PARKWAY MEDICAL GROUP NEWS:

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COVID VACCINE SPRING BOOSTERS 2023 

The practice is experiencing a rise in unacceptable behaviour, please be kind to our staff we are here to help. 

NOTICE TO PATIENTS 

*Important Changes at Parkway Medical Group* 

With effect from Tuesday 14^th March 2023, we will be changing our clinical system and the way we run our service, including our appointment system.  

CLINICAL SYSTEM  

We are changing our clinical system from EMIS Web to Systm One; our Go Live date is Tuesday 14^th March 2023 

Why are we changing our clinical system?  

We are one of six practices that make up Newcastle Outer West Primary Care Network (PCN).  We are working towards collaborative working, and all practices being on the same clinical system allows this to happen.   

The same system is also used by a number of Allied Health Professionals, including the Diabetes Centre and the District Nursing and Health Visitor Services. This means improved communication between these services and enhanced patient safety. 

Please see our practice website (under ‘News’) regarding how this might affect you during the changeover period 

We are very grateful for your patience and support while we implement this necessary change. 

APPOINTMENT SYSTEM 

Why are we changing our appointment system?  

Like most GP surgeries, Parkway Medical Group has seen many changes over the last few years. Several of our GP’s reached retirement age, others moved away or opted for a change in career or role. We have also struggled with the same recruitment crisis that has been seen nationally across the NHS. We have had to adapt and change our way of working due to staffing and imposed restrictions, particularly during the covid-19 pandemic. 

Unfortunately General Practice has felt the brunt of the increased demand on the NHS over the years, and the effect of increasing backlogs in secondary care. The covid-19 pandemic was only part of the story. However, the current demand for same day/urgent appointments is unprecedented. 

No appointment system is completely perfect. We do, however, appreciate that we need to further adapt and change to reflect the change in workload and demand on the service. 

Currently, appointments can be booked from 8.30am for a same day appointment (whether routine or urgent), or they can be pre-booked for 2 weeks in advance with an Advanced Nurse Practitioner. We are aware that many patients prefer to book in advance however we have found this system is leaving too few same day appointments to offer patients resulting in frustration for both patients and staff. 

What is the new system? 

***From 20^th March 2023, ALL GP APPOINTMENTS WILL BE AVAILABLE ‘SAME DAY’ *** 

Whether you wish to consult regarding a new issue, or a longer-term condition, you will be able to book an appointment with a clinician (a GP or Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)) for the same day – by either phoning or booking online when these appointments become available at 8.30am.  

These will be Face to Face appointments with a GP or Telephone with an ANP however you can request that the GP phones you if you prefer (and if you are sure that you do not need to be seen in person). If you have requested a telephone appointment and during the consultation it becomes clear that you need a face-to-face assessment you will be asked to rebook. 

As we are removing most pre-bookable appointments, there will be more on the day access to offer our patients.  

Important: you must be available to attend the practice on the day and time that you make your appointment  

There will also be the following appointments available to book: 

• ANP appointments – there will be a limited number of pre-bookable early morning appointments to see our Advanced Nurse Practitioner at a time to suit you.  These can be booked 2 weeks in advance
• Walk-in Centre appointments – When our available ‘Same Day’ appointments have been taken, we will still be able to offer some booked appointments with a GP at a local walk-in centre
• Emergency on the day appointments – If you feel you have a genuine emergency reason to consult a GP on the same day this will be passed on to the duty doctor who will triage your request. If your issue is deemed not to be an emergency, you will be asked to book an appointment for another day using the methods above. 

Important: you must be available on the same day at short notice if your problem is of an urgent nature 

• Home Visit requests – Only available for housebound patients. These MUST be requested prior to 11.00am. All visit requests will be triaged by the Duty Doctor prior to allocating the visit to the appropriate service. If your home visit request is not urgent you may not be allocated a same day visit depending on our capacity
• Follow-up appointments – Generally, patients will be expected to book their own follow-up appointments using the methods above. Occasionally there may be an urgent need for a follow-up appointment as decided by the clinician. If so, they will book this appointment for you themselves in advance (e.g. if certain new medications have been started)

Please be prepared to give our reception team some information about the reason for your appointment request 

Our reception team have all been trained in Care Navigation and therefore they WILL ask you questions about the appointment you are trying to make.  

