Latest News

And in other news at the practice ……

Dr Judy Jones retired from the practice at the end of April, we wish her every happiness for the future.

Dr Theyvanai Dodd became a Partner on 1st May 2020, we are delighted to have her on board as a Partner after being a Salaried GP with us for the last couple of years.

Dr Nicolas Britchford became a Salaried GP on 1st April 2020, he has been a locum with us for the last few months and we are very pleased he has joined the practice.

Corona Virus - Latest Advice - If you are concerned about the corona virus and how to access help/information, please click on the link below:

Vulnerable groups and Volunteers - click below for help and information:  Poster - Help and Volunteering 

Shielding Letters- Frequently Asked Questions

We are currently getting a considerable amount of queries regarding the clinical risk letters which were sent out to patients. this link gives some answers to the some frequently asked questions  Patient FAQ's

Appointments & Phoning the Practice

We have moved to a telephone based service and reduced the face to face contact in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus in the community.

This is a dramatic new way of working,  so please do bear with us and be kind to our staff. 

If you are worried about Covid Symtoms please click on this link  https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/  for the latest advice as it is changing all the time

We have cancelled most of our pre-booked routine appointments and are not booking follow up appointments at the present time.  We are still doing urgent bloods including Warfarin, post natals & baby injections, pre-school injections and smears.  Should you not be well on the day of your appointment please cancel it.  All patients will be triaged at the main door to ensure you are well enough to still have your appointment.

Isolation Notes

If you require an isolation note please click on this link https://111.nhs.uk/isolation-note/

Asthmatics

We have been made aware of some posts on social media saying that if you have a respiratory/lung condition, your GP will issue a rescue pack of steroids and antibiotics.

For people with asthma, it is not recommended as standard management.  If someone's asthma is bad enough to consider steroids they should be assessed by a health care professional.

Further information can be found on https://www.asthma.org.uk/

Rescue packs may be part of the agreed management plan for some people with COPD.  If you NORMALLY have a rescue pack to treat your lung condition its a good idea to check that you have one.

Please bear with us, your help and understanding is appreciated.

Do you pay for your Prescriptions?

If the answer is NO.  Are you suffering from any of the following?

Stay Well - Think Pharmacy First

Helping you to help yourself

If the answer is YES to any of the above, then you DO NOT need to see a GP.  Choose from one of the Chemists listed in the link below and they will be able to prescribe you medication that the GP would offer you FREE OF CHARGE.

Pharmacy First

‘Pharmacy First’ is also available to patients who pay for their prescriptions.  Many over the counter preparations are cheaper than paying for a prescription.
A Pharmacist will refer you back to the surgery if they think you need to be seen by a GP.
PLEASE NOTE:  
When making an URGENT Appointment.
The Doctors kindly ask that you give the Receptionist a brief description of your problem, to enable them to direct you to the most appropriate Clinician.  
However, we do understand if you  DO NOT wish to disclose this.

Why does the receptionist need to ask what’s wrong with me?

It is not a case of the receptionists being nosey!
The reception staff are members of the practice team and it has been agreed they should ask patients ‘why they need to be seen’. Reception staff are trained to ask certain questions in order to ensure that you receive:

• The most appropriate medical care,
• From the most appropriate health professional,
• At the most appropriate time.

Receptionists are asked to collect brief
information from patients:
1. To help doctors prioritise house visits and phone calls
2. To ensure that all patients receive the appropriate level of care
3. To direct patients to see the nurse or other health professional rather than a doctor where appropriate.
Reception staff, like all members of the team, are bound by confidentiality rules

• Any information given by you is treated strictly confidentially.
• The Practice would take any breach of confidentiality very seriously and deal with accordingly.
• You can ask to speak to a receptionist in private away from reception.
• However if you feel an issue is very private and do not wish to say what this is then this will be respected.

Thank you for your support.

'Movember' Thank you

Dr Mills has raised £57.88 for 'Movember the charity that supports men's health issues including testicular cancer and men's suicides.  Thank you for your generous donations to the worthy cause.

Movembver link

Patient Group Donation

Thank you to our Patient Participation Group who have donated £500 towards a 24 hour blood pressure monitor to help patients needing to record their BP over a 24 hour period.  This will mean less of a wait to loan it out.  The practice are extremely grateful of this kind donation.  Below is a picture of the group donation.

