This nationwide screening programme has already started in some areas.
Oxfordshire is scheduled to start at the beginning of 2013. If the start date of a programme area is brought forward we will update this on the AAA website http://aaa.screening.nhs.uk/whereyoulive.
No screening is plasnned for women
April 2012
South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is launching a campaign this Thursday in a bid to stop people calling 999 for non-life threatening reasons. With the service receiving 1,235 hoax calls and many more inappropriate calls from January 2011 to October 2011, this is an increasing problem that is putting people’s lives at risk.
In a concerted effort to address this issue, SCAS is headlining the campaign with a hard-hitting video shot in the style of a movie trailer, which showcases interviews with paramedics, real life emergencies and re-enactments of inappropriate calls and the impact they have. The video will be available to view on www.999southcentral.co.uk as well as on YouTube.
Please promote the campaign and post this link on your websites, intranets and newsletters, as well as sharing it with your family and friends.
The video will be supported by extensive PR activity and to date interviews have been undertaken/are scheduled with a range of national, local and industry specific media, including ITV Meridian, BBC Oxford, Berkshire and Solent, The Sun, The Portsmouth News and The Journal of Paramedic Practice.
The campaign also comprises a number of educational case study films which will be used to target and engage schools, care homes and GPS to help raise awareness of this increasing problem and encourage appropriate use of the service.
For further information on the campaign, please contact Gill Hodgetts, Head of Communications and Public Relations, SCAS (tel: 01869 365097, email: gillian.hodgetts@scas.nhs.uk).
Calling all unpaid carers: Meeting at White Horse Surgery on Thursday 19th January from 10am – 12noon
Includes carers who are registered with the Fern Hill Practice.
We can support carers to get grants for carer’s breaks and make sure they are on the correct benefits.
We can put carers in contact with volunteer services to give them a break form their caring role and put them in contact with many other services who can support them.
Please just come along or Phone Merisha Anderson on 0755 743 0882
Email: merishaanderson@ageukoxfordshire.org.uk
Carers Oxfordshire, Office number : 01235 424715
This may become a monthly session
Even if you are feeling well, it’s worth having an NHS health check.
This check is part of a new national scheme to help prevent the onset of stroke, heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease.( if you've already been diagnosed, you'll not be invited for a Healthcheck)
Everyone aged between 40 and 74 who has not already been diagnosed with these conditions will be invited for a check once every 5 years. The check takes only 20 to 30 minutes.
White Horse Practice have been writing to patients inviting them to attend for a health check.
Please make an appointment for your health check when you receive your invitation.
The practice has said you need not wait for your invitation - just ask at the Medical Centre.
http://www.whmp.co.uk/Newsletters/Newsletter_Autumn2011.pdf
I assume Fernhill Practice are doing something similar
More information on : http://www.nhs.uk/Planners/NHSHealthCheck/Pages/NHSHealthCheckandyou.aspx
October 2011
The leadership of your local NHS is changing
Attend an Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) workshop on the future of public engagement.
Your local GP practices will work with other health professionals and be responsible for designing and buying health services in Oxfordshire. We want your views on a Communications and Engagement Strategy for OCCG. Join our online consultation forum - http://bit.ly/OCCGCommsandEngagement
Attend a workshop -
Tuesday 27th September, 5.15pm - 7.30pm in Oxford
Tuesday 11th October, 5.15pm - 7.30pm exact location to be confirmed in South West Oxfordshire
Tuesday 18th October, 4.45pm - 7pm, in Wallingford
Thursday 20th October, 5.45pm - 8pm exact location to be confirmed in West Oxfordshire
There will be two further events in North Oxfordshire and North East Oxfordshire these dates and locations are yet to be confirmed. RSVP to talking.health@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk or 01865 334641 Please get involved and tell us what you think
You can get advice and see the figures for yur postcode on www.beatingbowelcancer.org/
Download pdf
Why do all new mums and babies have to go to Wantage to see a midwife, why are there no facilities in Faringdon. Not every one has transport and the bus service is very limited.
The Town is growing do you not think that it is time for the local Primary care to re-introduce all the services that they transferred to Wantage and Witney.
