After one of the wettest August months on record, here we are at the start of Autumn, with hopes for better weather,better harvests, better health -and a better world.
Sad and distressing world events over the months make us ask,”What can we do to help?”
Let us start by providing help here in our own Lancaster and Morecambe area. Our local community has so much to be hopeful about: the University thrives, there are excellent schools, beautiful parks, a theatre,cinema, an historic castle, and we have the hospitals nearby.
Above all we have a wonderful diverse yet close community of people. The community spirit we have witnessed towards neighbours and the elderly in some streets in this area is touching and most encouraging. Do you know your neighbours? Are they needing some help? Let us think about this as winter approaches .
Every individual act of kindness will help towards making the wider world a better place.
Welcome to patients new to our practice. We endeavour to provide you with the best possible care we can.
From the 1st October 2004, there have been two changes to our practice system- the first one is our appointment system .
In line with modern practice we are trying to make a better ,easier service for all our patients. If you need an appointment on that day (because of acute health problems)you will be offered an appointment time .
When you arrive ,the nurse practitioner or one of the doctors at the practice will see people in turn. You will be seen as promptly as possible.
You will not know in advance who you are going to see- just as we do not know in advance who might be about to ring for an appointment. Each health professional works as a team and each in turn sees the next patient who is waiting, in order of his or her appointment time.
So far the system is working well. You will always be asked what the problem is that you are suffering from- because this way you can be allocated the best person to suit your particular problem. For instance, if you need to be seen for an acute wound problem, you might be offered a Distrct Nurse appointment on that day.
This is the second change since October 1st . We are now open for advice from 8 am until 6.30 pm at Meadowside, from Monday to Friday. At all other times your call comes throught to a central office, based in Kendal, and your call will then allocated towards the most appropriate health professional for your particular needs. You will be offered telephone advice or a surgery appointment , at a special equipped centre inside the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, or a home visit at the discretion of the visting doctor.
We are writing this big so you can see it easily. You should by now have received information through the post about this, but to date many people tell us they have not yet done so, which is regrettable, and we apologise for this. The publicity has been dealt with by the Morecambe Bay Primary Health Care Trust , based in Kendal. They are organising the out of hours system for all the practices locally.
We welcome Dr Jane Duncan our registrar, who trained in Edinburgh . She has extensive paediatric experience having worked in hospitals in the North with children and their illnesses, before deciding on a general practice career. She is also interested in the health of women and all aspects of family practice- and she is spending a year working with us, gaining more experience. She will be videoing some of her surgeries.
We also welcome Dr Anita Patey ,our Pre Registration House Officer . She trained in Manchester, qualifiying this year. Apart from General Practice, she is interested in Accident and Emergency medicine. She will be spending four months with us- doing surgeries, home visits, and hospital visiting -and will accompany our team in their daily tasks. She will also be videoing some surgeries as part of her experience. Please do tell her all about yourself so she can learn about you-she has 20 minute appointments.
Thank you to everyone who kindly donated raffle prizes and bought tickets for our summer raffle on behalf of the equipment fund which has raised £140 .We are truly grateful also for the generosity of contributions to our fund. We aim to buy items that will benefit you as patients, such as a spirometer or blood pressure monitoring equipment; sometimes a little item can make all the difference, for example , how about comfy cushions for the waiting room chairs? We aim to buy some cycle racks for bicycles (to be placed near the front entrance)
Our flu programme is starting and everyone who is eligible for this should have received an invitation for our sessions on October 9th and 23rd 2004- we are doing our ususal marathon Saturday events combined with fund raising for genetic disorders the Jeans for Genes campaign, a most worthwhile cause. This is why the staff will be cheerfully dressing DOWN into jeans!
QUALITY INSPECTION VISIT
AS PART OF CONTINUING IMPROVEMENTS TO OUR TRAINING
PRACTICE- WE ARE HAVING OUR PRACTICE INSPECTED
LATER THIS YEAR BY A VERY EXPERIENCED GENERAL PRACTITIONER . THE INSPECTION
MAY INCLUDE A TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL CHECK OF OUR NOTES AND OUR COMPUTER SYSTEMS , ON THE PREMISES. (IT
IS RATHER LIKE AN OFSTED ) THE DOCTOR WHO COME TO SEE THE WORK WE ARE DOING
WILL NOT BE SITTING IN ANY CONSULTATIONS. HOWEVER HE MAY INSPECT THE WAY WE RECORD INFORMATION. IF YOU HAVE , AS A
PATIENT HERE, ANY OBJECTION TO THIS , PLEASE
LET US KNOW. HOWEVER ,WE CAN REASSURE YOU THIS IS TREATED WITH THE
UTMOST CARE AND CONFIIDENCE, AND IS ARRANGED
TO HELP US GIVE YOU THE BEST POSSIBLE SERVICE AT ALL
TIMES