October 2020

Influenza Vaccination Stock

So far this year we have only received vaccines for those aged 65 and over. Stock for high priority patients aged under 65 is expected soon - texts will be going out to high priority patients first.

We have experienced a higher than usual uptake of the over-65 influenza vaccination and our normally adequate supply is dwindling rapidly. Further stock will be coming but the time-scale is undefined at the moment.

High priority patients will be receiving text messages today (Monday 5th October) at 2pm. If you get one of these messages, we strongly urge you to telephone to book an appointment for your influenza vaccination.

September 2020

Hypertension (High blood pressure)

Due to the COVID crisis, monitoring of our patients' blood pressures has come under considerable strain. We have fewer face to face appointments due to infection control and of course people are more reluctant to come to the surgery. And with the latest announcements and increased restrictions this week (22/09/2020) fewer people want to come out.

We encourage people who need regular blood pressure monitoring to get their blood pressure checked. Is there a healthcare worker in the family who could check your blood pressure? Can you afford to buy a BP monitor for the family? An Omron M2 Basic is presently about £24 on Amazon.

If you can get your BP checked you can use www.bhgp.com/bp to send your readings to us. Please give us two readings twice daily for 4-7 days.

Face to face appointments are available to get your blood pressure checked in the surgery.

Influenza vaccination stock received for patients aged 65 & over

We have received influenza vaccination stock for patients aged 65 and over. Texts have been going out in batches to patients in this age group, inviting them to phone and make an appointment.

The texts are going out to patients in order of clinical priority. We are using an algorithm developed by Cerner at Arrowe Park Hospital to work out who is at highest risk of being hospitalised should they get influenza.

Please click here for our guidance to patients attending for this year's influenza vaccination.

Depression and the Lockdown

On average, one in four of us has mental health symptoms at any one time. These will be mostly symptoms of anxiety and/ or depression. Many will be mild and not need healthcare advice, but many will have more severe symptoms.

However, during the past few months we've seen a major increase in the number of people reporting mental health problems. The lockdown and all the pressures related to the Coronavirus pandemic have caused mental health problems in some people and worsened them for others.

We have a page of resources for people with mental health problems. The page includes tools to help 'measure' anxiety and depression, alcohol risk assessment, post-natal depression tools, links to the local mental health service and guidance on how to use our eConsult service to tell us about mental health problems.

Blood Pressure Monitoring

Regular blood pressure monitoring was suspended during the COVID lockdown. At the present time, we have 360 patients who need a blood pressure check. If you are taking blood pressure tablets AND you are able to test your blood pressure yourself, please record several readings and use our review form to send us your readings. Preferably record two readings twice a day for 4 - 7 days - that would mean that you send 16-28 readings.

If you are not self-testing and if your resources permit, please consider buying an automatic blood pressure monitor. They cost about £20 - £25 on Amazon.

We are extending our "diabetes quick check" concept now to blood pressure monitoring. The idea is that patients who are not self-testing can see a healthcare worker who can check and record their blood pressure. If the reading is satisfactory, that is great. Otherwise, the patient is discussed within a few days in a team meeting, as described below for patients with diabetes. A healthcare worker 'phones the patient if any changes to their medication are considered appropriate.

2020 Influenza Vaccinations

This year's influenza vaccination campaign is presenting us with major planning and logistic challenges as we consider patient and staff safety, patient flow and the numbers to be vaccinated.

We know from the survey last month that there is greater interest in the influenza vaccination this year.

Priority patients, including those with lung disease, heart disease and diabetes, will be notified first about the availability of appointments. When they've had their chance to book their vaccination, all other people in that age group will be offered the opportunity to make an appointment.

There are two adult age-groups, those aged 65 and over, and those adults aged under 65. There is a different vaccine for the two adult age groups. Vaccine stock for those aged 65 and over is expected first, with stock for those aged under 65 expected about three weeks later.

Influenza vaccination clinics have previously been quite jovial events. Everyone is well, generally in a good mood and there has been nearly been a party atmosphere in the waiting room.
We cannot have that this year. Those attending for influenza vaccination are requested to maintain social distancing, to touch as little as possible, and not to linger too long in the building after vaccination. Please do not take the opportunity to ask the doctor or receptionist about other matters - doing so will stop the line and disrupt everyone else's care.

Please click here for our guidance to patients attending for this year's influenza vaccination.

Reprieve for the "prescription refill" page

We did plan to remove the practice web site's "prescription refill" page in favour of the various new NHS apps.

However, during the COVID lockdown the facility proved to be really important to our patients and so it is going to be kept. The code that makes it work was written by Dr Quinn twenty years ago. The page has helped patients request thousands of prescription items over the years and now will continue to do so into the future.

August 2020

Diabetes Monitoring

At the height of the Coronavirus pandemic in April and May, all chronic disease monitoring was stopped. Your doctors devised a new way of looking after patients with diabetes that minimises the time the patient spends in the practice premises, helping with social distancing and reducing the infection risk for all.

We call this "the diabetes quick check", where patients attend just for a check of their blood pressure and a diabetic foot check. They also have a blood test for, amongst other things, their cholesterol and their HbA1c (the diabetes monitoring test).

Patients with unsatisfactory clinical findings are discussed within a few days in a team meeting, often with other team members working remotely joining in over Microsoft Teams. A plan is made for the patient and one of the practice team 'phones the patient to discuss the idea.

This work is important to avoid premature diabetic problems that might result in strokes, heart attacks or limb amputations.

Changes in our "junior" doctors

Early August saw Dr Mercer and Dr Walser move on to the next steps in their career.

We are now joined by Dr Muhammed Hasan, Dr Jamie Fowler and Dr Pinky Thu-Ta.

Dr Nitica Tandon stays with us until early January 2021. Some might remember Dr Lesley Moore who was with us for six months in 2019. She is returning to us for 3 months from early January 2021.

March 2020

Video Consultations

Your practice is now offering video consultations. Medical software innovators have been working overtime, producing solutions and your practice has been quick to adopt them.

The video consultation service works via an app on your phone.
The doctor clicks a button which sends both you & them a text message. Both click on the link in the text message which then opens the video consultation. The service is getting really positive feedback.

Quicker access to eConsult

We have set up a new shorter, snappier link to our eConsult service.

bhgp.com/econsult.

COVID-19 Management Strategy

We have published our public-facing management strategy. Click HERE to read it.

February 2020

Coronovirus

If you have recently travelled from China or are looking for information on the coronavirus infection please CLICK HERE.

If you think it possible that you could have the coronovirus infection, please stay in your home and TELEPHONE either the practice or 111.

Information and care guidance for our patients with mental health issues

Research suggests that at any one time 25% of us have mental health symptoms and that 50% of us will have such symptoms during our lifetime.

Depression and anxiety, often both, are the commonest mental health problems. We have added a new information page for our patients, detailing how to "measure" mental health symptoms, how to self-refer to the local Talking Together service and how to use the new eConsult service to get help.

Clock to visit this new page.

The SMS/Text repeat prescription service ended just before Christmas.
Please talk to the reception staff about getting access to the NHS-approved repeat prescription ordering services.

When requesting items that you only need occasionally, that are not on your regular repeat prescription list, you should use the new eConsult service. Click HERE to access this service.