WE NEED A NEW BUILDING!
On Tuesday 19th October some of the partners at the practice had a very productive meeting with 14 members of our patient participation group about the difficulties we are having with regards to our current building. One of the messages that was very clear is that this is a subject many of you are not aware of.
We felt it would be useful to update you on the practice building and the challenges we are facing.
The building we currently occupy is suitable for approximately 3500 patients, our current list size is 11000. As a practice we have been trying to get some new premises for at least the last 20 years and have gone through the process of trying to get funding for this around 7 times. Currently we are the closest we have ever been to a new building becoming a reality. We have a developer, plans and land just behind the current surgery to build it on but are continuing to face barriers in order to gain CCG and NHS England to approval.
The building is now seriously compromising the services you can access.
On most days at least one and often 2 GP’s are having to share an office this is reducing our ability to offer more face to face appointments as dictated by NHS England.
Many of you will have been seen by one of our Nurses in what can only be described as a cupboard.
We now have a physio that is provided by the Greenwood Network (a collaboration of 10 local surgeries who are working together to provide more services) but we have no space in our building to host them. This doesn’t mean you cannot have an appointment with them but you will not be able to see them at YOUR surgery. This will be the same for any other services the Greenwood Network will be providing.
Over the years we have had to stop providing maternity, podiatry and counselling appointments at the practice due to a lack of room.
We know that our phonelines are a major concern for you and we would like to have more people answering but we physically have no space to put them in.
For succession planning we would like to employ a new nurse but we would have nowhere for them to work.
The car park is not big enough.
There is no lift to access the upstairs consulting rooms along with the fact the doorways and corridors are narrow which causes access issues.
As patients you are entitled to access your health care in premises which are fit for purpose.
How can you help?
The patient participation group have produced a letter you can send to the CCG to demonstrate your frustration at the current situation.
If you are willing to provide a statement about any issues you may have had with the building or car park this will provide further evidence for our application. These can be emailed to kirkccg.patient.lgp@nhs.net
Write or email your local councillors and MP about the situation.
Sign the BMA petition to #supportyoursurgery
Any support will be gratefully received and will significantly assist in demonstrating the need for modern fit for purpose premises in Lindley.
Template letter for you to use: Template letter
BMA link to petition: https://www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/covid-19/gp-practices/support-your-surgery
COVID BOOSTER VACCINATION CLINICS
The Covid booster programme will be delivered out of Cathedral House for our patients. We have been advised that the Covid booster programme has been delayed for at least 2 weeks. We understand this is extremely frustrating but we must wait until we get further information. As soon as we are able, we will be sending out text or letter invitations and again ask that you wait for your invite.
COMMUNITY PHARMACY CONSULTATION SERVICE
What is this new service about?
From July 2021, when you call the practice, you will be asked about your symptoms. If they indicate that you can best be helped by a pharmacist, you will be offered a same day private consultation with a local community pharmacist.
Community pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor illness, following a call to NHS 111. This new way of arranging consultations with the pharmacist by a GP practice, has been successfully piloted around the county.
Why are you doing this?
Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals and experts in medicines. They can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for all sorts of minor illnesses, and a same day consultation can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you.
This in turns frees up GP appointments for those people with more complex symptoms who really need to see a GP.
What happens when I see the community pharmacist?
We will share your personal details with the pharmacist and details of your minor illness and the pharmacist will contact you to arrange your consultation on the same day, or at a time that suits you.
You may be seen in person in a private consulting room, if the pharmacist thinks it appropriate, or your consultation may be carried out over the phone or via video. You will be asked about your medical history and symptoms and current medication, in the same way the GP would ask you about them.
Usually, the pharmacist will provide you with advice and can sell you with an over the counter product where needed, if you choose. They will also send details of your consultation back to us for our records.
If the pharmacist feels you need to be seen by a GP urgently, they will call us to ensure you are seen, or they will advise you to contact the hospital Emergency Department if deemed necessary. You may also be referred back to us to arrange a non-urgent appointment or follow up.
What if I get free prescriptions from my GP?
Your pharmacist will provide you with advice on how to treat your symptoms, which may include a medicine or product. Medicines that can be purchased in a pharmacy to treat minor illnesses, are usually inexpensive and would not normally be prescribed by your GP anyway. You are free to choose if you wish to make a purchase or not.