Faringdon has lost all the Services and Treatment that were freely available a few years ago perhaps the local area Committee would like to lobby Primary Care into re-instating them.
July 2011
At the Family Centre, 01367 242432 for further details
Update on activities in forming the Oxfordshire Consortium
‘One stop’ shop Gynae clinic will commence on the 28th February 2011.
The clinic will be run fortnightly alongside the Ultrasound clinic in Wantage.
Gynae appointments will be each Monday and it is scheduled to see 25 patients per session. The Clinic will be run by a Consultant from the JR with Registrar support.
'Bookfeast' are looking for new Teabook Group Leaders to lead book groups for older people in day care settings around Oxfordshire
Find out about training for running a book group
SCAS are setting up a members group to help them understand the needs of the various communities in the Oxfordshire, Hants and Buckinghamshire areas.
Do join the group - Rural areas like Faringdon are not so well served by the ambulance service.
http://www.southcentralambulance.nhs.uk/foundation-trust/becomeamember.ashx
The NHS Health Check programme aims to help prevent heart disease, stroke, diabetes and kidney disease. Everyone between the ages of 40 and 74, who has not already been diagnosed with one of these conditions, will be invited (once every five years) to have a check to assess their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and diabetes and will be given support and advice to help them reduce or manage that risk.
Delivery of the NHS Health Check in your area will be the responsibility of Oxfordshire PCT. The method of delivery is usually through GP surgeries or through pharmacies, with some PCTs doing outreach work to target hard-to-reach communities and deprived populations at high risk of cardiovascular disease. The programme is currently on phased roll out, with full roll out of the programme not expected until 2012/13, so it may be that it will take a bit more time to get to your area.
As soon as your local GP surgery or pharmacy starts running the programme they will send an invitation for a NHS Health Check to their eligible population. A lot of PCTs have started roll out of the programme in deprived communities, or are targeting people at higher risk of CVD firsthttp://www.healthcheck.nhs.uk/
The NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme offers screening every two years to all men and women aged 60 to 69. The rollout for the whole country is now complete.
The Faringdon area came on board on 16/04/2010 and it will take two years for everybody who is eligible for screening to be invited.
People are invited to take part around their birthday and in the first year people with ‘even’ birthdays ie 60, 62, 64, 66, 68 will be invited.
Potentially after April 2012 the area will be ‘age extended’ to include people up to the age of 74. Anyone aged 75 and over can ring the help line to ask for a test kit if they wish.
If people want to know when they are due to be invited they can call the Freephone helpline 0800 707 60 60 for more information
 |
and a bigger version
There is a whizzy piece of kit in the White Horse practice waiting room.
You can be weighed, height measured, bmi calculated and your blood pressure taken.
It does NOT speak the results out loud- it prints them on paper which you can hand in to your doc if you wish
If you're between 60 and 69 and regisrtered with a GP you will automatically be sent a screening test kit www.bowel123.co.uk
If you're over 70 and would like a screening kit, call freephone 0800 707 60 60
http://www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/bowel/
See http://www.screening.nhs.uk/nhs-timeline for more screening info
For under 25 year olds
http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/
Chlamydia is the most commonly diagnosed sexually transmitted infection (STI) in the UK, affecting both men and women. Most people who have it will have no symptoms, without a test you will probably not know anything is wrong.
If you or your sexual partner are left untreated it can cause infertility (not being able to have children) and long term pelvic pain. If you are sexually active and under 25 you should be tested for chlamydia annually.
Rates of infection are lower in people who are aged 25 or over. However, if you are over 25 and are concerned about chlamydia, see your GP, ask to speak to the practice nurse or visit a GUM or Sexual Health Clinic. You can find details of these on NHS ‘Sex, Worth talking about’
See http://www.screening.nhs.uk/nhs-timeline for more screening info
Oxfordshire LINk has provided a small grant, within its ‘Have a Say’ fund to PATIENT VOICE to investigate both the quality of the food and accessibility of feeding, as provided for patients in the John Radcliffe Hospital, the Churchill Hospital, Horton General Hospital and Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.
