November 2015

Influenza Vaccination

The World Health Organization reports "low/ sporadic" influenza in England this week. Despite national news items about low uptake of influenza vaccination that is not the case at Blackheath. Our patients have been effectively queueing up to have this vaccination. Our stocks are well diminished and we are now making certain that those with greater need, most importantly those with a history of significant lung disease, are offered the vaccine.

Shingles vaccination

Shingles is a viral infection that is known for causing a painful blistering rash, typically round the midriff. What is perhaps less well appreciated is that shingles causes post-herpetic neuralgia - a painful condition that can bother the patient for a long time.

The NHS is offering vaccination against shingles. The vaccination does not promise to prevent infection but symptoms may be milder & the illness shorter.

Click here for more information about the shingles vaccination.

At the present time the vaccination is available to those aged 70 or 78, to people aged 71 or 72 on 1st September 2015 and to people aged 79.

Ask at the reception desk if you are entitled to have this vaccination - if you are then the receptionist will help you make an appointment with one of the nurses.

 

October 2015

Practice Text Messaging

Blackheath is using text messaging & emailing more & more.
If you have given us your mobile phone number you will receive reminder text messages about your appointments with us. If you find you cannot attend then you can quickly and easily cancel the appointment simply by texting back the word "cancel" - this makes the appointment immediately available for someone else to use.

We are also using texts & emails to invite patients in for their periodic reviews such as blood pressure checks, diabetic foot examinations, lung disease checks etc.

Medical staffing update

Your doctors are...

Dr Quinn
Dr Hicks
Dr Clarke
Dr Mottram
Dr Roberts (coming back in 2016)

Our 'doctoring' level is currently at it's highest level ever which means that patients should be finding it fairly easy to get an appointment when they need one.

Influenza vaccination

About 30% of our vulnerable patients have already had this year's influenza vaccination.
Blackheath subscribes to alerts from the World Health Organization which tells us this week that influenza activity in Europe is currently low.

If you are aged 65+ or have significant health problems then please make your appointment for this important vaccination.

GP Award 2015

Dr Quinn was delighted to receive the 2015 GP Award from the Mersey Faculty of the Royal College of General Practitioners.
Mrs Erica Allen, Chair of the practice's Patient Participation Group attended the Faculty's Annual General Meeting in Liverpool on 6th October.

Dr Hicks

We are delighted to welcome Dr Hicks back from maternity leave. Dr Hicks will be available on Mondays.

Medical Students

This academic year we will be mainly hosting 3rd year medical students from the University of Liverpool. This year the students will be with us for 4 weeks, which seems to be working out very well.
As always we thank our patients for their patience and indulgence with the students who will be tomorrow's doctors.

 

September 2015

Influenza vaccinations

This year's supply of influenza vaccinations has arrived. Our reception staff will be offering appointments to appropriate patients.

Patients with illnesses that make them more vulnerable to the consequences of influenza are encouraged to have this vaccination. Such illnesses include lung diseases such as COPD or asthma, diabetes, heart disease or stroke.

 

August 2015

Meningitis ACWY vaccine

Blackheath will be offering this vaccine to all 17 & 18-year old patients in school year 13 and first year university students up to the age of 25.

Please seen this NHS page for more information.

Goodbye Dr Gregory

We were sorry to say 'goodbye' to Dr Jo Gregory who has moved to a more substantive post in Northwich, closer to her new home. We wish her all the very best for the future.

Influenza vaccination 2015

Our influenza vaccinations are expected to arrive in the last week of September. The following groups are included in those eligible for this vaccination...

• Everybody aged 65 and over
• Anyone with a disease that makes them more vulnerable to the consequences of catching flu such as COPD, asthma, diabetes, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, kidney disease/impairment or liver disease.
• Pregnant women, regardless of the stage of pregnancy
• Carers
• Healthcare workers
• Anyone who is very overweight (BMI 40 & over)
• Children aged 2,3 & 4 and children in school years one & two.
  Children & teenagers between the ages of 2 & 18 will usually have the nasal spray vaccination - not the injection
  Click here for more information.

We maintain a list of patients who are either housebound or living in a residential or nursing home and visit them to give them the vaccination.

Cancer & Heart Disease Risk Calculators

Links to Cancer & Heart Disease risk calculators have been added to the Web Links page.

If the heart disease risk calculator says you have a risk of 10% or more then please make an appointment to see one of the practice's nurses or doctors.

If you have any symptoms or worries that you might have cancer then please make an appointment to see one of the doctors.

 

June 2015

Minutes of Patient Participation Group Meeting held on 3rd June 2015

The minutes of the PPG's meeting on 3rd June 2015 are now available by clicking here.

If you would like more information about our patient participation group please speak to our Practice Manager, Mrs Penny Angill.

Medical staffing update

Your doctors are...

• Dr Bennett Quinn
• Dr Cathy Hicks (currently on maternity leave)
• Dr Jo Gregory
• Dr Hannah Clarke

We are pleased to tell you that Dr John Mottram who has been with the practice on a training attachment for the past twelve months will be staying with us and joining the team of doctors looking after you.

This high level of medical staffing should make it easier for you to get an appointment.

NHS Health Checks

The "NHS Health Check" looks at a patient's risk of having a heart attack or a stroke and, if the risk is high, then both the doctor or nurse and the patient consider what could be done to reduce that risk.

Wirral's Public Health Service is lending us a gadget for three months that can test a patient's cholesterol from a drop of blood in about 4 minutes.

Several hundred patients will be getting letters inviting them to come in for an NHS Health Check. If you get one of these letters do please make an appointment to see one of our nurses - if your risk turns out to be high there are things that you can do and things your doctor can do to reduce that risk.

 

March 2015

Patient Participation Report

Our active Patient Participation Group has analysed its activities and produced this attached report.

NEW IT SYSTEM

Blackheath is upgrading its IT system on 9th April. The new system is already in use in many practices across the UK. Local Wirral GP colleagues using the same program already tell us they are very happy with it.

Some of our doctors and nurses have already used the system in other practices and should be up & running with it quite quickly. Others, including Dr Quinn, have never used it and have some catching up to do. But all have had some training and on the day the new system goes live there will be several IT trainers in the practice to get us up & running with it.

Please give us a little leeway if difficulties with the new system cause any problem for you.

 

January 2015

Exam Success

Congratulations to Drs John Mottram, Rachel Syvret and Priscilla Wong, current & recent registrars at Blackheath, who have all passed the Royal College of GP's CSA examination.