It's Organ Donation Week 2022!

This week is organ donation week 2022. Organ donation genuinely saves lives and Organ Donation are welcoming support in increasing awareness of the importance of organ donation.

According to their website:

“Go pink for Organ Donation Week

This year we’re asking everyone to go pink for the week!

Whether you bake a pink cake, wear pink socks, paint a pink unicorn or drink a pink drink we want to see what you get up to.

How will you show your support?
Do your pink thing and share the fun online.

Remember to use #organdonation and tag us @nhsorgandonor so we can see your brilliant efforts!”

— Organ Donation UK

To find out more about organ donation, and how to register your personal decision on organ donation please visit the Organ Donation website.

Flu & COVID Vaccine Latest Update!

We have been working hard behind the scenes to get ready to start vaccinations for both Flu & COVID this year. Our vaccinations will all be done at St Wulfstan Surgery and will commence from Saturday 1st October 2022.

Because our delivery of Flu & COVID Vaccines is staggered, we will be gradually inviting patients over the coming weeks via Text message. And the great thing is you can book your appointments directly via the text message. Our clinics will run on all Saturdays throughout October.

When you arrive for your appointment you will be asked if you want a COVID booster vaccine at the same time if you have not had one this Autumn. We will then be able to provide both vaccines at the same time (stock permitting).

So for now, please wait for your text invite and please try to use the booking function via text message where possible. We will of course keep you updated regularly!

Welcome Dr MUHARIB

We are very pleased to welcome Dr Muharib to our growing team of excellent GP’s!

Dr Muharib recently completed her GP training locally and brings with her great experience and enthusiasm.

Welcome Dr Muharib.

St Wulfstan Surgery - Rated #68 out of 6418 Practices in England - Thank You! 👍🙏

We are really proud to announce we have been rated 68th out of 6418 practices in England following the results of the recent GP Patient Survey 2022. This puts us in the top 1% in England.

This represents an improvement on last year, and we are incredibly thankful for your wonderful feedback. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to serve you all. At St Wulfstan all our staff share a passion for delivering great care and proving a great service, and this is built upon the strong relationship we share with our patients.

Some highlights include:

• 100% find it easy to get through to this GP practice by phone

• 97% find the receptionists at this GP practice helpful

• 93% are satisfied with the general practice appointment times available

• 97% were satisfied with the appointment they were offered

• 97% describe their experience of making an appointment as good

• 96% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at treating them with care and concern during their last general practice appointment

• 96% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment

• 95% describe their overall experience of this GP practice as good

For more information or to view results you can visit the Coventry Telegraph article.

Once again, thank you to all of our patients.

Closed for Bank Holiday 19th September 2022

The government has confirmed that Monday 19th September will be a Bank Holiday. The surgery will therefore be closed that day in line with most schools, childcare facilities. All patients who have a pre-booked appointments for that day will be able to change their appointment online or by speaking to one of our reception team. Our early bird appointments will be available on Tuesday 20th September next week.

Pharmacy on call cover will be provide by:

HB Dunn Chemist

31-33 Oxford Street Leamington Spa 

CV32 4RA

01926 424796

Opening Times: 14:00-16:00

Out of Area Registrations Now Accepted

You can now register with St Wulfstan Surgery, even if you live outside of our practice area.

Anyone can register, irrespective of where you live, and have full access to our services. But please be aware that we will not be able to conduct home visits if you live outside of our practice area.

We believe in proving high quality, friendly, respectful and efficient care to all of our patients. And we are proud that we were ranked number 68 (top 1%) of all practices in England by the GP Patient Survey 2022.

To register please click the button below, or the ‘Join Us’ button in the top right of our website.

Welcome!

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Flu & COVID Vaccine Update 2022

As we approach flu vaccine season we just wanted to update you all on Flu and COVID vaccinations this Autumn & Winter.

Flu Vaccines

We will begin our flu vaccinations at the end of September and invites will be sent once we have our supply of vaccine and our clinic times are confirmed. Eligible patients will receive invitations via text message in due course.

COVID Vaccine Boosters

This year we will be able to offer eligible patients a COVID Booster vaccine at the same time as their flu vaccine at the surgery. Eligible patients will receive invitations via text message in due course. COVID Booster vaccines will also be offered via Southam Clinic, but Flu vaccines cannot be given at the same time at Southam Clinic, and your flu vaccine will need to be booked at the surgery separately.

Therefore for your COVID Booster you will have 2 options:

1. Wait for your invite from the surgery and have your Flu and COVID Booster vaccinations together - due to start end of September

2. Book a COVID Booster only at Southam Clinic by calling 01926 962 718, but you will need to book your Flu vaccine separately at the surgery

Once our clinic dates are confirmed we will begin sending invites later this month and we will also issue updates via our website.

