News
DR ED BARNES IS RETIRING
We are very sorry to announce that Dr Ed Barnes is retiring on the 22nd of February, and will be leaving us after 10 years at Lavender Hill. We have been very lucky to have him working with us. Both we and all his very loyal patients will be very sad to lose him. We happen to know that he has plenty of plans and will certainly be enjoying life after hanging up his stethoscope!
PATIENT SURVEY
Our patients' group is helping us conduct a survey of patient opinion about the practice. Please fill in a survey form online here or at the surgery, so that we know what you think and can see how we might be able to improve.
THE BIG WHITE WALL
www.thebigwhitewall.com This is a new website offering help and online CBT for people with depression and anxiety. It is being used as a pilot, you need a password to use it. Please ask one of the doctors to arrange this for you.
FLU IMMUNISATIONS
We have finished our walk in flu clinics, so if you need a flu jab, please ask and we will fit you in with a nurse for this.
FAREWELL DR CARTER
We say goodbye to Dr Owen Carter after his 6 month's attachment with us. His work was much appreciated and we will miss him.
EXPERT PATIENTS PROGRAMMES
If you have a long term health condition and would like to be more in control, you could come and learn from patient tutors who have learned to cope with long term conditions themselves. The six session courses are free, you have to allow 2 and a half hours per session.
Contact the course on 020 8812 7946 or expertpatients@wpct.nhs.uk
Find out more on www.wandsworth.nhs.uk
BCG IMMUNISATION FOR NEWBORNS IN WANDSWORTH (16 6 11)
A 3 month pilot campaign is starting in Wandsworth, to call all newborns living in the borough for BCG immunisation against TB. You will be called to bring your baby into the Stormont clinic for the BCG, if you are part of the pilot. You can find out more about BCG from 020 8812 6090, the local immunisation team, or from www.immunisation.nhs.uk.
GOVERNMENT HEALTH REFORMS (19 5 11)
The Health and Social Care Bill is working its way through parliament. It proposes to do away with layers of health service organisation, reduce the power and responsibility of the health secretary to organise and provide health care and devolve this to commissioning consortia run by groups of GP practices who will bring in their own management, with much smaller management budgets. The initial intention was to stimulate competition amongst providers of services, bringing in the private sector where possible and simultaneously merge health and social care. There is currently a listening exercise to address worries expressed about the potential dangers in this very large reorganisation. The financial background means that cheaper ways of providing care must be found, and expectations will have to be changed, services may have to be dropped and "demand" reduced. There is a great opportunity to redesign much healthcare, but this may threaten existing institutions. We do not know which aspects of the bill will be kept and which will be modified. Meanwhile the department of health has urged GPs to carry on planning as thought it will all happen by 2013. The PCTs have already been trimmed and merged, and there are plans for the development of a Wandsworth Consortium containing 3 localities including Battersea. Our patient group is keen to see how patients' views might be represented. For general information about the changes the BBC website sets out the issues well, the Royal College of GPs website also does from its perspective. The Department of Health sets out the detailed proposals.
In summary, we have to assume there is going to be change and adapt to it with our patients' interests foremost. Watch this space!
HIV TESTING FOR NEW PATIENTS (17 02 11)
All new patients aged 18 to 59 years are being offered rapid HIV testing at the new patient check. This is part of a Wandsworth wide scheme to improve early diagnosis of HIV. It can then be treated and people affected by it can remain well and not infectious to others.
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