MEADOWSIDE MEDICAL PRACTICE

TEL:  01524 32622

 

AUTUMN 2003 NEWSLETTER

 

Monday appointments

As we are SURE you will all be aware, Monday is usually the busiest day of the week for appointments.  If your problem can wait, telephone on Thursday or Friday when it is usually quieter, for your “book-on-the-day” appointment.  We hope this will help everyone. 

 

RETURN TO THE PRACTICE

We welcome SISTER CATH JACKSON back to the practice after her maternity leave, following the birth of lovely Anna.

 

GOODBYES

DR KATE HOUGH worked as pre-registration house officer from April to August 2003.  We wish to thank her for her hard work and pleasant manner and wish her all the best for her new post in Hinchingbrooke Hospital in Huntingdon and for her medical career.

DR NATALIE PALMER worked as GP Registrar between February and August 2003.  She was married on 18th July 2003, to Richard, who is a Dermatology Registrar in Liverpool.  Dr Palmer recently received a distinction in her Membership of Royal College of General Practitioners (MRCGP) examination.  We wish to congratulate her on her marriage and for her excellent exam result and thank her for her hard work and happy demeanour whilst at Meadowside. 

 

New Staff

Dr Gayle KNights is our new pre-registration House Officer.  She will be videoing some of her surgeries to help with her training.  She writes “I joined Meadowside at the beginning of August and will be here for 4 months, before going on to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary in December.  I hope to settle permanently in the Lancashire area as I enjoy walking in the Lake District, as well as shopping in Manchester!”

 

DR HANNAH KHATTAB is our new Registrar.  She will be working hard at the practice for one year, from August 2003, before she becomes a fully qualified GP.  She will also be using the video camera during her consultations for training.  She writes: “Born in Wigan, I trained at Manchester University and have worked in Macclesfield and Inverness Hospitals.  I moved here to be near to the lakes and get fit!”

 

We are pleased to say that SISTER SUE GARRETT, who has worked at the practice during Sister Jackson’s maternity leave, will be staying at the practice on a permanent basis one morning per week.  She writes: “I really enjoyed covering Sister Jackson’s maternity leave, both staff and patients made me feel very welcome.  I am now working here permanently on a Thursday morning and doing holiday cover, as well as working at another practice in Kendal.  I have been very fortunate since my “emigration” from Kent 7 years ago, having worked for 6 years at Westmorland General and subsequently retrained to go back in to my 1st love of Practice Nursing, which I first trained for in 1981. With my husband of just 7 years, we are enjoying our new location and life together in Stainton with our loveable, but ‘mad’ bearded collie – Smudge”.

 

INFLUENZA (FLU) VACCINES

Our flu vaccination programme will be starting at the beginning of October.  We aim to use the same system as last time; those who are eligible will receive a letter with an appointment date for our marathon Saturday morning sessions!  If you have any queries or concerns about the flu vaccine please speak to a doctor or nurse, who will be happy to answer any questions.

 

JEANS FOR GENES DAY

On Friday 3rd October 2003 the practice will be supporting National Jeans for Genes Day again.  As last year, we will also be extending this to our Flu Clinics, we raised over £150 for the charity last year and hope to make this even more successful this year.  We will have a collection box in the surgery and you  are welcome to join in with the denim theme!  The charity raises money to help children born with genetically transmitted disorders, such as cystic fibrosis.

 

Phlebotomy

Eileen is working as our practice phlebotomist and wears a lilac tunic.  Taking blood is part of her training for general health care.  Please note that she is not able to deal with your medical problems so please refer these to a doctor or nurse.

 

PHYSIOTHERAPY

We have been notified by the Royal Lancaster Infirmary Physiotherapy Department that the waiting time to be seen for routine physiotherapy for non-spinal problems is currently 47 weeks.  It is very unfortunate (even if we wished it to be done “soon” the waiting time is 15 weeks).  For spinal problems we are told the routine waiting time is 16 weeks and “soon” is 11 weeks.  This seems very long to us and not everyone can afford private physiotherapy.  We felt you should be informed.

 

TRAVEL VACCINATIONS

Please do not telephone for travel vaccination advice, please make an appointment to see one of our practice nurses.  This takes about 10 minutes and sometimes you need to start a course of medication straight away.  Thank you.