Appointment system update:

We introduced a new appointment system in October which included patients being able to register for on-line appointment booking and prescription ordering. This has been very popular and we have had some positive reports about the new system. The system is being monitored closely and we welcome any additional feedback.

Retirement:

Dr Woodcock is

preparing for his

retirement in the

spring and we will keep

you informed of when

this will be in the next

newsletter. Dr

Woodcock will be

greatly missed by all of

us he has been a

valuable member of

the team since 1988.

Congratulations to Dr

Westwood: We are

proud to announce that

Dr Westwood has been

awarded Fellowship of

the Royal College of

General Practitioners

following his dedicated

work with trainees.

FRCGP is an honour and

mark of achievement

recognising a significant

contribution to general

Practice and there are

currently only 6% of

doctors nationally that

have been awarded this.

We are proud of the fact

that Dr Westwood and

Dr Wallworth are

included in this.

number.

Practice News

CQC Inspection

The Care Quality Commission came in to inspect our practice on Wednesday 30th October 2013. Whilst the CQC were in practice they spoke to a doctor, members of staff, members of the Patient participation Group and also patients who were in the waiting room at the time of their visit. We are pleased to say that we met all the standards inspected which were: Respecting and involving people who use services Care and welfare of people who use services Safeguarding people who use services from abuse Supporting workers Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision

The report will be available in the waiting rooms and via the practice website in due course.

Issue 11

WINTER NEWSLETTER Peel House Medical Practice

Peel House Medical Practice

Accrington PALS

Primary Health Care Centre

1 Paradise Street

Accrington

BB5 2EJ

Tel: 01254 282282

Fax: 01254 395520

Opening Times:

Monday 8.30 till 6.30

Tuesday 8.30 till 6.30

Wednesday 8.30 till 6.30

Thursday 8.30 till 6.30

Friday 8.30 till 1pm and 3pm till 6.30pm

Date for your diary

Healthy Living Festival 2014

23rd May 2014

Accrington Town Hall

We are on the Web!

www.peelhouse.gpsurgery.net

Most people who take antibiotics do not get better any faster than people who do not take them. Antibiotic resistance is an emerging threat to public health.

Most common infections do not get better with antibiotics

Most children with a cold, cough, sore throat or earache, who see their GP, will still be ill 4 days later. This does not mean that they need treatment or need to be seen again

One third of children who have seen their GP with a cough will be

still coughing 2 weeks later. This does not mean that they need treatment.

Only children with signs of more serious illness generally need to be seen by a doctor or nurse. These signs include:

Excessive drowsiness

Difficulty breathing

Cold or discoloured hands &/or feet with warm body

Abnormal pain in arms &/or legs

Abnormal colour (pale or blue)

Page 2

When should you (or your child) go back to your GP practice or contact NHS 111 ?

(Listed in order of urgency, with the most urgent symptoms first)

1- If you develop a severe headache and are sick.

2- If your skin is very cold or has a strange colour, or you develop an unusual

rash.

3- If you feel confused or have slurred speech or are very drowsy.

4- If you have difficulty breathing. Signs that suggest breathing problems can

include

Breathing quickly;

Turning blue around the lips and the skin below the mouth; and

Skin between or above the ribs getting sucked or pulled in with every breath.

5- If you develop chest pain.

6- If you have difficulty swallowing or are drooling.

7- If you cough up blood.

If hearing problems develop or if there is fluid coming out of your ears.

Antibiotics are important medicines. They help fight infections that are caused by bacteria. Antibiotic resistance (when an antibiotic is no longer effective) is a major problem. It is one of the most significant threats to patients' safety in Europe. The world economic forum recently reported that “arguably the greatest risk…to human health comes in the form of antibiotic resistant bacteria”

Antibiotic resistance is driven by overusing antibiotics and prescribing them inappropriately. It's important that we use antibiotics the right way, to slow down resistance and make sure these life-saving medicines remain effective for us and future generations.

