Important Notices and News
Arranging a funeral
Letter to patients
As our patients are aware we have been operating a total triage system since the 1st July which is due to a NHS England directive that we must be a modern GP practice and offer a triage model. All other local practices are also offering a digital triage as we must all ensure we meet NHS England’s contractual requirements.
We have received over 10,600 forms since we have been operational. Many patients are completing the forms wonderfully and it works well for them however we appreciate demand can outweigh availability and this can cause frustration.
We do sometimes have over 40 patients on hold at 08:30am asking us to complete the form for them. We have always said we will happily do the form for people who are elderly, vulnerable or those who do not truly have internet access however we have a growing number of patients who are refusing to do the form and calling us to do this for them. We appreciate everyone has different skills when it comes to technology but we urge you to try and do the form online as this is the very quickest way you will get an appointment.
If we have 40 people queuing on the phone there is a chance that you will not get an appointment that day as there will be 100 people doing the form themselves from 08:30am onwards. It takes longer for you to hold and for us to complete the form on your behalf thus creating a delay on the form submission, which can bring disappointment. We also want you to use your words on your symptoms. This then goes straight to the triage Doctor.
The form is open at 08:30am. We pause it when we have become overwhelmed with requests and it is unsafe to accept any more. This is always unfortunate when we reach capacity however with high demand it is almost inevitable. The triage form ensures the right person is seen at the right time.
Once the form has been submitted the triage Doctor reviews all the requests and prioritises the requests to acute and routine need. The administration team then call you within 1-2 hours with an appointment. Often this can be done within 30 minutes of the form submission.
If you have internet access we would encourage everyone to do the form themselves please as we need to free the telephones up to those who truly need our help. More importantly this gives you an equal chance of an appointment that day as a form will take 2 minutes to complete rather than holding on the queue.
Instructions:
Click on our website ifieldmedicalpractice.co.uk
Click the large green ‘contact us online’ banner
Click ‘I have a medical request’ (for an appointment)
Click continue past the safety netting questions, as appropriate
Complete the question boxes (some are optional)
Enter your personal details.
Click submit
The form will give you a message confirming correct submission.
We have comments saying there are no appointments showing when I click submit. To clarify there will not be as the form comes through to us electronically for the Doctor to review. The administrator then comes back to you within an hour or so to provide the appointment or information. Please keep an eye on your phone for our reply.
We want to support all of our patients but we do need those who are physically able to do the form to now do so please. We can always offer training to anyone who needs it to just help with your confidence.
We do have a Duty Doctor available between 1pm – 6pm every day however this is for the most acute need and effectively reserved for frail elderly patients, babies under 1 year old and patients undergoing cancer therapy for example. The Doctor must be on call for any paramedic or hospice telephone calls. If you are in acute medical need, which cannot be helped by 111 or the urgent treatment centre, you can telephone from 1:45pm but please be cautious with the requests for the Duty Doctor.
Thank you
Sharon Nunweek
Practice Manager
Do consider your local pharmacist for these 7 problems.
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Earache
- Infected insect bite
- Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection)
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
There is no need for a GP and a prescription can be given as appropriate. West Green Pharmacy and Jade Pharmacy are part of this scheme as well as Boots and Asda pharmacies.
Awareness of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Animation
Here is a short video on not taking antibiotics when you don't need them.
Patient Participation Group
The practice have a seperate facebook page for patients who would like to join our patient participation group.
Here you can feedback on the practice and help shape things for a better service. We want to listen and your feedback helps us with this. Facebook - PPG page
We would also appreciate any patient completing our new survey on the practice Practice survey
Movember
Letters for the school
The GP is often asked if they will write a letter to the school of a child who is struggling to attend full time education for anxiety, mental health or a health reason.
Often the school will say their hands are tied with allowing absence unless it has been determined by a Doctor that it is in the child’s best interests to have part time education. The parent/carer then comes to the GP and is hopeful we can certify the child should not be in school full time.
When it comes to determining if a child is fit for school, it's important to note that GPs are not able to provide sickness certification for pupils who are off sick from school. The responsibility for managing school attendance and determining if an absence is legitimate typically falls to the parents and the school. For short-term illnesses (less than 7 days), schools are generally expected to accept a note from the pupil’s parent or guardian. GPs are not required to provide medical certificates for these short-term absences unless the child was seen by the GP at the time of the illness, whereby we can provide a copy of the consultation as proof.
If a child has a long-term condition or requires support in the school day, any necessary certification can only be provided by the responsible specialist in rare cases.
In cases of recurrent short-term illnesses, the school and pupil entitlement should manage the situation in consultation with the parent(s) and the child.
The GP will of course be very pleased to see the child for continued support and can refer to the wellbeing team /CAMHS /paediatrics however we cannot write letters to the schools stating the child needs part time education.
