Freshwell Health Centre

CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER 2013		
Well done to Dr Oliver who has returned from his cycle through the Himalayas. He managed to raise £2,000 for the Sakhelwe Trust. Thank you to everyone who made a donation. Congratulations also to our dispenser, Hannah, who gave birth to a baby girl earlier this autumn. We look forward to welcoming her back at work later in the new year.

This year’s Flu campaign is going well but we would encourage anyone over 65 years old, or who is a carer, or who received a letter informing them that they are eligible, to book into one of our nurse clinics to get their vaccination as soon as possible. The Shingles vaccine is available for those who were aged 70 or 79 in September this year. These patients should have already received an invitation. Hopefully this campaign will be rolled out to more of us next year!

We are now offering Senior Health Checks to patients between 75 and 84 years who do not have existing heart disease. These checks look at risk factors to see if we can give advice on how to reduce the risk of developing future disease. Please do take up the offer if you have received an invitation.

The waiting room has now been fitted with a TV screen where we will be displaying information on the services available at Freshwell and other health related information which we hope you will find useful. This screen has been introduced following patient feedback about the information we provide in the waiting room.

The 111 system that has been in the news recently is now being used in this area. When the surgery is closed our answering machine now advises you to phone 111 if you need medical help. You will be put through to a triager who will ask you some questions to determine whether you need an ambulance, to speak to a doctor or to have an appointment at the out of hours centre in Dunmow. The out of hours centre is NOT a walk in centre so you need to follow the pathway above to access medical care there.

We have been working hard making changes to how the dispensary functions to facilitate better storage and collection systems for your medications. We hope that this will help provide a more efficient service for you. 

We are always open to suggestions regarding the way we run the practice, as we continually strive to improve the service we offer. If you would like to be more involved in shaping the future directions of the surgery, we are looking for more volunteers for the Patient Reference Group. Members are sent emails several times a year and invited to response with helpful suggestions. Please ask reception for more information if you are interested. 

The CREAMER Raffle will be starting on 9th December. Please support this charity that has provided so much equipment for the local community over many years.  Donations of prizes would be welcome. Tickets will be available at the surgery.

Please remember to order your repeat medication in plenty of time for Christmas.

Freshwell Health Centre Opening Hours over the Christmas and New Year Period

Mon 23rd
Dec	Christmas
  Eve	Christmas
 Day	Boxing
 Day	Fri 27th 	Sat 28th 	Sun 29th 	Mon 30th 	New Year’s
 Eve	New Year’s
 Day	Thurs  2nd 
Jan
	
8-6.30	8-6.30	Closed	Closed	8-6.30	9.30-11.30	Closed	8-6.30	8-6.30	Closed	8-6.30	

All the team at Freshwell would like to wish you a Happy Christmas and thank you for your support over the past year.