Kings Medical Practice News www.kingmedicalpractice.co.uk

🎄🎅🎄The Practice is open as normal throughout the holiday period apart from Christmas Day, Boxing day and New Years day when we are closed. Greater Access to Medical Support GP Care Wakefield is an extended out of hours service available to our patients to use during the following times for same day appointments: Monday to Friday 6pm-10pm Saturday and Sundays and Bank Holidays 9am-3pm Therefore over the coming weeks this is as follows: Saturday 23rd, Sunday 24th, Monday 25th and Tuesday 26th December 9am - 3pm Wednesday 27th, Thursday 28th and Friday 29th December (the Practice is open as usual) but GP Care Wakefield is available 6pm-10pm Saturday 30th, Sunday 31st December and January 1st 9am-3pm Your request will be assessed by the triage team and if appropriate a GP appointment may be offered for you to attend at Trinity Medical Centre in Wakefield or Pontefract General Infirmary. To access this service please call our usual number 01924 223909 and pr

Abdominal aortic aneurysm are swellings of the main blood vessel in the body. This swelling means the wall of the blood vessel is much weaker in that area. They often give no symptoms until they burst which can be fatal. They are an important cause of male death over the age of 65years. If picked up early they can be repaired by surgery with good outcomes. To find these before they burst the NHS Abdominal Aortic Screening Programme started in 2009. The aim is to reduce deaths from aneurysms through early detection. We have been screening men in their 65th Year at the practice. Last year we had 86.54% of those invited attending for screening which is even better than the national average of 82.7%. Of the 52 patients screened, 1 was found to have an aneurysm that required surgery. Compare this to screening for breast cancer which picks up on average 4 cancers per 1000 women. This is a very good pick up rate. So when you or your relative is invited for screening please attend! It is

Health Topic-Menopause Menopause can be a daunting time for many women. Strictly speaking the menopause is your last menstrual period. However for most women it is the time of life leading up to, and after, their last period. This is usually early 50's but from the age of 45 this can be normal. Symptoms include flushes, sweats, mood swings, dry hair and skin, vaginal dryness and reduced sex drive. There are many treatments for symptoms not just Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) Wearing lighter clothing, reducing spicy foods, caffeine, smoking and alcohol can all help reduce flushes. Exercise such as swimming or jogging can help as can weight loss. Complimentary medication such as Black Cohosh, Red Clover, Soy and Evening Primrose some women can find helpful. It is important to make sure these don't interact with any of your other medicines. The leaflet 'Menopause- alternatives to HRT' can be found at www.patient.co.uk and can provide further information about th

Health Topic-Eczema Many people suffer with dry skin conditions including eczema. Eczema sufferers lose excess water from the skin and need regular use of emollients (non cosmetic moisturisers) to protect the skin and reduce eczema flares. Emollients help to: Relieve itching Strengthen the skin barrier to make it more protective against bacteria, irritants and allergens. Emollients come as ointments creams and lotions. Ointments are the most effective but can feel stiff and greasy. They are best for very dry skin areas. They are less likely to cause skin sensitivity. They should be applied every 6-8 hours. Caution: Ointments that contain more than 50% paraffin can pose a fire risk after application Creams are easy to apply so are often more popular for daytime use. However they contain preservatives and sometimes cause sensitivity reactions. They need to be applied generously and more frequently, every 3-4 hours to repair the skin barrier. Bath and shower gels can be applie

We welcome our new Physician Associate trainees to the practice. Their role is to support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are being trained to take a history, perform examinations, analyse test results and diagnose illnesses under the direct supervision of a GP. They are Madeha Nahiyan and Aafia Shoaib who will be with us every Friday until June 2018. Rosheen Aurangzeb is with us from the 11-29th September.

For some time we have offered SystmOnline. This is a range of free online services to allow patients to proactively manage their care. These services allow patients to view their own Electronic Medical Record as well as booking appointments and managing medication. Systm Online is available as on online service or via apps on your phone. The aim is to provide patients with convenience and flexibility when managing their care. In order to use this service we simply need to verify your ID (passport or driving license; or 2 forms of non photo ID with your address on) If you are coming into the practice you can do this at reception. We are also running this service during the flu vaccination sessions on 7th and 14th October so please bring some ID with you. You can also register online with the SystmOnline Registration page via the following link: https://systmonline.tpp-uk.com/2/RequestOnlineServiceAccess . You will then be contacted by the practice to provide your ID to authorise a

