Practice Newsletter – Winter 2014

CQC

We are delighted that following the rating of GP surgeries by the NHS regulatory body, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), The Hawkinge & Elham Valley Practice (which includes our Elham and Hawkinge surgeries) has been rated in the top 20% of practices being rated as a 5 – one of the top bands by the NHS regulatory body for quality and care. This means that we are a low risk practice and is an achievement that we are very proud of, bearing in mind the changes that both staff and patients have had to come to terms with over the past year or so. We would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and continued support.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY TEST

From the 1st of December all NHS Services are required to undertake a Friends and Family Test of the patients they see and service they provide. As a practice we have signed up to a feedback service called iWantGreatCare.org details of how to leave a review is available in the practice or on our website. Patients are able to leave reviews specific to the branch they were seen in or for specific GPs employed by the practice.

The Friends and Family Test is just one of a number of tools used in the NHS to collect feedback from patients. One of the key benefits of this test is that patients can give their feedback in near real time and the results are available to staff more quickly than traditional feedback methods.

We are always pleased to receive feedback from patients in order to monitor and improve our services to you.

NEW NURSE

We are pleased to welcome Laura McKenna our new Practice Nurse. She has some induction training to do with us but she will be up and running in no time.

WATCH THIS SPACE

The Hawkinge & Elham Valley Practice are in the process of planning an “Open Day” on Saturday 17th January, for our patients to come and meet our new team, see the new premises development and take part in a Health Promotion and Awareness day, to include the pharmacies and public health. Final details have yet to be finalised but we will be advertising this shortly.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

Would you be interested in being part of the Hawkinge & Elham Valley Practice Patient Participation Group (PPG)? We would like to start developing a PPG in the New Year and would love to hear from anyone who would like to come along to an Expressions of Interest meeting to be held on 22nd January at 18:00 in the surgery. Please contact the Practice Manager if you would like to come along and see what being a member of a PPG involves.

CHLAMYDIA

Chlamydia is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the UK. It does not often cause symptoms and can be passed on to others without you realising. Symptoms and complications may develop if it is left untreated. A short course of antibiotic therapy clears the infection in most cases.

The National Chlamydia Screening Programme offers screening for all men and women less than twenty five years, to be undertaken yearly or following a change in sexual partner. This is a urine sample for men and a low vaginal swab for women. Self testing kits are available at the surgery or from your healthcare professional if you are attending for an appointment.

CHRISTMAS OPENING TIMES