Antibiotic resistance is a quickly growing, extremely dangerous problem.

How Long will my

illness last ?

Earache – 4 days

Sore Throat – 1 week

Common cold – 1 ½ Weeks

Sinusitis – 2 ½ weeks

Cough or bronchitis – 3

Weeks

Issue 11

Do Antibiotics help ?

winter newsletter

P r a c t i c e / P h a r m a c y

M e d i c i n e s W a s t e R e d u c t i o n I n i t i a t i v e

The practice is looking towards reducing the amount of medicines that are wasted when they are ordered, but are not required, by patients. Often patients simply tick everything on their repeat order slip, without thinking if they really do need them that month. If you don’t need an item or only use it occasionally then please don’t order it – you can always request it next time you order your medicines.

Did you know?

· Only 50% of patients take their medicines as prescribed by the doctor

· Unused medicines cannot be recycled – whether they have been opened or not

· Unused Medicines cost the NHS in the North West over £40 million a year

£40 million could pay for:

8,000 MORE hip replacements* OR 5600 MORE heart bypass operations* 56,000 MORE cataract operations* OR 1,200 MORE community nurses* 7,200 MORE knee replacements* *Based on average costs.

How Can You Help?

Please let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering

Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis

Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need

If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it! If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.

Paracetamol to help

reduce symptoms

Flurbiprofen

Lozenges could

provide effective

pain relief from a sore throat

due to an upper respiratory

tract infection.

Page 3

WINTER TOOL KIT

Vitamin C

supplementation is

worth considering for

people prone to recurrent colds,

especially if they exercise.

Probiotics might help

to prevent Upper

Respiratory Tract

Zinc (lozenges or

syrup) can reduce the duration

of a cold by 1 day.

Supplementation in children for

at least 5 months during the cold

season reduced the likelihood of

developing a cold by 36%, and

absence from school by 0.4 days

and prescribing of antibiotics.

Medicine Wastage

Winter Word search

Can you find the missing word ?

Frost, snow, snowman,

robin, blanket, gloves, warm,

hat, jumper, handkerchief, sniffles

S Y V O R H M R W Z R M

V N K H S A B X O P B G

G L O B K N E H G B L K

C Z M W S D I W N O I E

C T C G N K R F V V F N

F E F Z O E I E F Y B S

W K R P W R S K P L L F

T N O D M C Z J M M E E

A A S I A H J E L O U S

H L T K N I I V V J P J

Y B I A X E K Z Y Z Y G

F N J C X F K O L U V E

Puzzle Corner

Patient Participation Group News

The PPG has been busy over the last few months and you may have seen us in and around

the practice. We have developed a patient information leaflet and have worked closely

with the practice to help develop the new appointment system.

Alcohol Awareness Week 18th to 23rd November— We held a week long Alcohol Awareness Event to

coincide with the National Alcohol Awareness week. As a group we came along to a Friday afternoon

staff training session where we were given brief intervention training on alcohol. We have given out

alcohol unit/calorie calculator wheels and glasses to patients which educate on the amount of units in

different types of alcohol. The event was a huge success and we had a lot of people trying on beer

goggles and attempting to “walk the line”. Future events as always will be advertised in surgery.

Healthy Living Festival 2014—We have now confirmed the Town Hall as the venue for the annual

Healthy Living Festival and this will be held on Friday 23rd May 2014—10.00 am to 2.00pm. This is a

showcase of local community groups offering an opportunity for the general public to access free expert

advice and practical help. There will be stalls and demonstrations throughout the day, as well as free

refreshments. The event was a big hit this year and we hope to make it bigger and better for 2014.

As a patient group we are shocked at the number of failed to attend appointments and would remind people that there is a dedicated cancellation line. 01254 282282 option 2. In October alone there were a total of 286 Nurse appointments and 161 Doctors appointments wasted through patients failing to

attend ! Please do let the surgery know if you are unable to attend for your appointment.