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Who is Eligible for the Flu and COVID Booster Vaccines?

• Adults aged 50 and over

• Adults 18+ Who have certain health conditions, including

  • Asthma (requiring daily inhalers), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • Chronic heart disease such as heart failure

  • Chronic kidney disease

  • Chronic liver disease

  • Diabetes

  • Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neuron disease, Multiple Sclerosis

  • a significant learning disability

  • Problems with your spleen (e.g. splenectomy)

  • Being seriously overweight (a BMI of 40 or above)

  • Weakened immune system (e.g. HIV, AIDS)

• are pregnant

• are in long-stay residential care

• receive a carer's allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be at risk if you get sick

• live with someone who is more likely to get a severe infection due to a weakened immune system, such as someone with HIV, someone who has had a transplant, or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis

• are frontline health workers

• are social care workers who cannot get the vaccine through an occupational health scheme at work

Yours Gratefully, by Dr Olaleye

Please read on for a reflection from our very own Dr Olaleye, about feeling grateful.

Yours Gratefully, by Dr Olaleye

I read with utter amazement the good reviews we have received at St Wulfstan surgery and nothing but gratitude wells up inside me. I am fully appreciative to be working with a great team of people with a united purpose. I am truly grateful to see how the work we do is received within the community. It fills my heart with joy when I hear about the changes that happen because someone from our team took time to listen or sort out a problem on the phone.

This article is about being Grateful.

Being Grateful is a habit that encourages positive emotion, it builds up our emotional wellness and resilience. Just as we build on our physical health through exercise, eating healthy, sleeping well, and avoiding harmful substances. It is important to create habits that build our emotional and mental health. A heart full of gratitude is good medicine to the soul.

Some studies show that a tendency towards positivity increases our resilience.

It is not unusual for negative emotions or feelings to creep up when we begin to feel grateful.

These can be quite strong and overwhelming. However, if you can worry, you can meditate.

You can choose to turn worry thoughts into opportunities to meditate on things you are grateful for.

Here are 4 good reasons why:

- Gratitude helps reduce the overwhelming feelings of negativity around you.

- Gratitude helps with problem solving as your brain is more receptive towards solutions.

- Gratitude is contagious, so you get to be surrounded by people who enhance your positivity.

- Gratitude helps adopt an abundant mindset.

Why don't you start your gratitude journal today, perhaps just before you sleep or once you wake up.

I am truly grateful to be a part of an excellent hardworking team at St Wulfstan surgery.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Jaiye Olaleye.

August Bank Holiday Arrangements

AUGUST BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

St Wulfstan Surgery will be closed on Monday 29th August and will re-open Tuesday 30th August 8:30am.

 IF YOU HAVE A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY, PLEASE CALL 999 IMMEDIATELY

If you have an urgent medical problem whilst we are closed

Please call 111

Please call the surgery on 01926 810939 for further information on what to do if you need help when we are closed.

If you need a repeat prescription, you can order it online or when we re-open.

Asda Pharmacy is open from 10:00 – 4:00pm.  They are located in the Asda store: Chesterton Drive, Leamington Spa, CV31 1YD (01926 459010)

More Support for Long COVID

There is support out there for anyone suffering symptoms of Long COVID.

The organisers of this Hope Course have been in touch and told us the following:

“Our successful free programme for People with Long Covid starts again on September 14th.

People can find out more and sign up at: https://www.hopecwr.h4c.org.uk/, they do not have to be referred. The 8 week course can be handled at your own pace and in your own time, though we provide support and opportunities to meet others in the same circumstances.”

— Hope Courses

St Wulfstan Surgery or Southam Clinic - Please Check Your Appointment Location

We are delighted to now be offering additional appointments from our Branch Surgery at Southam Clinic. Many of you may recall Southam Clinic as the site where you had your COVID vaccine. These clinics are running really well, but we are still noticing some patients booking appointments for Southam Clinic but turning up to St Wulfstan Surgery.

It’s always worth checking your booking or appointment reminder text message as it will state whether your appointment is booked for St Wulfstan Surgery or for Southam Clinic. If in doubt, don’t hesitate to speak to our Reception Team.

Please see the map below for the location of Southam Clinic.

 

Welcome Grace, Our New Social Prescriber!

At St Wulfstan Surgery we are lucky to work with a great team of Social Prescribing Link Workers, who are skilled at linking patients to local services to help improve the social health and wellbeing of our patients. We are happy to welcome Grace as our latest addition to that team.

