For the patients of The Roseland Surgeries
A huge thank you!
We were overwhelmed with gifts from patients and their relatives just before Christmas. We would like to express our gratitude to you all and say a very big thank you. It really is very kind of our patients to think of us at this time.
Is your child going to University?
It’s worth remembering that the availability of free prescriptions for young adults in full-time education does NOT automatically apply to students over the age of 18. If your child is going to university, they can apply for an exemption certificate due to potentially being on a low income, by completing a form HC1 first.
These are available online: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/2017-05/HC1-health-costs-help-claim-form.pdf
Once completed, this form should be sent off to the NHS Business Services team in Newcastle Upon Tyne. (The address is on the form) They will then process the application and send back a form HC2: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme/hc2-certificates-full-help-health-costs
If you get charged for a prescription because you haven’t got an exemption certificate, you can reclaim costs back, but you must have a form HC2 first in order to do this.
Roseland Surgeries Patient Group
Our Patient Participation Group continues to go from strength to strength. In addition to activities such as Walking in Company (Portscatho and St Mawes), Art classes and Café Roseland, we are very pleased to confirm that we now have an established Community Café in Veryan. This is held on alternate Wednesdays at the Parish Hall between 9 am and 12 noon.
We also now have an established Ping Pong Group, Drama Classes for our 5 to 18 year olds and two computer workshops have been held in January. We are hopeful that the computer workshops will continue. We have a variety of leaflets in the waiting rooms at each surgery giving details of all Patient Group Activities and further information can be found on our surgery website.
TV adverts for prescription delivery services
Patients may have seen adverts on the television by companies offering to deliver medication. In the past patients have mistakenly thought they were helping to reduce our workload in using other pharmacies. However, the practice is supported by the income from dispensing and due to the sparseness of the population on the Roseland an independent practice would not exist without it. We try and provide a first class dispensing service including medication delivery for the housebound. Please let us know if we are not meeting your needs.
Bank holidays to remember:
Just a little reminder that Easter is early this year, at the end of March. The surgery will be closed on Good Friday, 30th March and Easter Monday 2nd April. We’ll be open again on Tuesday 3rd April as usual at 08.30 am.
Screening for abdominal aneurysms
Men of a certain age will be routinely invited to have an ultrasound scan of their abdomen to check for signs of aneurysm. This service started in Cornwall in 2010 and screening invitations are sent out to men, 65 years of age and over.
However, the screening office has asked us to point out to our gents that men born before 1st April 1945 who have either missed this invite, or perhaps didn’t hit the cohort when the service was set up, are entitled to a free screening session.
If you think you might be eligible, or you know you missed an appointment, please ring the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm screening office directly: 01752 764858 or 0800 970 8700.
Using NHS Services appropriately
Many patients will be aware that during the winter especially, our resources are stetched to maximum and it is vital that patients use the right service at the right time. On Boxing Day alone, over 3200 calls were taken by the Ambulance Service. Details of a range of services, including opening times and waiting times for the Emergency Dept can be found here:
https://www.kernowccg.nhs.uk/5395
Alternatively, you can download the NHS Quicker app (available free of charge) from the
App Store here: https://nhsquicker.co.uk/app/?mc_cid=9daa59821f&mc_eid=4471b06a2f
An Article by our most recent Medical Student
Hi all, my name is Luke and I’m a final year medical student at the University of Exeter Medical School. I’ve just completed a six-week placement block at the Roseland Surgeries – you may have come across me, or you may come across one of my peers. UEMS sends final year students on six-week GP placement blocks, and third and fourth year students attend for several one-week blocks. I wanted to thank you for seeing me and my peers, and for involving students in your care. I’m sure that some of you have questions about medical students and their role in your care, so I’d like to take this opportunity to explain who we are and what we do.
Medical students are studying to become doctors. This is generally a five-year undergraduate course (at UEMS) before they graduate as doctors and start working. For the first two years after graduating they are called “foundation doctors”. After this, they can decide which specialty they would like to pursue and can start their specialty training, heading towards becoming a GP or a consultant. This specialist training is another three to eight years. During this whole time after graduating they are known as “junior doctors” – even though they may be fifteen years into their training!
Medical school is the first step on this path and is a mixture of academic learning and placements. Students rotate through different areas of medicine, including hospital-based medicine and general practice. It’s very likely that you will come across students if you visit hospital. It’s understandable that you may be worried about a student being involved in your care, but there is no need to be – they are held to the same professionalism standards as all doctors, are accountable to both the General Medical Council and to their medical school, and are bound by confidentiality just like qualified doctors. They cannot prescribe and are always overseen by fully-qualified staff. You will always be told when you are seeing a student, and the student will always make clear their level of training. Your care will not be detrimented by having a student involved. Indeed, it can be improved in several ways.
- You get more time. As medical students are in training, they have more time to spend with patients than fully-qualified staff. Many patients feel less rushed and can express their concerns without the normal time restraints.
- You get up-to-date care. We’re all learning about the latest medical information and are regularly attending lectures and workshops as well as studying for exams, so our knowledge is fresh and up-to-date.
- You get two pairs of eyes. You will always be seen by a fully-qualified staff member, but by also seeing the student you are having an additional opinion. Occasionally students do pick up new findings when they see you first, which they will then report back to the doctor.
- You may get seen earlier. Qualified doctors are normally fully booked and very busy, but students have much more time and you may be seen earlier by agreeing to see them first. Remember, you will still see a qualified doctor afterwards.
- You can help the future of medicine. In order for a student to become a good doctor, they need to experience lots of different patients with different presentations. You may even influence their career choices if they particularly enjoy their consultations in a particular area, and you can help them by agreeing to be seen. Indeed, every famous doctor started as a student – you may be seeing a future Royal College President!
I hope this summary has helped. Whilst you are entitled to refuse to see a medical student or to turn them away for a particular procedure or examination, I hope that you will involve them in your care. If you have any questions about medical students, feel free to ask at reception.
Luke Tester
Final year medical student
University of Exeter Medical School
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