Newsletter - Issue 2: Summer 2009
Staffing
In March our new Health Visitor Jane Hill joined us from Poole. Jane is continuing the Wednesday morning Baby Clinics at Dorchester Road, and can be contacted on 07919 545 719 at other times.
In April we appointed a new receptionist, Wendy Dimmick our new receptionist who comes to us with much experience from her previous job as a senior receptionist at Portland Surgery.
And this month (June) we have appointed a new trainee treatment room nurse, Jenni Chaloner to replace our practice nurse Hayley, who sadly left us a this month, to join the much larger Portland Surgery.
Wendy Harvey - Nurse Practitioner
And, for those of you who didn’t hear the news, Wendy passed her exams in the Spring, and is now a fully qualified Nurse Practitioner! And, to complete her role here at the surgery, Wendy has followed this by undertaking her Nurse Prescribing Course. She will soon be able to prescribe routine medication too!
A Nurse Practitioner can help patients with much of the routine medical care given by doctors – so please do book into see her
Patients Survey
Our 4th annual patients survey which we considered this year, has revealed an increase in overall patient satisfaction with 89% of those of you asked, saying you were satisfied. This compares very well with the national benchmark of 79%. More information can be obtained from our practice manager.
HPV Vaccination Campaign
This campaign has now been extended to include girls from 15. We will be sending letters to all eligible patients, but please do book into see the nurse if you think you qualify and prefer not to wait
QoF Results
The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QoF) is a national framework set up to encourage doctors to spend more time preventing disease and illness rather than just curing. This is our 4th year of QoF and each year we have achieved well. This year we achieved 100% in our clinical section and 99.5% in our organizational section (slight dip due to National Patients Survey results).
Summer Sun Protection
As the summer approaches remember to cover up with clothing or sun screen!!
Blood Pressure Monitoring
Can we ask patients who are able to considering buying your own monitoring machines – we have a limited supply which we can loan to patients on a short-term basis. Thanks.
Services
Remember we have many services which can help to improve your health and to which you can self-refer by asking at reception:
- Stopping Smoking
- Exercise Referral
- Family and Personal Weight Management
- Lifestyle Mentoring
- Relaxation Class
- Managing Stress Course
- Improving Sleep Class
Help your doctor to keep to time
Remember our regular appointments are scheduled at 10 minute intervals. It is helpful if patients can limit the number of queries they bring to each appointment please.
Appointments
Please remember appointments can be made on the day if you have a problem that cannot wait – or up to 6 weeks in advance – for patients who like to book and plan ahead!
On-line Services
Also, many of our patients are enjoying being able to book your advance appointments on-line – ask at reception if you would like details of how to sign up. We hope to begin on prescription requesting soon – watch this space!!
Surgery Improvements
New Surgery Signs – some of you will have noticed that we have new surgery signs – one large one on the side wall looking towards Morrisons, and we have replaced the elevated sign at the front of the building. We hope this will make us more visible, as a recent survey of new patients to the surgery revealed that most did not know we were here until someone had told them. Our old signage wasn’t being noticed!
Waiting Room – we are hoping to improve the waiting room soon with some new chairs – ours are now old and many of them worn. We would like to bring ourselves up to date and also increase the number of seats for patients. With Wendy Harvey’s extra surgeries now at the surgery, we do find that we often need more seats for patients.
Life Channel – the Primary Care Trust has paid for and is encouraging surgeries to take this into waiting rooms – it is a television screen which is programmed to update patients on all the last health advice and information and should serve as a good source of information about local and national services. We do hope it will be of benefit to our patients.
Suggestions
Remember – we encourage your suggestions – see our suggestion box in the waiting room.
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