Bower Cancel Screening

Bowel Cancer Screening for over 60, have you done your test?  Please read this leaflet

Common complaints

Sports injuries

Sports-related injuries from playing football and outdoor activities are also a bigger issue. Sprained ankles, wrists and broken bones are common sights in urgent care clinics and emergency rooms between spring and summer, according to the experts.

Treatment for these injuries typically requires a little home care. If you’ve suffered a strain or sprain use RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression Elevation) therapy or visit your pharmacy for advice. But if something feels seriously wrong or keeps getting worse, head to the doctor or call 111 as soon as possible.

Choose the right service for your illness or injury

Unnecessary GP visits can drain resources from caring for older, chronically-ill people, and have a knock-on effect of placing A&E and emergency departments under further pressure.

All kinds of minor illnesses and injuries, from insect bites to hay fever, sun burn to minor cuts, can be treated at home with advice and medicines from your local pharmacist.

Self-care is the best option if you have a common summer health complaint.

Your high street pharmacy can give you expert advice without an appointment.

You can also call 111 free of charge, 24 hours a day, 365 days a week for a medical emergency that does not require a 999 call.

Condom Collection Point, anyone aged 13 - 24 years old - C-Card Scheme

We are a collection point for free condoms and lubes if you are aged between 13 & 24 years old and have a C-card. Our staff are fully trained to give these out. We have lots in stock. You dont have to be a patient at Orchard to collect them just show your C-card to one of our receptionists.

If you would like to register for a C-card please click on the link below to find a registration point near you.

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/care/health-and-wellbeing/sexual-health/c-card-scheme

NEW: SELF REFER - PHYSIOTHERAPY REFERRALS in 3 easy steps - NO NEED TO SEE A GP

Patients can now self refer to physiotherapy without the need to see a GP first in 3 easy steps Physio 3 steps. Fill out this form physio referral form and send off via email, post or hand it in to the practice to send off, the service will then contact you.  

Help for Homeless

We support the homeless by having a box in our waiting area of warm items of clothing and blankets which are available if you need it or you know of someone who does.  If you also have any items of warm clothing or tins of food (non-perishables) please feel free to bring them in.  We do from time to time also give the items from the box to the Salvation Army on Victoria Street Mansfield when the box is full. 

If you feel you are at risk from becoming homeless, help, information and advice is available for you.  If you would like some help and information regarding who to turn to and where to go please click this link http://www.mansfield.gov.uk/article/5745/Homeless-or-at-risk or contact Mansfield District Council on 01623 463121.  If you are not able to retrieve this we have this information within the practice printed out.   Help is out there for you. We also have a box in our waiting area

Patient Participation Group (PPG)

Don't forget you can be part of the Patient Participation Group for Orchard, we are look for any age patient to become a part of it to give ideas, opinions and feedback on the way services are managed and what we can do better and work towards in the future.  Please take a look number 8 under 'further information' if you would like more detail, this also includes dates & times.  

Our Next Meeting date:   Wednesday 18th March 2020 1.30 pm at the practice - please be aware this meeting has been cancelled

Appointment Statistics - January 2020

4518 patients were seen routinely  

2569 Patients were spoken to on the telephone by a doctor

985 patients spoken to or were seen as an emergency

3727 patients were seen by a nurse/health care technician

328 patients DID NOT ATTEND their appointments 

1922 patients had a blood test, however 4844 indvidual results came back to process

7462 prescriptions were issued, however, 35.755 individual items were prescribed

776 referral or other Letters typed

5003 incoming letters were processed

4% of appointments were not attended

The effects of patients not attending appointments are:

• An increase in the waiting time for other patients requiring appointments
• Frustration for both staff and patients
• A waste of resources
• A potential risk to the health of the patient

We now send letters out to any patient that doesn't attend their appointment, if you receive 3 letters within a six month period, your registration with the practice could be compromised.

If you can't attend your appointment please cancel it.  An easy alternative is to sign up to our online booking and cancelling service is very easy to use, you just need to bring identification down to the practice, the receptionist will give you a username and password and you are able to use it within 24 hours.

