for the patients of The Roseland Surgeries 

‘Flu Clinics for the 2019 Season 

Appointments are now available for the flu vaccination:-  Saturday 5^th October 2019.

       9 am to 1 pm

Please give the reception team a call to book your appointment if you haven’t already done so.  Notices will, of course, go up in each of the surgeries, and slips will be attached to your prescriptions – please don’t wait for a letter!

We will be holding additional clinics at Tregony and St Mawes during late October and November – but if you can get to Portscatho, get that vaccination done sooner rather than later!

Those patients at risk are those over the age of 65 years, those with a chronic condition such as diabetes, heart/lung/kidney disease, those who are immunocompromised, pregnant women and those who care for someone.  You do not need to be a paid carer to be eligible for a free vaccination.  You may be the main person looking after an elderly or disabled person, perhaps you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance, or you’re just helping a relative get dressed each day and/ or manage their medication.  If this applies to you – please get your flu jab.  By doing so, you will not only be protecting yourself, but you’ll be protecting the person you care for.

Children’s Flu Party! 

We will be holding a flu party for our little ones sometime in late October/beginning of November. It’s a little later than usual but the delivery of the children’s flu vaccine is slightly delayed from NHS England.  Please look out for your invitation letter giving more details.  As in previous years, every child attending will get a party bag!! 

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) 

There is financial support available to people who may not be able to work because of needing help with day-to-day needs.  If you are between the ages of 16 and 64 and need extra help due to long term ill-health or disability, you may be able to claim PIP.  This has replaced Disability Living Allowance for people between 16 and 64 years of age. If you are 65 and over, and have care/supervision needs, you may be eligible for Attendance Allowance.  The amount you get is determined by how your condition affects you, not the condition itself.

To qualify, you must be between 16 and 64, been present in the UK for two out of the last three years before claiming and you must meet certain disability conditions. A PIP assessment is undertaken as part of the process and will look at your ability to do everyday activities, measuring 10 different activities relating to your daily living needs and two activities relating to your mobility.  For example, these will include preparing food, managing medication, washing/bathing/toilet needs, dressing/undressing, planning and following journeys.

To make a claim call 0800 917 2222 and have your National Insurance number and bank details ready – this helps speed up the claiming process.  You will also need your GP details (and hospital consultant name if you are under the care of the hospital).   Once you have returned the completed form, your GP may be contacted to confirm details of any health conditions you have and you may then have to have a face to face assessment.   There is also an appeals process if your claim is unsuccessful.

You can also find further information via: www.gov.uk/pip and www.disabilityrightsuk.org

‘BREXIT’ and your medication: 

We are being asked to reassure patients that you do not need to order extra medication ahead of ‘Brexit’ and in fact this could contribute to, or cause, supply problems. Prescriptions covering longer durations than normally prescribed are to be avoided and prescription durations are going to be monitored and investigated where necessary to do so.
We want you to keep you informed about plans for continuity of supply.  Further information can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medicines-information/getting-your-medicines-if-theres-no-deal-eu-exit/

Please do not stockpile medicines and medical products: It is not helpful or appropriate for anyone to stockpile medicines – organisations which stockpile risk pressure on availability of medicines. All stock levels are going to be monitored and incidences involving over-ordering of medicines will be investigated.  Check out the NHS website for more information on this subject:-https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/medicines-information/getting-your-medicines-if-theres-no-deal-eu-exit/?mc_cid=8f89bc4056&mc_eid=4471b06a2f

Card Payments 

Thanks to some new technology, we are now able to take card payments from you for prescriptions, private letters/medicals, private immunisations etc.

This facility is now available at Portscatho and Tregony Surgeries. 

Changes to Organ Donation….. 

From Spring 2020, the law around organ donation in England is changing.  Unless you choose to opt out, you will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when you die.  To find out more about your choices, including how to opt out, visit www.organdonation.nhs.uk or call 0300 303 2094

Returned Medication 

If you no longer need medication that has been prescribed for you, we can arrange to have it incinerated safely.  However, for items such as food supplement drinks (Fresubin, Fortisip, Nutridrinks etc) you can pour any unwanted/unused drinks down the sink and put the bottles out for recycling.  We do not need this returning to us for incineration.

Advance Care Plans

Whilst this is always a tricky subject and discussions are not taken lightly, it is important that your nearest and dearest knows what your wishes might be, in the event that you are unable to communicate those to a healthcare professional.  Advance Care Plans are a way of putting your wishes in writing (these were previously known as Living Wills) and it is important that your wishes are respected.

For more information please see the Royal Cornwall Hospital website:-

https://www.royalcornwall.nhs.uk/services/advance-care-planning/

There are also links to support groups which you may also find helpful.

Healthy Me Club 

A new club for people with learning disability and/or autism is being set up in St Austell.  The purpose of the club is

• To meet new people
• To learn about how to stay well and be healthy
• To take part in some easy exercise
• To eat lunch together (bring your own)

It will be held on Thursdays between 12.30 and 3.30 pm, at Bridge 49, Victoria Road, St Austell PL25 4QF (the house with the blue door!)

To book your place please contact Steve Hillman on 01209 615600 or email him: steve.hillman@cornwall.gov.uk

Roseland Surgeries Patient Group 

We have a very active, and pro-active, Patient Group which meets at Portscatho Surgery every month.

Thanks to the hard work of this group, we have lots of activities on offer for our patients – Arts, Painting for Fun, Singing for Fun, Walking groups in Portscatho and St Mawes, Ping Pong, our Café Roseland and Café Veryan and a drama group for our children.

These activities are available to all our patients,  often free of charge, asking only for a donation to help with running costs/refreshments.

If you’d like to know more, please check out the list of activities which can be found in the surgeries, on noticeboards around the Roseland – or just pop in and ask.

If you’d like to know more about becoming a member of the group please ask to speak to Nicola, the Practice Manager.  She will be very pleased to give you more information.

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

Dr Mark Stephen  MB  BCh BSc MRCGP DRCOG