Newsletter - March 2023

Happy New Year to our patients and Practice staff and a very warm welcome to the first 2023 edition of the Clifton Court Medical Practice Group (PPG) Newsletter.

As some of you are aware, Dr Horton has now retired on medical grounds, and she will not be returning to the practice. We send her lots of love and best wishes for her retirement.

Isobel, one of our long standing receptionists is also retiring at the end of March, and she is looking forward to spending more time with her family and playing golf.

We would like to welcome Katie to our reception team, and a new Clinical Practitioner, Sorin. We wish them all the best in their roles. We also have a new GP, Dr Whitehead, who will be with the practice for the next 6 months.

Our team and are aware that some patients have concerns about appointments. Staffing can be a problem, particularly when sickness causes staff absence. The staffing problems may mean that you are not be able to see the doctor of your choosing, however, please be aware that we continue to offer a good number of face-to-face appointments with a doctor whenever possible. This is not the case in all parts of the country. Each day, one doctor is on duty for emergencies only and this could mean you cannot have an appointment to see a particular doctor on that day, but you will be seen in an emergency.

We are currently in the throes of a snowstorm, but we will be looking forward to the spring weather soon enough. To help you get through this cold spell, please remember:

  • Heat your home well (minimum of 18°C) and make sure you are dressed for the weather
  • If you use solid fuel or oil, make sure you have enough to last through a period of severe weather
  • Ensure any spare blankets are aired and ready for use
  • Buy in some extra tinned or dried food which can be heated up if you are unable to leave the house for a few days
  • If you have a freezer, stock it up a bit more than usual
  • Make sure you have a torch (and batteries) in a handy place
  • If you take regular medicine, check you have a sufficient supply to tide you over in case you are unable to get to the doctor or a chemist due to the weather
  • Buy one or two bags of table salt – these are cheap and a sprinkling of salt on the front step or path will get rid or any snow or ice

Patient Support and Understanding

As with many other areas of the NHS, general practice is struggling to cope with demand.  The demand for our services is far greater than the capacity we have to offer.

As a practice we are very proud of the service we deliver but we do need the help of our patients to ensure that our time is spent caring for our patients who need us the most and that people who can be seen elsewhere, are directed to the right service for their needs.

We are asking our patients to help us improve access to our practice and consider taking some of the following steps to enable us to improve our service.

  • If you have a smart phone, you can download and register with the NHS App, where you can request your medications; cancel your appointments and view test results
  • If you do not have a smart phone but have computer, you can also ask our reception team to register you with our online service so you so you can request your medications; cancel your appointments and view test results – this is immediate access for you and releases the phone for urgent calls
  • Please advise the surgery of your mobile phone number and email address – this speeds up the way we can get important messages to our patients
  • For non-urgent or admin requests, please use the online consultation form on our website homepage during opening hours - it’s quick and simple to use, and you will get a response within 5 working days

Published on 13 March 2023