POUND HILL

SURGERY

Opening Hours : 08.30 - 18.30 Monday to Friday Tel: 0844 477 1816 Fax: 0844 477 1817

COPTHORNE

SURGERY

Opening Hours 08.30 - 18.30 Monday to Thursday Friday 08.30—17.30 Tel: 0844 477 1815 Fax: 0844 477 2590

Newsletter Winter

2011/2012

www.poundhillmedicalgroup.co.uk P R A C T I C E M A N A G E R ’ S CORNER

We are currently running a new in house patient survey that has been organised by the Friends of Pound Hill Medical and to date we have had over 300 returned. Initial feedback from our patients is that you most are very satisfied with the service but there are some areas that we need to work on. A full report will be available to the Friends Group at the end of January who are going to help us with an Action Plan to improve areas that need improving. We will aim to publish this on our website and in the surgeries by the end of February.

As many of you may have heard in the news, the new NHS Commissioning Structure (how the government buys health services) is changing putting GPs in control of how things are purchased and the care pathways that patients will follow. At Pound Hill we are committed that this will not affect the doctor / patient relationship and want to ensure all of our patients that all decisions made by the GPs and Nurses at the practice are in the best interest of the patient and not financial motivated.

All the best for a healthy and happy New Year!

Perry Anderson Practice Manager

From the Practice Manager and

Friends of the Pound Hill Medical

Group

The Friends Group have continued to give

priority to developing means of improving

our communications with patients and to

provide useful and interesting medical

information. Following the successful “Open

events” earlier this year it has been

proposed that we arrange two further

information events in 2012 but to target

medical matters for specific groups of

patients. The first event planned for

sometime in March is for parents and will

provide information and advice on the

Practice Immunisation programme for your

children. The second event will be related

to the subject of Cardiology and Heart

disease.

More details of both these events will be

detailed in the next issue of this newsletter

Did You Know your Practice Nurse Can……

See and treat you for any of the following conditions:

Asthma Athletes foot Bites/stings Boils

Cold sores Colds/flu Cough Cystitis

Shingles Nosebleeds Rashes Earache

Diarrhoea & Vomiting Tonsillitis Emergency contraception

Hay-fever Impetigo Threadworms Sinusitis

Contraception ( depot injection, caps, pill checks)

Impetigo Sinusitis Sore eyes Sore throat

Urinary infections Vaginal discharge

In Future, please ask the reception team to book you in

with one of your Practice Nurses for any of the above

R E S E A R C H

FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

There is a department at Pound Hill Surgery which is dedicated to medical research. It is led by Dr Litchfield and Dr Jackson with the help of Beth Dyson, clinical trials assistant.

Studies vary tremendously from observational projects to short term use of a new medication to longer term research following patients with various conditions for many years but all aim to help with the development of treatment. Some examples of previous work include Lansoprazole for heartburn, “statins” for heart protection, Salmeterol and Fluticasone for asthma and the HPV vaccine. We complete all clinical trials under protocols set by pharmaceutical companies and are overseen by independent ethics committees.

We are presently recruiting patients for the SORT study – for patients with knee arthritis and requiring pain relief, TECOS and LANSCAPE all improving diabetic control and AMPHORE looking into the differences in asthma symptoms and disease behaviour in people with asthma.

We are very grateful to the patients who give their time and commitment to help with medical research.

If you want to take part or would like more information please contact Beth on 0844 477 1816, poundhill.research@nhs.net or leave your name at reception and we will give you a call.

Do you have Osteoarthritis of the Knee?

Research volunteers are needed for an observational study looking at the standard care and

treatments of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee(s). You will not be required to take

any additional study medication to participate in this study.

To participate you MUST:

Be 50 years or older

Have osteoarthritis of the knee(s) and be taking pain medication

For more information please contact:

Beth Dyson – 0845 477 1816

Poundhill.research@nhs.net

DID YOU KNOW YOUR PHARMACIST CAN….

Skin conditions, such as mild acne and mild eczema

Coughs, fevers and colds, including nasal

congestion, sore throat and upper respiratory tract

infections

Headlice, conjunctivitis, ear wax

Constipation and haemorrhoids (piles)

Hay fever and allergies

Aches and pains, such as headaches, earache and

backache

Indigestion, diarrhoea, vomiting and threadworms

Period pain and thrush

Warts, verrucas, mouth ulcers and cold sores

Athlete's foot

Nappy rash and teething

Bites and stings

Your local Pharmacist

can provide medicine and advice for all of these common ailments.

Simply ask about the MINOR AILMENTS services when visiting the pharmacy.

The cost will either be the same as an NHS prescription, less if the item is cheaper, or FREE if you already receive free NHS prescriptions.

DID YOU KNOW…...

Your mouth produces 1 litre (1.8 pints) of saliva a day.

We have four basic tastes. The salt and sweet taste buds are at the tip of the tongue, bitter at the base, and sour along the sides.

Unless food is mixed with saliva you cannot taste it.

The liver is the largest of the body’s internal organs. The skin is the body’s largest organ.

Not all our taste buds are on our tongue; about 10% are on the palette and the cheeks.

On average a hiccup lasts 5 minutes.

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

Your middle fingernail grows the fastest.

KIDDIES CORNER

The little boy has nearly finished building his

snowman but he needs to find …..

HAT

SCARF

BROOM

and lastly 3 PIECES OF COAL which are

hidden in the picture—can you help him find

them.

JOIN THE DOTS THEN COLOUR ME IN!