Welcome to Withnell Health Centre
FUTURE OF WITHNELL HEALTH CENTRE
Chorley GP whose patients campaigned to keep her as their doctor faces fresh uncertainty (lep.co.uk)
You may recall around 12 months ago the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB) abandoned their plans to award the permanent contract for Withnell Health Centre to another provider and gave Dr Robinson a further 18 month contract whilst they worked with the patients to decide on what the next procurement process would look like. However, yet again the ICB are now deciding if the Health Centre contract should go out to tender again, so other companies can bid for it. We believe, under the new Provider Selection Regime introduced 1st January 2024, that they can consider to directly award the contract if the existing provider is satisfying and likely to continue to satisfy the new contract. The results of the patient feedback through the engagement process the ICB arranged overwhelming supports this with a theme of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". The Withnell Health Centre Steering Group have asked us to share this statement.
UPDATE FROM THE WITHNELL STEERING GROUP
Members of the Steering Group and myself attended the ICB Primary Care Commissioning Committee meeting on Thursday 18th January, when an announcement on the procurement route to be used to determine how the long term contract for Withnell Health Centre would be decided upon, would be announced.
However, it was acknowledged that following numerous questions being asked by the public, coupled with the fact that the ICB would be following a new set of regulations that only came into force less than 2 weeks ago, it was agreed by the committee that they needed time to consider legal advice, some of which they had only received on the morning of the meeting, and were awaiting written advice from NHS England.
It was therefore decided that they (the committee) would defer making a decision until they had had chance to consider all the new legal advice.
The Steering Group feel this is a sensible course of action to take.
We are waiting confirmation from the ICB as to when the decision is going to be put back to the committee for a decision to be ratified.
We will continue to work with the ICB to achieve the best outcome possible for WHC and it’s patients, and keep you updated.
If you wish to raise any questions yourselves with the ICB, then this is the address to forward your queries/questions to. Lsc.icb@nhs.net
The ICB have also committed to providing regular public updates and the latest can be found here.
LSC Integrated Care Board :: Withnell Health Centre (icb.nhs.uk)
Ann Christopher Chair of the Withnell Steering Group
We would like to thank all of the patients of Withnell Health Centre for their continued support and kindness with regards to this situation and hopefully the ICB will do the right thing and listen to the patients.
Thanks to everyone who came to our joint flu clinic/ cake and coffee morning on 7th October 2023 to help raise money for Breast Cancer Now.
We are delighted to announce that, with your donations, in total, we raised a massive £1731.70.
Also a huge thanks to the staff at Withnell Health Centre and some of the patients for all their hard work baking all those yummy treats!
Our new normal
Is my GP practice open?
Yes, your GP practice is open. You can access GP services from your GP practice. Some of the ‘traditional’ ways of working have been adapted to protect you and staff from the potential risk of coronavirus. For example, how you access your GP practice building or how your appointment is undertaken might be different.
I would like a face-to-face appointment, when can I get this?
Not all conditions need to be seen by your GP in a face to face appointment. Your GP will judge whether or not he or she needs to see you, or whether an alternative consultation is better. When contacting your GP, you will undergo an assessment (called triaging) of your needs and to determine whether you may or may not have Covid-19 symptoms. Based on this assessment your doctor or clinician will determine if you need a face-to-face appointment. If safe and appropriate to do so a member of your practice clinical team may undertake your consultation via telephone or through a video consultation. This will help to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection to you and the practice staff.
How can my condition be properly diagnosed via telephone or video?
Lots of common conditions can be diagnosed using mobile devices, telephone or video thanks to the experience of your GPs and their ability to recognise the signs and symptoms of conditions from the information you provide. However, if they judge that it is safer and more appropriate to organise a face-to-face appointment for you then this will be arranged.
What if I can’t or don’t want to use video technology for an appointment?
If for a number of reasons you aren’t able to have an appointment via video technology then your GP will arrange an alternative option – either a phone call, or a face-to-face appointment for you.
Can I still access other services from my surgery, such as ante-natal appointments for example?
Services such as ante-natal clinics, all vaccination programmes for example child and baby immunisations, and hormone injections for patients with prostate cancer have remained in place throughout the pandemic. If you are unsure what the arrangements are, please contact the service directly. Before you attend your appointment, you will be assessed to see if you have any symptoms of covid-19. The helps keep you, other patients and practice staff safe.
“Assessment first” from GP practices open and providing services
The threat of infection from Covid-19 still exists within our communities, and locally, patients are being asked to continue to follow the guidance, stick to any restrictions in place and take the necessary precautions such as wearing face coverings and practicing good hygiene.
GP practices are open and continue to provide services as they have done throughout the pandemic. This means that for patients, their GP practice is open and providing GP services.
GP practice buildings are public buildings and as such must be kept covid-secure. Withnell Health Centre has a process in place for managing entry into the premises to help minimise the risk of anybody spreading the virus. Please continue to follow this and use the intercom on arrival.
New ways of providing GP services have been introduced in order to maintain access to your GP practice team whilst protecting you, others and staff. Triage (making an assessment of your condition and prioritising care accordingly) is an important part of how GP practices work. This has always been in place but has been vitally important during the pandemic.