One Problem Clinics, Minor Injuries Clinics & a Nurse Practitioner Service

We now offer one problem clinics in a morning and afternoon with our nurse practitioner & doctor (whichever is more appropriate) these are shorter appointments for patients who have just 'one problem'.  Minor Injury Clinics We also have an urgent minor injuries Walk-In clinic.  This is to ensure that you receive attention immediately for any injury you may have.

Our clinician will be happy to attend to you, please report to our reception desk.  This service has been designed so Orchard Medical Practice is your first port of call and NOT Accident and Emergency.   Your injury has to be within the last 48 hours of it happening.  This only applies to the following injuries

• Lacerations/Bruising
• Minor Head Injuries
• Minor Burns
• Eye Injuries
• Knee injuries
• Minor trauma to hands, limbs or feet
• Blows to head where there has been no loss of consciousness
• foreign bodies

Are you a Carer - help is at hand

Are you a carer or look after someone, help could be at hand, click the link below for details.

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/caring/adultsocialcare/backgroundsupport/social-care-publications/?entryid126=147003&p=2

Friends & Family Test - Survey

We would be extremely grateful if you could fill out our Friends & Family Survey (found to the right) whether you are likely to recommend Orchard to your Friends & Family.  We submit  statistics monthly to NHS England so we would appreciate your help.  Paper copies are available on reception if you prefer.  Thanks for your help.   Please see below for results

July 2020 - total of responses = 50

Extremely likely to recommend = 46     Likely to recommend = 3

Neither likely nor unlikely =0   Unlikely -0    Extremely unlikely = 1   Don't know= 0

Find us on Facebook, Join & Share with your friends

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Orchard-Medical-Practice/785369651494411?ref=hl 

NHS Website

Please take a look at the NHS Website (formally NHS Choices).  If you would like to leave a review please go to

https://www.nhs.uk/Services/GP/Overview/DefaultView.aspx?id=C84051

Insertion & Removal of Coils & Implants

We offer the insertion and removal of Mirena Coils & Implants.   We hold regular clinics with a female GP.  Please speak to our receptionist for further information. 

We are a Research Practice

Please click the attached link regarding Patient Information and how your information may be used for Health Research.

https://www.hra.nhs.uk/information-about-patients/

We are working in collaboration with the Clinical Research Network: East Midlands (CRN:EM). The CRN:EM is part of the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and is focused on enhancing and promoting research, ensuring that it is conducted in line with ethical procedures and for patient benefit. There is a local team working within Nottingham City and Nottingham County, facilitating research within primary care. 

​We have signed up to a Research Site Initiative Scheme; resulting in them choosing to be involved in appropriate and relevant research studies, focused on enhancing patient care and working on studies that are of particular interest and need for their patient population. The primary care team surpassed recruitment expectations in the financial year of 2014-2015 and this could not have been done without the support of local practices and the engagement from patients in these areas.

You can access the following links for the NIHR and the Clinical Research network:

http://www.nihr.ac.uk/ - National Institute for Health Research

http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/ - Clinical Re​search Network

http://www.enrich.nihr.ac.uk/ - Enrich

http://www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/dementia/about-dementia-research/join-dementia-research/ - Information on Join Dementia Research

If you would like to join the Dementia Research, here is a video you can watch:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt5FdfsQy_4&feature=youtu.be

Or view a poster for more information click on the link below:

Dementia Study information

Are you a long term catheter user - The University of Nottingham and Nottingham Hospitals Trust are conducting research into a new urinary catheter designed to reduce the risk of infection: See link for more information and who to contact.

Catheter Research

Text Messaging Service

You can now register to receive information by text message on your phone regarding appointments and health care. 

If you wish to register for this messaging service please fill out the consent form.

Named Accountable GP

From 1 April 2015, practices are required under the contract to allocate a named, accountable GP to all patients (including children). 

Unless you have specified an alternative GP your named accountable GP will be the doctor you are registered under. This will in no way effect your care from the Practice and you will be seen by all GPs who have equal access to your medical records.  Unless you pre-book your appointment in advance you will be allocated a GP subject to availability on that day. 

Accessible Information Standard

The Accessible Information Standard aims to ensure that people who have a disability or sensory loss receive information that they can access and understand (for example in large print, braille) and professional communication support if you need it, such as from a British Sign Language interpreter. 

We can update your patient record with this information you can let a receptionist know or complete the attached form. Accessible Information Form