We work with a multi-disciplinary team including an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, First Contact Physiotherapist, First Contact Mental Health Practitioner, Dietician and Social Prescribers who all support the clinical team and see our patients.   

Our reception team are trying to ensure you are signposted to the most appropriate clinical practitioner in an appropriate timeframe. 

Pharmacy Consultations 

The reception team may also offer you a consultation with a local community pharmacy for a small number of minor ailments. This is part of a national scheme to help manage demands on General Practice. If patients are seen more appropriately by using the Pharmacy Consultation Service our GP’s will have appointments for more complex patients  

For some patients, particularly those with high blood pressure, we can offer you an appointment to review your BP and medications with our pharmacist. 

E-Consults 

We continue to offer the e-consult service. This is particularly helpful for administrative requests, such as for a fit (sick) note, but can also be used for non-urgent clinical queries. It will usually be responded to by text or email. E-consults can be accessed via the practice website. 

CHILDREN’S APPOINTMENTS 

Why are we changing our system?  

We have always offered all children under the age of 12 an appointment on the day, regardless of the nature of their concern or the urgency. Due to unprecedented demand on our service, we can no longer offer this service. 

What is the new system? 

All children under the age of 5 will be given a ‘Same Day’ appointment if requested. Older children can still be booked into a ‘Same Day’ or ‘Urgent’ appointment using the system described above. 

PRESCRIPTIONS 

Why are we changing our system?  

It is not only General Practice that is in crisis; our pharmacies are also struggling, in particular to get medication ready in a short turn-around time. We need to work together to provide a less stressful and improved service for all concerned. 

What is the new system? 

Please order your medication at least 5 days in advance to allow processing time 

This will reduce the amount of time you wait at the pharmacy to collect your prescription, and there will be more chance of it being ready when you need it. If you do not request your medication on time we cannot guarantee you will receive it when you need it.  

LAB RESULTS 

Why are we changing our system?  

We want to communicate with our patients better and save you having to ring the surgery for blood, urine and imaging results.   

What is the new system? 

Where appropriate, if our clinicians feel that any action needs to be taken regarding an abnormal result, they will send you a text message with the results and the plan for follow-up action. Occasionally they may need to telephone you.  

We encourage our patients to sign up to the NHS App, as it will enable you access to your own lab results. 

THANK YOU  

for taking the time to read this update 

We will always strive to provide the best service that we can and we will continually monitor our appointment book and adapt our system in response to the feedback we receive from patients and changing circumstances. 

Streptococcus A (strep A)

Group A Streptococcus (GAS), also known as Strep A, are bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the throat. Under some circumstances these bacteria can cause disease.

GAS infection commonly presents as a mild sore throat ('strep throat') and skin/soft tissue infections such as impetigo and cellulitis.

Immediate action required:Phone 999 or go to A&E if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing (you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs)
• there are pauses when your child breathes
• your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue
• your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

Urgent advice:Contact your GP if your child:

• is getting worse
• is feeding or eating much less than normal
• has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration
• is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C
• is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher
• feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty
• is very tired or irritable

If your GP is closed, phone the 111 service.

If you feel that your child is seriously unwell, trust your own judgement and seek medical assistance.

For further information please visit: https:/https://what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/worried-your-child-unwell/scarlet-fever/what0-18.nhs.uk/parentscarers/worried-your-child-unwell/scarlet-fever

Midwife Clinics

Unfortunately due to lack of Clinical space at the practice, Parkway Medical Group will no longer be hosting the midwifery team at the practice from Week commencing Monday 30th January 2023.  The Midwifery team are planning clinics from the Midwife base at the Ponteland Road site.  Please speak to your midwife for updates.

Dr Ruth Ralston

Dr Ralston has now commenced maternity leave and will return to the practice in early 2024.  

Making the Right Choice

Local health leaders are urging everyone to help protect the NHS by choosing the right service for their needs as pressure continues to increase on our hospitals and GP surgeries.