We naturally feel for the child and the parent however the GP has limitations and can only provide a summary of the current problems and copies of the consultations.
Thank you.
Blood test results
When you have a blood test at the practice the results will go back to the requesting clinician. The Doctor will make a comment on them of either 'normal - no action' 'satisfactory' or they may say 'book appointment with Doctor'.
When the doctor wishes to speak to you they will state whether this is urgent or routine to the administration team.
The admin team receive a task and will contact patients in priority (if urgent) or date order and book a telephone call in as soon as possible in one of our test result call backs.
You may see on the NHS app 'book appointment with Doctor' against the results but we want to assure you that you are on the list and we will be contacting you with an appointment to discuss these in the coming days.
Staff training
Wednesday 16th October.
The practice will be closed from 12:30pm onwards on Wednesday due to staff training.
Emergency GP cover will be available between 12:30-18:30pm
The emergency phone number for this afternoon only will be 01293 698088
This number is for if you urgently need a GP that afternoon
Thank you
Flu and Covid Autumn Boosters
Drug safety alert - Epimax Ointment and Epimax ointment free
We have received a drug safety alert for Epimax Ointment and Epimax Paraffin-Free.
We have been asked to remind patients who use this ointment to ensure the product is not to be used on the face as it is for the body only. There have been reported cases of serious symptoms if it comes into contact with your eyes so please avoid touching your eyes after using the product. Was your hands thoroughly after using the product on your body.
We have sent a message to everyone who has been prescribed this but sharing further afield if you have a family member who uses this ointment - be cautious with the face and eye area.
Thank you
Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of coughs and colds. It usually gets better by itself, but it can be serious for some babies and older adults.
Who's at risk from RSV
RSV is very common. Almost all children get it at least once before they're 2 years old.
It's not usually serious, but some babies and adults have a higher risk of getting seriously ill, particularly:
- babies under 6 months old
- children who were born prematurely
- adults over 75 years
- babies, children and older adults with a weakened immune system, or long-term lung or heart conditions
In babies, RSV is a common cause of a type of chest infection called bronchiolitis. This can cause breathing problems and may need to be treated in hospital.
RSV can also cause a serious lung infection (pneumonia) in babies and older adults.
A vaccine to help protect against RSV will be available on the NHS from 1 September 2024.
You'll be able to get the vaccine if:
you're aged 75 to 79
you're 28 weeks pregnant or more – this will help protect your baby for the first few months after they're born
The practice will be contacting our patients between the age of 75-79 to offer you a Nurse appointment here at the practice. Please wait for your invitation.
The Midwife will be taking care of our pregnant ladies
Thank you
Sharon Nunweek
Practice Manager
New triage system
Ifield Medical Practice now use a total triage system
For all GP appointments please complete a request from 08:30am daily at www.ifieldmedicalpractice.co.uk
Please click the large banner on the home page ‘submit a request’
For patients without internet access, elderly or vulnerable please call from 08:30am and our reception team will complete the form for you.
The purpose of a total triage is to ensure you are seen at the right time by the right person.
The form will be viewed by the Triage Doctor and we will be back in touch usually within 1-2 hours
Frequently asked questions on the new triage system
Dear Patient
Further to our notification to patients on the 18th June 2024 regarding our move to a total triage system I wanted to answer some frequently asked questions which may help reassure our patients.
When is this starting:
From the 1st July 2024
Why are you changing the system?
NHS England and our local Integrated Care Board have asked all practices to move to a modern General Practice Access model as part of the arrangements for the GP Contract in 2024/25.
All practices must have the following components in place:
- Better digital telephony
- Simpler online requests
- Faster care navigation, assessment and response.
Many of the other local practices have now moved successfully to an online request form – Southgate, Leacroft, Langley Corner and Saxonbrook.
On review of our appointment statistics we have decided that the triage model will work successfully for our patients to ensure we meet the access and demand guidance.
Why can‘t the appointment system be like it was pre-pandemic?
We have been asked this question and we refer to the above answer that the NHS England contract for 2024/25 has asked all practices to move to a modern GP contract. We must be able to care navigate and reduce the speed over need that is happening currently. If someone is lucky to get through on the phone queue they obtain the appointment however could that patient wait another couple of days routinely? This assessment needs to be performed to ensure we see you when, where and how you need.
Phone lines
We take on average 4700 calls each month and patient feedback has said that they are 55th in the queue and cannot get an appointment when perhaps they really needed to be seen that day by us.
Practice size:
We have 10,550 patients currently
Why triage?
As part of the faster care navigation and assessment the practice needs to ensure that we see the patients when and how they need to be reviewed. We must ensure the patients all have equal opportunities to be reviewed by the practice and a GP will determine who we need to see urgently today and who can perhaps have a routine appointment in the coming days.
The triage is performed by a GP Partner with the support of 2-3 more administration team members to support the triage decision once it has been made.
