News

NHS app session Nov 24
Contact details reminder poster

Patient Update - Call Recording

From Thursday 26th September 2024 all incoming and outgoing telephone calls at Chelston Hall Surgery will be recorded for training and monitoring purposes. 
This includes
  • All external incoming calls
  • All external outgoing calls made by practice staff.
  • All internal incoming and outgoing calls made by the practice staff.
  • Call transfers.

Stop smoking 1 2024
Stop smoking 2024 2

Get ready for Stoptober

• Stop smoking for the 28 days of Stoptober and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
• Over 2.5 million people have quit smoking with Stoptober – join thousands of other smokers committing to quit this October.
• Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do for your health. When you stop there are almost immediate improvements to your health.
• It’s never too late to quit smoking. Even if you’ve tried quitting before, give it another go this Stoptober.
• There’s no need to go it alone – it’s much easier to stop smoking when you get the right support and there are lots of options to choose from.
• Getting free expert support from your local stop smoking service is proven to give you the best chance of quitting successfully. Some are now able to offer free vape starter kits too.
• Better Health offers a range of free quitting support including the NHS Quit Smoking app, a 28-day email programme, a local stop smoking service look-up tool, as well as advice on stop smoking aids including information on how vaping can help you quit smoking.
 
Facts and stats Stoptober
 
• There are currently 5.3 million adult smokers in England.
• Since 2011, adult smoking prevalence has dropped from 19.8% to 12.7%.
• More men smoke than women (14.5% vs 10.9%).
• Smoking is the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable illness and death in England. Every year around 64,000 people in England die from smoking, with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses.
• 2 out of 3 smokers will die from smoking unless they quit.
• Smokers lose on average 10 years of life, or around 1 year for every 4 years of smoking after the age of 30.
• The prevalence of current smokers in England is highest in the East Midlands (14%) and lowest in the South East region (11.5%). (vi)
• The annual cost of smoking to society in England is £21.8 billion. (vii)
• The most common trigger for quitting smoking is a future health concern, followed by cost, a current health concern or a comment by family/friends.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

RSV vaccination from September 2024

A vaccine to help protect against RSV will be available on the NHS from 1 September 2024.

You'll be able to get the vaccine if:

  • you're aged 75 to 79
  • you're 28 weeks pregnant or more – this will help protect your baby for the first few months after they're born

If you're aged 75 to 79, we will contact you about getting vaccinated.  Please wait for us to contact you.

From September, you can speak to your maternity service or GP surgery about getting your RSV vaccination if you're 28 weeks pregnant or more.

Please see the link for more information https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/

 

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New Telephone System - call back feature

 
We launched our new telephone system in March at Chelston Hall Surgery.  This phone system enables patients to choose a call back option. Instead of waiting on hold when calling the appointment line, you have the option to request to be called back.
 
The call-back feature is an automated system that allows the practice to set a parameter number of callers for the queue.  Once that limit has been reached, the next patient calling the appointment line will be offered the call-back option.
 
Patients will be offered to dial '0' for the call-back option, this will hold their position in the queue as if they were still on the phone.  The system will then ring the patient back when they have reached number one in the queue.  This means that rather than staying on hold, you can carry on your day or rest if you're feeling unwell.  

Please note that if you have a private / withheld number the system is unable to call patients back.

Cervical Cancer

Macmillan Cancer Support

More information can be found via these links

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-awareness/cervical-screening-awareness-week

 

Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust is the UK’s leading cervical cancer charity. It provides information and support to anyone affected and campaigns for excellence in cervical cancer treatment, care and prevention. Its national Helpline is free, confidential and on 0808 802 8000

Cervical screening (smear test) | Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust (jostrust.org.uk)

EpiPen Information

EpiPen Information

Severe allergic reactions, (anaphylaxis), can be life threatening, which is why patients have an emergency adrenaline pen, just in case. Use of this can be lifesaving. Thankfully, these are often rarely needed, but this makes it difficult to remember how to use them and if they are needed, often a friend or relative needs to administer the pen and may not know how to. Therefore, below are some useful links to helpful videos and information.

 

Usage of EpiPens

The first link below is for a video that shows you how to use an emergency adrenaline pen, (an EpiPen), and can be helpful to show friends and family so that they know how to use one also.

https://www.epipen.co.uk/en-gb/patients/your-epipen/how-to-use-your-epipen

Did you know you can get a free pen to train friends and family how to use one using the following link:-

https://www.epipen.co.uk/en-gb/patients/your-trainer-pen

Please always carry two emergency adrenaline pens with you just in case one was to fail.

