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Newsletter

Read all about the news at Wiveliscombe and Milverton Surgeries, latest information and many other related topics.

If you have any news that you feel is relevant to the site please send it to news[at]wiveliscombesurgery.nhs.uk

Surgery Closure Dates 2007

• Easter Good Friday 06/04/07 & Easter Monday 09/04/07
• May Bank Holiday 07/05/07 & 28/05/07
• August Bank Holiday 27/08/07
• Christmas Day 25/12/07 & Boxing Day 26/12/07

If you require any medical advice whilst the surgery is closed, please contact NHS Direct or the Out of Hours service.

• NHS Direct - Tel: 0845 4647
• Out of Hours Services - Tel: 0845 408 8000

New Team Members

Dr Bridgman joins us as a new partner and Dr Carlos Gutierrez-Castaneda joins as the new salary GP. Mrs Sue Richen has joined as our new medical secretary.

Consultation Times

The timings for consultations at both surgeries have changed with the addition of the Dr Bridgman and Dr Castaneda. Please check our latest consultation times to assist you

Same Day Appointments

We will have a number of appointments available on the same day, they cannot be pre-booked.

Follow-up Appointments

The GP may advise you to make an appointment, following a consultation, for a few weeks time. The Receptionist will identify a time for you as close as possible to the target date with the Dr of your choice.

Pre-Bookable Appointments

With your preferred choice of Dr can be made up to 2 months ahead. Choice of date and time may be limited but you will be given an appointment as close as possible to your request.

We will adhere to appointment times as much as possible. You should not wait more than 30 minutes without receiving an explanation for the delay.

Telephone Appointments

You can request a telephone appointment, which is a 5 minute slot as part of a GP's normal surgery. Please make sure that you let the Receptionist know the telephone number that you can be contacted on and that you are available approximate 15 minutes either side of the time. (This allows for any delays by the GP due to emergency visits.)

PLEASE NOTE MOBILE TELEPHONE NUMBERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR A TELEPHONE APPOINTMENT.

Cancelling Appointments

• IF YOU ARE UNABLE TO KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT. PLEASE LET THE SURGERY KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE THEN IT CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE.

Holiday Travel

Planning a trip abroad? Require any vaccinations?

Please remember some vaccinations have to be given well in advance of travelling to be effective. Contact your Practice Nurse for advice and complete a pre-travel assessment form (available) at the surgery.

For information take a look at http://www.fitfortravel.scot.nhs.uk/ or http://www.dh.gov.uk/

Staff Training

From time to time the surgery has to close for essential staff training. The practice tries to minimise any disrupt to the patients.

Teaching Practice

As a teaching practice, we occasionally have medical students on attachment for a two-week period. We appreciate patients helping us teach these student doctors. The student's feedback is overwhelmingly positive, and this is largely due to our very helpful patients.

Patient Questionnaire Survey

From time to time the surgery has to hold a survey of patients view on the way we provide a service. The University of Exeter will evaluate the results. We will be publishing the result on the surgery website.

Charity Donations

During the year, the Books that are in the entrance hall of the surgery help raise money for charities through your kind donations. The following amounts were donated to Charities during 2006.

• The Stroke Association - £190.00
• Air Ambulance - £185.00
• Children In Need - £147.50
• Shelter - £78.50
• Wiveliscombe Swimming Pool - £53.00
• Wiveliscombe Day Centre - £28.50

So a big THANK YOU for your support.

Patient Information about Transport to Hospital and Clinics

The majority of people visiting an NHS hospital or clinic already make their own transport arrangements. However, there are some people who need help in getting there. A Hospital Car service is not available to every patient but restricted to patients who have no alternative means of transport, such as their own car, public transport, with a friend or relative, or in a taxi, or those who are receiving certain services or treatments that mean they qualify as having a medical need.

You qualify as having a medical need if you have no other means of getting to your appointment and are receiving:

Chemotherapy. Renal Dialysis. Physiotherapy. Radiotherapy. Cancer services. Mental Health services. Rehabilitation services. Haematology services. Services for people with a Learning Disabilities. You are attending Day Hospital Appointment. You are having Day Surgery. You are transferred or Discharged from Hospital.

People who have a serious medical condition and need trained escorts will usually be taken to their appointment in an ambulance. This also applies to patients who are unable to travel by car without help.

Hospital Travel Scheme gives help with travel expenses to those adults and parents of children who receive certain benefits, such as Income Support or Family Credit. For Information telephone the hospital where you are receiving treatment and ask to speak to Hospital Transport.

Contact to arrange transport

Inital/First referrals from GP to Hospital :- Patient Transport Booking service Tel: 01278 432 025 (Mon-Fri 10am-4pm)

Follow ups/pre-admission checks/operations: Tel: Hospital Dept - you are visiting who will give your details to the Hospital Transport Officer.

Wiveliscombe Pharmacy

A prescription collecting service is provided from wiveliscombe surgery on a daily basis. Please inform the receptionist that the prescription is for the collecting service and fill in a prescription authorization form. Prescription collected 9am daily and ready for collection after 12 noon the following day e.g. Prescription handed in Monday 9.10am, Collected Tuesday 9am, Ready for collection after 12 noon Wednesday.

Message in a bottle

The aim of this scheme is to save lives of those taken ill in their own home and to save valuable time (and money) for the emergency services, hospitals and the doctors. The scheme is targeted at the elderly, who are especially likely to be on medication. Vital health and next of kin information is kept in a container, which is itself kept in the householder's fridge. The container will have a recognisable logo on the outside. There is a corresponding label that goes on the fridge door and one on the inside of the front door so the emergency services and doctors will know where to look for the container. It gives key information to the emergency services; therefore ensuring the patient receives the right treatment more quickly. We have these containers available at the surgery. Please ask if you would like one.

Services available at the surgery