The study will cover quality, variety, suitability and presentation of the food provided to in-patients in these hospitals. It will also look at accessibility of the food and drink (for example, are patients able to reach it, do they need assistance and was this forthcoming?)
Please click here to download the questionnaire.
We would be grateful if you would complete this yourself, if you have recently been an in-patient, or pass it on for completion?
Please return the questionnaire to: Freepost RSAJ-YJXC-ATAT Oxfordshire LINk, Bourton House 18 Thorney Leys Business Park Witney, OX18 4GE
For further information contact: Jacquie Pearce-Gervis (Chair of Patient Voice) Tel: 07715 115353 Email: email@jpg19.plus.com
Specialist information for people who have dementia and their carers
Open 9-5 Monday to Friday · From April 2011 open 9-7 and Weekends 10 – 6
Access to current information about dementia and local resources
01993 700061
www.dementiaweboxfordshire.org.uk
Where are the new services to be to be held. In Faringdon or does the PCT think that Abingdon, Didcot and Witney are areas that we can travel to easily.
Faringdon does not have the transport links to these places and not everyone has the means to travel for medical treatment.
There was a time when the 2 Practices at the Medical centre could boast about having visiting Consultants on a regular basis.
The PCT should help to reinstate these and other nessesary medical clinics to Faringdon instead of upgrading services that we are unable to get to.
December 2010
Dermatology , Obesity , Footcare, Ultrasound, DVT diagnostics, Diagnostic Feasibility Study, Local Eye Services, Arrhythmia
Read this document for the detail
Vision for the future
The White Paper outlines the government’s vision and makes proposals to make the make the NHS more responsive, transparent, and better able to withstand the funding pressures in the future. This aims to build on what is best in the NHS, working to achieve continual improvements, whilst being honest and open about shortcomings. With the financial pressures, the NHS faces many challenges and difficult local decisions will be necessary.
http://www.makesachange.org.uk/cms/site/news/oxfordshire/liberating-the-nhs-links-consultation.aspx
You've been invited to participate in the Older People's Mental Health Strategy consultation by the consultation manager, Sara Price.
A draft strategy is being developed for Older People's Mental Health in Oxfordshire. The strategy is designed to provide direction for the future of mental health services for older people until 2015. Our vision is for Oxfordshire's older people to be mentally healthy, feel empowered and remain as independent as possible for as long as possible.
We would like to hear your views about the Older People's Mental Health Strategy. What do you think of the seven key objectives? Is there anything missing? What should the priorities be?
Click on the link below to join the consultation and give us your views: Participate in this consultation If clicking on the above link does not work, 'Copy' and 'Paste' the following line above into your web browser's address bar: https://consult.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/consult.ti/oldermentalhealth/invited?e=genewebb%40rocketmail%2Ecom&p=7D04FE632010091716
I am writing to you to let you know about an opportunity to get involved with your Local Involvement Network(LINks).
Please take a look at their invitation below and contact the address in the invitation:
Oxfordshire LINK focus group -join us! From doing outreach around Oxfordshire this summer Oxfordshire LINk has found that making appointments at the GP surgery is a major talking point.
We would like to invite members of the public with an interest in this topic to take part in a focus group to talk about GP surgeries and access to appointments.
We will look at questions like... How easy is it for you to make an appointment? What do you think of your surgeries opening times?
At the end we'll look at how best to present this information to surgeries. With our help what would you do next?
Oxfordshire LINk is an independent organisation. This is a voluntary role. All travel expenses will be reimbursed and lunch provided.
Please email the LINk at oxfordshirelink@makesachange.org.uk if you wish to take part.
We look forward to hearing from you!
The Department of Health has just launched three consultations around the recent white paper: Liberating the NHS.
Links to these consultations are as follows:
* Transparency in Outcomes: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_117583
* Increasing Democratic Legitimacy in Health: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_117586
* Commissioning for Patients: http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/Liveconsultations/DH_117587
NHS Oxfordshire is keen to encourage all our patients, carers and public to have a say in these government proposals. These are National Consultations and as such comments should be made to the Department of Health and not NHS Oxfordshire. The Talking Health Team, NHS Oxfordshire Talking.health@oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
NHS Oxfordshire is working to develop an active aging network, and wants to commission (purchase) an older peoples exercise, health and wellbeing service for the benefit of Oxfordshire residents.
https://consult.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/consult.ti/activeagingnetwork/consultationHome
The consultation is from 14 Jul 2010 at 15:00 to 22 Aug 2010 at 23:59.