The forms are read by the triage GP and they will make a decision on the support that is needed today or the coming days thereafter.
All GP appointments must be booked no further than 2 weeks in advance.
The online form:
The form is accessed via our website at www.ifieldmedicalpractice.co.uk between the core hours of 08:30-18:00.
This is the same form we have been using for online consultations however the Triage Doctor will be reviewing all requests and triaging the acute or routine need.
Perhaps an appointment is not required by the GP today and a simple request can be actioned outside of the appointment. This will be actioned.
The triage Doctor may feel you are best being signposted straight to the First Contact Physiotherapist, clinical pharmacist or the nursing team. This will all be actioned safely by the clinician.
Please detail the problem to assist the Triage Doctor. This is only viewed by them to triage. Please put one problem on the form but put as much detail as you need to explain to the Doctor the symptoms.
Example: Rather than just writing knee pain please expand on that a little – how long, which leg, did you fall over/twist etc. Concise detail will ensure you are seen appropriately.
Requests for nurse appointments or home visits:
Nurse appointments and requests for home visits if you are housebound are still taken by our reception team on the telephone. Nurse appointments are not triaged
What happens next?
All forms will be reviewed quickly by the GP and a note added for the appropriate action. They will send you a link to book an appointment for either the same day, at a time to suit you with a GP of choice, or we will telephone you if you require this. We will ensure all patients who complete the form are actioned as promptly as possible.
Acute: A same day triaged link SMS is sent to you promptly for you to book. You can select the clinician and time of your choice. We will telephone you to ensure you have booked or call you back if you are elderly/vulnerable to book this for you.
Routine: A routine SMS link to book in the coming days will be sent to you. The link is valid for 7 days ahead. Alternatively we will call you to ensure you book this.
What if the Doctor asked me to make a follow up appointment?
If the Doctor asked you to come back in 4 weeks time please complete the online form nearer the time of about 3 days before. Please complete this and state that you would like a routine follow up appointment as requested in the next 7 days.
We will send you a link to do this.
What if I cannot do the form?
We would ask all of our patients who are able to complete the form themselves to do so. We will still have our phone lines open from 08:30 to assist patients who are elderly, vulnerable or do not have internet access.
Our team will complete the form on the behalf of the patient. All requests for appointments will go via the same form so no matter how the form is completed, by yourself or with help.
We ask patients to engage with the reception team who are all trained on the system to provide details to them to enable them to put the triage form through to the Doctor.
Our reception team are not triaging anything themselves and are completing the form with your details solely for the purpose of the clinician to review.
To reiterate if you have internet access and able to we ask you to complete the form yourselves to enable us to take the phone calls from the elderly, vulnerable and people who cannot do the form.
We will not be providing GP appointments to people outside of this universal system. Everything must go via the GP Triage Doctor.
I do not wish to tell Reception my medical problem for them to complete the form:
Our reception team are highly trained in emergency signposting/sepsis awareness, chaperoning, adhere to a high level of mandatory training and have very good medical terminology. They are professional and will not triage your request. They are merely taking the details from you on the form to assist the Doctor. They have been asked to do this by the GP Partners and the Practice Manager.
If we are at full capacity:
If we have reached full capacity the form will indicate to you that we have paused access to the online form. It will provide you with signposting advice and ask you to try again later or tomorrow.
The form opens at 08:30am.
The form will say we are outside of core hours before 08:30am and after 18:00 daily.
The form is closed at the weekend
Admin requests:
The form is very simple and allows a medical request or an admin request.
An Admin Request can be:
-A letter request for your employer or school
-A copy of your test results
-A copy of your referral or to check on your referral
-Request details on how to book a driving medical etc
Ifield Medical Practice wish to provide all of our patients with the safest triaged care to ensure we are here when and how you need us.
Please engage with this process as it is working very well for other local practices.
Thank you
Sharon Nunweek
Practice Manager
NEW APPOINTMENT SYSTEM COMMENCING 1ST JULY 2024
With effect of the 1st July the practice will be changing the appointment system in order to maximise our appointment availability and triage the best care possible for the patients.
All appointment requests will be taken via an online form which can be submitted on our website
www.ifieldmedicalpractice.co.uk
This is the large green banner on the home page of 'contact us online'
We ask everyone who is able to and has internet access to complete their request to the Triage Doctor via this form. You can request a medical request or an admin request.
For elderly and vulnerable patients or those without internet access our reception team will complete the form on your behalf. We will still be on the phones from 08:30am for the patients who need help with the form. The Receptionists will be asking you a couple of questions on behalf of the Triage Doctor so please do engage with them to get the help you need. They have been asked to take this information for the triage team.
All requests will come through to the Triage Doctor for their action and we will contact you as soon as possible that morning to book the appointment accordingly. We may send you a SMS message to book your appointment choice or we will telephone you if you are not able to do this yourself.
