Roseland Surgeries May 2017 Newsletter

For the patients of The Roseland Surgeries

Forthcoming Bank Holidays:

Spring Bank holiday – Mon 29th May –

Surgery CLOSED

Your Summary Care Record

The NHS in England is now using an electronic record called the Summary Care Record (SCR), which is being used to support patient care. This programme has been rolled out throughout the UK since 2010 and has finally reached us!

All the places where you receive health care keep their own medical records about you. These places can often only share information from your records by letter, fax or phone. At times, this can delay information sharing and this can impact decision making and slow down treatment.  The Summary Care Record is a copy of key information held in your GP record. It provides authorised healthcare staff with faster, secure access to essential information about you – when you need unplanned care or when your GP practice is closed. The availability of Summary Care Records will improve the safety and quality of your care.

Your Summary Care Record contains important information about any medicines you are taking, any allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines that you have previously experienced. Allowing authorised healthcare staff to have access to this information will improve decision making by doctors and other healthcare professionals and has prevented mistakes being made when patients are being cared for in an emergency or when their GP practice is closed.

Your Summary Care Record also includes your name, address, date of birth and your unique NHS Number to help identify you correctly. You may want to add other details about your care to your Summary Care Record. This will only happen if both you and your GP agree to do this.

What are my choices?    You can choose to have an SCR or you can choose to opt out. If you choose to have a Summary Care Record and are registered with us, you do not need to do anything as a Summary Care Record is created for you. If you choose to opt out of having a Summary Care Record and do not want a SCR, you need to let us know by filling in and returning an opt-out form. Opt-out forms are available from reception or online: http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/scr/usefuldocuments

If you are unsure if you have already opted out, you should talk to the staff at reception.  If you decide later on that you no longer want a Summary care Record, you can change your mind at any time and simply complete an opt out form.

Who can see my Summary Care Record? Healthcare staff who have access to your Summary Care Record:

  • need to be directly involved in caring for you
  • need to have an NHS Smartcard with a chip and passcode
  • will only see the information they need to do their job and
  • will have their details recorded every time they look at your record.

Healthcare staff will ask for your permission every time they need to look at your Summary Care Record.  If they cannot ask you (for example if you are unconscious or otherwise unable to communicate), healthcare staff may look at your record without asking you, because they consider that this is in your best interest. If they have to do this, this will be recorded and checked to ensure that the access was appropriate.  If a healthcare professional self-claims a legitimate relationship, or selects emergency access, this will generate an alert. These alerts will be audited by each organisation’s privacy officer to make sure there was a valid reason for the record being accessed.

How does the NHS protect my confidentiality? By law, everyone working for the NHS in England (or on their behalf) must respect your confidentiality and keep all information about you secure. The NHS Care Record Guarantee for England specifies how the NHS will collect, store and allow access to your electronic records. It details your choices for how your information is stored and viewed. The NHS Care Record Guarantee is available online at http://systems.hscic.gov.uk/scr/usefuldocuments

Considerable care is taken with your records. There are individuals who are responsible for protecting your confidentiality in each place that you are treated.

Where can I get more information? For more information about Summary Care Records you can –

  • talk to the Practice Manager at the surgery.
  • visit www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
  • phone the Health and Social Care Information Centre on 0300 303 5678

GP Online Services

GP online services are available at The Roseland Surgeries to help people better manage their health. These services enable patients to book GP appointments and request repeat prescriptions via their computer, smartphone or tablet at a time that suits them, anywhere, anytime – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Patients who require repeat prescriptions can request these from the comfort of their own home, rather than venturing out in the cold or wet weather to drop their request off at the practice. You will also be able to review which medication you should be taking, the dosage and when it should be taken – helping to improve your understanding of your medication.

If you want to register for GP online services you will need to fill out a form at the practice and show two forms of ID one of which should have a photo (such as a UK passport or driving licence) and the other should have your address (such as a council tax bill). If you don’t have photo ID or anything with your address on it, it doesn’t mean you will not be able to use online services, our practice staff may be able to help. To register for GP online services, drop in and ask us, or to find out more visit the NHS Choices website at www.nhs.uk/GPonlineservices

Roseland Surgeries Patient Group

Our patient group continues to meet monthly here at Portscatho.  If you are interested in becoming an active (or virtual) member, do please speak to Nicola.

The Group is responsible for the regular arts classes held at the Memorial Hall and the Roseland Café which operates on alternate Wednesdays (see the additional article on the right). Contact Simone Kennett if you’d like to know more about these sessions 01872 581801.

The Group also runs walking groups in the villages – notices are on display at each of the surgeries, but if you are interested in taking part in any of the walks, please see the contact details here:

St Mawes – Jo Shaw 01326 270179

Portscatho –  John Clelland 01872 501014

Café Roseland

Our social café continues on alternate Wednesdays at the Memorial Hall in Portscatho, where you can participate in art, board games, knitting/crochet,…….or you can just read a paper while sitting in the comfy chairs with some tea and cake!  1.30 to 4.30 pm –  just turn up for a FREE afternoon of socialising (no need to book)  All ages are welcome!  Transport can be arranged in advance for those who find it difficult to get out – please speak to Debbie the Practice Secretary.

Research Studies

 We are embarking on research studies and some patients on long term aspirin therapy will have recently been contacted by our Research Nurse to discuss helicobacter eradication.  We are also looking at how we can identify early arthritis in certain patients presenting with non-traumatic musculoskeletal pain.

If you are interested in helping with research, do please let us know.  There are posters at each surgery highlighting projects as we take them on.

Respiratory Specialist Nurse Clinics

We are very lucky to have access to a Respiratory Specialist Nurse for a limited period to assist us in reviewing patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and asthma.  Clinics will be undertaken initially at Portscatho and we hope to be able to other offer sessions at the branch surgeries. The Specialist Nurse will primarily be inviting patients with COPD for a review appointment and at a later date, we will be inviting our asthmatic patients in for this specialist review.  At this appointment, the nurse will review all elements of your treatment to ensure you have optimum management along with providing each patient with a personal action plan to manage these diseases most effectively.  We hope, if you receive an invitation, that you will take us up on this offer.

 

Nicola Davies

Practice Manager

Dr. Will Hynds   MA  MB  BChir   MRCGP  DRCOG  DCH

Dr. Terese Tubman  BMed   MRCGP  DipFFP

Dr Jonathan Jacoby   MB  BCh  BSc (Hons)   MRCGP

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