FLU CLINICS
The last walk-in flu clinics this year is on Saturday 17th November at Babbacombe surgery
THE CLINIC IS OPEN BETWEEN 9.00am AND 12.30pm - PLEASE NOTE THAT NO APPOINTMENT IS NECESSARY.
ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible for a flu jab if you are...
- Over 65
- Have a chronic condition (including asthma, diabetes, COPD, heart disease, kidney disease)
- A care or a health care worker
- Immunosuppressed
- Pregnant
CHILDREN
2-3 year olds with dates of birth between 1st September 2014 and 31st August 2016 will be sent invitations to open flu nasal spray clinics. These are open walk-in clinics and no appointment is necessary. The dates are;
- Thursday 11th October at St Marychurch surgery from 2-4pm
- Tuesday 23rd October at Shiphay surgery from 2-4pm
School children in Reception to Year 5 with dates of birth between 1st September 2008 and 21st August 2014 will received the flu nasal spray at school.
HOUSEBOUND PATIENTS
Housebound patients will be given flu vaccinations at home.
PRESCRIPTIONS - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PATIENTS
From Tuesday 1st January 2019 you will need to allow 72 working hours (3 working days) for the practice to generate your prescription, following a prescription request.
This is a change from the current 48 working hour (2 working day) practice service level.
- Prescription requests received on Monday (including over a weekend or Bank Holiday) - prescription will be ready for collection on Thursday of the same week after 3pm
- Prescription requests received on Tuesday - prescription will be ready for collection on Friday of the same week after 3pm
- Prescription requests received on Wednesday - prescription will be ready for collection on Monday of the following week after 3pm
- Prescription requests received on Thursday - prescription will be ready for collection on Tuesday of the following week after 3pm
- Prescription requests received on Friday - prescription will be ready for collection on Wednesday of the following week after 3pm
If you have nominated a pharmacy to collect your prescriptions on your behalf, please allow your pharmacy a further 48 working hours (two working days) to order and dispense your prescription.
Collecting prescriptions for controlled drugs if you have not nominated a pharmacy
Please note that if you have not nominated a pharmacy to collect your prescriptions, and if you require prescriptions for controlled drugs (such as strong painkillers) you will only be able to collect printed prescriptions for controlled drugs from our St Marychurch surgery. Prescriptions for non-controlled drugs may be collected from any of the three surgeries.
Nominating a friend or relative to collect prescriptions on your behalf
If you do not wish to nominate a pharmacy, then please print and complete an authorisation letter. This will allow a nominated person of your choice to collect your prescriptions on your behalf. We would suggest completing this form even if you currently collect your own prescriptions, in case there should ever be an instance where you cannot do so in person. Please return the signed, completed form to the practice and hand a copy to your nominated person.
Thursday 29th November 2018 - NEW PRACTICE TELEPHONE SYSTEM
The practice telephone system is being upgraded in Thursday 29th November 2018.
While the switchover takes place we will be without telephone lines from 1.00pm - 6.00pm approximately.
If you have an emergency situation during this time you should dial 999.
If you have an urgent medical need which cannot wait until the following day then you should dial 111. A call taker will assess your problem and pass the details to the Duty Clinician, if appropriate.
The practice will remain open for reception services, although there may be some disruption to our computers which could cause delays in answering prescription queries and providing test results.
Our new system will be live from 8.30am on Friday 30th November 2018 - please bear with us during the inevitable teething problems while we get used to it and deal with the backlog!
October 2018 - Improved Access for patients
Evening and weekend GP appointments are now available in this area.
One practice is open each evening and during weekends for GP, Nurse and Health Care Assistant appointments.
You may be able to book an appointment at Brunel, or with a clinician at a different practice.
To read more about Improved Access click here.
To access these appointments, please call the appointments line on 01803 312233
September 2018 - Changes to the appointments system
As from Monday 17th September we will no longer offer routine book-on-the-day appointments.
Patients will now be offered;
- Pre-bookable routine appointments
- Pre-bookable routine telephone consultations
- E-Consult (available from this website without pre-registration - guaranteed GP response by the next working day)
- Patient Access (register at reception with two forms of ID)
You an still receive a telephone call from our 'on-the-day' team - if your query is urgent
The Doctors
Brunel Medical Practice
BABBACOMBE SURGERY LUNCHTIME CLOSURES
With effect from 1st September 2018 Babbacombe surgery will close each Wednesday from 1.00pm - 2.00pm.
In addition, on the last Wednesday of the month (see dates below), the closure will be extended to 12.15pm - 2.00pm;
- Wednesday 26th September 2018
- Wednesday 31st October 2018
- Wednesday 28th November 2018
- Wednesday 30th January 2019
- Wednesday 27th February 2019
- Wednesday 27th March 2019
During the closures all calls will be answered as normal by practice staff.
These closures are to allow time for staff training.
Our apologies for any inconvenience caused.
COLLECTING CONTROLLED DRUG PRESCRIPTIONS FROM THE SURGERY
Starting with immediate effect, when collecting a prescription which includes controlled medication the person collecting the prescription will be required to provide photographic ID before the prescription is released by the practice.
