Staunton Surgery Newsletter Summer Edition – June 2017 Goodbye Dr Bashforth We are sad to announce that Dr Bashforth will be leaving the practice in July 2017. We would like to take this opportunity to thank him for his contribution to the practice and wish him all the best for the future. If you are currently registered with Dr Bashforth, please note that you will not have a named GP on a temporary basis until his position can be filled. However, you will be able to see one of the other GP’s for appointments during this time. Dr Sheers Return From Maternity Leave We are happy to announce that, although no longer a partner, Dr Sheers will be returning to the practice from maternity leave on a part time basis as of Monday 3 rd July. At present she is planning to work three mornings per week. Please visit our website or see our waiting room information board for details as these will be updated with further information nearer the time. E-Consult – Consult Your Doctor Online E-Consult s a web-based platform that enables you to self-manage and consult online with a GP through our practice website. With eConsult, patients can use a symptom checker, self-manage, signpost to other services or complete an eConsult for one of 100 common General Practice conditions with a GP at a time convenient to them, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In 2014, a six-month study examined the benefits of providing eConsult to 133,000 patients and resulted in a 400-hour reduction in GP appointment time. E-Consult has shown that 60% of patients were able to resolve their health concerns without visiting a GP. Changes To Extended Hours Due to a shortage in clinical staff we regret that we will no longer be able to run our extended hours surgery program. This will mean, for the time being, our late Monday and early Thursday surgeries along with our Saturday surgery are hereby cancelled. We see this to be a temporary measure and hope to resume these extra surgeries once our clinical staffing levels are back to full strength. With immediate effect our opening hours will now be 8.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The features and benefits of E-Consult are:o o o Temporary Suspension Registration List Of Practice As of Thursday 1st June 2017 we have unfortunately had to temporarily suspend our practice list. This will mean that new patients will be unable to register with us and patients currently registered who move out of our catchment area will have to reregister with another practice this is due to having a low number of GPs until we manage to recruit someone new. As patient safety is our priority it is at the upmost importance that we do this during this time. o o Significant improvements in patient access to their GP Better health outcomes through earlier detection of significant symptoms and earlier intervention Better practice efficiency with more focused use of clinical capacity, shorter waiting times and fewer requests for GP appointments Reduced attendance at urgent care settings such as walk-in centres or A&E A safe, convenient way for patients to selfmanage or consult with their own GP To use E-Consult please visit www.stauntonsurgeryhavant.co.uk and click the link (Shown below) at the top of our homepage We will be reviewing the status of this on an ongoing basis as we are actively trying to recruit. Thank you for your patience and we are sorry for any inconvenience this will cause. Staunton Surgery Newsletter Summer 2017 1 Hay fever Hayfever is a common allergic condition that affects up to one in five people at some point in their life. Symptoms of hay fever include: o Sneezing o A runny nose o Itchy eyes You'll experience hay fever symptoms if you have an allergic reaction to pollen. Hay fever treatment Sun safety tips Spend time in the shade when the sun is strongest. In the UK, this is between 11am and 3pm from March to October. Make sure you: o Spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm o Make sure you never burn o Cover up with suitable clothing and sunglasses o Take extra care with children o Use at least factor 15 sunscreen What factor sunscreen (SPF) should I use? Don't rely on sunscreen alone to protect yourself from the sun. Wear suitable clothing and spend time in the shade when the sun's at its hottest. When buying sunscreen, the label should have: o A sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to protect against UVB o At least four-star UVA protection UVA protection can also be indicated by the letters "UVA" in a circle, which indicates that it meets the EU standard. Make sure the sunscreen is not past its expiry date. Most sunscreens have a shelf life of two to three years. Don't spend any longer in the sun than you would without sunscreen How to deal with sunburn Sponge sore skin with cool water, then apply soothing aftersun or calamine lotion. Painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, will ease the pain by helping to reduce inflammation caused by sunburn. There's currently no cure for hay fever, but most people are able to relieve symptoms with treatment, at least to a certain extent. The most effective way to control hay fever would be to avoid exposure to pollen. However, it's very difficult to avoid pollen, particularly during the summer months when you want to spend more time outdoors. Treatment options for hay fever include antihistamines, which can help to prevent an allergic reaction from occurring and corticosteroids (steroids), which help to reduce inflammation and swelling. Hay fever can often be controlled using over-thecounter medication from your pharmacist. However, if your symptoms are more troublesome it’s worth speaking to your GP, as you may require prescription medication. You can contact a Doctor about this using the above E-Consult Service on www.stauntonsurgeryhavant.co.uk. Your GP will respond to your query by the next working day at 6.30pm. *All information above is from www.nhs.uk* If you have any questions on how to look after yourself this summer please ask your Pharmacist for further information. Seek medical help if you feel unwell or the skin swells badly or blisters. Stay out of the sun until all signs of redness have gone. Staunton Surgery Newsletter Summer 2017 2
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