What happens if I don’t want to see the pharmacist?
We want to ensure that you are offered an appointment with the most appropriate qualified health care professional based on your symptoms. If you have minor illness symptoms that can be treated the same day through a consultation with a qualified community pharmacist, but do not want to accept this referral, you will be offered a routine appointment with your GP at a future date.
What if the patient is my child?
Children aged over one years are eligible to use this service and can be seen by the pharmacist. Children who are able to make their own decision about their health may be seen unaccompanied.
Why is this a good thing for patients?
Community pharmacies are local, open longer hours than the GP practice and can offer you the same consultation outcome at a time that is more convenient for you.
If the pharmacist thinks you need to see the GP, they can help arrange an urgent appointment for you. Patients who have already used the service liked the convenience of having a consultation on the same day, or a day that suited them, at a pharmacy of their choice. 78% of people who had a consultation with a community pharmacist were successfully helped.
CHANGE IN PHONE LINE OPENING TIME FROM MID NOVEMBER 2020
From Monday 9th November 2020, our phone lines will open at 8am Monday to Friday. The closing time remains unchanged.
INCREASED CALL DEMAND AND ABUSE TOWARDS STAFF
Our reception are experiencing significant increased call demand. We ask that patients use online access to their medical records for results, to order prescriptions and use other services such as Pharmacists, Opticians, Dentists and www.nhs.uk. We understand the pandemic is a stressful time for us all and request your patience during this busy time, we are taking calls as quickly and efficiently as possible. However verbal abuse towards staff will not be tolerated and will result in removal from the practice list.
CHANGES TO APPOINTMENTS IN LIGHT OF CURRENT CORONAVIRUS GUIDANCE
Information and guidance re Covid 19 (Coronavirus) is changing daily and the number of confirmed cases in the UK is increasing. With this in mind, we have implemented changes at the Practice to ensure both the safety of you and our staff.
Face to Face Appointments PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE SURGERY UNLESS INSTRUCTED TO DO SO. GPs and Nurses are seeing patients face to face on a discretionary basis.
On line appointments: We have appointments available online, both in advance and appointments that open for same day access.
Advance online appointments are 7.30am-8.00am , these are put on 6 weeks in advance.
Same day online appointments are 8.00am-9.50am every morning.
Triaging - The Reception staff have been asked by the Doctors to ask you for a brief summary of the problem you are contacting us for. We have various support staff including pharmacists, first contact practitioners, social prescribers, counselling services which reception can signpost you to. You do not have to give a summary of your problem to reception, but it helps if you can.
Prescription requests - You can also post your request through the surgery door, or order online. We are no longer taking prescription requests over the phone as we need to free up phone lines.
******** WE HOPE YOU ARE ALL COPING WELL DURING THE PANDEMIC AND KEEPING A POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE AS WE WORK COLLECTIVELY TOWARDS THE DE-ESCALATION STEPS AND RETURN TO A NEW NORMAL. YOU AS PATIENTS CAN ALSO HELP US BY FOLLOWING ALL GUIDANCE ON COVID 19 FROM NHS ENGLAND . AS WELL AS THIS, PLEASE BE AWARE OF THE INCREASED PRESSURE AND DEMAND THIS IS PLACING ON STAFF ******
SAME DAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABLE TO BOOK ONLINE
From Monday 21st January 2019, we release the morning "same day" appointments at 7.30am (8.00am on Fridays) to be booked online for that day, except on our half day closure dates. We hope this will improve patient access and reduce phone calls into the surgery.
For dates of our half day closures, please look under the "Opening Times" section of the website.
LIQUID NITROGEN CLINICS (CRYOTHERAPY)
It is with regret that as of Thursday 18 October 2018, we have discontinued our liquid nitrogen clinics. This is due to a supply issue of liquid nitrogen (the product used in our clinic to freeze warts/verruccas and skin tags)
Alternative treatment options for patients are:
Warts/Verruccas - A service is available at Huddersfield University Podiatry Clinic. Appointments can be requested online at www.hud.ac.uk/about/community-impact/services/podiatry/ or Tel 01484 472201. There is a charge per visit.
Products are also available at most pharmacies.
Skin tags - Products can be purchased at most pharmacies for safe removal of skin tags. Advice is available on line at: www.nhs.uk/conditions/skin-tags.