If you have nominated another person to collect your controlled-drug prescription on your behalf, then please make sure that the person collecting has photo-ID to present to the surgery.
Acceptable photo-ID includes;
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Bus pass
- Citizens ID
- Student ID
If you or the person collecting your controlled-drug prescriptions cannot provide the necessary ID, then please contact the surgery to nominate a pharmacy who will collect your prescription on your behalf.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REQUIREMENT FOR ID ONLY APPLIES IF YOUR PRESCRIPTION INCLUDES CONTROLLED DRUGS
June 2018 - The Doctors and team at Brunel are excited to announce some changes to our appointments system.
We have some new members in our clinical team who will form part of our new ‘Urgent Hub’ which will enable us to see and treat all urgent conditions on the same day, whilst also enabling the GPs to have more pre-bookable telephone and face to face appointments to follow up patients with more complex conditions.
We have 2 new Advanced Nurse Practitioners who can assess and treat the majority of conditions, Sarah Holmes and Linda Ward have many years’ experience and we are pleased to welcome them to our team. We also welcome Stephen Reeves-Brown, a Specialist Paramedic who will be assessing patients at the surgery and in their homes. Finally, in July we welcome Hayley Cooper, Prescribing Pharmacist – Hayley has been working part time with us at Brunel for many years but we are delighted she will become a full time member of our team.
The Doctors have requested that the reception team take some details about the reason you are calling to enable us to provide the best appointment for you. This information will be held confidentially and will help us to provide the best service that we can. We appreciate your cooperation with this.
From June 4th the only patients to have access to the surgery from 7.30am will be those with pre-booked appointments.
Patients are requested to contact the surgery in person or by telephone after 8.30 for appointment requests. Patients will no longer be able to book on the day appointments by queuing at 7.30; this is to make the system fair for all.
We are also pleased to announce that we will soon have a new telephone system meaning better access to the surgery with more phone lines coming in. We apologise for the delay in setting this service up, this is due to circumstances out of our control.
Are you signed up to our online access? Please see our website or ask at reception for details www.brunelmedicalpractice.co.uk
Did you know you can now also use ‘e-consult’, our new online service? Simply complete an e-consult online and it will be dealt with within 24 working hours.
We would like to encourage all patients to nominate a pharmacy for their medications to be delivered to. This removes the need for you to collect prescriptions from the surgery and means we can send them direct to the pharmacy for you to collect.
Please bear with us while we make these changes, we are confident they will help us to improve access to our services but, as with any change, will take some time to get right.
Thank you
Brunel Medical Practice Team
LATEST PRACTICE NEWSLETTER
Click here to see the latest newsletter giving details about new staff at the practice, online services and new data protection regulations.
BREAST SCREENING ALERT HELPLINE
Patients seeking further information regarding the Breast Screening Alert on 2nd May are advised to call the dedicated helpline on 0800 169 2692.
NHS HEALTH CHECKS
Five-yearly NHS Health Checks are available for 40-74 year old patients.
Please note that these checks are not available for patients who have not been previously diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, stroke, atrial fibrillation and chronic kidney disease.
Please phone the surgery to book a twenty minute appointment with a Health Care Assistant - there is no need to wait for an invitation to attend.
Your NHS Health Check will include a blood test, urine test and healthy lifestyle advice. When you arrive at the surgery for your appointment please use the Health pod in the waiting room to record your height, weight and blood pressure.
For more information about NHS Health Checks, please click here
eCONSULT IS NOW AVAILABLE ON THIS WEBSITE...
This service allows you to;
...get information and advice about a range of health problems online
...find out about the most appropriate source of help and guidance for you
...communicate with your GP online
...send a query to your GP and practice staff without using the phone or coming in for a face-to-face consultation
You can send a query to your GP, and will receive an answer from the practice within 24 working hours.
You don't have to present ID to the surgery, or sign-up and register for this service in order to use it.
See posters and information in all the surgeries for further information, or watch a video by clicking here
NHSquicker - HELPING YOU TO ACCESS URGENT CARE
NHSquicker gives you live waiting and travel times for NHS urgent care in this region. It provides information about the healthcare services available to you based on your location, helping you to choose the right service and spend less time waiting.
The combined waiting and travel times estimate how long it will take you to be seen by each service. Our emergency departments are busy and often - for a minor injury - you could be seen quicker elsewhere.
Always remember to dial 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency.
To find out more about NHSquicker and download the app, please click here
ONLINE SERVICE - PATIENT ACCESS
Patient Access is an on-line service that allows patients to;
book and cancel GP and blood test appointments
order repeat prescriptions
view selected medical records
send secure messages to the practice
PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLINE SERVICES ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR PATIENTS UNDER THE AGE OF 16
REGISTERING FOR PATIENT ACCESS
To register for Patient Access, please visit the surgery, bringing identification documents with you. Ideally this should be;
- two forms of photo-ID, OR...
- one form of photo-ID + a bank statement
Photo-ID can include a photographic driving licence, passport, bus-pass or student ID card.