Medical Director of the Chorley & South Ribble CCG said:
“GP practices are open and have been providing GP services throughout the covid-19 pandemic. They have learned during the pandemic, that they can conduct consultations very well with the vast majority of patients using digital technology. The majority of common conditions can be assessed and diagnosed by your Doctor by telephone or video consultation. They are experienced and skilled in doing this. Using technology like this will help to protect you, your family and loved ones - and GP practice staff from the potential risk of the virus".
“If your GP judges that your condition needs to a consultation in a face-to-face appointment then this will be arranged, however this will be a clinical decision by the GP based on their judgement of the absolute need to do so".
“These new ways of working provide mutual benefits to patients and your GP practice which is why before the pandemic we had a plan to start introducing these more frequently”.
"The use of these digital technologies has been shown to improve patient experiences thanks to the convenience and increased access that they provide. GPs want to make sure that these new ways of working and the benefits they bring are not lost. Covid-19 has changed many aspects of our daily lives, with lots of positive changes. These new ways of accessing your GP and receiving care or treatment are just one of those."
Face Coverings
NHS organisations in Lancashire and South Cumbria have agreed to implement new measures on the use of face masks and coverings in general practice settings.
Patients and visitors are asked to wear a face mask or face covering. Face coverings are different to face masks in that they can be homemade, made of cloth, and be reusable after being washed.
If a patient or visitor does not have a face covering or face mask when they come to a service, they will be provided with a face mask on arrival.
Where do I go for more information? If you have further questions on our local plans to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 across Lancashire and South Cumbria visit www.healthierlsc.co.uk/covid
What does this mean for me?
We can all play a role in reducing the spread of coronavirus and keeping our NHS services safe. If you are coming to an NHS service as a patient or visitor, it is important that you wear a face covering at all times. This is for your safety and the safety of other patients and staff.
Face coverings can be cloth and/or homemade, and advice on how to wear and make one can be found on the government website www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-wear-and-make-a-cloth-face-covering
Face coverings worn as part of religious beliefs or cultural practice are also acceptable, providing they are not loose and cover the mouth and nose.
We are asking that you plan in advance and bring a face covering with you whenever possible, but if you do not have one available when you come to a service, you will be provided with a face mask on arrival.
If you are currently shielding and have been provided with a surgical face mask for your appointments, please continue to use this.
If you have not been provided with a surgical face mask, you should wear a face covering.
All visitors will be expected to comply with existing social distancing and hand hygiene measures in addition to the face coverings while in the general practice setting.
Where do I go for more information? If you have further questions regarding the changes we have made across primary and community services in Lancashire and South Cumbria visit www.healthierlsc.co.uk/covid
IMPORTANT NOTICE - WE ARE RECRUITING FOR OUR PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP (PPG)
We are looking to increase our numbers in our patient participation group to meet up bi-monthly - please click on the "Have your Say" tab if you are interested and require more information
For more information on what a PPG is, click the link below.
Patient Participation Group
Statement of GP Earnings
NHS England require that the net earnings of GP's engaged in the practice is publicised and the required disclosure is shown below. However, it should be noted that the prescribed method for calculating earnings is potentially misleading because it takes no account of how much time GP's spend working in the practice and it should not be used to form any judgement about GP earnings or to make any comparison with any other practice.
All GP practices are required to declare the mean earnings (i.e. average pay) for GP's working to deliver NHS services to patients at each practice.
The average pay for GP's working in the surgery in the last financial year was £69,700 before tax and national insurance. This is for 2 part time GP's and 2 locum GP who worked in the practice for at least six months.
Prescribing of over the counter medicines is changing
Your GP, nurse or pharmacist will not generally give you a prescription for over the counter medicines for a range of minor health concerns.
Instead, over the the counter medicines are available to buy in a pharmacy or supermarket in your local community.
The team of health professionals at your local pharmacy can offer help and clinical advice to manage minor health concerns, and if your symptoms suggest it’s more serious they’ll ensure that you get the care you need.
You may still be prescribed an over the counter medicine if:
- You need treatment for a long-term condition, e.g. regular pain relief for chronic arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease
- You need treatment for more complex forms of minor illnesses, e.g. migraines that are very bad and where over the counter medicines do not work
- You need an over the counter medicine to treat a side effect of a prescription medicine or symptom of another illness, e.g. constipation when taking certain painkillers
A patient information leaflet explaining the changes is available to download here.
For Charity
Dress Down Friday
We are currently taking part in dress down Friday. On the first Friday of each month staff will come to work in non-uniform and donate money to charity. For the last few months the chosen charity has been SiMBA. We did this on Friday 5th April and Friday 3rd May. We also hosted a cake sale on Friday 3rd May. Total amount raised so far £130.00
Our next dress down day is Friday 6th September when we will be raising money for the charity Tommy's.
Chorley Food Bank
We now have a collection box in our reception for any items donated to the Living Waters Food Bank Located in Chorley. If you wish to donate please just pop into the health centre and drop the required items into the box. In particular they are short of:
Milk, Sugar, Corned Beef, Tinned Curry, Tuna, Rice, Tinned Ham, Crisps, Shower Gel and Toothpaste