PATIENT NEWS

If you would like to contact us online please click on the button below and submit a medical or admin request (including appointments, fit notes, prescriptions & admin queries). Please note this is for non-urgent medical problems only.

The new system is easy to access via the button above and responses come back via text, telephone calls or email.

We will endeavour to be open initially from 8 am until 3pm, Monday to Thursday. We will need to assess demand to ensure safety and may close our online requests earlier, when the online system is closed our telephone lines are open for patients who are seriously unwell and cannot wait until the system opens the next day.

We aim to review requests within 48 working hours. Every request will be prioritised based on clinical need, demand is especially high at present and we may take longer to get back to you. Clinically urgent queries will be prioritised, but we may ask you to contact NHS 111 or A & E if necessary. Non-urgent requests - we will endeavour to respond within 5 working days but this maybe longer on busy days, and we ask you to wait for a response and not submit further requests unless your issue worsens.

The system allows access to medical , self care & admin queries, please select the most appropriate for your needs. The system will ensure you get directed to the most appropriate care , please note this may be GP services, urgent care, self help, a pharmacy or our patient services team. It will also tell you to contact our emergency services if it feels you need more urgent care than available through your GP surgery. Please note it is one problem per request and we would appreciate if you could complete all questions asked.

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Update for women taking, or considering taking, Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) – 09/05/2022

I’m sure many of you have seen lots of information in the news regarding HRT shortages across the country, as well as a recent documentary on Channel 4 hosted by Davina McCall. This has caused a significant increase in demand in recent days for consultations at the surgery about these issues.

We would like you to consider the following:

1) If you are worried about running out of HRT, please do not contact the practice until you have 2 weeks remaining. This will ensure that we don’t unnecessarily disrupt supply chains

2) If you cannot obtain your HRT prescription due to stock shortages, please make contact via our online portal ( prescriptions) clearly stating what dose of medication you are taking (e.g. if you are taking an oestrogen gel pump – tell us how many pumps you are using). This will help us to make decisions for an appropriate alternative.

3) The government is limiting HRT prescriptions to 3 months maximum only to try to alleviate pressures on stock supply. Please do not ask us for quantities greater than 3 months supply. https://www.gov.uk/.../three-month-limit-for-three-hrt...

4) If you would like to discuss alternative HRT products or to start on HRT please put in a request on our online portal ( GP Requests) and we will endeavour to respond . Please note this will usually be within 5 working days or more.

Recommended websites

www.womens-health-concern.org The patient arm of the British Menopause Society, includes lots of useful factsheets.

menopausematters.co.uk Founded by Dr Heather Currie, a past chair of the British Menopause Society. Provides evidence based information, access to a forum and a regular magazine for subscribers.

balance-menopause.com Dr Louise Newson’s website, full of information, videos and podcasts.

rockmymenopause.com The patient arm of the Primary Care Women’s Health Forum, provides patient information leaflets.

daisynetwork.org A charity for women with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) ie menopause under the age of 40.

pms.org.uk A charity for women suffering from premenstrual syndromes.

theros.org.uk Information about the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis (weak bones that fracture easily).

eveappeal.org.uk A charity with a free gynaecological cancer information service.

Recommended Apps

Balance app A free app from Dr Newson (local somerset GP) where you can track your symptoms, access personalised expert content and download a health report for your GP (download from the App Store or Google Play).

Squeezy app A free NHS app supporting women with their pelvic floor muscle exercise programmes.

Recommended books

‘The Complete Guide to the Menopause’ by Dr Annice Mukherjee – written by an endocrinologist with many years experience of helping women with hormonal problems. It is full of evidence-based lifestyle advice and is a great resource for everyone, including those patients who can’t take HRT. Dr Mukherjee went through her own menopause at 41 after her breast cancer diagnosis.

‘Menopause’ and also ‘Preparing for the Perimenopause and Menopause’ by Dr Louise Newson – lots of information about symptoms, treatment, practical tips and lifestyle.