 

Re-ordering of EpiPens

Did you know you can use the following link to set up to receive a text or email to remind you to get a new emergency adrenaline pen, when yours is about to expire. https://www.epipen.co.uk/en-gb/patients/expiry-alert-service

Ovarian Cancer Awareness

In the UK, each year over 7,000 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Unfortunately, most patients with ovarian cancer will receive their diagnosis at late stage. Like all cancers, the earlier ovarian cancer is diagnosed, the easier it is to treat, and the greater the chances of survival.

https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/get-involved/ovarian-cancer-awareness-month/ovarian-cancer-awareness-raising-your-digital-toolkit

Important update about Ear Irrigation

From January 2024 we will no longer be offering ear irrigation at Chelston Hall Surgery. 
 
Currently, patients can still book Enhanced Access appointments for ear irrigation or be referred for microsuction. The team will signpost you to the most appropriate alternative service. 

GP Survey

GP survey poster

2023 GP Patient Survey

Have your say on the way your local GP services are working 

Around 2.4 million people, aged 16 and over, who are registered with a GP practice in England will receive an invitation to take part in Europe’s biggest patient experience survey in early January. The answers we get help the NHS to improve local health services for people like you and your family. It is important that we hear about your experiences even if you haven’t visited your GP practice recently, or if you have filled in a questionnaire before. 

The invitations go out mostly by letter to a random selection of people who have been registered with their GP practice for at least 6 months. The survey team at NHS England will follow this up with a text message reminder (where a mobile number is available) alongside further paper questionnaires to encourage as high a response rate as possible. 

If you receive a survey, please do take the time to take part.  It provides vital information to the NHS to identify what’s working well and what can be improved. It helps to identify inequalities in experience too, as the results can be analysed across different protected characteristics. 

If you want to check out how your practice faired in last year’s survey, take a look at the survey website: https://gp-patient.co.uk/practices-search

Devon and Cornwall Care Record

New shared record system for Devon and Cornwall

A new NHS and social care system has been introduced in Devon and Cornwall to improve the way you receive care.

The Devon and Cornwall Care Record is a secure computer system that brings together information about your health and care and presents it as a single record.

Previously, it was difficult to share information about your health and care between different areas of the system.

Now, healthcare staff can see the details held by GP practices, hospitals and other health and care organisations across Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Having a more complete view of your medical history helps healthcare professionals identify problems more effectively and make quicker diagnoses. For instance, they can see which allergies you suffer from, and any treatment and medication you have received.

As well as making treatment safer, the care you receive will be more co-ordinated, giving you a smoother journey through the health system.

It also saves staff the time it takes to find information and spares you the frustration of having to answer the same questions or undergo duplicate or unnecessary tests.

Dr John McCormick, GP and Chief Clinical Information Officer at Devon Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “The Devon and Cornwall Care Record has the potential to transform the way we care for patients in our region.

“By enabling information to flow more easily between the organisations that provide services, we will produce a more efficient system and improve the experience for patients.

“For example, it means an oncologist treating a patient for cancer in Plymouth can see the same information as their GP in Callington.”

John Garman, Chief Clinical Information Officer at Kernow Clinical Commissioning Group added: “It’s a common – and justified – grumble from patients that they have to repeat their stories and answer the same questions as they move through the system.

“This programme will go a long way to solving that problem, as well as cutting down on other inefficiencies – like calling patients for tests they’ve already undergone.

“Initially, some organisations will both contribute and use data (including GP practices, acute hospitals and social care providers), while others will just use data.

“However, in time, more and more organisations will come on board, expanding the programme’s reach and impacting the care of increasing numbers of patients.”

Who is involved?

There are more than 760 health and care providers in Devon and Cornwall and, potentially, all of them can participate in the programme.

These organisations include GP practices, NHS hospitals, social care services, mental health services, hospices, community care services and out of hours services. 

If you would like to know if one of your health or social care providers is participating in the programme, you can ask them directly or check the participating organisation list on the Devon and Cornwall Care Record website..

How do we keep your data safe?

Keeping your personal data safe is a key aspect of the Devon and Cornwall Care Record and all required measures are taken to keep information secure and confidential.

Shared care records are subject to UK data protection legislation. They can only be viewed by people involved in your care, and they work under strict codes of conduct.

However, if you would prefer that your information is not shared in this way, you can tell us by filling out the objection form on the data security and privacy page of the website.

Where can you find out more?

