Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – July/August 2023
It is clear from speaking to patients that there is still a significant degree of misunderstanding about triage. Not understanding the process causes mistrust and dissatisfaction, so a further explanation is important. Put simply, triage is the system used to prioritise clinical needs, i.e., the way we decide how serious your condition may be, and how urgently, and by whom you should be treated or advised. There are 3 steps in the triage process. The first involves the collection of information by the receptionist. In the second stage, the on-call doctor uses this information, in conjunction with other things like your age and medical history, to decide what the matter could be. The third and final stage is when the doctor decides what to do about the problem, and details like who, where and when to arrange your care. Triage needs all three steps, which is why refusing to give any detail makes the process impossible. And why do we need triage? Well, there are a limited number of appointments each day, and these need to be used wisely. The more serious and urgent problems should obviously be dealt with first, and less clinically urgent ones, later. I am sure everyone can see the logic for this. Otherwise, it is first come, first served, which risks harm coming to some patients whose care is delayed by less serious problems taking priority.
Having said that, you can assist the process, and indicate your preferences in the following ways:
- Let the receptionist know if you feel your problem is urgent or routine.
- If you prefer a particular clinician.
- Prefer a face-to-face or telephone consultation.
The on-call doctor will take your preferences into account, but there may be times when it is not possible to fulfil your request, such as your problem may potentially be serious, not routine as you thought, or your preferred clinician may be unavailable.
Summer is here. Please take care of your skin, and use sunscreens, cover up and stay in the shade, particularly if you are at higher risk of developing skin cancer, such as, children, people with light skin, those with numerous moles or freckles, the immunocompromised, a personal or family history of skin cancer or work outdoors. Sunscreens should be at least sun protection factor (SPF) 15 and applied liberally. It is important to avoid prolonged exposure to strong sunlight, which peaks between 11am and 3 pm from March to October. Getting a suntan increases the risk of skin cancer.
Have a great summer. From us all at Barton Family Practice.
Byhowbeck
May Bank Holiday Closure
We will be closed on Monday 29th May 2023 for the May Bank Holiday.
If during this time you require medical advice or treatment you can:
Visit your pharmacy. Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints. Opening times for local Pharmacies can be downloaded or you can visit NHS Choices.
Access NHS 111. To access the service online simply visit https://111.nhs.uk/ and enter your age, sex, postcode and main symptom, and then you will be guided through a series of questions about your health problems.
To access the service via phone, simply dial 111 from any mobile or landline free of charge and you will be put through to an operator who will run through a few questions regarding your health problem in order to get you the right care.
A&E or 999. For a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and or/severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.
Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – June 2023
We were flooded on the night of Thursday the 11th of May. The surgery has been flooded several times since we moved to the new building in 2007, but this was by far the worst. Most of the floods have been caused by leaks in the apartments and facilities above the surgery. This time, over 1/2 of the surgery was made unusable and unsafe by the flood. We were fortunate in not having to shut the surgery completely and were still able to provide a service to our patients. We would like to thank the Barton under Needwood Fire Service for responding so promptly, controlling the leak, advising about safety, and helping to start the clear-up. Thank you to Tippers for stepping in with the prompt deployment of dehumidifiers, ESREM Ltd for giving an early assessment of the electrics and Norclean for immediately getting the cleaning underway. A big thank you also to the whole Practice Team who reacted so well to the crisis and rallied and responded fantastically to keep the service going for our patients. A truly collective team effort.
And now, something completely different. Here are some tips for a successful consultation. Please mention your main concern first. Remember that your GP will usually only have 10 minutes for the whole consultation, including writing up your notes. Usually, you can only realistically hope to address one problem per consultation, but if you think that more than one problem could be important, then please say at the start of the consultation that you have several issues. This will enable the GP to work with you to decide on priorities. Try to avoid coming with a lengthy list of problems or saying “Doctor, one more thing” at the end of a consultation. This way, we can do our best to address pressing concerns and important health issues, in the limited time available.
We have some fresh staff joining us at Barton. Mrs. Karen Aucock is starting mid-May as an ANP (Advanced Nurse Practitioner). She will be seeing patients independently, much in the same way a GP does, and will be working 4 days a week. She brings a wealth of experience, having been an ANP at a practice in Stafford for 8 years. We are thrilled that she is joining us. Also joining us at the end of May is Dr. Chika Igwe-Omoke, who will be working 3 days a week as a GP. She comes fresh from GP training in Lincolnshire. We hope both joiners have an enjoyable and fulfilling time at Barton.
Best wishes from Team Barton.
Byhowbeck
Closed for Bank Holiday Monday
We will be closed on Monday 8th May 2023 for the Bank Holiday to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III.
