Noticeboard


You’ll hear a lot in the coming days about GPs being on strike and various twists on this. We are not on strike but we are taking a stance about inadequate practice funding and unfunded work. We want to keep our surgery as your local surgery and family GPs. Practices are closing and jobs are being lost nationally. The short video below explains what is actually happening. We get £107 per patient per year. 30 pence a day, to provide your healthcare, whether you see us once in 10 years or see our healthcare team several times a week. You will notice some changes in the coming months, but as the GP partners, we are doing this to protect our staff, but ultimately we are doing this to provide continued and SAFE patient care.

Please see link below to video. 



Latest News

1st August 2024 

You’ll hear a lot in the coming days about GPs being on strike and various twists on this. We are not on strike but we are taking a stance about inadequate practice funding and unfunded work. We want to keep our surgery as your local surgery and family GPs.
Practices are closing and jobs are being lost nationally. This short video explains what is actually happening.
We get £107 per patient per year. 30pence a day, to provide your healthcare, whether you see us once in 10 years or see our healthcare team several times a week.
You will notice some changes in the coming months, but as the GP partners, we are doing this to protect our staff, but ultimately we are doing this to provide continued and SAFE patient care.
Please watch the link https://rb.gy/vkstht

May 2024 

NHS Coventry, Warwickshire & Solihull Talking Therapies

If you are currently struggling with low mood, stress, depression or anxiety and are aged 16 or over, Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Talking Therapies offers free and confidential support for your mental health. To find out more, please get in touch with us and speak to a GP. Alternatively, you can self-refer via telephone, or by visiting the Talking Therapies website here.

Telephone: 02476 671 090

Address: Melbourne Gardens, Windsor Street, Coventry, CV1 3BT

Website: www.talkingtherapies.covwarkpt.nhs.uk

Opening Hours:

Monday: 9-4:30pm

Tuesday: 9-4:30pm

Wednesday: 9-4:30pm

Thursday: 9-4:30pm

Friday: 9-4:30pm

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: Closed

 

 

Patient Participation Group meeting 

The notes from the last patient participation meeting are now on the website . Please click on the patient group page to read them. 

Thank you to all patients who attended for your input 

Monday 25th March 2024 

The practice will be closed  on 
Friday 29th March - Good Friday
Monday 1st April - Easter Monday 
The practice will be back open on Tuesday 2nd April 24 at 8.30 am 

18th March 2024 

The next practice patient participation PPG meeting will be held on Wednesday 20th March at 2pm. All welcome 

7th February 2024 

MMR vaccinations If you need to check your child’s status after receiving a text message from the NHS. Please check your child’s red book or submit a request via our website . Please do not ring the surgery

26th January 2024 

Please see our practice newsletter for practice updates on staff changes, the prescription ordering line, online access to medical notes and lots more 

3rd January 2024 

NHS England are running a survey to understand the experience of adults living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes diagnosed at least 12 months ago.  If you are invited, you will be sent a letter and text message reminders explaining how to take part.
The survey is voluntary and all answer are confidential.
For more information go to : www.diabetessurvey.co.uk
If you do not want  to take part, email agem.diabetessurvey@nhs.net or call 01216110020

30th October 2023 


Dear All,

You may be aware NHS England have determined that all patients will have complete prospective access to their medical records As your GP practice, we have been asked to provide you with access to your full medical record via the NHS app (and NHS website) if you have a suitable NHS login, from 31 October 2023.  This instruction also includes automatically provisioning prospective access for patients who turn 16 years of age.

We are advocates of patients having access to their medical records and encourage this, especially to view test results rather than ring the surgery. In fact 46% of our population have some form of online access, either to book appointments or order medication and are able to view elements of their medical records. So, whilst we support the principle of patient access, we are currently providing access in a manner that we determine to be safe.  (i.e. with third-party data redacted), in order to minimise the risk of data breaches pertaining to other individuals, named in patient records

We also have significant concerns about the risks relating to safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children, and the risk of harm (up to and including loss of life, particularly femicide) that may result if/when patient data is revealed to third parties under coercion or threat. Under the current planned changes to the system, when a patient moves surgery, there is no guarantee that any redaction will transfer also, thus increasing risk. These concerns have been raised with NHS England and we have yet to receive a satisfactory response.

