Welcome To Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership

Update on the merge between Heathfield Surgery & Mid Downs Medical Practice to form Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership

The merge in some areas of the practice has provided for some challenging IT issues, we realise that as a result there has been some disruption to some services provided, we apologise for any inconvenience this has caused and would like to reassure patients that we are working closely with third party providers to ensure resolution of any remaining issues.

Dr Liam Gillespie

Following the merge Dr Gillespie has, for personal reasons, made the decision to work from the Heathfield site, therefore all patients registered with Dr Gillespie at Newick will now be registered with Dr Wills.

New GPs

Following the practice merge we are thrilled to confirm the appointment of the following permanent GPs to our organisation: 

Dr Jack Wills has joined us as a GP Partner working from the Newick site.

Dr Raza Butt has joined us as a salaried GP working from the Newick site.

Dr Jane Marr has joined us as a salaried GP working from the Newick site.

Dr Karensa Olivera wil be joining us in September as a salaried GP working from the Heathfield site. 

Dr Ed Sheppard

Dr Sheppard has, for personal reasons, made the decision to work from the Heathfield site, this will be with effect from October 2023.  Dr Sheppard will however, continue his diabetic clinic at Newick on a Friday morning until further notice. 

All patients currently registered with Dr Sheppard will be advised, over the next few weeks, who their usual GP will be.

On-line Access Issue 

We are aware of the on-going issue with regards to patient on-line access and apologise for the frustration and inconvenience this has caused.

The issue is due to the merge of the clinical system, although our clinical system remains the same the merge means that we are now on a new platform, therefore your on-line access needs to be reset via a new linkage key.

The linkage key details are obtained from reception and can be emailed or text to you or a paper copy collected from any site within our group.

We are aware of some issues being experienced once the new linkage details have been obtained, guidance has been provided by Patient Access for the following issues:

If new linkage details are provided to patients and they encounter trouble using them

Please contact Patient Access, see options below, for assistance with the re-linking process, you will need to state you are linking to Wealden Ridge Medical Partnership.

Email: support@patientaccess.com
Live chat: www.patientaccess.com and click "technical support" bubble in the bottom right corner and selecting "Ask"
Completing the support form: https://support.patientaccess.com/contact-support-form

Date of birth changing to 01/01/1970

This is the default date that is set by the system when a previous link is broken, ie: during the merge process.

If you are unable to manually type over this date please contact Patient Access who can manually remove the previous link from your account, allowing you to link following the normal "Link Your GP Practice" route as below:

• Select "Link Your GP Practice" (website) or "Link Your GP" (app)
• Choose either "Continue with registration letter" or "Continue with NHS login" and follow the on-screen instructions

 Once again we apologise for the inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your patience.

Seasonal Flu & Covid Vaccination 2023/24 

We are encouraged to align delivery of the flu vaccination programme with other vaccination programmes for which the patient may be eligible (for instance covid, shingles, pertussis, or pneumococcal vaccines) where it is clinically acceptable and the patient is content.

We will be commencing administration of both vaccines with effect from 16th September 2023.  Eligible patient co-horts as advised by JCVI are: 

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups (as defined by the Green Book, chapter 19 (Influenza))
• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2023
• primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6)
• those in long-stay residential care homes [footnote 1]
• carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers, voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

Clinics will be available for booking with effect from early September 2023.

Newick Health Centre was thrilled to welcome Professor Chris Whitty to the practice.  The CMO requested a visit to gather information for his forthcoming CMO report on healthy ageing.

Social Prescribing

Our Social prescriber from Age UK was present and explained all the things that they were doing within our primary care network. We spoke about the introduction of social prescribing and how it has been quite beneficial for the older population and we touched on many of the great things they were doing including holistic assessments, sign posting to various voluntary sector organisations, proactively contacting severely frail patients & supporting them in the community and also a befriending service to help battle loneliness and improve patient’s mental health.

Dementia Care

We then proceeded to talk about the Dementia Golden Ticket, The CMO was extremely interested in the primary care based approach and resource in practice for supporting new diagnosis and blip clinics for early crisis interventions and also on the community aspects with memory cafes and other support networks.

Enhanced Care in Care Homes

We touched on the enhanced care we are providing in the care home and the proactive weekly ward rounds and how these have made a difference to quality of care in general as well as advanced care planning reducing unnecessary hospitalisation in line with patient’s wishes.

