PATIENT NEWS

If you need medical attention

‘Choose Well’ by choosing the right service. Further details can be found on the Choose Well leaflet. 

Changes to our appointments system.

Why is the system for appointments changing?

We want a system that is accessible and fair for all our patients. We needed to work differently because of Covid, but now that staffing levels are more predictable, we feel it is the right time to develop a more sustainable and accessible system.

You will no longer be able to submit your urgent medical query online, but you may still do this for non-urgent queries (routine appointments that can wait ) if this is your preference.

What is changing?

• If you have an urgent medical problem you should call reception to book with the urgent care team.
• online services should only be used for non-urgent queries. 
• The Reception team will ask you questions to make sure your appointment is booked with the right person, for the correct amount of time.
• We use a combination of appointment types depending on the situation, for example face to face, or telephone.

You should always call 999 in an emergency as we are not an emergency service.

Why is the receptionist asking me more questions?

Our reception team is trained to know who is the best person to help you. This is not always a doctor.

The receptionist’s role is to find out about your particular problem and book you with the most appropriate person.

They use a tool developed by clinicians to ensure you are asked the right questions.

The more information you can give them, the more likely you will be booked with the best person to help you and for the correct amount of time.

This really helps us to use our resources carefully and maximises the availability of appointments for all patients.

All our staff are trained to maintain the highest level of confidentiality.

Types of appointment

Urgent Care Team – for same day medical emergencies.

Routine appointment – for non urgent medical issues, booked in advance. These appointments are a standard length, so it is important that you tell the receptionist what your problem is so that they can ensure you are booked with the best person to help you within an appropriate time frame. This appointment may be via telephone, or face to face, depending on the circumstances  and your choice. The more information you give the receptionist, the better they can help you.

Self care and other help

Reception will be able to help sign post you to other more appropriate services. For example :

Community Pharmacy Consultation Service – the team are able to book an appointment directly for you to see a pharmacy for minor ailments and medication issues. 

ACES – Acute Eye Service in some opticians – they can see you with an acute eye problem and have the right equipment to see the eye .

Self-care – via the NHS online website   Health A to Z - NHS (www.nhs.uk) . This has  a wealth of safe information on lots of health conditions and what you need to do to help yourself.

Pharmacy – have you taken advice and self-medicated for minor ailments before contacting the surgery. ( cough’s, colds, sore throats, tonsillitis, sinusitis, conjunctivitis, thrush etc). A pharmacist is a professional trained to help you with medications and minor illness advice.

Administration information – For Fit/Sick Notes, Nurses Appointments, repeat Prescription Requests, or a simple query or update for the GP, simply submit your query via our website and the receptionist will be able to help you with an online response.

Our Team

We have a wide variety of staff at the surgery or working alongside our team. In total there are over 60 staff all working together to help you, they all have different skills and expertise. We have a patient list of over 14,000 patients. 

Clinical staff

Doctors , GP Registrars, Foundation Level Doctors, Medical Students, Practice Nurses, Paramedics, Pharmacists, MsK Physiotherapists, Physician Associates, Occupational Therapists, Healthcare Technicians, Nursing Associates, GP Assistants and Pharmacy Technicians

Non-Clinical staff involved in your care

Health Coaches, Administrators, Patient Services Receptionists, Care – Coordinators and Social Prescribers

Out of hours

Extended Hours -If you find it difficult to attend an appointment during our core hours of 8.30 – 18.30 please let the receptionist know. Some services are available outside of these times.

If you need medical help and your GP practice is closed, you can call the NHS 111 number. You can call 111 any time of the day. The call is free, from landlines and mobiles. When you call 111, an adviser will ask you questions to find out what’s wrong and give you advice or direct you to the appropriate service.

If you don’t speak English you can request an interpreter.

For health needs that are not urgent, you should call us during our opening times or submit an online request.

If a health professional has given you a number to call for a particular condition, you should continue to use that number.

You should call 999 in an emergency.

If you would like general health information or advice at any time you can phone NHS Direct by dialling 111.

If you need medical assistance after 6.30pm weekdays or at weekends or bank Holidays, you should telephone the OUT OF HOURS SERVICE on 111

Diabetes 

Your Annual Group Health MOT

We are changing the way we deliver our diabetes health checks. Instead of a 30-minute appointment we are moving to a 90-minute health MOT. This will be delivered in a group setting once a year. This will enable you to priorities your health. Our group clinics will run instead of our one-to-one reviews,

What does your Annual Group Health MOT involve?

• The  group session will run for 90 minutes.
• You will get a chance to ask lots of questions.
• Within the group session you will still have your individual annual review with the nurse.
• You will learn a lot from the other patients in the group and you can support each other.
• Someone else might ask a question that you also wanted to know, and you will learn from other people’s experiences.
• We will add your recent test results to a results board and discuss these in a group setting giving you lots of opportunities to ask questions and get support where needed.
• You will be able to agree what you want to improve going forward writing your own care plan.

Group consultations are proven to enhance the experience of your review whilst encourage & motivate you in your diabetes journey.

Some examples of this are that patients report: -

• Feeling more listened to and less rushed.
• Improved access and spending more time with their clinician.
• Better understanding of their condition.
• More involved in their decisions.
• Cope better with their condition.
• Gain from other patients experiences and share problems/successes.
• Peer support from others with diabetes.
• A sense of belonging, acceptance, and unity through a common goal
• Hope from seeing patients at different stages of a condition.
• A forum for problem solving.

Group clinics are not new, they were started back in 1905 and have also been used extensively over the last 20 years. The patients that attend group clinics have much better control of their diabetes and a better understanding of how they can improve their health.

Of course, when required, patients receive one to one care alongside group clinics. This includes when they need a physical examination that could not be undertaken in a group. You will also still meet one to one with the Health Care Assistant for your bloods and other checks

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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

Please find our CQC report by clicking on this link :

CQC report