Any bank statement presented will only be used to cross-check address details and will never be copied.
ID verification requirements are stringent because Patient Access allows the user to see some parts of your medical record.
Once your ID has been checked a registration form will be printed for you containing your User ID and password - this information can then be used to set up your Patient Access account.
PATIENTS WITHOUT PHOTO-ID
If you cannot present ID, but would like to use Patient Access, please tell us and we will ask your GP to vouch for your identity.
PATIENTS WHO CANNOT VISIT THE SURGERY
If you are housebound but would like to use Patient Access, please tell us and we will ask your GP to vouch for your identity.
PATIENT ACCESS TRAINING
Free training is available for patients who would like to use Patient Access but would like a little extra help. This training is available from Healthwatch Torbay. You can contact Healthwatch in the following ways;
Freephone: 08000 520 029
Website: www.healthwatchtorbay.org.uk
Email: info@healthwatchtorbay.org.uk
Freepost: RTCG-TRXX-ZZKJ, Healthwatch Torbay, Paignton Library, Great Western Road, Paignton TQ4 5AG
TEST FOR PROSTATE CANCER
Following articles in the media and on television, please click on the link below to read more about prostate cancer testing and all the latest guidance;
Information about testing for prostate cancer
NHS PRESCRIPTION CHARGE INCREASE
From 1st April 2018 NHS prescription charges will be increasing.
Please click here for details.
PHLEBOTOMY APPOINTMENTS ON PATIENT ACCESS
From 1st March patients who have been asked to have a blood test by their GP will be able to book blood test (phlebotomy) appointments online via the Patient Access service.
As well as blood tests requested by a GP this will also include regular blood tests for medication monitoring, INR finger-prick tests and blood tests preceding your annual health check.
Patient Access is an easy-to-use online service which enables patients to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions online.
If you would like to sign up for Patient Access simply bring two forms of photo-ID to the surgery (or one form of photo-ID plus a bank statement) and reception staff will register you for the service.
Blood test appointments will be available on the Patient Access website soon!
Click here to see more details about Patient Access
BABY & CHILD IMMUNISATIONS
The World Health Organisation has issued up to date guidance on the consequences of choosing not to vaccinate your baby/child.
When making a decision about immunisation of your child, please ensure the decision you make is an informed one! Please read the information provided and or talk to a qualified health professional.
Click here to see the latest information from the WHO
BRUNEL MEDICAL PRACTICE
Shingles vaccination
The national shingles immunisation programme is currently available to people who were born between the following dates
02/09/1942 - 01/09/1947
02/09/1937 - 01/09/1939
Once you reach 80 years old you are no longer eligible for the vaccination. If you would like to have then shingles vaccination and you are eligible, please book an appointment with a practice nurse.
MENACWY vaccination
New cohort of year 13 students are now eligible for the MENACWY vaccination. This vaccine is available up until the age of 25.
GP Appointments
Dear Patients
We are currently experiencing a shortage of on-the-day GP appointments due to a combination of greatly increased and unprecedented demand for services and GP absence.
If the appointment that you request is not immediately available for you, please understand that this is not the fault of our reception staff. We respectfully request that reception staff are treated with courtesy at all times.
Please note that we operate a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse of our staff.
If you need urgent medical attention, then you will be offered a telephone call-back from a GP. The GP will assess your problem during the call. The Doctor will offer advice and, if appropriate, generate a prescription for you. If you need to be seen by a Doctor, the GP will invite you to attend a mutually convenient appointment.
Please note that GP's have access to appointments that are not available for booking by reception staff, just for this purpose.
PLEASE TREAT OUR RECEPTION STAFF WITH COURTESY AT ALL TIMES. THEY ARE DOING THEIR VERY BEST TO HELP YOU ACCESS THE SERVICES YOU NEED.
Thank you for your support.
From all of the Doctors and staff at Brunel Medical Practice.
FEDERATING WITH LOCAL PRACTICES
Following recent meetings, Brunel Medical Practice, Chilcote Surgery, Parkhill Medical Practice and Southover Medical Practice will begin to work collaboratively in a federated model which will be known as Riviera Health Care.
Rivera Health Care would like to take this opportunity to formally announce to our practice colleagues in the South Devon and Torbay CCG footprint, the CCG and NHSE our aim to embrace a new model of working, with a view to ensuring sustainability now and in the future.
The pace of change we find ourselves now working within is fast, relentless and unprecedented. As a result practices can no longer work in isolation without the support that a federated model can offer.
Riviera Health Care intends to initially work on one or two smaller projects with an aim to get used to new closer working relationships and embedding those changes before tackling larger and more labour intensive work streams.
We have agreed to start our journey with identifying any synergies where we may be able to utilise resources more effectively.
Riviera Health Care aims are simple; Closer Smarter Working
INFORMATION ABOUT REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS
Information about Managed Repeats
Pharmacy Letter to Patients
NAMED ACCOUNTABLE GP
From 1st April 2015 all Brunel patients, including children, have a Named Accountable GP responsible for their care at the surgery. This does not change which doctor you can see.
If you would like to know who your GP is, please ask at reception.