If you think you may benefit from the help of our Team, please feel free to email we.connect@nhs.net

Now a few words from Grace:

“Hello, my name is Grace and I am a Social Prescribing Link Worker for the East PCN. Alongside my role I am training to be a Counsellor/ Psychotherapist. I am hugely passionate about the well-being of our patients and their mental health. I aim to help and support each patient by working together in a positive, forward-thinking motion to find the best possible outcome or solution. As a person I am caring and compassionate and always aim to bring a positive and uplifting energy. I look forward to working with St Wulfstan Surgery and please do say hello if I’m around. ”

— Grace Cowell

Welcome Grace!

Welcome Dr Lawrence-Smith, Farewell Dr Beirne

At St Wulfstan Surgery we are a GP Training practice, and as such we have been very fortunate to have had Dr Beirne work with us for the last 6 months. He is moving on to complete his next phase of training and we would like to thank him for all of his hard work - he has been a great asset!

And now we would like to welcome our next GP Trainee, Dr Hannah Lawrence-Smith. She brings with her some great hospital experience, and she joins us as a final year trainee, which means she will be with us for the next 12 months. Welcome Hannah!

Thank you Dr Beirne & Best of Luck

Learning Disability and Cervical Screening Week

The week of the 23rd June 2022 marked both Learning Disability Week and Cervical Screening Awareness week. Across the NHS, local partnerships are working together to find ways that cervical screening can be made more accessible for people with a learning disability. In the short film below, Jodie explains how she attended her first cervical screening appointment after her GP practice made the right adjustments to make her feel more comfortable and confident. We want to ensure that more patients like Jodie come forward to attend their cervical screening appointment, so if there is anything we can do in readiness for your cervical screening appointment please do get in touch and let us know.

Help us to help you....

It is no secret that we are an ever-evolving GP Practice, with new patients joining us each day. As our ethos reflects, our philosophy is to provide caring, compassionate and high-quality care to each and every single one of our patients.

Part of that is making our service accessible for those that need it, when they need it – we offer both telephone and face to face appointments, and we are also trialling the ‘E-Consult’ feature on our website for less urgent requests. But quite concerningly, we are having an increasing number of appointments being booked for things that are not necessary. The time of our clinicians is very valuable, and we want to make sure that their time is utilised optimally. Therefore, we would just like to gently remind all patients that if you have an administrative request or query, this should not be channelled through our GP appointments.

If you would like to request a private letter, you may do this via our website or by dropping the paperwork in to our reception team who will pass it on to our Admin Team to process. Should you wish to check the status of an ongoing request, please kindly note that these requests can take up to 21 days to be fulfilled. In the event that this timeframe has elapsed, please contact the Admin Team on 01926 810939 and we will do our very best to help you. To check the status of an existing referral, you can contact your chosen hospital on the booking line telephone numbers below;

• Warwick Hospital – 01926 600036

• University Hospital of Coventry & Warwickshire / Rugby St Cross Hospital - 0800 252060

  We are very fortunate to have so many NHS services at our disposal for a range of different ailments. The below list is not exhaustive, but hopefully it can help give some more information regarding the help that is available to you should you need to be seen.

• 💊 Self-Care (Sore throat, Hangover, Cough, Grazes, Small cuts) : A large range of common illnesses and injuries can be treated at home simply with over the counter medicines and plenty of rest.

• ⚕️Pharmacy (Diarrhoea, Earache, Painful cough, Sticky eye, Teething, Rashes) : Pharmacists can advise and treat a range of symptoms. This can avoid unnecessary trips to your GP or A&E department and no appointments are needed.

• 🧑‍⚕️GP (Arthritis, Asthma, Back pain, Vomiting, Stomach ache) : GP’s and nurses have excellent understanding of general health issues and can deal with a whole range of health problems.

• 🏥 Minor Injuries (Cuts, Spains, Strains, Bruises, Itchy rash, Minor burns) : Minor Injury Units provide non-urgent services for a range of conditions. They are usually led by nurses and an appointment is not necessary.

• 🚑 A&E/999 (Severe bleeding, Breathing difficulties, Severe chest pain, Loss of consciousness) : These are best used in an emergency for serious life-threatening situations.

• ☎️ NHS 111: This is available 24/7 and can provide advice and guidance for non-life threatening emergencies. https://111.nhs.uk/

• 🖥️ NHS Website: You can also access health advice and guidance through the NHS website. https://www.nhs.uk/

And once again, a massive thank you to our wonderful patients. We are so grateful for your immeasurable support and couldn’t do what we do without you!