‘The Pelvic Floor Bible’ by Jane Simpson Continence Specialist – advice on how to prevent and cure continence problems at every stage of life.

There are now many other books about managing the menopause, these are just a just mentioned a few of them.

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New Birthday Reviews for your Long Term Health Conditions

We are changing the way we invite you for your Long-Term Health Conditions Review

Do you have a long-term health condition such as : Asthma, Diabetes, COPD, Epilepsy, Dementia, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health Problems , Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Kidney Disease, Stroke, or another long-term condition effecting your health?

We have changed the way we invite patients in for their annual review. We will now be calling you in on or around your birthday month. You do not need to do anything; we will be contacting you to make an appointment at a time convenient to you.

The various types of review appointments we offer are run by specific members of our team and are each structured differently, depending on the condition being reviewed, so it is important to request the right appointment type from the receptionist when you book. What you need to ask for will always be mentioned in your invite.

These reviews are important as they allow you to ask us any questions you may have about your conditions, for us to check you are managing well , to check your medication, to identify any problems or concerns and ensure you are confident to deal with your condition between reviews.

While we can encourage patients to attend these reviews, if you cannot, or don’t want to attend, we would be grateful if you could notify us so that we do not send you any more reminders until the following year.

We will be sending invitations for review via our text messaging service, or we will be telephoning you to book. Please keep a check in your email or phone and please let us know of any changes to your contact details.(you can do this though our online service at the top of this page, this has an admin tile once you click on the contact button)

If you are medically unable to attend the practice, when we contact you, please do mention this with our team.

To find out a little more about some of the reviews we run, please check the tab at the top .

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COVID VACCINATIONS and Booster

We are pleased to say we are still helping to vaccinate patients with the COVID vaccination. We are with the other practices in Yeovil and surrounding villages offering vaccinations from our site at Abbey Manor Surgery, Abbey Manor, Yeovil. Please use the National Booking Service to book your appointments..

Please help us by not contacting us to ask about your appointment.

If you have received a letter from the NHS Covid-19 Vaccination Booking Service inviting you to book an appointment at a vaccination centre, you can book as advised in the letter.

For information on the vaccination please go to :

Guide for older adults: COVID-19 vaccination: guide for older adults - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

What to expect after vaccination: COVID-19 vaccination: what to expect after vaccination - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Women of childbearing age, those who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy or breastfeeding should read the detailed information on www.nhs.uk/covidvaccination.

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GP Community Pharmacy Consultation Service

There is a new, same-day, GP Community Pharmacy Consultation Service to help you receive quality care and support for minor health conditions, more quickly through accessing care via your community pharmacist. This is for minor illnesses and injuries such as: ankle, foot, knee, lower leg or arm swelling or pain, athlete's foot, allergic reactions, bites or stings, coughs and colds, eye infections, headaches, lower back pain, mouth ulcers and blisters, rashes, sore throats and shoulder pain.

Now, when you contact us regarding a minor condition, after discussing your conditions, where appropriate, Patient Services will offer you the option of having a same-day appointment with your Community Pharmacist.

Community Pharmacists are highly qualified and experienced in providing clinical advice and care (including recommending over the counter treatments) for minor injuries and conditions. They will offer you a same-day consultation via the phone, or in person, which can be arranged quickly and at a time to suit you.

Your Pharmacist will take your medical history, ask about your symptoms and any current medication you might be taking. Following the consultation, the pharmacist will offer you self-care advice and if appropriate, offer you an over-the-counter product. The pharmacist will make a record of the outcome of your consultation and send it to your GP.

If having given you advice/treatment, your pharmacist identifies you need further specialist help, your pharmacist will be able to refer you back to your GP or onto another health service for support.

Community Pharmacists have already successfully seen thousands of patients for a consultation for a minor condition, following a call to NHS 111 and through GPs around the country who have been piloting this service. Evidence from these pilots shows advice provided by Community Pharmacists results in the same outcome, as if the patient went to see their GP, or attended an emergency department.

CQC