SWANSWELL MEDICAL CENTRE
JANUARY 2015
ISSUE THREE
WISHING YOU A HAPPY, HEALTHY 2015
This is our first newsletter for the New Year. If you would like more information about the Practice please
visit our website www.swanswellmedicalcentre.co.uk. If you would like to receive an electronic version
you can download our newsletter from the website or we can email you a copy by letting us know your
email address, either inform reception or email your details to bcccg.swanswellmedicalcentre.co.uk
Changes to the Clinical Team during 2014
Dr. Patel left the practice in June to emigrate, Practice Nurse Vivienne retired and
Practice Nurse Bev Evans relocated outside Birmingham. Dr. Jones reduced his
weekly sessions to work part time.
Clinical Staff who joined the Practice in 2014
Dr. Spencer James (male), Dr. Sudha Subramanian (female) and Dr. Nav Mangat
(male) joined the practice in August, to work alongside 4 other male GPs. Nurses Jo
Marshall and Claire Morton have recently joined the practice. We hope you join us in
wishing them a warm welcome.
We are therefore approaching 2015 optimistic that we will continue to provide quality services to our
patients.
You should be aware of the NHS Friends and Family Test and why it is relevant
What is the NHS friends and family test (FFT)? The NHS wants you to have the best possible experience of
care and the FFT is a way of gathering your views about this.
It is based on one simple question, “How likely are you to recommend our GP practice to friends and family
if they needed similar care or treatment?” You can also give a reason for selecting your statement although
this is optional.
Your feedback will help the NHS learn more about what you think of your experience, what you like and
what you think could improve. Ultimately, by gathering your feedback you are helping to make changes
that will ensure you are offered the best possible care.
Cards are available at reception for patients to complete and return in the Friends and Family Test post
box on the counter. If you prefer, the test can be completed via the practice website or by telephoning
the practice and speaking to a receptionist.
Workers’ Appointments
There are a number of early morning and late
afternoon appointments held each day for
patients who work which can be booked in
advance.
You are able to book these
appointments on line. if you would like to sign
up for this service either visit the practice
website www.swanswellmedicalcentre.co.uk
Or, if you prefer, ask at reception
Ordering Repeat Prescriptions
The Electronic Prescription Service makes it
quick and simple to order repeat medication
online at any time of the day. You don’t
need to keep visiting the surgery to hand in
or collect your prescriptions.
If you would like to sign up for this service
either
visit
the
practice
website
www.swanswellmedicalcentre.co.uk or, if
you prefer, ask at reception
How is the NHS changing and why?
On 1 April 2013, the NHS changed so that local
doctors, nurses, medical professionals and
patients can have more influence on how and
what the NHS spends its money on. These changes
are based on the idea that patients will enjoy
better health care if decisions that affect local
people are made by local doctors and patients.
The Government passed a law (the Health & Social
Care Act) which put in place a new model for
health services from April 2013.
How will these changes affect your GP Service and
other health services locally?
Your normal GP services will not be affected by
these changes. You will still be able to access all
the health services and advice you would normally
get from Swanswell Medical Centre.
What is clinical commissioning?
Commissioning is the process of planning, buying
and monitoring the quality of health care. It is all
about making sure that health care services meet
the needs of local populations within the
resources available. Clinicians (doctors and other
health professionals) are in charge of making
decisions about local health care services. They
are responsible for buying a range of health care
services, including: hospital care, health services in
the community, older people’s health care
services, health care services for people with long
term illnesses, some health services for children,
mental health services, sexual health services,
district nursing services, ambulance services and
many others. From April 2013 Swanswell Medical
Centre 2013 became a member Birmingham Cross
City Clinical Commissioning Group.
Birmingham Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group
Birmingham Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group has the fourth largest population of all clinical
commissioning groups (CCGs) in England and has 115 member practices which is divided into ten Local
Commissioning Networks (LCNs).
Swanswell Medical Centre is part of the Hall Green LCN which also includes Baldwins Lane Surgery,
Bordesley Green Surgery, Goodrest Croft Surgery, Greenridge Surgery, Hall Green Health, Poplar Primary
Care Centre, Sparkhill Surgery and Yardley Wood Health Centre. The Hall Green LCN patient population is
approximately 67,000.
Birmingham Cross City CCG has a responsibility to improve the quality of primary care which is delivered by
the member GP practices, so patients across the city are able to access the same high quality of services no
matter where they live.
In order to do this Birmingham Cross City CCG has put together a programme called Aspiring to Clinical
Excellence (ACE), which enables the CCG to work with GPs to develop member practices and deliver
improved health outcomes for our patients.
ACE will enable the CCG to improve the quality of general practice across the city and bring all our practices
up to the same standards of primary care – so patients receive high quality care wherever their general
practice may be.