Cancer awareness Kings Medical Practice recently took part in a National Audit about cancer diagnoses. We were only one of two practices to take part in our CCG. The feedback was very positive about the speed of referral from the practice onwards to secondary care services to confirm the diagnosis. One of the areas nationally being targeted is to try and raise awareness amongst the population of  some of the warning signs of cancer to try and improve patients seeing their GP earlier and then being diagnosed with cancers at an earlier stage. In turn this improves the likelihood of cure. We will be posting symptoms of common cancers over the next few months, but for starters! Bowel cancer  If you've been suffering from tummy troubles such as diarrhoea, bloating, discomfort or anything else that just doesn't feel right for 3 weeks or more, it could be a sign of cancer. It's probably nothing serious, but finding cancer early makes it more treatable, so tell

Flu vaccination sessions The practice will be holding the annual flu vaccination clinics on the following Saturdays: October 7th and October 14th Please contact the appointments line 01924 223909 option 1 to book into one of these clinics. We recommend annual flu vaccinations to anyone who would be at more risk of the serious complications of flu than the general population. This means people over 65, those with a chronic lung or chest condition like asthma or COPD, people who have diabetes, people with heart disease and pre gnant wo men. All children who fall into one of at risk groups above should also receive it. In addition an annual nasal spray flu vaccine be available for all two and three year olds i.e. born between 1 September 2013 and 31 August 2015. For most children the vaccine is a quick and painless procedure given as a spray into each nostril. Children in reception class and school years 1,2,3,4 are also recommended to have one but these are being give

GP Care Wakefield is a new service that will start in the next few weeks and provide Extended Hours access to GP services across Wakefield. The service will run between 6 pm and 10 pm, Monday to Friday and 9 am to 3 pm on weekends and bank holiday. The main aim of the service is to provide better urgent care but there will also be some routine appointments when the service is fully staffed available between these hours that our reception staff will be able to book you into. The service is based at Pontefract Emergency Department and Trinity Medical Centre, Wakefield and will be staffed with GPs and nurses from Wakefield GP surgeries. To access the new service: If you need medical help when the surgery is close dial the normal practice number - 01924 223909 and your call will be automatically transferred. If you want to book a routine GP when the service is open then contact reception and ask them to book you a new appointment. We are anticipating that the service will start o

As you will know Dr Brown has now officially retired. The eagle eyed among you may have spotted him in the practice, although he is not seeing any patients! Dr Jaz Walsh has now taken over writing this blog and hopes to keep you updated with latest news and events. We will be adding a new section to the blog each month with a different health topic to inform patients about common conditions, what you can expect and how you can help yourself. If there are any topics you would like to see included, please click here to email  our practice manager partner. Bank Holiday Just to remind you there is a statutory bank holiday coming up Monday 28th August. We will be closed that day only. As usual if you need assistance please contact 111 who will be able to advise or arrange review with the out of hours GP service. P lease make sure you order and collect repeat prescriptions to cover for the Bank Holiday in advance. Local pharmacies can give you some advice and help. They are all ope

As August approaches our current  trainees move on and we welcome new  trainees to the practice.  We are saying goodbye to: Freya and Zara our year 1 Physician's Associates students - they have both passed their exams and will be moving into year 2 in September. We have two new Physician' Associate students with us, every Friday, starting at the end of September. Jayne Thomas, who as a trainee Advanced Care Practitioner has successfully finished her course and has a post as an Advanced Care Practitioner at a GP's surgery in Pontefract. Dr Wendy Wong has passed all her exams and is starting a maternity locum in York in August. Dr Matt Rodway who has been with us for 12 months will be joining us as a salaried doctor in August. Dr Khuram Ahmed and Dr Caitlin Imray are going back into hospital training posts as part of their GP training rotation. We continue to have Dr Sarah Timperley, Dr John Turek and Dr Mohammad Shaikh continuing in training with us. We are ve

I am retiring at the end of July. My last working day is Monday 31st July and the practice is very pleased to invite you to come for a cup of tea, some cake and undoubtedly a few words from my partners and myself on Wednesday 19th July between 2 and 4 pm. The invitation is open to all and we hope to make everyone warmly welcome. See you then!