The results will be published by 10 Sep 2010.
Results to be published on https://consult.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk/consult.ti/IAPT/consultationHome11 September 2010
* Additional Counselling will start in the Vale this month.
* The Ultrasound and Gynae service tender has been agreed and published, responses are required by end August with a view to starting service in 2011
* Pulmonary Rehab classes have started and will be rolled out to all areas – Faringdon went first, followed by a 2nd Faringdon class and the first Didcot. Two courses in each of the 4 localities are planned
* The Vale idea for greater self help and group Physio has been accepted and work in underway to agree format and protocols.
* The Vale have put forward the idea of local pre admission clinics as suggested by a member of the Woodlands PPG, this will go to the Clinical Think Tank next month
* The Carers Centre has published the new Caring for Someone at Home which received some financial and input help from the Group * Footcare in all areas continues until April 2011 but our Older Peoples project has now finished.
This means that if you have been assessed as needing suport with your care you can now receive the money rather than the services provided by Social Services. You'll be able to buy in the services you need from wherever you wish.
Read the newsletter
You can help us to develop health services that are right for you by telling us what you think. Your opinions, experience and feedback make a difference to the healthcare services that are provided across the county.
NHS Oxfordshire wants to keep patients and the public informed of what is happening on a day-to-day basis.
Visit our website at: www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
You can also follow our developments on:
Face to face
Take part in a working group
Attend occasional focus groups or workshops
Work alongside us on projects
In writing Respond to questionnaires
Comment on consultation documents
Take part in discussion forums
Register for Oxfordshire Voice our local citizen panel Talking Health
Talking Health online public involvement service enables you to register by post or online. https://consult.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
Get involved and stay informed in ways that suit you Tell us exactly what you are interested in
www.oxfordshirepct.nhs.uk
Read our leaflet
From 2 November, anyone receiving Child Benefit should be aware it will no longer be counted as income when the councils calculate Housing or Council Tax Benefit. The change will be good news for many families on low incomes, who may find themselves better off each month. And some people who previously didn't qualify may now be eligible for help.
There are also likely to be some changes for the over 60s on state pension credit, as the £6,000 lower savings limit has been raised to £10,000.
In both cases, if people already receive housing and/or council tax benefit, the councils will recalculate any entitlements and notify them of any changes.
21/10/09
The Out of Hours service is managed by the PCT using a number of providers,
1. The City and South is directly provided by the PCT
2. The North is provided by PML (a not-for-profit local cooperative)
The coverage of this service is Monday to Friday 18.30 to 23.00 and Sat/Sun/Bank Holiday 08.00 to 23.00.
3. The county overnight service is provided by Harmoni (a private contractor) This service covers from 23.00 to 08.00 daily.
All the Out of Hours services are based on the model of patient calls (via a common call centre) being triaged by an experienced General Practitioner (GP) who will consult with one of 4 possible outcomes;
1 Provide advice on the telephone.
2 Invite patient to come to the OOH base for face-to-face assessment (see below for further details).
3 Visit the patient at home – this could be undertaken by the GP or an experienced specialist nurse (See below for further details).
4 Refer on to another agency.
Home visits
It is the doctor’s professional medical opinion combined with knowledge of the patient’s personal circumstance and mobility which results in a home visit being recommended. Consultations can vary regarding their urgency. Once a doctor has assessed whether the visit is required he will assign an urgency rating and this is then time controlled as follows;
Urgent: within 1 hour
Less Urgent: within 2 hours
Routine: within 6 hours.
Base visit distances
If a patient is invited to attend the OOH to see the doctor we always try to ensure they visit the nearest convenient location.
During the evening and weekends we operate from 6 bases; a. Banbury b. Bicester c. Witney d. Oxford city e. Abingdon f. Henley
This gives excellent coverage across the county for access.
There is no direct measure of distance; it is based on convenience.