The Doctor may wish for you to be seen acutely that day or we may determine this is a routine need. Either way we will provide you with options of your appointment. This will either be same day acute or routine with the reassurance a Doctor has reviewed your request.
The reasoning of this is to reduce the 08:30am rush on the phone lines which is a NHS England initiative of a modern GP practice. Our regular feedback is great however common themes of ‘I was 50th in the queue’ or ‘I just want a routine appointment’ are reviewed by myself and I am aware we need to address this.
Admin requests will include: Letters for the school/employer, copies of test results, details of your referral status and requests for repeat medical certificates
We truly feel our patients will like this service and find it offers you more options with your appointments.
Other local practices are doing the same system and it works very well.
We want to reassure our elderly and vulnerable patients that this will not be too much of a difference to you. You can call if you are unable to do a form and we will assist you with this. We will then call you back with the appointment recommendations the Doctor has triaged.
If all other patients can complete the form this will be a great help to the Triage Doctor who can look at all of the requests, no matter how they are put through to us, and decide the help of what is needed that day.
We will be in reception over the coming week engaging with patients explaining how this will be working.
We are very excited for the new system as other practices have received great success and we can ensure that who needs the help can access it in the appropriate timeline and it is an equal system for all.
Thank you
Sharon Nunweek
Practice Manager
ADHD programme
Our local mental health support team have arranged a wonderful ADHD workshop for adults who have been diagnosed with ADHD or on the waiting list. This will be on a first come first served basis and will be on Thursday 11th July 10:00 - 13:00
This will cover:
What causes ADHD
How ADHD can affect people
How to manage symptoms?
Practical skills
Resources and signposting
Open discussion
Please email the practice ifieldmedicalpractice@nhs.net if you are interested and we will pass on your details to the coordinator of the programme.
Infected Blood Inquiry
Following recent media coverage about the Infected Blood Inquiry, we understand that some people may be concerned about their own health.
Please see the dedicated NHS webpage for key information about this and signposting on where to find support: https://nhs.uk/infected-blood-support
Since 1991, all blood donated in the UK is screened and distributed by NHS Blood and Transplant following rigorous safety standards and testing to protect both donors and patients.
Since testing has been introduced, the risk of getting an infection from a blood transfusion or blood products is very low.
All blood donors are screened at every donation and every donation is tested before it is sent to hospitals. Blood services and blood safety has been transformed, not only in terms of technological advances in testing but also in the way donors are recruited and checked they are safe to donate.
Given the time that has elapsed since the last use of infected blood products, most of those who were directly affected have been identified and started appropriate treatment. However, there may be a small number of patients where this is not the case, and particularly where they are living with asymptomatic hepatitis C. If you are worried about risk of hepatitis C, you can order a confidential test online through the NHS website: http://hepctest.nhs.uk.
Patients who want more details about the safety of blood from donations in England can find more information here: https://www.blood.co.uk/the-donation-process/further-information/your-safety/
Expedite your own referrals
Birth Month Recall
ADHD referrals
Hospital investigations and Clinic letters
Patients often book appointments here at the practice as they want to know the result of their MRI, biopsies, CT results or any other investigation they had performed at the hospital.
A GP is not permitted to provide the results of any hospital investigation as it outside of their remit to do so. The results are received back to the requesting Hospital Consultant and the results will be interpreted and provided by the specialist team.
Currently hospital clinical letters take about 3-4 weeks to arrive after the appointment date. We will receive a copy of the letter as well as the patient.
We are not able to chase or interpret the results on behalf of the patient because the patient is under the care and remit of a Hospital Consultant.
Thank you
Pharmacy First
Two of our local pharmacies are part of the Pharmacy First scheme and can see the following ailments, without the need for a GP appointment. There is no need to book an appointment and you can simply wander in to the pharmacy for one of the following 7 problems:
- Sore throat - adults and children over 5 years
- Earache – children aged 1 year to 17 years
- Infected insect bite – Adults and children aged 1 and above
- Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection) – adults and children aged 1 year and over
- Shingles – adults only aged 18+
- Urinary tract infections in women – Women aged 16 to 64 years
Antibiotics can be provided by the pharmacist if appropriate without the need for a Doctor.
We always want to see you at the practice so you are welcome to try us first but these simple ailments can be looked at for your convenience at a pharmacy
New online consultation process
NHS Waiting lists
Appointment booking
Following recent feedback we would like to make appointment booking easier for our patients. We will be trialing for the next fortnight more online appointment bookings. Appointments will be released from 07.30am on the day required. You will be able to select either telephone or face to face with the clinician of your choice, subject to availability. You will be able to use the NHS app or the Patient Access app. We hope this will considerably reduce the 08.30am rush on the telephones and aid patients with choice and convenience.
We will keep appointment slots available to book for people who are unable to book online who wish to still call at 08.30am. We will also ensure we put on some more routine prebookable appointments to help with the 08.30am demand.