If during this time you require medical advice or treatment you can:
Visit your pharmacy. Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints. Opening times for local Pharmacies can be downloaded or you can visit NHS Choices.
Access NHS 111. To access the service online simply visit https://111.nhs.uk/ and enter your age, sex, postcode and main symptom, and then you will be guided through a series of questions about your health problems.
To access the service via phone, simply dial 111 from any mobile or landline free of charge and you will be put through to an operator who will run through a few questions regarding your health problem in order to get you the right care.
A&E or 999. For a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and or/severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.
Byhowbeck
Closed for May Bank Holiday
We will be closed on Monday 1st May 2023 for the May Bank Holiday.
If during this time you require medical advice or treatment you can:
Visit your pharmacy. Your local pharmacy can provide confidential, expert advice and treatment for a range of common illnesses and complaints. Opening times for local Pharmacies can be downloaded or you can visit NHS Choices.
Access NHS 111. To access the service online simply visit https://111.nhs.uk/ and enter your age, sex, postcode and main symptom, and then you will be guided through a series of questions about your health problems.
To access the service via phone, simply dial 111 from any mobile or landline free of charge and you will be put through to an operator who will run through a few questions regarding your health problem in order to get you the right care.
A&E or 999. For a genuine medical emergency including; loss of consciousness, acute confused state and fits that are not stopping, persistent and or/severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, severe bleeding that cannot be stopped call 999 or go to your nearest A&E.
Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – May 2023
We are now 3 years into the coronavirus pandemic, and whilst the virus has certainly not gone away, it poses much less of a threat to most of us than it did at the beginning of the pandemic. We therefore feel that we can be more relaxed about the use of face masks in the surgery. You do not need to wear a face mask in the surgery unless you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or a cold. Despite this relaxation, we must recognise that some people remain clinically vulnerable and need to maintain a higher level of precautions. Therefore, people who are clinically vulnerable, or who prefer to wear a face mask should continue to do so. We shall keep the situation under review and will amend the policy should the situation require a change.
Would you like to join the Patient Participation Group (PPG)? We are looking for interested adults to join this important group, which acts as a bridge between the practice and patients. The PPG is a small group of about a dozen representatives, and we currently have several vacancies. We are ideally looking for representatives from all patient groups, and adults of any age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion and disability are encouraged to apply. Could you help make suggestions to improve the patient experience, communicate important changes about the practice to the wider patient population, or help organise practice events such as open days? An active patient participation group will help us understand your needs better and provides a means to explain the challenges facing the service and the reasoning behind some decisions made at the Practice. Meetings will be held every 2 months, and are usually held in the surgery building. Please contact the Practice Manager, Louise Smith, by email or telephone if you are interested at barton.fp@nhs.net or 01283 249923. We look forward to hearing from you.
Best wishes from team Barton.
Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – April 2023
Obesity is a term that refers to being significantly overweight and carries certain health risks. Most of us are aware of these risks, which include type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases such as angina, heart attacks and strokes, and mobility and joint problems such as osteoarthritis, and several cancers. Fewer of us are aware of the damage that fat does to the liver. Central adiposity, indicated by a large waistline, is associated with fat deposition on internal organs, and particularly damages the liver and pancreas. This causes type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) or ‘fatty liver’. The latter only refers to people who drink either insignificant amounts of alcohol (within safe limits) or not at all and is different from when liver disease is caused by alcohol. A fatty liver can progress to inflammation and damage, and repeated attempts to heal, leading to liver cirrhosis, and sometimes liver failure and liver cancer. These changes usually occur silently, and so sadly are often diagnosed at a late stage when they may be untreatable. Unfortunately, because obesity and type 2 diabetes are so common these days, NAFLD is common and is estimated to affect 25% of the general population. A fifth of these people may develop liver inflammation, some of whom will develop liver cirrhosis, and a smaller number liver cancer. There are no drugs licensed for treating NAFLD and the treatment remains weight loss and physical activity. Information on weight loss is available at https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/lose-weight/ where you can download the free NHS Weight Loss Plan app and learn about referral to the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme. You can also make an appointment with one of our Healthcare Assistants (HCAs) for advice about weight loss if you do not have internet access.
We are pleased to report on a new physiotherapy service which is being offered to East Staffordshire patients – First Contact Physiotherapy. The service has been running for several months and aims to provide an assessment service for uncomplicated musculoskeletal problems, i.e., joint, muscle and tendon problems. These physiotherapists are specially trained to assess and diagnose musculoskeletal problems and advise on the right sort of treatment for the problem. You may well be offered an appointment with a First Contact Physiotherapist if you ring for an appointment and have a suitable problem. Importantly, this does not replace the current physiotherapy service to which patients can be referred after being assessed by a GP but is an alternative to a GP appointment.