Overnight the service is operated from 4 bases with Henley and Bicester closing at 23.00.
October 2009
It's estimated that cancer patients will save more than £100 a year which will make a big difference especially as most people's income drops significantly after a cancer diagnosis but the extra costs mount up.
Apply for a medical exemption certificate by collecting an application form from your GP surgery or oncology clinic
Oct 2009
A new weekly advice session has started in a mobile unit which visits Faringdon’s Gloucester Street car park and offers a place to go for anyone with concerns about their drinking or drug use.
The sessions are on a Thursday from 10.30 am to 12.30pm where key worker Eamon O’Malley is on hand.
The private one-to-one room will be available for people to speak confidentially to get advice, have an assessment, or to see a drug or alcohol worker on a regular basis.
For further information call the SMART Helpline on 01865 403151
30/9/09
I have recently been made aware that a F/don resident could not be given the palliative care he and his family needed, whilst in the final grips of cancer. Why? because the 20 beds at Sobell house are not enough for the county.
But why are we (Faringdon) relying on the stretched resources at Sobell House when we have our own purpose built 24 hour nursing unit?
Around 15 years ago (don't quote me on the time) the local GP's fought to have a number of beds made available to the community at Ferendune Court, Ash Close. These were short stay private rooms, managed by Anchor Housing. This unit then became managed with 24 hour nursing care and the number of beds reduced.
My understanding is there are now NO community beds. Local, primary and NHS funding has stopped. The beds are still there and now are filled privately.
Could this community service be reinstated is there no need in F/don and surrounding villages for short term nursing care?
I feel this is another F/don amenity that has been left to die its death.
29/9/09
There are concerns that cheaper drugs are being prescribed in place of branded more expensive drugs.
If your prescription has been changed, make sure the different drugs are as effective as before.
Talk to your doctor.
This dept of Health Scheme entitles a patient on certain benefits to reclaim all or part of the cost of getting to and from hospital if they are not eligible for non emergency transport.
Further information on 01865 221602
Have a look at hospital transport on this site. It gives information about buses, non urgent transport from the ambulance service and volunteer transport
Free and confidential advice on debt, legal matters, employment rights, consumer matters.
Free solicitors surgeries, fortnightly, by appointment
Attendance allowance is for the over 65's who are in some way disabled or long term sick and need help with personal care. The condition has to last for at least 6 months. The allowance can be awarded even if no-one is actually providing the personal care required, and even if the recipient lives alone.
The Citizens Advice bureau would help someone fill in the forms.
Once the attendance allowance is awarded, it can be spent on anything they want, such as transport to appointments.
Phone 0800 882200 for information and forms
Red Cross House Colwell Drive Abingdon, OX14 1AU
Tel: 01235 552 660
Fax: 01235 539 009
email oxon@redcross.org.uk
Oxford branch of Red Cross website
Care in the home: The British Red Cross provides short-term care and support in the home for people after an accident or illness, giving them the confidence to continue their daily lives. As part of this service, the British Red Cross provides help for people when they first arrive home from hospital.
Medical equipment: British Red Cross volunteers provide short-term loans of medical equipment, such as wheelchairs, for people with a disability or illness.
The main types of equipment we offer are: Wheelchairs, Commodes, Bath seats, Crutches, Walking sticks, Walking frames
Equipment is loaned with the option of providing a voluntary contribution. We are open Monday to Friday 1.30pm to 3.45pm. 01235 552 664.
Therapeutic care: The British Red Cross offers gentle therapeutic massage for people at times of personal crisis to promote a sense of well-being and relaxation. A service user is offered a relaxing 30-minute session consisting of: Hand care and hand massag, Neck and shoulder massage given through clothing. It aims to: Assist relaxation, Promote a sense of well- being.
Offer the opportunity to talk to someone other than a member of staff or family.
Transport service: The British Red Cross provides door-to-door transport for people who cannot get about easily, restoring their freedom and independence. By providing drivers with suitable vehicles – and escorts where needed- it becomes possible to make essential journeys and other trips that make life more pleasurable. Our drivers and escorts are all trained in helping people who have difficulty travelling for one reason or another. We normally ask for a contribution to our costs but no one will be refused a service because they cannot pay. The amount is usually based on a mileage rate.
