SOME FACTS
In the last year
we sent over
6800 letters
relating to our
patients
1.6 million UK
people are
alcohol
dependent
The average
smoker spends
£3000 a year on
cigarettes
The average life
expectancy of a
man in this practice is 76.6 years.
A woman 82.3
Years
In the UK in
2014 there were
21 million visits
to A&E, but 340
million visits to a
GP practice!
We have the
highest number of
patients in the
borough who are
caring for others
Well done to you!
Bellingham Green Surgery
Newsletter
24 Bellingham Green
Catford 020 8697 7285
ISSUE EIGHT
MARCH
2015
TWO NEW DOCTORS - Welcome!
We are very pleased to let you know we had two doctors start
in January (part time), Dr Berthoud and Dr Hillman. Both
are female doctors and a valuable addition to our team. Dr
Hillman will only be here until the end of 2015 as she has
other work commitments at that time.
DR PATEL
‘Walking in their shoes’
Some of our staff will be spending a morning at local pharmacies
to observe how they work, and see
if there’s things we can learn that
will help improve the prescribing
process. Some pharmacists will
also be visiting us to gain a good
understanding of the pressures
facing surgeries and what we can
all do to improve processes between us. We will let you know
what has been learned in the next
newsletter!
See our new section for
younger folk on the
back page!
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
We are keen to recruit patients to this
group. Patients meet with some of our
staff every quarter to discuss how the
practice is running, and consider ways it
could be improved. If you are interested
in helping us by joining the group please speak to one of our staff
Connect Care
Is a system operating initially in Greenwich and Lewisham which
allows your existing information to be viewed safely and quickly by
authorised staff involved in your care such as hospital staff, district
nurses and social workers. The information available would be
Name and address, hospital appointment attendances, current
medicines and allergies, and test results. Your permission will be
asked on every occasion before anything is accessed. So, for example, when you attend A & E, they will not have to waste time trying
to obtain important information about you, but with your permission it will be available to the staff. You can opt out of this service
should you wish to - further information can be found at
www.lewishamandgreenwich.nhs.uk/connectcare
PLEASE REMEMBER!
Our opening times are 7.55 each weekday morning, including answering the phones
We need to identify patients by their date of birth first, so please have this ready when you
are booking an appointment for someone else
Many of the phone numbers we have for patients are out of date - you need to help us to
stay in touch with you by remembering to tell us when your number changes
The first weekend in April is the Easter bank holiday - we will be closed for 4 days
Clocks go forward the last Sunday morning in March
Put a face to a name
We will soon display
doctors pictures in the
reception area, so
patients - particularly
new ones, can know
who they will see
Prescriptions
Please remember that
since May 2014 these
can no longer be
requested over the
phone unless you are
housebound
SELDOC - Out of hours
020 8693 9066
Friends & Family Test
There are cards at reception which ask you
to ‘score’ how likely
you would recommend
us to a friend of family
member. Please complete one for the NHS
survey. Please ask at
reception for details
Kid’s Corner
Did you know? Lesser known facts of the human body….
There are a total of 27 bones in each of your hands, and over 200 bones
make up your entire skeleton!
The enamel of your teeth is the
We actually see the world
hardest substance in your entire
upside-down! It’s only when
body, even harder than your
images reaches your brain
bones! But your teeth will decay
that they are changed to the
unless you look after them. Brush
right-way-up!
them twice a day to keep those
fillings at bay!
HOW WELL DO YOU KNOW YOUR BODY?
How many body-related words can you find in the crossword below?
Look vertically, horizontally, or diagonally - There are 15 in all