We are aware that not everyone will want access to their full record on the internet at this time, and some patients may have concerns about their personal medical records being made available on their smartphones or online, especially if other people have access to their devices.

We therefore regret to advise that, in light of the current lack of ability to enable mass online access to patient records safely, we are unable to comply with NHS England’s plan, for fear of the consequences to our most vulnerable patients.

The BMA have provided us with guidance around our responsibilities as Data controllers. We WILL continue to enable individual-level patient access upon request, when we are sure the notes concerned have been appropriately checked and safely redacted and that by providing access, you or others will come to no harm. We trust in your understanding and are happy to discuss this with any patients as needed. You can find further information about how to use the NHSApp and apply for online access to records on our online services page.

Patient Participation Group 
The next meeting will take place on Wednesday 18th October 2023 at 2pm 
September Flu Clinics 
We are holding flu clinics on
Saturday 16th September 9am to 3pm 
Saturday 23rd September 9am to 3pm 
Saturday 30th September 9am to 12 noon 
All patients eligible will receive a text message with a link to book or a letter if we do not hold a mobile number on record for you 

August 23 

Please see Springfield's latest New letter for updates on flu clinics for 2023, New staff and the upcoming Macmillian coffee morning  

1st March 2023 

Try the NHS App

If you’re a patient at our practice you can now use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.

You can use the NHS App to get health advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP health record and more.

If you already use an online service  you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.

For more information go to www.nhs.uk/nhsapp.'

January 2023  - Learning Disabilities Annual Health Check

Springfield Medical Practice will carry out your learning disabilities health check with the help of our Health Care Assistant.  These checks are offered yearly to all our patients aged 14 and above who have a learning disability. (Please note this is only available to patients registered at Springfield Medical Practice)

If you are aged 14 and above with a learning disability you are eligible to have this health check every year. So, if you are someone who has a learning disability or are a carer for someone with learning disabilities then please make sure that you access this annual health check.

We send out invites to carry out these checks to all our patients known to us and on our learning disability register, every year.  If you have a learning disability and have not received an invite, then please call us on 024 76332628

If you are unsure whether you have a learning disability, or the person you care for has learning disabilities,  then please book an appointment to discuss this further. This way your name can added to our learning disability register. 

You will be asked to have a blood test prior to the appointment. It is best that it is done but if the patient is reluctant then it can be discussed on the day of appointment. You will also be asked to provide a urine sample on the day.

A typical appointment lasts 30 minutes and involves observations like height, weight & blood pressure.  A detailed chat with GP/Health Care Assistant about your health, leading to examination and further investigations if needed. You will receive Health Action Plan at the end of the appointment

It is important that all patients with LD are on the register. This helps in accessing annual health checks and also provides them priority access to vaccinations as most of them fall in a vulnerable group. It also helps young people with EHCP and older adults access appropriate social care

30th June 2022

Primary Care Networks (PCN's )are groups of GP Practices working together to deliver Enhanced Services. These services are provided by the practices, over and above the core hours and GP contract.
From 1st October 2022, PCNs have been asked to undertake patient engagement, to ensure new services meet the needs of the local population.
Please take a few minutes to complete the survey, following the link below.

14th June 2022

If you saw the Panorama TV programme last night you are probably as concerned as we were to see unsupported clinicians treating patients.
Springfield Medical Practice has been a training practice for many years. This means that we have junior doctors at the surgery and these can be doctors undertaking 4 month placement during their initial hospital rotation scheme, and GP trainees. They are all qualified doctors and work under the supervision of the regular GP's.
We ALWAYS have a supervising GP available on site to discuss patients and offer advise to our trainees during the clinic, but also after clinics.
We ALWAYS have a Duty GP available for urgent queries from our other team members and community teams. This includes Nursing team, Phlebotomists, Clinical Pharmacists, Physiotherapists, Midwives, and District Nursing team to name but a few.
We have a Physician Associate, who is also under supervision of a GP.
Very occasionally staff have needed to work remotely when COVID restrictions have forced this. This is not ideal, but isolation rules still require clinical staff to isolate if positive.
None of our work is outsourced, this includes hospital documents, and there is no backlog of these.
We hope this reassures you and we continue to offer a high standard of care. And believe it or not, we still have appointments available to book as of 11.47am today (at the time of writing) for the afternoon for doctors, so don't believe all the hype of not being able to get an appointment!