Following the CCG stopping GP practices prescribing sunscreen, emollients, multi-vitamins and products that are used predominantly for cosmetic purposes a ban on the prescription of gluten free products and some infant milk came into place on 1st July. Gluten free foods have been prescribed to patients diagnosed with coeliac disease for over 30 years. The rationale behind stopping GP practices prescribing them is that gluten free products are now widely available and the cost to the NHS can be six to ten times the price of a similar produce in a local shop. The ban on infant formulae milk is for milk prescribed for lactose intolerance. Again the rationale behind this is that the cost to the NHS is more than the cost of such products from supermarkets and such milk is about the same cost as normal infant formula milk. We have written to all patients who will be affected by this ban informing them of the CCGs decision. If any of these decisions cause problems then the CCG will co

As many colleagues and patients know I am retiring from the practice at the end of July. My last day in surgery will be Monday 31st July. I have been in Normanton since 1984 when I joined Dr Ellis and Dr Bazin at the small , tiny surgery at the end of  Princess Street. The building had one consulting room, a large waiting room and a small office. How things have changed! It has been a pleasure to have been able to work and serve our patients in Normanton. As well as providing services to patients we have also developed into a large teaching practice that trains students, support workers, nurses and GPs and I feel immense pride when I see someone we have trained doing well after they have been with us. I will of course miss the many patients I have got to know very well, but I will miss most the the team I have worked with for so long. Staff and doctors in the practice have been hugely enjoyable to work with and I will miss their camaraderie, support and just plain fun we have in do

The practice is taking part in the National Diabetes Audit. The audit collects information from GP practices and hospitals about diabetes care and then uses this information to help improve the care of people with diabetes in the NHS. The audit collects information on: Number of people with diabetes registered in the practice Whether people are receiving their annual healthcheck Whether people with diabetes achieve the national targets for glucose control, blood pressure and cholesterol Whether people with a learning disability receive the same level of care Whether people with a severe and enduring mental health problem receive the same level of care The number of people using an insulin pump For more information about the type of information that is collected and how it is used click on the NHS Digital website - http://content.digital.nhs.uk/nda . To look at reports from the audit in previous years click here  http://www.content.digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB23241 Ther

Following the disruption caused to parts of the NHS over the weekend by the ransomware attack Kings Medical Practice is working normally. We have normal access to patient records, our telephone system is unaffected and we have normal links with our local hospitals. We are open for business as normal!

Wakefield CCG has informed local practices that from 1st May the following products will not be available on NHS prescription. The list of products are those that offer limited health benefit, are of low clinical priority or can be purchased at a relatively low cost in supermarkets or pharmacies. The current list is: Sunscreen for skin protection from UV radiation Cream for unwanted facial hair and other products that are mainly for cosmetic purposes Moisturizers for minor skin conditions Camouflage products e.g. make up for port wine stain birthmarks Multivitamins where no specific deficiency has been identified Expensive brands of medicines if a suitable generic alternative is available which costs less The practice is stopping the medication of sunscreen and multivitamins where no specific deficiency has been identified. For cream for unwanted facial hair and camouflage products the practice will be contacting patients and telling them we are stopping them. The prac

The surgery is only closed on the statuary bank holidays (Good Friday and Easter Monday) - we are otherwise open as normal. If you need a doctor when we are closed ring 111 and your call will be answered by the 111 team. Our opening hours over the Easter Weekend are: Thursday 13th April - open as normal. Surgery closes at 6.30 pm and Late Night Surgery 6 - 8 pm Good Friday -14th April - Closed Easter Saturday - 15th April - Closed Easter Sunday - 16th April - Closed Easter Monday - 17th April - Closed Tuesday - 18th April - Surgery opens as normal at 8.00 am Local pharmacies can give you some advice and help. They are all open on Easter Saturday as normal and some of them are open over the bank holiday as well: LLoyds, 6-8 High Street, Normanton, 893915 - Open on Good Friday and Easter Monday, 10 am to 4 pm. Exel Chemist, 56 High Street, Normanton, 896777 - Open on Good Friday 9 am - 6 pm, Easter Saturday 7 am - 1- pm, Easter Sunday 11 am - 4pm and Easter Monday 9 am to 6

The practice warmly welcome Helen Whiteside who is joining us as a Lead Clinical Pharmacist. In Wakefield GPs have entered into an agreement to work more closely together and to pilot new ways of working. One of these projects is the development of a Clinical Pharmacy team linked to GP Federation. Kings Medical Practice is part of  Five Towns Health Federation. The Federation consists of practices in Normanton, Castleford and Knottingley who have common values and have started working closely together. The Federation will have a small Clinical Pharmacy team that Helen will lead. The aim of the Clinical Pharmacy team is to improve the quality of our prescribing and we are very glad to welcome Helen to our team