Moles - If you have a mole which is changing in appearance or colour, always seek a GP opinion.
STOPPING OF OPEN ACCESS CLINICS
We no longer provide Open Access Surgery Monday, Wednesday & Fridays
Statement from the GP Partners
From w/c 16th April 2018, we stopped Open Access clinics and have now moved back to a completely appointment based system.
Please phone on the morning of the day you wish to be seen.
Why?
We know our appointment system is not working at the moment for you as patients and us as Doctors. We thought that moving the morning Open Access clinics to the afternoons would make them more accessible to patients, but it has created a situation where patients arrive all at the same time. This results in overcrowding of the waiting rooms and car park with very long waits for patients as the queue often starts at 1.30pm and Open Access clinic starts at 2.30pm.
Another reason we moved the Open Access clinics to afternoons, is because patients were avoiding using the morning Open Access clinics and then ringing the surgery after 10.00am for a same day appointment and there would be very few appointments left for the remainder of the day. An example of this is when we are fully staffed on a Monday morning there were 5 Doctors seeing 18 patients each, we have the capacity to see 90 patients, even with 1 Doctor on leave, on a Monday morning, thats still a 72 patient capacity. It got to the point where we were seeing around 50 patients on a Monday morning and then experiencing a deluge of phone calls requesting same day appointments as soon as the clinic ended. In effect a waste of 40 morning appointments.
You will have also noticed that we have had to limit the number of patients seen in Open Access clinic, this depends of the number of Doctors available. This is for safety reasons. There are only so many consultations a Doctor can do in a row each day before becoming fatigued. Patient safety is our utmost priority and a Doctor who has already seen 25 patients in a row, each with different or multiple problems, would be struggling to maintain the level of concentration required for a safe consultation. This is why we limit our Open Access clinics.
We feel as a practice, the Open Access clinics are no longer working for the reasons above, as well as the fact they are being utilised inappropriately. Patients are attending with multiple complaints or long standing problems, not the one, quick urgent problem that it was set up and advertised for.
For this reason, we have stopped the Open Access clinics, and move back to a completely appointment based system. After an appointment system review, we hope to be able to offer enough same day appointments for patients who need them as well as appointments bookable in advance and possibly appointments that can be booked in advance within the same week.
However, no system is ever going to be perfect and with our ever increasing list size (currently 10,700), we may have to review things again.
How you can help.
You as patients can help. Not every problem needs to be seen by a GP. Local pharmacists offer very good advice for minor ailments such as coughs/colds. Self help information is available on this website and on www.nhs.uk. Local opticians can see/treat eye problems. There are lots of services available via Locala (www.locala.org.uk) that do not require a GP referral.
Care Navigation
Our receptionists have recently trained as care navigators so they can advise you about the best options available. Please listen to their advice as it will likely save you time but also ensure that the patients who do need a GP appointment can get one.
We thank you for taking the time to read this very comprehensive statement.
Doctors Kaye, O'Brien, Johnson, Flanagan, Oughton, Woodhead and Clayton.
MJOG MESSENGER APP
By downloading the MJog messenger app, you will register for health communications from the Practice.
Its quick and easy to use, and more importantly, there are no SMS charges!
Download the app here:
PRACTICE PHARMACIST
We now have pharmacist support within the Practice. Our Pharmacists are now carrying out face to face medication reviews with patients and telephone consultations, saving GP appointments. They can deal with any medication query including dosage advice and side effects.
They are available Monday to Friday for telephone consultations.
Please contact reception for your appointment.
EVENING AND WEEKEND APPOINTMENTS NOW AVAILABLE
Patients can now see a local GP, Physio and Phlebotomist (blood taker) for routine appointments on weekday evenings and at weekends.
Pre-bookable and on the day appointments are available between 6.30pm and 8.30pm each weekday with additional slots available on Saturdays and Sundays between 8.45am and 5.15pm.
GP, Physio and Phlebotomy appointments are available for any Greater Huddersfield patient in the Primary Care Centre Hub at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and some physio appointments are available at other sites as well.
How to book an evening or weekend appointment at the Hub:
You can also book an evening or weekend appointment by ringing the Practice on 01484 516349. If you need to book an appointment when the Practice is closed, then you can ring the free NHS 111 phone line out of normal working hours and they will book an appointment for you if appropriate.