Clinical Pharmacist Support

Our practice pharmacist outlined the work her team had been doing with deprescribing in the elderly and proactively calling all elderly patients discharged from hospital to go through their medication and rationale behind the changes from the hospital, also stopping unnecessary medications at this point as well.

Workforce Difficulties and merging with Heathfield Surgery

We also spoke of lack of workforce and difficulties some practices faced in recruitment though we currently have a full compliment at Mid Downs we are in the process of merging with Heathfield surgery and the trials and tribulations they have had with workforce recruitment and how that has been affecting their service and their performance. However, we also spoke of the benefits of merger in terms of shared back office and increased resilience and doing things differently with new automation teams improving safety and quality and reducing GP admin burden.

From Wednesday 26th April 2023, we will be offering COVID Spring Boosters to patients aged 75+ and patients aged 12-74 classed as immunosuppressed. We will be running Monday and Wednesday evening clinics and alternate Saturday morning clinics. If you wish to book your appointment, please contact reception on 01825 722 272. 

We are writing to inform you of potential changes to our GP service which will ensure you continue to receive high quality care now and in the future. 

The partners at Heathfield Surgery & Mid Downs Medical Practice are proposing to come together to form a single organisation, while keeping their existing surgeries open.

Under the proposal, the practices will continue to provide GP services in their original locations and patients will still be able to book appointments with their current doctor. The intention is for the premises to remain unchanged with services delivered from both sites but operating under a shared management team. 

There is no need for patients registered at either surgery to do anything, your care will continue as usual and your access to services will continue uninterrupted.

The partners at Heathfield Surgery & Mid Downs Medical Practice are confident that they will work well together and will benefit from a larger workforce as the two practice teams come together. The plans to merge means all patients will have access to a wider range of services and a choice of which surgery they would like to attend for face-to-face appointments.

We understand that you may have suggestions or questions about the proposed merger, and we would like to hear from you, please visit our websites to read the FAQs or find a printed copy in the surgery. If you have any feedback or concerns, please use contact details below:

• By email to sxicb-esx.newick@nhs.net
• By leaving a message on 01825 722272 option 3

Yours sincerely,

The Partners of Heathfield Surgery & Mid Downs Medical Practice

For further information, please see FAQ's by clicking the link below:

Merger FAQs

Scarlet fever – advice for parents and carers

Scarlet fever, or ‘Strep A’, is caused by bacteria called group A streptococci (strep).

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.

On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually, but will have a sandpapery feel.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP practice if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia.

If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

In very rare occasions, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause an illness called invasive Group A strep (iGAS). While still uncommon, there has been an increase in invasive Group A strep cases this year, particularly in children under 10, and sadly a small number of deaths which are being investigated.

It is important to mention that there are lots of viruses that cause sore throats, colds and coughs this time of year. In most cases, these infections will be a mild illness and can be treated at home. These should resolve without medical intervention. If you do need advice, your community pharmacy is a great first port of call for minor health issues. However, children can on occasion develop a bacterial infection on top of a virus and that can make them more unwell.

As a parent, if you feel that your child seems seriously unwell, you should trust your own judgement.

Contact NHS 111 or your GP practice if:

· your child is getting worse

· your child is feeding or eating much less than normal · your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration

· your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38°C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39°C or higher

· your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty

· your child is very tired or irritable.

Call 999 if:

· your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs

· there are pauses when your child breathes

· your child’s skin, tongue or lips are blue

· your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake.

Good hand and respiratory hygiene are important for stopping the spread of many bugs. By teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap for 20 seconds, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when feeling unwell, they will be able to reduce the risk of picking up or spreading infections.

What you need to know – advice for parents and carers this winter

This is the first winter without pandemic restrictions in two years, and you and your children may be more susceptible to the usual winter bugs and viruses this year.

Winter bugs and viruses are usually mild, but can sometimes become more serious, particularly in younger children or if an infection spreads to a vulnerable family member.

There are several common infections that your child might pick up over the winter period. In most cases, these infections will be a mild illness and can be treated at home. However, in some cases they might get worse and require medical help.

Some common infections include:

Flu

Flu can be an unpleasant illness in children causing a fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness. This can last several days or longer.

In most cases, flu will be a mild illness in children.

