July 2019

IMPORTANT - A reminder about ordering repeat prescriptions by text

The service that lets you order your repeat prescriptions by text will cease permanently in January 2020.

The NHS now has its own service that you can access through a standard Internet page or an app on your smartphone that lets you order your repeat prescriptions and even see when the prescription have been issued.

Please talk to the receptionist about getting the necessary passwords you need to access this service.

April 2019

Primary Care Networks

The NHS is encouraging practices to set up in networks with other local practices. Your surgery has networked with the other Leasowe practice and four in Wallasey. This network will serve about 30,000 patients. The idea is that the networked practices work together to deploy services, maximising patient care.
All practices continue with their own identity. The only differences patients should notice should be improvements.

As always, if you notice anything not working as well as usual, please tell us so we can see what has gone wrong.

February 2019

Changes in the Practice

Many of you will know that the surgery has been run by Dr Quinn for the past 20 years or so.
From 1st April this year, the practice's business model is changing to a partnership. The partners will be Dr Quinn, Dr Kershaw & Dr Mottram.

This will not affect patient care in any way. Careful plans are in place to ensure that the change in the doctors' business arrangements will not affect our patients in any little way. If you notice anything not working as well as it should be then please draw our attention to it so we can fix it.

January 2019

Phlebotomy

Many of you will know already that our patients can get their blood tests done now at Blackheath. Most are done on a Wednesday morning but if that doesn't suit you, please talk to the receptionist who will be able to arrange for you to be accommodated at one of several local hubs - by appointment, no two-hour waits!

The team learning together

There's always new things to learn! Here, the Blackheath clinical team is learning how to use the new teledermatology equipment. This is based on an iPhone, an app and a special lens to fit over the phone's camera - all of which is used to capture detailed photographs of suspicious skin lesions.
Photographs of the skin lesion along with clinical detail about how long it has been there and whether it is itchy or not are sent off to a specialist service in London where specialist dermatologists look at the images and tell us whether it is safe to observe the lesion or whether the patient should be referred on for further investigation.
The service is quick (48 hours or less) and saves many patients from an unnecessary trip to hospital.

Ordering your repeat prescriptions by text

There were problems with ordering repeat prescriptions by text over Christmas and the New Year. We fixed all problems as we became aware of them. The service is now back up & running.
However, it will cease permanently in a year's time.

The NHS now has its own service that you can access through a standard Internet page or an app on your smartphone that lets you order your repeat prescriptions and see when the prescription have been issued.

Please talk to the receptionist about getting the necessary passwords you need to access this service.