ACE FOUNDATION
This is the minimum standard in primary care the CCG expects from
practices and focuses on:
Engagement and involvement – Encouraging practices to get
together on a regular basis to share information and provide peer
support.
Medicines management – promote safe, cost-effective prescribing
within primary care.
Quality and safety – focused measures to improve the quality and
safety of services for patients.
Carers – Identifying carers and offering them information and advice,
signposting or referring them for more specialised support and
providing locally sensitive services.
Prevention – providing interventions to reduce the likelihood of
disease.
ACE EXCELLENCE
This enhanced standard increases the number of services available
within primary care and promotes a localised service, meaning
patients can access more services from their GP instead of having to
go to hospital.
GP practices can sign up to offer these services individually or as part
of a local network, supporting patients to receive some of their care
closer to home (rather than going to hospital out-patients) and
improve continuity.
The ACE Excellence level will include:
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Easy access to high quality diagnostic investigations such as ECG (a
trace of the heart’s electrical activity) or lung function tests
Initiating injectable therapies for diabetes in primary care
Improved primary care access to wound management services
following discharge from hospital after surgery or trauma, including
discharges from A&E
Preventing unnecessary referrals to secondary care by offering more
support for patients with long term conditions within general practice
Swanswell Medical Centre has engaged with the ACE Foundation Level and ACE Excellence Level and
is meeting all the requirements.
Additional information is available on the Birmingham Cross City CCG website www.bhamcrosscityccg.nhs.uk
THINKING ABOUT STOPPING SMOKING?
Many people don't realise that their
GP can help them quit smoking. If
this is something you are interested
in, please book an appointment
with the Nurse or Healthcare
Assistant for smoking cessation.
Nicotine replacement therapy of all
types or stop smoking medication
such as Champix can be prescribed.
Or you may prefer to contact the NHS stop smoking
services staffed by trained stop smoking advisers all
over the country in a range of venues at times to suit
you. You can join a group where local smokers meet
once a week or have one-to-one support if you
prefer. You usually go for a few weeks and work
towards a quit date. Find your nearest NHS Stop
Smoking Service from the NHS Smokefree Website, or
call the Smokefree National Helpline to speak to a
trained adviser on 0300 123 1044.
DO YOU KNOW HOW TO
CONTACT THE OUT OF HOURS
SERVICE
WHEN THE PRACTICE IS
CLOSED?
Either contact the surgery
on 0121 706 5676 to hear the message
which gives the telephone number of
BADGER, or ring 0300 555 9999
What is NHS 111?
Why you should use it
It’s a new NHS telephone number being
introduced to help make it easier for
you to access local health services. You
can now call 111 when you need
medical help, but it’s not a 999
emergency. You can ring the 111
number 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
365 days a year. Calls from landlines
and mobile phones are free.
NHS 111 is a fast and easy way to get the
right help, wherever you are, and whatever
the time.
You can use 111 if you are not sure who to
call for medical help or you don’t have a GP
to call.
It can also help to free up 999 and local A&E
departments so that they can focus on
emergency cases.
How does it work?
More Information
111 will get you through to a team of advisers, who are
supported by experienced nurses. They will ask you a
series of questions to assess your symptoms and give you
the health care advice you need or direct you to the right
local service.
You can find out more about NHS 111 by
either collecting a leaflet from the reception
counter or via www.nhs.uk/111
Flu Campaign 2014/2015
Below are the flu vaccination uptake
figures for flu vaccines administered
between 1st September and 30th November
2014 for the practice:
 65 years and over = 80%
 ‘At Risk’ patients under 65 years = 52%
 Pregnant women = 45%
 Over a third of 2 ,3 and 4 year olds have
received the nasal flu vaccination
If you have been offered a flu vaccination,
but have not yet responded, please do
book an appointment – Flu vaccination
saves lives
News about the
Practice Car Park
The Practice is carrying out improvements to
the car park. This will include resurfacing and
white lining, including a designated disabled
parking bay. The work will be carried out over
a Friday and weekend so that disruption is
kept to a minimum. On the Friday the car
park has to be closed, patients visiting the
practice will need to park their cars in the
surrounding roads and we apologise for any
inconvenience caused.
As soon as the
practice knows when the work is being
carried out, the dates will be advertised in the
practice and on the practice website:
www.swanswellmedicalcentre.co.uk
And finally, you may find the following information of interest……………..
During December
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the Doctors consulted with 1396 patients
the Nurses consulted with 1368 patients
the Duty Doctor consulted with 850 patients on triage
648 messages were left for the practice team
422 prescription queries were dealt with
255 urgent prescription queries were dealt with
1038 patients were prescribed acute and repeat medication
We would be very interested to receive your feedback about what you like about previous and the current
newsletters, or what you would like to be included in the future. You can do this by either sending an email to:
[email protected] or collect a comment/suggestion form from reception.
Produced by Swanswell Patient Participation Group