Kings Medical Practice News www.kingmedicalpractice.co.uk

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...

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 ap...

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 au...

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 tr...

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 ...