If you would like further information or are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact David Cook on 01235 552 673.
NB: This service in Faringdon is limited and more costly because there are no volunteer drivers based here.
The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from one person to another but women are more likely to experience “unusual” symptoms.
This can include:
a mild discomfort in the chest that makes them feel generally unwell;
a pain in their chest that can spread to the back or stomach;
a chest pain that feels like bad indigestion or feeling light-headed or dizzy as well as having chest pain.
The most common symptoms include chest pain, which can spread to arms, neck and jaw; and also feeling sick or sweaty and short of breath.
Are you having any type of chest pain plus any of the following:
shortness of breath,
sweating,
nausea (feeling sick),
dizziness or light-headedness, or cold, clammy skin?
or
Are you experiencing any of these symptoms:
•severe pain in your chest or abdomen (tummy) that seems to be moving:
i. down your legs,
ii. towards your back,
iii. from your back towards your abdomen,
•a pulsating sensation (like a heartbeat) in your abdomen (tummy),
•pain between your shoulder blades,
•pain that feels like it is ‘ripping’ or ‘tearing’ along your back bone?
If YES NHSDirect advises that you call 999
See NHSdirect Self Help Guide
Heart Failure symptoms
Breathlessness when you're more active than usual or sometimes when you're resting.
Extreme tiredness and weakness.
Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet.
These symptoms are often caused by other conditions, but they are signs that you might have heart failure. Your doctor may suggest doing some tests to see if you have got heart failure, or to rule it out as a cause for your symptoms.
Other symptoms that might be associated with heart failure include:
Being woken up in the middle of the night gasping for breath (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea).
A cough that will not go away. Nausea (feeling sick).
Lack of appetite.
Confusion or difficulties in concentrating.
If you have already been diagnosed with heart failure and you get any of these symptoms, or the ones you already have do not get better, it could mean that the condition is worsening and you need to have your treatment changed.
Did you know that you can ask for a GP appointment outside the normal surgery hours?
Fernhill Practice. Tues and Fridays 0700-0800
White Horse Practice it varies, mostly alternate Saturday mornings, and from once or twice a week, and at different times. A timetable for 3 months is produced to fit in with Drs work times
Ask the receptionist
Leisure Centre, Mondays, 0945-1030, £2.65 (unless you are a member)
Circuits, aerobics, studio cycling, stability ball
Every Wednesday from outside the Bell, 1030
1 mile or 2
More information
Thursday mornings , 1000-1100 at the Bowling Club, £2.50 per session.
Good parking
Enq: Sue 01367 244778
3 new services- 600,700,800 from park and ride car parks (Water Eaton, PearTRee and Thornhill) to the Churchill and the John Radcliffe
See www.rhtransportservices.co.uk for the timetable
July 2009
The government target for responding to the most urgent of calls 75% of calls within 8 minutes.
The SCAS, South Central Ambulance Service (Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire) report that they achieve this. However I understand they are only required to provide whole area figures, and are monitored against these. They are allowed to include respponse times if when First responders.
In the Faringdon area achieving the 8 minutes target is a different story. The average for 9 months of 2008 show that arriving within 8 minutes is only achieved for about 47% of calls. (and it's only as 'good' as this because of our wonderful local volunteers - the First responders)
It seems that Faringdon is not alone. Response times in rural areas across the country(I think) are not being achieved. Because the number of calls is the relatively low, they don't have a noticeably adverse effect on the area wide figures.
What can be done about this?
Clearly having an ambulance and staff waiting in Faringdon for the 1 or 2 calls each week is not sensible./cost effective.
Surely there must be some way to improve the service times? The problem is I don't think SCAS feel the need to do anyhting as they are achieving the targets the government has set overall.
Incidentally, Shrivenham is covered by The Wiltshire Ambulance service- some special arrangement in place.
July 2009
Dermatology - an ongoing project as GP's become more familiar with newly acquired equipment and skills. Dedicated training and review is in place and the project is to be evaluated to see if local GP's can make an impact on the number and nature of referrals to secondary care.