Best wishes from the team at Barton.
Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – March 2023
Most of us are aware of the health benefits of physical exercise, a healthy diet and losing weight, but do you know the damaging effects of spending too much time sitting? Sedentary time is the time we spend sitting down and not moving. It is increasingly recognised that sedentary behaviour increases our risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and premature death, and minimising sedentary behaviour reduces these risks. Even if we exercise regularly, spending a lot of time sitting down can be bad for us. The latest physical activity guidelines recommend limiting sedentary time by replacing sitting with periods of physical activity across the waking day. Many workplaces have made changes, such as height adjustable desks, relocating printers and wastepaper bins to encourage staff to move more, but we also need to move more when we are not at work. You can find useful suggestions to keep moving online at the British Heart Foundation website – 5 ways to spend less time sitting down, and the NHS website – Why we should sit less – NHS. We need to sit less and move more.
A note on a new physiotherapy service being offered to East Staffordshire patients – First Contact Physiotherapy. The service has been running for several months and aims to provide an assessment service for uncomplicated musculoskeletal problems, i.e., joint, muscle and tendon problems. These physiotherapists are specially trained to assess and diagnose musculoskeletal problems and advise on the right sort of treatment for the problem. You may well be offered an appointment with a First Contact Physiotherapist if you ring for an appointment and have a suitable problem. Importantly, this does not replace the current physiotherapy service to which patients can be referred after being assessed by a GP.
We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff, Jenny, our Pharmacy Technician. She joins Ruth, our Clinical Pharmacist, and will support her in providing advice to patients about their prescriptions, looking after requests for repeat prescriptions, updating discharge medications and improving the safety of prescribing in the practice. We are lucky to have her on the Team.
Some of you might have met Ed Wiley, an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (or ANP), who has started doing sessions at the Practice. An ANP is a senior nurse who has been specially trained to diagnose and treat a range of conditions, such as respiratory and urinary tract infections and joint and muscular problems, to mention but a few. They do not treat mental health problems, pregnant women or small children and babies. ANPs are becoming an increasingly important part of the practice team. Our Nurse Practitioner, Claire Stamp, is currently training to become an Advanced Practitioner.
Best wishes, as ever, from the team at Barton Family Practice.
Byhowbeck
Barton Family Practice News – February 2023
A lot has happened in the 2 months since our last newsletter. Regarding the health sector, we are now in the grip of a full-scale NHS crisis. Without wishing to be alarmist, I would like to point out the obvious, that we are part of the NHS and therefore also in crisis. Demand for GP appointments is at an all-time high, and we have been unable to replace the GPs we have lost. It is proving difficult to recruit new GPs and even securing a locum is challenging. Making matters worse, Dr Atijosan is leaving in January for new pastures. Please bear with us as we struggle to try to provide enough GP appointments.
The Nursing team are appealing for all eligible women to attend for their cervical smears when they become due. They are concerned that some women have failed to attend their appointments. Cervical screening is an effective way of reducing the risk of cervical cancer and we would encourage all women to attend.
And now an appeal from Reception. Please stand back until invited to approach the reception counter. The receptionists use headsets, and report that patients sometimes think they are idle, whereas they are in fact listening or speaking to someone on the phone. They are working hard and will be with you as soon as they can.
We are all too aware of the difficulties with the local chemist and understand that they have stopped ordering repeat prescriptions on patients’ behalf. One solution could be to register for online prescription ordering at reception. You will need a form of photo ID so that you can be issued a PIN number. Please enquire at reception.
Continuing with our series on the Practice team, it is the turn of the Healthcare Assistant. We have two healthcare assistants whose role includes health promotion, such as lifestyle advice to manage obesity, hypertension, and pre-diabetes, checking blood pressures, analysing urine samples, and applying simple dressings. They also assist in running chronic disease clinics, for example, by conducting diabetes foot checks and taking blood samples. In addition, they order and maintain clinical stock items. They are busy people but are never too busy to smile.
We are saying goodbye to Dr Atijosan, whom some of you will know as Dr Goke, this January. He has been an immense help at the Practice, working hard, efficiently, and always professionally. We wish him the best of luck for the future.
Best wishes from the Barton team.
Byhowbeck
Go Dry for January and Get you Back!
Dry January is the UKs one month challenge. It isn’t about giving anything up. It’s about getting something back. Get your fun back. Get your energy back. Get your calm back. Get you back!
Both men and women are advised not to regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week but cutting back can be a really effective way to improve your health.
You can download the Drink Free Days app to keep track of your alcohol intake https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/drink-less/