BMA Says support your surgery!

Support your surgery so it can be there to support you.

Face to face contact has been limited across all NHS services to protect you and keep you safe from the risk of infection. We know that it’s been frustrating for some of you who have not always been able to book a face to face appointment.

Despite lockdown measures lifting we must be honest and tell you the pandemic has not ended, the threat of Covid 19 remains and general practice will struggle to meet the growing needs of patients. This is not the way we want it to be. But nationally there are millions of patients whose treatment has been delayed now seeking help, more tests to administer and more bureaucracy as well as millions more vaccine appointments to deliver in the coming months.

We can’t meet this challenge without more support. General Practice desperately needs help which is why Parkway has joined the BMA campaign to provide the funding to provide better services, more GPs and staff to see you promptly with sufficient safe space in waiting areas and for staff to see you.

Please take a minute to sign our petition and show your support for your local practice.

Sign to support your surgery (e-activist.com)

New Service across the Outer West Primary Care Network

Parkway Medical Group plus: Denton Park Medical Group, Denton Turret Medical Centre, Newburn Surgery, Throckley Primary Care, Westerhope Medical Centre

We are shortly going to be participating in a new service where the aim is to direct patients to the most appropriate clinician, which may be a GP, another member of the Practice team, or a Pharmacist.

Not all of our patients need to see a GP – there are so many other skilled staff who can help.

We already ask you about your symptoms when you call, so the only difference will be is that if your symptoms could be resolved by a private consultation with a local pharmacist instead of the GP - you will be given a same day appointment referral with a pharmacist who has also signed up to this service.

We think this service will be is a good thing and we appreciate it may feel odd at first, but once you see how great your local pharmacist is (they are highly trained and skilled clinicians) we don't think you'll look back. And anything we can do to free up GP appointments for more complex health needs has got to be a benefit to everyone.

WHERE YOU NEED TO SEE A GP FOR SOMETHING NOT ON THIS LIST YOU WILL BE GIVEN A GP APPOINTMENT.

This will help get everyone treated at the right time by the right clinician.

           Social Prescribing

Same day help for your poorly child

If your child has become unwell in the last few days and you would like urgent advice then please contact the surgery and we will arrange for a clinician to speak to you and if necessary to see your child, today - this could save you an unnecessary trip to A+E or a Walk-in Centre. Can we also make you aware of the Little Orange Book, which provides expert help for parents and carers on how to manage common problems in babies and small children – ask your GP for a copy, or view it online here

 Use your PHARMACY For Minor Aliments

The pharmacy is available for help and advice.  Seek advice from your pharmacy for coughs, colds, sore throats. We do not always prescribe antibiotics, the GP's will only prescribe antibiotics when there is an infection.  Antibiotics do not work on viruses. 

ANTIBIOTICS 

Antibiotics are used to treat or prevent some types of bacterial infections.They are not effective against viral infections, such as the common cold or flu.

Antibiotics are no longer routinely used to treat infections because many infections are caused by viruses, so antibiotics are not effective. Antibiotics are often unlikely to speed up the healing process.

The overuse of antibiotics in recent years means they're becoming less effective and has led to the emergence of "Superbugs". These are strains of bacteria that have developed resistance to many different types of antibiotics. Both the NHS and health organisations across the world are trying to reduce the use of antibiotics,especially for health problems that are not serious.

Please cancel that unwanted Appointment

It is really important to cancel your unwanted appointment, we can always reallocate to another patient.  When patients cancel their unwanted appointments this helps us with access for other patients. 

KNOW YOUR NHS AND WHAT IT COSTS:

• Calling an Ambulance:  £240.00
• Stepping into A & E:   £111
• Stepping into your GP Surgery:   £32.00
• A call to NHS Direct:   £16.00
• A click on NHS Choices Website:   £0.46

The NHS is free at the point of contact for everyone and we need to keep it that way.   We need to keep it publicly owned, publicly run, free at the point of contact and run as a service for people not profit. 

Please use your NHS Services wisely 

USE ACCIDENT AND EMERGENCY FOR EMERGENCIES ONLY