The Daily Telegraph had a lead article on Saturday about the safety of GP clinical records with the headline 'Security breach fears over 26 million NHS patients' - click here for the full article. In summary the article was saying that for practices that use SystmOne as their clinical software system (like we do) then anyone in the NHS may be able to your records, without your consent if the practice has set the clinical system to automatically share your records. The short answer is that we do not share your records without your consent and will have asked you if you would like to share your records so your computer records are safe! The slightly longer answer is that the computerised clinical record we have is used by lots of GPs and other healthcare providers including the local hospital, district nurses and health visitors. In SystmOne there is a function called Enhanced Data Sharing Model (eDSM) and it allows staff the opportunity to record your explicit consent for s

Just a quick reminder that if you are planning to go somewhere hot the practice provides a full travel advice service to our patients including travel vaccinations, travel health advice, advice about malaria prophylaxis and Yellow Fever vaccinations. Most travel vaccinations are free - the exceptions are generally if you are going to unusual places or doing something unusual e.g. back packing trips in the wilds or staying somewhere for longer than three months. The commonest vaccinations patients have to pay for are Yellow Fever, Hepatitis B and Rabies vaccinations. You will also have to pay for malaria tablets but the practice does not charge if you need a private prescription for malaria prophylaxis tablets. The practice is a registered Yellow Fever Vaccination centre. We also provide Yellow Fever Vaccinations and Travel Advice to patients who are not registered with the practice. Our travel advice service is run by our nursing team and they would like you to fill in a Pre Travel

Wakefield CCG has announced the closure of the GP Practice at King Street, Wakefield - click here for the press release. It is easy for  Kings Medical Practice and King Street Health Centre to be confused for the same GP practice - they are not the same and Kings Medical Practice is not closing! The GP Practice at King Street has a time limited contract and it will come to an end in March 2017. At the King Street site there are two services, the GP practice with a registered list and the walk-in-service. The changes will not affect the walk-in-service, which operates under a separate contract and will continue at the present time. But just to be clear Kings Medical Practice is not closing!

Turning Point Talking Therapies wants to encourage people to learn how to help themselves when feeling low, stressed or anxious. To help with this they run free workshops and we are hosting them at Kings Medical Practice over the next few months. The workshops are on the following dates: Emotional Eating Workshop - 16th February, 12.30pm - 2pm Mindfulness and Relaxation - 16th March, 12.30pm - 2pm Improving Your Sleep Workshop - 13th April, 12.30pm - 2pm Managing Workplace Stress Workshop - 13th April, 12.30pm - 2pm Improving Low Mood Seminar - 8th June, 12.30 - 2pm The workshops all take the form of an introduction to self help techniques, some materials to take home to try and advice about how you can access further support and help. You can find more information at  https://talking.turning-point.co.uk/wakefield/workshops/ , or alternatively ring 01924 234860. If you would like to book a place then contact reception on 01924 223909 Option 1. These workshops are open to

Last weekend the government attempted to blame GPs for the current crisis in the NHS. The allegation was that GPs were not seeing enough patients and that they were turning up at A&E departments instead and causing delays and queues in A&E. This is utter tosh! At Kings Medical Practice we are open from 8.00 am to 6.30 pm every day, and offer an additional six hours of extended hours appointments per week; on Saturday mornings, one morning a week between 7 am and 8 am and one evening between 6.30 pm and 8.00 pm. Last week the clinical team saw 2522 patients and the GPs saw 1161 patients. Of those 1161 patients 554 people were seen on the day they requested to be seen - either at our Sit and Wait surgeries or by the Duty Doctor. In the first 12 days of this year, compared to last year the GPs in the practice saw nearly 30% more patients! The truth is that GPs are working hard, we are fully open and seeing more patients then ever before. What Mrs May should have been doing is

If you ring for an appointment between 8.00 am and 10.30 am we will offer you a choice of appointments. If you feel you need to be seen on the day we will ask you it if is something the doctor can deal with over the telephone. But if it is something you need to see a doctor in a consultation for, we will offer you the option of coming to our 'Sit and Wait' surgery. When you check in at reception the computer gives you a number and we call people in turn, As an alternative to ringing for an appointment, if you want to be seen in the 'Sit and Wait' surgery just come down to reception between 8.40 am and 10.30 am and register at reception and you will be seen in turn. Routine appointments are still available to book up to six weeks in advance. If your condition requires immediate attention for example chest pain, breathlessness, etc then you will be offered an appointment with the 'on-call' doctor who may wish to speak to you in the first instance to assess