Practice News

15th Oct

BOOK NURSE APPOINTMENTS 24/7 WITHOUT WAITING FOR RECEPTION

You can now book a Nurse appointment using the 24hr automated telephone booking system

Simply call: 020 3818 7679

The system will use your date of birth and current mobile number to verify you as a registered patient.

Please make sure we have your correct telephone number on your records.

15th Oct

IMPORTANT NOTICE - SMS Text Messaging

Due to the limitations of SMS text messaging, we shall now primarily use email for patient communication whenever possible.

Our email will come from the following address: no-reply.accurx15@nhs.net

Please note, this is a non-reply address, so you will not be able to respond directly. If you need to contact us via email, kindly use: nelondonicb.sgppatients@nhs.net.

We encourage you to email us to confirm or update your current email address.

Many thanks.

9th Apr

Find out what's happening!

Somerford Easter Newsletter.pdf

4th Mar

Veteran Friendly Practice

We are an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice.

Veteran Friendly Practice Accreditation Certificate.pdf

This means that, as part of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, we have a dedicated clinician who has a specialist knowledge of military related health conditions and veteran specific health services. This is important in helping ex-forces to get the best care and treatment. If you are ex-forces, please let your GP know to help ensure you are getting the best possible care.

Patient Charter.pdf

Top Tips for Veterans.pdf

19th Feb

Green Impact for Health

We are working to reduce our environmental impact by participating in the green impact for health scheme. This is important because environmental problems like climate change and air pollution damage the health of our patients and affect our ability to work effectively. The NHS makes up 4-5% of the UK’s carbon footprint currently, but it’s taking action to reduce this.

Things we are doing at Somerford Grove:

- Reviewing our inhaler prescribing to make sure we provide the best possible care for all patients with asthma or COPD while also choosing inhalers with low carbon footprints where possible

- Regular medication reviews to ensure all prescriptions are safe and necessary – this improves patient safety and reduces waste

- Doing our best to take a ‘prevention rather than cure’ attitude, by providing advice on healthy lifestyles and using our social prescribing and health and wellbeing services and our volunteer group to address problems that affect our patients’ health

- Working with our landlord to improve the efficiency of the heating system

- Using email and text messages to communicate where possible, and using paper only when necessary

Things you can do:

- Help to reduce waste by only ordering your medication when needed and checking your medication before you leave the pharmacy so that any incorrect prescriptions can be used for another patient, but if they have been outside the pharmacy they can’t be reused

- Take any used inhalers or unwanted medication back to the pharmacy so they can dispose of it safely – don’t put it in your normal bin or flush it down the toilet - Reduce your exposure to air pollution by avoiding busy roads especially at rush hour, only driving when necessary and turning your engine off when stationary

The good news is that we can look after our health and look after the planet at the same time, because there are lots of things that are good for both. These include reducing the amount of meat and dairy in our diets and increasing the amounts of fruit and vegetables, cycling or walking instead of travelling by car and taking care of our green spaces so that we can spend more time in nature, and connecting with others to build healthy communities. We all have different circumstances and not all of us are able to do all these things, but it’s important that we work together and do the things we can.

19th Feb

Measles

There is information on measles on the NHS website. This includes advice to parents and carers to check if their child has measles, including photos of the measles rash. The rash looks brown or red on white skin. It may be harder to see on brown and black skin.

UKHSA are working on getting images of measles on darker skin, but there are some in this guide https://www.blackandbrownskin.co.uk/mindthegap)

Measles is a highly infectious viral illness, so anyone with symptoms is advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice, rather than visiting the surgery or A&E, to prevent the illness spreading further.

31st Jan

NHS App waiting list information

From 30 January 2024, the NHS App will show patients an estimated waiting time for their hospital treatment at NHS acute trusts.

Download the Appp today NHS App and your NHS account - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

31st Jan

NEW ADVANCED PHARMACY FIRST SCHEME

From 31st January 2024, people across Hackney can pop down to their local pharmacy for help with seven minor conditions which would previously have required a GP appointment.

Earlier this year 75% of people said they wanted to see pharmacies offering more healthcare services such as treating urinary tract infections or sore throats, and now they will be. Almost all pharmacies will offer the new service, giving advice and, if needed, NHS medicines, to treat seven common health conditions – and all without needing to get a GP appointment.

As experts in medicines and managing minor illnesses, pharmacists have been backed by Government and the NHS to provide a new NHS ‘Pharmacy First’ service. Many pharmacies across City and Hackney have signed up to support people in certain age groups seeking help for sore throats, earache in children, sinusitis, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles, and urinary tract infections in women.

If you have symptoms that suggest you may have one of these conditions, you can now walk into a pharmacy and be offered a consultation with the pharmacist. Under the new service pharmacists can provide advice and, if clinically necessary, will offer an NHS medicine to treat it (NHS prescription charge apply if you normally pay for medicines supplied on prescription). Should the pharmacy team be unable to help, you will be directed to your GP surgery or A&E as appropriate.

By thinking ‘Pharmacy First’, people will find it easier and quicker to get the help they need and bypass the 8am rush to book an appointment with their GP. The new service is part of a wider expansion of healthcare services that will empower pharmacists to use more of their skills and give people more choice about their healthcare. It is also hoped that the service will be expanded to include more conditions in the future. Find the new service at a pharmacy near you using the NHS website: https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/

30th Jan

Digital Advisor (help with setting up your online access account)

We now have Digital Advisors at the surgery. They can assist you in getting access to online services via the practice website and the NHS App.

The advisors are available in the practice on Monday mornings between 11:00 am - 13:00 pm in the small waiting area, to the left hand side of reception.

You can give your name to Reception staff, who will add you to the list of the next session, or you can just walk in on the day.

28th Sep 2023

Opt Out - HIV Testing

From October 2023, everyone who has their blood tested as part of an NHS Health Check (ages 40 -74) will be tested for HIV.

It is important to get diagnosed early as treatment is life saving and free from the NHS.

Your results are confidential. If you do not want to be tested please let a member of staff know.

If you do not need a blood test as part of your NHS Health Check, but do not want to be tested for HIV, please let a member of staff know.

Opt out - HIV Testing for website.pdf

4th Aug 2022

HELP US TO HELP YOU - BOOK NURSE APPOINTMENTS 24/7 WITHOUT WAITING FOR RECEPTION