New Telephone System - Wednesday 25th November

On the 25th November 2009 the practice will install a new telephone system and whilst patients should not experience any disruption to services, they will notice a new approach to call handling. There will be no change to surgery telephone numbers.

We trust you will be patient with us whilst we introduce this new service. You will be required to select from a menu option which has been kept to an absolute minimum (4 options). This will allow us to direct your call more effectively to the right person.

We would ask that you avoid calling between 8.30am and 10.00am for test results or general, non urgent ,enquires as this will enable the staff to deal with more immediate calls for help and manage the reception of the open appointment service.

We welcome your comments and feed back of your experience please ring the main surgery number on 01454632393 and let us know if there is anything you feel we could do to improve our call handling or alternatively write to Sue Broad Practice Manager.

New ASWCS (Avon Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Services) Website

A new web site has been launched to provide information on cancer for people in the Avon, Somerset and Wiltshire area and beyond. The site has been re-designed to be easier to use and more accessible and provides a detailed overview of who ASWCS is and what they do. You will also be able to access the existing ASWCS chemotherapy protocols through the new web site.

See www.aswcs.nhs.uk

National Chlamydia Screening Programme

Chlamydia is the most common sexually acquired bacterial infection, affecting about 1 in 10 sexually active people under the age of 25.

If left untreated it may cause complications such pelvic inflammation in women and pain and infertility in both men and women.

It can be easily treated with antibiotics.

For more information click here to visit The National Chlamydia Screening Programme.

Chlamydia Screening kits are available at the surgery and the test is free.

SUPPORT TO STOP SMOKING

The surgery team have a great deal of success in helping people who want to quit smoking. Please don’t wait until the New Year - start NOW by making your appointment with a member of the nursing team.

• Approximately 114,000 smokers die in the UK every year as a result of their habit.
   
• Smoking kills around five times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (3157), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066), and HIV infection (234) all put together (22,833 in total - 2002 figures).
   
• The single most important thing you can do for your current and future health is to STOP SMOKING.
   
• The minute smoking stops the benefits begin. Benefits to stopping start within 20 minutes and over the next few weeks you will experience positive signs of recovery:

Stop Smoking Time-Line

How can the Surgery Support to Stop Smoking Service help?

The practice team includes four nurses with specialist training in supporting people who want to quit smoking. They have a high success rate which has been acknowledged by the Primary Care Trust. This puts them in an excellent position to help, give advice and support smokers who want to quit.

We can help you to:

• By supporting you throughout the programme while you quit
• Offer a tailor made plan to stop smoking which is personal to you and your lifestyle
• Set a quit date
• Find ways to cope with cravings
• Stay stopped

SURE START CENTRES

Pilning Surgery has joined the network of Sure Start Centres.

Sure Start is the Government’s programme to deliver the best start in life for every child by bringing together early education, childcare, health and family support. A computer is available for use in reception which will allow every parent access information.

http://www.surestart.gov.uk/

Walk in Appointment Surgery

Walk in Appointment Surgery - appointments within 48 hours.

Our aim is to ensure that all patients are offered an appointment within 48 hours, if that is their request. Patients who wish to be seen within 48 hours and for whom there are no suitable pre-book able appointments will be offered the walk in appointment service. Patients who arrive any weekday (excluding bank and public holidays) between the hours of 8.30am and 10am will be offered a walk in appointment. This service is not available over the telephone.

BMA NEWSLETTER

Click here to read the BMA newsletter on your general practice ( PDF file)

UBHT Special Dental Service

This service is available for anyone with disabilities, or complexity of care which limits what can be achieved in a General Dental Practice.

Referral should be made by a dentist, doctor or any health care professional, or carer (including relatives).

Your Local Clinics:

Kingswood Health Centre 0117 9677 191
Alma Road
Kingswood
Bristol BS15 4EJ

Yate Health Centre 01454 313 388
21 West Walk
Yate BS17 1NL

If you require urgent advice out of hours please contact 0845 120 6680.

For further information please contact the surgery.

NHS Care Records Service

Patient-centred care requires information to follow the patient so that it is available wherever and whenever it is needed. The NHS Care Records Service (NHS CRS) will allow this to happen.

For the first time, information about patients will be mobile - as patients are themselves - and not remain in filing stores in the buildings where treatment or care has been received. This means, for example, that if someone from South Gloucestershire is seriously injured while on holiday in Cornwall, they can be treated by a local doctor with immediate access to the patient's medical records. The doctor can be informed of any drug allergies and previous treatments, ensuring that life-saving treatment can begin immediately.

The NHS Care Records Service has been developed because:

• Healthcare is now more complex to organise and provide
   
• The diagnosis and treatment of conditions is increasingly specialised and can involve groups of organisations and personnel working in co-operation
   
• Paper-based records cannot support the increasing demand for care and its more complex administration

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