For further details, visit the Devon and Cornwall Care Record website at www.devonandcornwallcarerecord.nhs.uk

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National Data Opt-Out

National Data Opt-out

There have been posts on social media with false information about opting out of sharing your data with the NHS.

Here's what you need to know:

  • There is no 30 September deadline for opting out of sharing your data. You can opt out at any time.
  • NHS Digital will never sell your data.
  • There are strict rules about how NHS can use your data. It's only shared securely and safely.
  • Shared data helps the NHS. It has been used to find the first treatment for coronavirus and for vaccine research.

Read NHS Digital's response to the false information about the national data opt-out

There are two types of opt-out options you can sign up for, the National Data Opt Out and Type 1 Opt-out:

National Data Opt Out means that NHS Digital will not share any confidential patient data it holds but will collect data from your GP medical record to use for its own service planning and research purposes. To do the National Data Opt Out, register your preference at https://www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters/ This was previously known as the Type 2 Opt Out.

Alternatively, you can call 0300 3035678 for more information.

Type 1 Opt Out means NHS Digital will not collect data from your GP practice.  To do the Type 1 Opt Out, click HERE to complete the attached form and return it to us via our reception team or by email chelston.hall@nhs.net

Enhanced

Enhanced Access

Monday — Thursday Enhanced Access

Please read for more information regarding our Enhanced Access Service for evening and weekend appointments. We now offer additional evening appointments for our patients. These are different to the appointments some surgeries in the South Devon and Torbay ICB area currently offer in the evenings. This is a requirement (known as Enhanced Access) where practices ensure that across the week, Monday-Thursday, a practice in their area is open from 6pm-8pm. To access these appointments, please continue to contact your registered practice.

 

Weekend Enhanced Access Service

We will also be offering weekend appointments situated in a central hub location. The hub location for our patients is Pembroke House Surgery, Paignton, TQ3 2EZ. Pembroke House Surgery has been selected as the “weekend hub” as it is considered the most suitably based surgery geographically to serve 290,000 patients in the South Devon and Torbay area.

The appointments offered are booked in advance by contacting your local surgery. Patients can be seen by a GP, Practice Nurse and Health Care Assistant during these extended hours. 

This service is very different to the current out of hours service, where patients contact 111 in an urgent/acute situation that cannot wait until their practice is open again on Monday. For any acute illness please continue to contact 111. This new service is just for pre-booked routine care and is not for acute/urgent/walk in situations.

Please note that as this contract is being delivered at scale across the locality, you will not necessarily be seen by a Clinician known to you from your practice.

Please see our timetable below for the dates and times of our new service. 

Pembroke House Surgery, 266 Torquay Road, Paignton, TQ3 2EZ

  • Fridays - 6.00pm—8.00pm
  • Saturdays - 8.00am—6.00pm
  • Sundays - 8.00am—2.00pm

Consent:

Who will we share your information with?

As part of our Enhanced Access, Chelston Hall patients will be able to book evening and weekend appointments, both here and at other local GP Practices.  This will benefit you as a patient as it ensures that there are more appointments available to you at times that are more convenient out of the practice’s usual hours.

To ensure that the clinician has full access to your medical records, when you book your appointment you will be asked to consent to sharing your medical records to ensure an effective and safe service. Sharing occurs electronically through our clinical system and only occurs when you choose to book an appointment at another practice. You will be reminded of this when you book the appointment and your consent to share your medical record is taken.

Your data will be kept secure using the same clinical system used to access your medical record when you visit us for an appointment. The clinician you visit will be required to gain your consent prior to accessing your record. If you change your mind and do not wish to consent, the clinician will only be able to access your Summary Care Record. This will contain limited medical information and will restrict the care that you can be offered. We will be notified of your record being accessed and of any changes made to your medical record. We will review this to ensure any follow up is actioned.

The practices who could be involved in sharing your data are: Brunel Medical Practice, Catherine House Surgery, Chilcote Surgery, Compass House Medical Centre, Corner Place Surgery, Croft Hall Medical Practice, Dartmouth Medical Practice, Leatside Surgery, Mayfield Medical Centre, Old Farm Surgery, Parkhill Medical Practice, Pembroke House Surgery, Southover Medical Practice and St Lukes and Greenswood Medical. 

If you have any concerns about this or object to the sharing of your medical record in this way, please speak to one of our reception team, who will be able to record your decision and change the settings for your record.

Thank for you your co-operation and support and we hope you make full use of this service.

Parking

Pembroke House Surgery:

Outside the surgery there is street parking available. If there are no spaces there is a council car park directly opposite the surgery.