Obesity - an ongoing project seeing considerable investment in both time and money. Weight stations have been introduced into all 10 practices; slimming club membership vouchers have been available in all practices; practice nurses have attended training both as a consortium and with the County dietetic team; we are pulling together a resource directory for each area and are working with the recently formed 'go-active' team.
Childhood Obesity is high on our agenda as is further collaboration with the Public Health Team. Primary Care alone can not manage this UK wide problem.
Footcare - we piloted a scheme in Didcot with Age Concern Sole Mates. Age Concern had been unable to recruit volunteers to work in Didcot so we agreed to fund a paid 'nail cutter' so that older people could benefit from the service. This service is now available in all four of the Vale locations - ask your receptionist for details or contact Age Concern Oxfordshire.
Ultrasound - after numerous set backs we are now hopeful that this service will be in place this year. This will provide local ultrasound diagnostic services in all four areas of the group. Local Gynaecology with ultrasound - this should now follow the commissioning of the ultrasound service. Our model requires a 'one stop shop' approach to the provision on local services.
DVT diagnostics - introduced in July 2009 across the Group. A simple test carried out within the practice offers quick diagnosis and reduces referrals to secondary care.
Older Peoples Services - new, innovative and looking to the future needs of the older population of the Group. Working with Age Concern to help identify need and prevent isolation. This service is able to refer to existing primary care services and primary care will be able to refer to it.
Diagnostic Feasibility Study - a one off commissioned study looking at future needs and possibilities within the Vale. Approved but yet to be commissioned, the outcomes of this study should shape future service redesign bids providing diagnostic service closer to home.
Local Eye Services - recently approved our scheme has a three streams of service development. The first will look at glaucoma testing, how we might provide enhanced testing within the community. Streams two and three will look at the management of patients before and after cataract procedures and how we might develop greater cross-profession working between general practitioners, secondary care and our local optometrists.
Arrhythmia - this service will be introduced in the Vale later this year, around October/November. It will enable GP's to test heart rhythms by the use of a simple monitoring device. This service will reduce the need for patients to travel to and from Oxford for this simple but effective test.
Have your say……your views and suggestions are very important to us.
There are several ways in which you can either become involved or express your views - Vale Patient Reference Group - we meet quarterly to discuss progress and identify areas of concern.
For information please contact your Practice Manager. Your Practice Patient Group - contact your Practice Manager. Write: Vale PBC Group c/o The Practice Manager use your practice name and address Email: tina.coop@btinternet.com
Sole Mates is a simple footcare service to help maintain and improve the independence and mobility of older people in our community. It is not a medical service but a common sense approach to basic footcare. Volunteers spend time with each client chatting while they bathe their feet, trim their toenails and finish with a relaxing, gentle foot massage.
We offer this service in older people's homes, day centres and at special footcare sessions in Faringdon Day Hospital.
Regular treatments are given every 6 to 8 weeks, dependent on individual need.
This service is for older people who are unable to cut their own nails through reasons of frailty and difficulty bending, poor eyesight or problems with dexterity.
There is a fee of £10 per treatment.
Manager: Joanna Fowler 01865 717615
July 2009
In April 2008 the NHS contract introduced a new national standard: acute hospitals must send a discharge summary to a patient’s GP within 72 hours of the patient’s discharge.
In April 2010, this drops to 24 hours. Failure puts hospitals in breach of their contract and they can be penalised financially.
But a year into the new contract and two thirds of GPs surveyed by the NHS Alliance say they are still not getting discharge letters on time. One in four GPs says this has put patient safety at risk.
PCTs and practice based commissioning groups are beginning to flex their financial muscles.
Suddenly, discharge letters are getting a lot more attention than they used to. It is clear that paper-based solutions won’t cut it.
The only way forward is standardised electronic discharge summaries, securely transmitted over local healthcare networks.
More info
FAST requires an assessment of three specific symptoms of stroke.
Facial weakness - can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
Arm weakness - can the person raise both arms?
Speech problems - can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
Time to call 999
By calling 999 early treatment can be given which can prevent further brain damage.
Stroke Helpline 0845 3033 100
www.stroke.org.uk