We hope this will assist our patients.
PPG meeting
Parkrun practice
As part of our commitment to the health and wellness of our community, Ifield Medical Practice has linked with Ifield Mill Pond parkrun and is now officially a parkrun practice. The parkrun practice initiative is a collaboration between the Royal College of General Practitioners and parkrun UK, designed to encourage practices across the UK to develop close links with their local parkrun.
parkruns are social physical activity events which are held every Saturday morning. People can walk, run, volunteer or come along and watch. Taking part in parkrun is the perfect opportunity for people of all ages to be active, with others, in the open air. By linking with Ifield Mill Pond, we want to inspire as many people as possible to lead healthy lifestyles, including practice staff.
Join us at parkrun and discover the joy of movement while connecting with your fantastic community.
For more information, visit the parkrun website.
Pharmacy opening times over Christmas
Over the Christmas period there will be a pharmacy open every day for self care help
On Christmas day
Gossops Green Pharmacy will be open from 2-5pm
Day Lewis, Shopping precinct, North Heath Lane, Horsham will be open 09.00-12.00
Boxing Day
Asda Pharmacy Crawley will be open from 10am to 4pm
Boots County Mall will be open 10:30-4:30
New Years Day
Asda Pharmacy County Mall will be open 10am to 4pm
Boots County Mall will be open 10:30 - 4:30
Boots chemist at the south terminal will be open every bank holiday date from 6am to 6pm
Christmas jumper day
Dr Elf has arrived
We have been joined by our own 'elf on the shelf' this December. Dr Elf will be in and around the waiting room to give a little bit of enjoyment to our younger patients.
#elfontheshelf
Did not attend data
Please always cancel any appointment not needed by calling us on 01293 510900 or emailing us at ifieldmedicalpractice@nhs.net
A missed appointment is a missed opportunity for someone else.
World AMR Awareness Week - Keep Antibiotics Working
It's World AMR Awareness Week. AMR stands for Antimicrobial Resistance. Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines, making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death. The World Health Organisation have classed it as one of the top 10 global public health threats.
Why is AMR such a big threat?
Drug-resistant illnesses are becoming more and more common, including drug-resistant pneumonia, urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections. "Superbugs" which aren't treatable with existing medications are spreading rapidly across the world. In addition, countries all across the world are experiencing shortages of antibiotics.
If our current antibiotics continue to become less effective, and more superbugs emerge, more people will suffer and die from infections. In particular, medical procedures such as surgery will become much more risky. This would include common surgeries like hip replacements or caesarean sections.
What can you do to help prevent AMR?
- Prevent the spread of infections which might need treatment
- Wash your hands
- Stay at home when you're ill
- Wear a mask in crowded spaces, or if you may have a cough or respiratory infection
- Take medicines as advised by your doctor or healthcare professional
- If you are prescribed an antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal or antiparasitic, medication make sure you take the full course of medication as advised. Stopping early, even if you feel better, could mean your illness comes back and requires more treatment.
- If you have a condition which requires long-term antimicrobial treatment, like HIV or TB, or require long-term antibiotics to prevent infection, such as urinary tract infections or prosthetic joint infections, make sure you continue your treatment to reduce drug resistance.
- Trust your doctor to know when to prescribe antibiotics. Many winter illnesses are caused by viruses, such as COVID-19, sore throats, and many other common respiratory illnesses. Antibiotics do not work for viral illnesses, and prescribing too many antibiotics can increase antibiotic resistance.
- Spread the word!
- You can Go Blue for World AMR Awareness Week and share why you're doing so with your friends, families and colleagues.
Where can you find out more?
The World Health Organisation has much more information about AMR on its website.
We are always here for our veterans
We’re proud to support our veteran community as a #VeteranFriendlyGP practice this Remembrance Day.
We know that this Remembrance Day is likely to be particularly challenging for many veterans in our community and we want you to know that we are committed to effectively identifying and supporting your health needs.
As a Veteran Friendly Accredited practice, our team:
- recognises the importance of identifying veteran patients within our community;
- understands the unique health needs that veterans may have;
- strives to provide veterans with the very best care and support;
- knows about specialist veteran healthcare services that exist
If you're a veteran patient, please do let us know that you have served so that we can make sure you receive the most appropriate and best care, if and when you ever need it.
You can learn more about the accreditation and how it supports veteran patients, here: rcgp.org.uk/veterans
#VeteranFriendlyGP #GeneralPractice #NHS
Important information for patients currently on hospital waiting lists
The NHS has been working hard to address the backlogs built up during the COVID pandemic.
To help, the NHS will be contacting patients who have been waiting a long time for hospital treatment. This is to remind people that they can ask to move to a different hospital where they may be seen quicker.