Some children can get a very high fever, sometimes without the usual flu symptoms, and may need to go to hospital for treatment. Serious complications of flu include a painful ear infection, acute bronchitis, and pneumonia. The best way for your child to avoid flu, to ensure your child is vaccinated against flu. Learn more about the flu symptoms to look out for and who to contact, as well as vaccination.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)

RSV is a common winter virus which affects children under the age of two.

Most cases are not serious and cause mild coughs and colds.

It is also the most common cause of bronchiolitis infants. Bronchiolitis can make breathing harder and cause difficulty feeding.

RSV can be more severe in premature babies, babies under 2 months and infants with underlying health conditions that increase their risk of acute lower respiratory tract infection. Breathing in cigarette smoke also increases the risk of a child getting bronchiolitis, so it is important not to smoke around your child. Learn more about the bronchiolitis symptoms to look out for and who to contact if you have concerns.

Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious and levels are higher than normal this year. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a characteristic fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel.

Contact your GP practice or NHS 111 if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia.

If your child has Scarlet Fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

Getting help and advice

As a parent, you may know if your child seems seriously unwell and should trust your own judgement.

You should contact your GP practice or call 111 if:

· your child has had a cold and is getting worse

· your child is feeding or eating much less than normal · your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more or shows other signs of dehydration

· your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher

· your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, or feels sweaty

· your child is very tired or irritable

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

· your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises or their tummy sucking under their ribs

· there are pauses when your child breathes · your child's skin, tongue or lips are blue

· your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake

By teaching your child how to wash their hands properly with soap for 20 seconds, using a tissue to catch coughs and sneezes, and keeping away from others when feeling unwell, they will be able to reduce the risk of picking up, or spreading, many bugs. An e-bug resources for Early Years can help you to explain to your child what good hygiene habits are, how they can practice them and why they are important.

CPCS FAQs

What is this new service about?

When you call the practice, you will be asked about your symptoms. If they indicate that you can best be helped by a pharmacist, you will be offered a same day private consultation with a community pharmacist at a location most convenient to you. Community pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor illness, following a call to NHS 111. This new way of arranging consultations with the pharmacist by a GP practice, has been successfully piloted around the country.

Why are you doing this?

Pharmacists are qualified healthcare professionals and experts in medicines. They can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for all sorts of minor illnesses, and a same day consultation can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you. This in turns frees up GP appointments for those people with more complex symptoms who really need to see a GP.

What happens when I see the community pharmacist?

We will share your personal details with the pharmacist and details of your minor illness and the pharmacist will contact you to arrange your consultation on the same day, or at a time that suits you. You may be seen in person in a private consulting room, if the pharmacist thinks it appropriate, or your consultation may be carried out over the phone or via video. You will be asked about your medical history and symptoms and current medication, in the same way the GP would ask you about them. Usually, the pharmacist will provide you with advice and can sell you an over- the-counter product where needed, if you choose. They will also send details of your consultation back to us for our records. If the pharmacist feels you need to be seen by a GP urgently, they will call us to ensure you are seen, or they will advise you to contact the hospital emergency department if deemed necessary. You may also be referred back to us to arrange a non-urgent appointment or follow up.

What if I get free prescriptions from my GP?

Your pharmacist will provide you with advice on how to treat your symptoms, which may include a medicine or product. Medicines that can be purchased in a pharmacy to treat minor illnesses, are usually inexpensive and would not normally be prescribed by your GP anyway. You are free to choose if you wish to make a purchase or not.

What happens if I don’t want to see the pharmacist?

We want to ensure that you are offered an appointment with the most appropriate qualified health care professional based on your symptoms. If you have minor illness symptoms that can be treated the same day through a consultation with a qualified community pharmacist, but do not want to accept this referral, you will be offered a routine appointment with your GP at a future date.

What if the patient is my child?

Children aged over one years are eligible to use this service and can be seen by the pharmacist. Children who are able to make their own decision about their health may be seen unaccompanied.

Why is this a good thing for patients?

Community pharmacies are local, open longer hours than the GP practice and can offer you the same consultation outcome at a time that is more convenient for you. If the pharmacist thinks you need to see the GP, they can help arrange an urgent appointment for you. Patients who have already used the service liked the convenience of having a consultation on the same day, or a day that suited them, at a pharmacy of their choice. Nearly four out of five people (78%) who had a consultation with a community pharmacist were successfully helped.