Newsletter

Winter 2024

 

Welcome to our Apsley Surgery Winter Newsletter!    

We are still ensuring that the Practices are as safe as possible for all patients and staff, therefore, sanitiser stations and masks are still available in reception if you would like to use these.  

 
cold

Keeping Well for Winter

  • Check your medicine cabinet - Be prepared and have over the counter medicines at home for common conditions such as a cold, indigestion or diarrhoea. A first aid kit with plaster, a thermometer and antiseptic is also useful.
  • Keep warm at home - If you’re not very mobile, are 65 or over, or have a health condition such as heart or lung disease, heat your home to at least 18C if you can. If possible, keep your bedroom at 18C all night and keep windows closed.
  • Dress up warm when you go out - Wear lots of thin layers – clothes made from cotton, wool, or fleecy fibres are particularly good at helping to maintain body heat and several layers are better at trapping warm air than one layer. Also wear well-fitting slippers and shoes with a grip, to avoid slipping when at home or out and about.

Useful Contacts:

  • Samaritans - 116 123
  • Mind - 0300 123 3393
  • Crisis Line - 0800 0328 728
  • Food bank - 01782 317942
  • The Dove service - 01782 683155
  • Age UK - 08006781602
  • Citizens advice - 0800 702 2020
  • Tri Services (Veterans Support) - 01782 713963
 

Veteran Friendly Practice

If you have not already seen our boards in the reception areas, please take a look (you cant miss the  displays!).  

As an accredited practice, we have made a pledge to the armed forces covenant to demonstrate our dedication to them and our support to local veterans - see the posters around the sites for full details.

Liz Mayer (Group Operations Manager) and Laura Johnson (Lead Social Prescriber) are the clinical leads for this - dedicating time to support teams within the organisation, to give advice / information regarding this accreditation and supporting the veterans themselves.  

veterans

 

The NHS App

Now the winter has started, there is even more reason to sign up to the NHS APP. See below everything you can do without leaving your warm home.

We are seeing lots of patients benefiting from signing up and the sign up is increasing weekly.

  • Check and order your repeat prescription
  • Access to your medical records once this is authorised on your record
  • Check on any investigations and results
  • Check on clinic letters
  • Send online consultations and messages direct to the Practice
  • View appointments at the hospital
  • Access can be given to a member of the family with their consent

nhs app example on a mobile phone

 

A Little message from our great PPG!

by Apsley PPG

We meet together with the Practice four times a year where we are given organisational updates and have the chance to talk about any events or seasonal activities within the practice where we can get involved and support the surgery. Patient Participation Group is a group of patients who volunteer to attend meetings and support the practice for the benefit of patients and the surgery. The purpose of a PPG is to give the practice and patients the opportunity to share ideas, and to be an advocate for patients. 

At the meetings we do meet other members of the clinical team who pop in to the meeting to tell us a little bit about themselves and what they do in their role, which is interesting as the roles have changed a lot since the original Dr and Nurse clinical set-up, and speaking to these clinicians has made us more aware of how much of a benefit they are to patients. 

It is nice to get together, have a cup of tea (cake on special occasions) and talk about any concerns, and sometimes this is a matter of understanding how the processes work.  We already know this is something the Practice wants to do more of, and that's getting more information out to patients, so processes are clear.

We are always looking for new faces to join our group.  If you are interested please contact the surgery and ask to speak to one of the practice patient administrators who will be happy to have a chat with you about what our meetings are all about.

You matter! Join us and become part of the future.

 

Changes in our team

by Ruth Matthews

We are pleased to announce the following have joined our team;

  • Jess, who joins us as our Digital Team leader
  • Jane and Hadiqa who have joined our call centre
  • Bethany who has joined the reception team
  • Samantha and Ruby who have joined our HCA team

Congratulations and success in our team

We are pleased to share the fantastic achievement of our two GP Registrar’s, Dr Mohammed Ahmed and Dr Elo Obogare who have passed their General Practitioner exams.  

We are very happy to announce that Dr Ahmed will be joining our team as a GP from January 2025.  Special thanks to our GP Partners who have supported the registrar’s through their placements.

 

5 stars

Patient feedback

by Ruth Matthews

We value all our patient feedback, whether it is a good experience or if there are areas which we can improve on.

You can leave your feedback in many ways:

  • NHS choices
  • Google review
  • Directly at our practice
  • Completing our "friends and family cards"
someone typing

If you feel you would like to talk and discuss your experience whether this a good experience or something that did not go as well as expected, you can arrange to speak to our Practice Patient Manager at the surgery or we can arrange a face to face meeting.

 

Social Media

Did you know we have a Facebook page?

We are always trying to communicate better with our patients, and we are trying to update all our patients as best as we possibly can. We will add any updates on facebook as well as our quarterly newsletter. If you see something you like give us a wave or if there is something you would like to see more of on Facebook, just let us know.

Visit our Facebook page

 

Bank holiday closures for 2024

The surgery will closed on the following days in 2024-2025

  • Wednesday 25 December 2024
  • Thursday 26 December 2024
  • Wednesday 1 January 2025

If you require medical attention when the surgery is closed please call 111 who will be able to assist you. Please note if your medical need is life threatening, then you need to contact 999.

Published: Dec 11, 2024