Eastgate Medical Group - Newsletter Spring / Summer 2008
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Appointments - Extended Opening Hours
Following responses from a questionnaire carried out recently we will now be offering extended opening hours. From the 1st of July 2008, we will be offering extra sessions on alternate Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings to accommodate patients who are unable to attend at other times.
The surgeries will be open from 6:30p.m. – 9:30p.m. on Wednesdays at Eastgate Surgery and 7:30a.m. – 10:30a.m. on Saturdays at The Health Centre, Knaresborough Road.
A Doctor and a Nurse will be available for consultations during these hours and all appointments are pre-bookable by telephone/internet booking and personally at reception.
We are also changing slightly the way we book our appointments which hopefully will make it more accessible for patients.
Patients will be able to book up to four weeks ahead with any of the doctors in the surgery and due to a re-organisation more appointments have been made available.
A Doctor will also be available each day to speak to and offer any advice to patients.
Website
We have a practice website. To access the address is: www.eastgatemedicalgroup.co.uk
We have the facility for patients to pre-book appointments and request repeat prescriptions on the internet. This can be done quite easily through the website.
To use the system to pre-book appointments and request prescriptions you must first register and will be given an access code. Please contact the surgery if you would like a registration form.
If you have any difficulty doing this please contact reception who will be able to assist you.
This service is only available to patients over 18 and is available 7 days a week.
Practice Leaflet
The practice leaflet has been re-designed, this has been done with the help and support of the Patient Participation Group, and is now available in reception. We encourage you to collect a copy when next in the surgery. These are also available from the local libraries and pharmacies.
Patient Participation Group
The Patient Participation Group have been a huge help in the undertaking of the recent patient survey.
They have raised monies through fundraising activities and have purchased high backed chairs for the waiting area, ear syringing equipment and much needed storage equipment in the treatment room at our branch surgery.
We are grateful for all their hard work and do hope the patients of the practice will continue to support them. If any patients have ideas or comments on how any fundraising events should be organised or how monies raised can be spent, please contact the group through reception.
NHS Database
This currently is under construction and will be a National database of all people living in the UK. It will contain all medical and personal details and will be available to everyone using the NHS network. We have already received letters from patients who state they do not want to have their details included in the database and we would advise patients who do not wish to have their details included to inform the surgery by letter. We will then enter this on your records so if in the future we are at a stage when we are faced with your information being entered on the database we can request you are exempt from this. The practice is not obliged to advise you on this issue but if you would like any further information then please ask at reception or look at the website www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk
Registrars/FY2
We have a new registrar in the practice Dr Rachel Kinnersly who will be working in the practice until August 2008.
Also joining the practice for a four month period is Dr Manonmani Sengodan, who is our Foundation Year 2 Doctor
We welcome them both to the practice and hope they will be happy with us.
Hearing Aid Batteries
Please can we make our patients aware that we stock replacement batteries for hearing aids that have been provided by Harrogate Hospital. Just call into reception and we will give you a supply, this will eliminate the time and cost of going to the hospital for replacement batteries.
Achievements!
Congratulations to Doctors and staff who have been competing in various sporting/ fundraising events recently.
Dr John Banks and Reception Manager Gill Rowlands both ran the Blackpool marathon. Gill finishing in 3 hours 25 mins and John in 3 hours 43 mins.
Dr Andy Botherway completed the Fred Whitton Challenge, an arduous bike ride of 150 miles in the Lake District. He completed this in 7 hours 25 mins.
Sally Owbridge-Kestell our Health Care Assistant/Receptionist ran a 10 km circuit in aid of Cystic Fibrosis and managed to save someone’s life along the way! Well done!
© Eastgate Medical Group 2007