There is now a new website called the Patient Initiated Digital Mutual Aid System, or PIDMAS. If you have been waiting for 40 weeks or more, you can use this website to ask to change hospitals.
If you are eligible, your hospital will send you an SMS text message or a letter, explaining how to ask for a different hospital.
Please do not call the surgery about this, as your GP does not have any information about individual patients.
The hospital will contact you if you are eligible. Please do not contact them either.
You can find more information on hospital websites, like this one from the Royal Surrey County Hospital.
System outage
On Wednesday 11th October the practice has to undergo a whole I.T system refresh. It is a planned essential update from NHS Sussex however it will affect our provision between 1-3pm
Our phone lines are cloud based and so it will affect these as well as us not having access to our computers for the period of 1-3pm.
We have been informed it should be less than 2 hours which we are hopeful for.
Please avoid calling us between 1-3pm tomorrow.
Thank you and our apologies.
Macmillan Coffee Mornings
Shingles
Shingles is a painful disease affecting the skin and nerves. It can really affect your life and stop you doing things you enjoy.
The shingles vaccine reduces your chances of serious complications if you get the disease.
Check if you are eligible β‘οΈ https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/shingles-vaccination/
Anxiety on returning to school
π πIt's that time of the year when your little ones are heading back to the classroom, which can be an exciting and anxious time. Barnardo's have shared helpful tips on how to manage any worries they may have π
https://www.barnardos.org.uk/blog/how-cope-back-school-anxiety
#BackToSchool
Receive messages from the practice
From September you will be able to receive messages from the practice as a NHS app notification rather than a SMS message. The messages we send will come into your NHS app. Download the NHS app and turn on notifications for messages
If the patient does not have the NHS app then the message will come through as a normal SMS message.
Join our PPG Focus Group
We currently have a very small Patient Participation Group and we would like to expand this to a virtual focus group for more input.
We know alot of our patients have busy working lives and cannot attend meetings but we still would appreciate a wider group of opinions on the services we provide.
If you would be interested in giving less than a hour a month in helping us receive feedback and to offer suggestions perhaps you would like to be part of our PPG Focus Group. This will involve being part of our email mailing list where you are welcome to feedback to us on our newsletter, offer suggestions for the next edition, complete a short survey on our facilities and raise any points you feel are important. It will not involve meetings but it will just involve sending us your opinion when we contact our Focus Group.
Your email will be kept private and the other focus group members will not know the other members. It is merely a way to be involved in the practice and give us your much appreciated opinion.
If you would like to join our PPG Focus Group please email our Care Coordinator Amanda Quinn at amanda.quinn7@nhs.net to confirm your interest.
Thank you
Veteran friendly GP Practice Accreditation
Ifield Medical Practice are proud to receive the Armed Forces Veteran Friendly GP Practice accreditation.
All staff received training on available options to our veteran patients.
Veterans’ healthcare accreditation – FAQs
What is a veteran?
A veteran is anyone who has served for at least one day in the Armed Forces, whether as a regular or reservist. It means the same as ‘ex service personnel’ or ‘ex-forces’, although not all veterans choose to associate with the term ‘veteran’. Younger veterans might refer to themselves as ‘ex-forces’.
What dedicated NHS services and support are available to veterans?
Priority NHS Treatment if the condition partially or wholly relates to the time spent in the military. Please inform your GP if you are a veteran
Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
In March 2021, NHS England and NHS Improvement announced the new name for its veterans mental health services; Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service. Op COURAGE provides specialist care and support for Service leavers, reservists, veterans and their families who can self refer or ask a GP, charity or someone else to refer them
For further information on Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service, including the contact details for the service in your region, visit www.nhs.uk/opcourage
Race for life 5K
About 15 of our wonderful Ifield team are doing the Cancer Race For Life 5K at Tilgate today. We have a unified team of 2 Doctors (Dr Dullo and Dr Jonathan), Clinical Pharmacist, Practice Nurses, healthcare assistants, receptionists, secretaries and HR all together for this great event. Give us a wave if you are there.
Thank you
Thank you to our patients who came to the front of the practice today to show respect to Dr Oliver as his hearse passed us by.
The family and funeral directors said this was very much appreciated and a lovely tribute to a wonderful man.
Thank you to the lovely gentleman who initiated a very warm and grateful round of applause.
Junior Doctor industrial action 13-18 July
New junior doctor strike dates : 13 - 18 July
The British Medical Association has called for junior doctors in the NHS in England to take strike action from 7am on Thursday 13 July to 7am on Tuesday 18 July. Then a day later, consultants are expected to take further action on Thursday and Friday next week.
This will be the longest period of industrial action this year – both singularly for the junior doctors at 120 hours, and then combined with both strikes over the course of the next two weeks. As a result, it is expected that it may be challenging to provide the care we would all wish for our population.
As ever, our priority is to provide high quality NHS care to the local patients, families and carers we serve.
