Free Weight Loss Programme
Do you want to lose weight and get fitter for free? Click on the link for further information: ACE Lifestyle
Amended Opening Hours at Wood Street
The practice will be changing the access hours at the branch surgery at Wood Street following discussions with NHS England. With effect from Monday 27th November 2017 we will be closed all day Tuesday, Wednesday afternoon and all day Thursday, and all services to Wood Street patients will be provided from our main site Rivermead Gate Medical Centre.
The opening hours have been approved by the Joint Primary Care Commissioning Committee of Mid Essex CCG and NHS England.
Why have we taken this decision?
This decision has been taken due to the difficulties the practice is facing in providing adequate clinical provision and services at the site every day of the week.
Opening hours from 27th November:
Monday 8.00am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 6.00pm
Wednesday 8.00am to 12.30pm
Friday 8.00am to 12.30pm and 03.00pm to 6.00pm
The telephone lines will be diverted to our main site when the branch site is closed where calls will be handled. You may choose to call Rivermead direct: 01245 348688
The doctors and nurses will be working at Rivermead Gate and will provide services to Wood Street patients from there. Patients will be able to book appointments as normal and see their usual GP. The number of appointments/appointment types will not be reduced, all other services provided to patients will remain the same and we will continue to send prescriptions to patients preferred pharmacy.
Patients should submit prescription requests and arrange for collection within these times or ask staff to send them direct to their preferred pharmacy.
Patients may find it easier to attend our main site on a regular basis. If patients would like us to transfer care to Rivermead Gate Medical Centre, a form is available to complete at our reception and we will amend records accordingly.
Feedback comment forms are available from reception.
Missed Appointments
Help us reduce the number of missed appointments
If you cannot attend any booked appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer April 2018:
157 clinical appointments were missed, this equates to:
The loss of almost one clinician working for a whole week
102 GP appointments (17.5 hours) & 55 nurse appointments (13.5 hours)
National Diabetes Audit
The GP practice is taking part in an important national project about diabetes care and treatment in the NHS. The project is called The National Diabetes Audit (NDA).
To take part GP practices will share information about your diabetes care and treatment with the NDA. the type of information, and how it is shared, is controlled by law and enforced by strict rules of confidentiality and security.
If you do not want your information to be used please inform the receptionist, your GP or nurse. This will not affect your care.
For further information please use the link below to read the patient leaflet.
Flu Clinics
Flu Vaccinations
If you are in one of the at risk catagories or would like to enquire if you are entitled to a free vaccination please call the surgery you are registered at (see the list below for catagories).
We have four Saturday clinics during September and October, appointments can be booked now. If you are seeing the nurse for regular monitoring you can ask the nurse to give you the vaccination at the same time.
Flu is a highly infectious illness that spreads rapidly through the coughs and sneezes of people who are carrying the virus.
If you’re at risk of complications from flu, make sure you have your annual flu vaccine, available each year usually from October onwards.
- ADULT flu clinics are held on Saturdays at both of our sites:
- Rivermead Gate: Saturday 23rd September and 14th October
- Wood Street: Saturday 30th September and 21st October
- CHILD vaccinations are carried out during the week during normal clinic hours.
- If you are at risk please and eligable for a free vaccination call the surgery to book your appointment.
- When you attend please romove coats & jumpers and have you arm ready to help us run our clinics on time.
Should you have the flu jab?
Book an appointment if you’re 65 or over, or if you have any of the following problems (however old you are):
- a serious heart complaint
- a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including asthma, bronchitis and emphysema
- serious kidney disease
- diabetes
- lowered immunity due to disease or treatment such as steroid medication or cancer treatment
- if you have had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)
- if you have a problem with your spleen or you have had your spleen removed
- Ask our staff if you are elligible
For further information and advice about flu and the flu vaccine Click here
Free Weight Management Programme
“There is now an award-winning programme of one-to-one and group support for weight management available free to patients. To register, call the weight management helpline on 0800 022 4524 or e-mail acecic.weightmanagement-adults@nhs.net. Successful, evidence-based programmes are available weekdays, evenings and at weekends in your local area. You can find out more at http://acelifestyle.org/weight-management.”
What is Care Data
care.data – What is care.data? The NHS is changing and services are being restructured. These reforms will impact on the way that clinical data are collected, shared and analysed. Under the powers of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 (HSCA), the Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) can, under certain circumstances, require Personal Confidential Data (PCD) from GP Practices without seeking patient consent.
One of the first initiatives using these new powers is the Care.Data service. This service has been commissioned by NHS England and will be delivered by the HSCIC. The HSCIC is England’s central authoritative source of health and social care information.
In general, such data will only be made available to accredited third parties in anonymised, pseudonymised or aggregated form. The default position for all patients is that PCD will leave the practice where there is a legal basis.
Patients CAN object to this it is important that your wishes are respected. If you object to your data being extracted you should let us know in writing so that we can update your records. Further information is available at www.england.nhs.uk/caredata Click on the patient button for details.
Online Facilities
We are currently receiving requests from patients for access online to online viewing of their Full Clinical Record and Detailed Coded Record and Questionnairs.
We are unable to administer this service for the time being but will review patient accessibility by the end of March 2016 as per government guidelines. We apologize for any inconvenience and will keep you informed as to when this service is available.
On-Line Patient Services
Systmonline can now offer you a summary view of your medical records online. If you wish to sign up to this you will need to come into the surgery and fill in a form (proof of identity is required). If you send a representative they will need to bring your written consent. A username and password will be issued to you and this will give you access to your repeat medication list, the ability to book appointments and a summary of your medical records.
If you are an existing user of Systmonline and wish to add the facility of viewing a summary of your medical records we will ask that you fill in a form too.
Click on the links below for further information and to read the practice Statement of Intent in relation to IT developments .