or taking a bracing winter walk on the beach or through the park.

Regular exercise helps control your weight, boost your immune system, and

is a good way to break the tension that can build if the family is constantly

cooped up inside the house.

Have a hearty breakfast

Winter is the perfect season for porridge. Eating a warm bowlful on

a cold morning isn't just a delicious way to start your day, it also

helps boost your intake of starchy foods and fibre.

These foods give you energy and help you feel fuller for longer,

stopping the temptation to snack mid-morning. Oats also contain

lots of vital vitamins and minerals.

Make your porridge with semi-skimmed, 1% or skimmed milk, or water, and don't add

sugar or salt. Add a sliced banana, berries or other fruit for extra flavour and to help you

hit your 5 A Day target.

That’s it from us for this year! We hope that whatever you’re doing over

the next couple of months, you stay happy and healthy and we will see you again for another issue in January 2020!