Many Thanks 

Springfield Team 


November 2021 

We have received reports from both Patient Access users and people who have never registered for the service, that they have received Covid passport emails purporting to be from Patient Access.  

We would like to share the following guidance from Patient Access for your information, and for you to share with your patients where appropriate. 

 

We advise users of Patient Access to check the name and email address of the sender, all emails from Patient Access will come via an email address that ends in @patientaccess.com. We advise users never to click on any log in links that you receive via email but to visit the site via the address bar of your browser instead so that you know you are on the genuine Patient Access log in page. You can find more information and guidance on our information security page here: https://www.patientaccess.com/security  

We strongly advise users to set up their Memorable Word security feature, as well as using biometrics (fingerprint ID) if they use the app.  

Email addresses used to register for Patient Access account are secure. We do not share any data and no data is ever saved or stored on any device you use to access Patient Access.

October 2021 

Being a healthy weight is important for your long-term health but it is also great for your self-esteem, confidence and general wellbeing. There are many ways to achieve a healthy weight through diet and physical activity, and it’s important to find the right way for YOU.

We have a range of tools and programmes that may help you. Get in touch and we can talk you through all of the options available to you, or click on the link below.

https://hlscoventry.org/referral-form/

September 2021

You can now register online using the new patients tab at the top and following the link.

If you are already a patient and wish to update your details please use the online services tab at the top of the page and follow the - HELP US KEEP YOUR CLINICAL RECORD UPTO DATE link  

 

 

** Face masks will continue to be required when attending one of our surgeries. **

June 2021 
We support anybody who wants to register an opt-out and will respect your wishes about your data, but please read the myth busters below before you decide. We want to make sure that you have accurate information to make the right choice for you.
If you do wish to opt out please complete a Type 1 Opt-out preference document below 

MAY 2021 

From 17 May 2021, people in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can demonstrate their vaccination status for international travel. A full course is currently two doses of any approved vaccine. Vaccine status will be available from: 

  • the NHS App which you can download from app stores 

  • the NHS website 

  • 119 - by requesting a paper letter

You will need to register to use the online services, if you have not already. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified.

If you cannot access the online services, and you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel outside the UK in the near future and have had your second dose more than 5 working days ago. It may take up to 7 working days for the letter to arrive.

This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service.

When you're planning your travel, you should check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is enough time to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel

 

COVD Coronavirus- Request for MED3 Fit Notes or GP Letters

 Patients requesting a ‘Doctors Sick Note’ (Med3 Fit Note) or GP letter for absence relating to COVID19 Coronavirus.

In light of the current Coronavirus situation, we have provided this letter as standard response for all patients or employers who might request a Med3 Fit Note or ‘Sick Note’ for periods of absence due to Coronavirus.

 

Request for sick note

This letter applies to all patients registered at Springfield Medical Practice 

Government advice for employees is as follows:

By law, medical evidence is not required for the first 7 days of sickness (employees can self-certify). After 7 days, it is for the employer to determine what evidence they require, if any, from the employee. To make it easier for people to provide evidence to their employer that they need to stay at home, we are developing an alternative form of evidence to the fit note. These will be available shortly be available through https://111.nhs.uk/

In the meantime we continue to urge employers to respect the need to stay at home where they are following government advice to do and show flexibility in the evidence they require from employees.

 From: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-guidance-for-employees

Further information for employers is available here:

 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19

 https://www.acas.org.uk/coronavirus

 Some employees may be required to isolate themselves due to another member of the household being symptomatic, or through high risk. In these cases, your GP will not be able to issue a Med3 as time off as not due to illness, and isn’t affecting your ability to work, but rather is a precaution to avoid transmission of any illness that is yet to produce symptoms. Once again, the Government expect employers to be sympathetic in these circumstances.

 Whilst we appreciate that this may cause difficulties between employees and employers. GPs have a responsibility to prioritise the assessment and management of healthcare needs of patients who are acutely unwell, rather than spending time dealing with requests for sick notes, particularly when they aren’t in a position to issue one.

 GP’s may issue Med3’s for patients who advised not to work where the reason is NOT related to Covid19, however this will be assessed on a case by case basis in line with current demand.

 

Health News from the BBC and the NHS

BBC Health
NHS Choices Behind the Headlines
 
Call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergencyNHS ChoicesThis site is brought to you by My Surgery Website