Local Hospitals are prioritising resources to protect emergency treatment, critical care, maternity, neonatal care and trauma as their absolute priority, but the NHS will need public support to help us to manage patient care over the planned strike days.
Please where possible do not use the local Hospitals unless it is an emergency/acute reason or a threat to life during this period. Where possible the GP Practice will support you. Again please, if possible, only book a GP appointment for an acute reason during this period of strike action. If you can wait for a routine reason please could you possibly consider waiting until after the strike finishes. This will allow us to have appointments for acute need to stop patients having to go to UTC/A&E
Thank you so much
Happy 75th Birthday to the NHS
5 July 2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service (NHS). The NHS was founded on 5 July 1948 with the aim of providing free healthcare to all. Treating over a million people a day in England, the NHS touches all of our lives.
Our practice size
Ifield Medical Practice has an open list for new patients. We currently have 10,043 patients on our register.
Lloyds Pharmacy - change of ownership
Lloyds Ifield, next door to the practice, will be changing ownership to Jade's Chemist on the 30th May 2023.
We wanted to reassure our patients that this will not affect their prescriptions as we will continue to work closely with the existing team, who are staying with the new ownership.
Please continue to request your prescriptions as usual and we will make the necessary amendments if required.
Prescription Charge Increase
NHS prescription prices will increase by 30p next month, bringing the total cost of a prescription to £9.65 (a 3.21% increase).
Typically, they do rise around this time each year. However, prices were frozen last April to help with the cost of living crisis – the first time it hadn’t been increased in 12 years.
Prepayment certificates, prescription wigs and surgical bras will also see their cost rise with inflation. The Hormone Replacement Therapy prescription will also rise to £19.30 from £18.70.
There are certain groups in England who are exempt from paying, including:
- Over 60s
- Under 16s
- 16 – 18 year-olds in full-time education
- Anyone with a valid maternity exemption certificate (for pregnancy, or having a baby within the last 12 months)
- Anyone with a valid medical exemption certificate (for those with specific medical conditions, or a continued physical disability, under certain criteria)
- Anyone with a valid war pension exemption certificate, for a specific disability
- NHS inpatients
- The recipient of certain benefits, including Jobseeker’s Allowance and Universal Credit (though you may have to meet certain criteria).
Junior Doctor Industrial Action
Junior doctors are currently taking industrial action, with a planned strike until 16 March at 7am.
The NHS in Sussex is working together with primary care, NHS providers, local authorities, independent sector organisations to prioritise emergency and urgent care, and minimise where possible the impact on patient care.
However, it is recognised that services will be affected, and planned appointments and clinics have had to be postponed in order to ensure patients can continue to receive emergency care and support.
NHS services are experiencing high levels of need during the period of industrial action with an impact on emergency departments in hospitals, mental health services and GP practices.
- Regardless of any strike action taking place, it is really important that patients who need urgent medical care continue to come forward, especially in emergency and life-threatening cases - when someone is seriously ill or injured, or their life is at risk
- Emergency care will be prioritised and people are being reminded that 999 and emergency departments are still the right services if it is a life-saving emergency.
- A&Es are prioritising patients who need emergency care. You may be directed to another service if it isn't an emergency and you could be seen elsewhere.
- For anything that isn’t a life-threatening illness or injury, people are being urged to use 111 online as the first port of call for health needs. People can also call 111 for help, advice and signposting to the most appropriate service.
- Pharmacies, walk in centres, minor injury units and urgent treatment centres will continue to be available, and some have extra staff on shift to help.
Group Strep A - Scarlet Fever
Given the recent media information on Group Strep A / Scarlet Fever Ifield Medical Practice wished to provide you with some further information and what to look out for.
What is Scarlet Fever?
Scarlet Fever is usually a very mild illness and it is caused by a bacteria called Group A Streptococcus, which is called Group A Strep for short. There has been an increase in the rate of Scarlet Fever and unfortunately there has been an increase in the rate of the most dangerous sort called Invasive Group A Streptococcus which has led sadly to the death of 9 children since September. This form of Group A Streptococcus is extremely rare and most children who get Scarlet Fever will be fine with antibiotics and will get over it without any problem.
Symptoms of Scarlet Fever
Scarlet fever is usually very mild but it is very contagious. Symptoms can include a high temperature, sore throat, vomiting and typically what is called a sandpaper rash. On pale skin it may look a little like sunburn as a pinky red rash with goosebumps. On darker skin it is less obvious to see but you could feel if the skin feels like a sandpaper rash. Combined with a sore throat this is a good indicator that it could be Scarlet Fever. Other symptoms could include swollen neck glands, red spots on the roof of the mouth and sometimes a red swollen tongue which we call strawberry tongue. Once children are getting over Scarlet Fever you might find that the skin on the tips of their fingers peels off a little which is nothing to be concerned about.
How is Scarlet Fever spread?
