Changes to Non Emergency Patient Transport Services

The NHS can provide free, non-emergency transport  to certain patients who are eligible, i.e. there must be a real medical need and/or severe mobility issues.

From 26^th September 2011 the staff at your GP surgery will no longer be able to make transport requests on your behalf.

Instead, to make a request for transport, at a time which is suitable for you:

• Call the Patient Transport Clinical Assessment and Advice Centre on  0845 8500774. Lines are open Monday-Friday, 8am – 6.30pm, and Saturday 8am-12 midday.

• Please have your NHS number, details of your GP surgery and hospital clinic and appointment details to hand.

• You will be asked some questions to verify that you are eligible.

• If you are not eligible for transport you will be offered advice on alternative options.

• You can make a booking up to 3 months in advance of your appointment. Bookings made less than 48 hours in advance of the appointment will not normally be accepted.

further flu clinics

There will another opportunity to get your flu vaccination if you are pregnant, over 65 or have a long term illness.

Shotley - Monday 14th November 1.30-3.30 (No appointment needed)

Holbrook - Wednesday 16th November 1.30-3.30 (No appointment needed)

If you cannot attend either of these dates, please ring the normal number to make a separate appointment.

extended hours appointments

We realise how valuable many patients find Saturday morning appointments and the facility to collect repeat medications from Holbrook Surgery at that time.

Because of this, the Practice has decided to re-establish its commitment to the Government’s Extended Hours scheme, but in a slightly different pattern which offers Saturday morning, early Monday, Monday evening and Wednesday evening appointments.

From 4^th July 2011 the following additional appointments will be offered:

New Patient Reference Group

Would you like to be part of the new Practice Patient Reference Group?

The Practice wants to gain feedback from its patients by setting up a Patient Reference Group to help us to develop our services in line with our users’ wishes.

We are proposing that the Group should normally communicate by email so that no one is excluded by time or transport constraints. However there would also be some occasions when a face to face meeting is necessary and an evening meeting would be convened.

We hope the Group can be representative of all our users so we welcome interest from registered patients in all age and ethnic groups, all geographical locations in our practice area, and all states of health including those who rarely visit the doctor. We would like there to be a 50:50 split between men and women, someone from every age group including under 25s and those of working age, students, retirees, those who visit us for regular health checks and those who only make an appointment once in a blue moon. There is no real limit on the number of participants but if there is a preponderance of one group we may have to choose members by random selection.

One of the first tasks of the Group will be to agree the questions to be asked in our next Patient Survey. You will also be asked to comment on the outcome and help us to plan our future services.

Could you spare us a few minutes of your time?
If you would like to take part in this Patient Reference Group, please email the practice manager Philippa.Moody@GP-D83020.nhs.uk by 31st July 2011 or as soon as possible thereafter. Please use the words ‘Patient Reference Group’ in the Subject box.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Summary Care Record

All Suffolk patients will have received a letter from the Primary Care Trust about the Summary Care Record, the project to upload some information from GP records onto a national database which would be available to A&E and Out of Hours Doctors.

If you decide you do not want to have a summary care record created, you should complete an opt out form which is available from the internet or from either of our two surgeries. This needs to be returned to the Practice within 12 weeks of receiving the letter and then we will add a code to your medical record to prevent information being sent.

New Service!

You can now make, change or cancel doctors' appointments online. You must register for this in advance - just take two pieces if identification to Reception and they will explain the next steps.

Wasted Appointments

Last month over 13 hours of doctors’ and nurses’ time was wasted because some patients who had booked appointments did not attend.

PLEASE let us know in advance if you cannot make the time and date you had arranged.

Even short notice will allow us to offer the appointment to someone else.

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