Scarlet Fever is spread through mucus and saliva so using our best practices learnt throughout the pandemic the best way to prevent cases and spread is by good hand hygiene. Avoid sharing of cups and use and dispose of tissues, washing hands after. If you feel that there has been any infection then avoid contact with vulnerable people; newborn babies, pregnant ladies and people who are immunocompromised.
When should you seek the help of your Doctor?
At present there are other viruses going around to cause coughs, sore throats, colds and runny noses which do not require antibiotics and your child will get better with paracetamol/calpol and plenty of fluids.
If your child has the symptoms of Scarlet Fever above then please call in and inform the Reception Team that you think your child possibly has Scarlet Fever as the Doctor will wish to prescribe antibiotics to help their symptoms and recovery.
We would say trust your parental instinct – if you feel something is not right and you are concerned call 111 or speak to your GP. We always want to know if your child is not drinking much at all or not urinating much. If you are worried about dehydration then we would like to know about it. If they are very drowsy and irritable and not picking up with calpol then we would want to know about it. If your baby is less than three months old with a temperature then we want to know about it, unless they have just had their immunisations.
The worrying signs below are where we would like you to call 999 or go to A&E (which is very rare)
If their skin becomes very cold or mottled with blue lips
If they are struggling with their speech and they cannot talk or eat or drink properly
If they are confused or very drowsy
If they have a rash which doesn’t go away when you roll a glass over it
Please get seen straight away
If your child has been diagnosed with Scarlet Fever
You will be given antibiotics for your child. This will be called Penicillin V unless they have a penicillin allergy. This usually works very well however please keep them at home for at least 24 hours after the antibiotics have started however it is still a good idea to keep them away from the vulnerable people mentioned above until they are better.
Most infections we see are still going to be viral infections which do not require antibiotics at all and your child will get over them by themselves. If you are worried then please do speak to your GP however we hope this will reassure you and provide you with the important information.
A Letter from the Partners at Ifield Medical Practice
2nd November 2022
To all of our Patients,
You may be aware that from the 1st of November 2022 NHS England has directed that all patients should have open access to their future medical records. This is to affect everyone in England that is sixteen or over. The instruction is to include any information held by the practice, such as consultation notes, and is to be ‘switched on’ from that date.
Patient safety is at the heart of what we do and it is of upmost importance to us that our usual standards around data control are continued. So far, we do not feel we have had satisfactory assurances from NHS England that this will be the case and our electronic patient record system (EMIS) have determined they will not switch this feature on. We have decided we will act in line with this position and wanted to take this opportunity to communicate this decision.
Ifield Medical Practice strongly support patient access. We currently provide individuals access to their patient notes, on request, to order medication and check their investigation results.
We are responsible for the care and support of many vulnerable children and adults for whom a data breach can carry significant risk. With the system as it stands there are concerns about what is made visible and how such data could be revealed to other people under coercion or threat. We are also concerned about the process of ensuring data protection and redaction at the point a patient moves to a new surgery. Currently, this is not guaranteed if these changes are enacted.
We take our responsibility to protect your data very seriously. Alongside other practices across the country, organisations like the British Medical Association and Domestic violence charities, our concerns have been raised with NHS England.
There is likely to be more information and guidance to come out over the next few weeks which we will keep under review. We will work towards a future roll out. We appreciate your understanding that until we have more clarity around the issues expressed in this letter we cannot determine a time frame. Once we are satisfied that safety will be maintained we are committed to implementing patient access, safely, as soon as is possible.
In the meantime, please remember you can already access parts of your record through the NHS app on your phone or tablet device. This is free to download and will already allow you to view test results (once they have been approved by your GP) book in for certain types of appointments and importantly request your repeat prescriptions much more efficiently; this is how you will be able to access your record once we have rolled it out so it is worth getting set up now. Please note you need a smart phone which connects to the internet or an internet enabled tablet device.
Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
The Partners of Ifield Medical Practice
Lloyds Pharmacy Ifield
We are aware of the recent reduced hours at Lloyds Pharmacy, Ifield and the effect it is having on our patients with the collection of their prescriptions. If you go to the pharmacy and your prescription is not there after 72 working hours from requesting this please do let our Reception team know to investigate this. You also have the option of changing your nominated pharmacy to another pharmacy of your choice if preferred; again please let reception know if you wish to do this.
We have been assured that they have new staff starting very soon and so hopefully this will improve the service.
Apple Tree Centre/ Hindu Temple COVID vaccination site
We have received notification that the Hindu Temple/ Apple Tree Vaccination site will be opening for covid vaccinations again any day. It was a late decision to reopen this site and so it took them some weeks to staff this. Currently the booking site will give Saxonbrook Medical Centre in Maidenbower as the closest site however if you can wait a few more days the Apple Tree/Hindu site will appear on the list as they load their clinics.
Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)