COVID Spring Booster Vaccination Campaign Update

At St Wulfstan Surgery we will be offering our patients the opportunity to have their COVID Spring vaccination with us at the surgery.

The Spring booster is being offered to the following patients:

  • people aged 75 years and over

  • those in care homes

  • those aged 5 years and over with a weakened immune system

It can be given at least 3 months after your last COVID vaccination.

We are currently working on our clinic dates but expect vaccinations to commence within the next 1-2 weeks. Patients will be invited for their vaccination by text message, so please expect to hear from us very soon if you are eligible.

For more details please visit the NHS.net website

We look forward to seeing our eligible patients soon!

Bank Holiday Opening Hours & Happy Easter!

At St Wulfstan Surgery we wish you all a Happy Easter!

We will close for the Bank Holiday weekend at 6 pm on Thursday 6th April and will re-open at 8:30 am on Tuesday 11th April

 

Service will still be provided by calling 111 or 999 in the case of a medical emergency.

Asda Pharmacy is open from 9 am to 6pm on Friday 7th April and Monday 10th April 2022.  They are closed on Sunday.  You can find them at: Asda store, Chesterton Drive, Leamington Spa, CV31 1YD (01926 459010).

Bowel Cancer Screening Kit Awareness Campaign

The bowel cancer screening kit can save your life!

Just one tiny sample detects signs of cancer before you notice anything wrong.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK. Yet the latest data shows that almost one third of people who were sent an NHS bowel cancer screening kit in England last year did not go on to complete it. Early diagnosis is vital, as detecting bowel cancer at the earliest stage makes you up to 9 times more likely to be successfully treated.

Anyone aged between 56 and 74 is eligible for a bowel cancer screening kit, and this is how it works:

  1. A home test kit, called a faecal immunochemical test (FIT test for short) that will be sent to your address,

  2. You collect a small sample of poo on a small plastic stick and put it into the sample bottle and send it back to the lab for testing (there are instructions with the kit)

  3. The lab will test the poo sample for tiny amounts of blood.

  4. Your test result should be posted to you within 2 weeks of sending off your kit.

Your test results, explained

There are two types of result:

  1. No further tests needed
    This result means no blood was found in your poo sample, or only a tiny amount was found. You do not need to do anything at this time and you will be invited to do another screening test in 2 years (if you are still under 75 by then)
    This is not a guarantee that you don’t have bowel cancer, see your GP if you get symptoms, even if you have already done a kit. Around 98 in 100 people do not need further tests.

  2. Further tests needed
    This result means blood was found in your poo sample, you do not necessarily have bowel cancer (the blood could be a result of something like piles) but you’ll be offered an appointment to talk about having a test called a colonoscopy to look for the cause of the bleeding. A colonoscopy is where a thin tube with a camera inside is passed into your bottom to look for the signs of bowel cancer.

    Read a leaflet about the colonoscopy test on GOV.UK

Blood in your poo can be a sign of polyps or bowel cancer. Polyps are growths in the bowel. They are not cancer, but they may turn into cancer over time.

If the FIT test finds anything unusual, you might be asked to go to the hospital to have further tests to either confirm or rule out cancer.

The main symptoms of bowel cancer are:

  • Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you

  • Needing to poo more or less often that usual for you

  • Blood in your poo, which may look red or black

  • Bleeding from your bottom

  • Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you’ve just been to the toilet

  • Tummy pain

  • Bloating

  • Losing weight without trying

  • Feeling very tired for no reason

Always see your GP if you have symptoms of bowel cancer at any age, even if you have recently completed an NHS bowel cancer screening test - do not wait to have a screening test.

How do you get a home test kit?

Everyone aged 60-74 years who is registered with a GP and lives in England with automatically get sent a bowel screening kit every 2 years.

The programme is expanding so that everyone aged 50-59 years will be eligible for screening, this has been happening gradually since April 2021, starting with 56 year olds. The programme has also started to include 58 year olds, so you may get a test before you turn 60.

If you’re 75+ you can ask for a kit every 2 years by calling the free bowel cancer screening helpline on

  • 0800 707 6060

If you’re sent a kit, put it by the loo. Don’t put if off!

Living Longer Better Conference!

While Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire’s population of older people continues to grow, the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis have and still are making health inequalities worse and increasing pressure on health and social care systems.

Did you know, inactivity costs our health system £1.6billion each year? Simple physical, cognitive and emotional activity can help reduce this problem and increase people’s health span.

Our Integrated Local Care Board (ICB) wants to shake things up and help get people moving later in life, so, together with Think Active and Age UK Coventry & Warwickshire they bring you the ‘Living Longer, Better’ Conference.

This event aims to bring together key partners, stakeholders and audience representatives to commit to improving systems, recommending and prescribing activity and changing our attitudes to ageing.

With high-profile speakers to inspire, inform, and discuss opportunities and challenges for supporting Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire’s ageing population to move more, don’t miss this chance to connect, share and explore conversations with other delegates.

The event will run from 10:00am to 3:30pm (with lunch included) on Wednesday 29th March, at the Radcliffe Conference Centre at the University of Warwick. Keynote speaker Sir Muir Gray, leading expert on healthy, active ageing has already been confirmed! You can book onto the conference here:

Do you know somebody who doesn’t have social media that this might apply to? Let them know about this wonderful service happening this week!

Hope Programme for Long Covid

Join the thousands of people who have benefitted from The Hope Programme!

The 8 session course covers topics such as:

  • Managing long COVID symptoms e.g. brain fog, fatigue and breathlessness

  • Pacing and focussing on what matters to you

  • Coping with stress, change and shifting your thinking

  • Getting better sleep and mindfulness

  • Communication and relationships

  • Eating well and moving better

  • Managing setbacks

  • Using your strengths to make you happier

“I’m definitely more independent, more confident now”

Karen, long Covid Programme participant

There is a limited number of one to one consultations available to people living with long Covid in Warwickshire.

  • lifestyle analysis

  • personalised advice and support

  • experienced long covid practicioners

  • 8 week follow-up

  • take steps to restore your fitness

The final course starts 13/04/2023

Meet others with long covid and try a range of activities including:

  • goal setting

  • gratitude

  • mood, activity symptom tracking

  • journalling

  • online forum

The course is available 24/7 on any device, sessions are released weekly and you can remain anonymous!

Find out more and sign up at https://www.hopecwr.h4c.org.uk/, you do not need to be referred by a Doctor.

World Sleep Day - Friday 17th March 2023

The World Sleep Society's annual World Sleep Day is being held on Friday 17 March. This year's theme is Sleep is Essential for Health

Sleep is as essential as diet and exercise - yet often it is under-valued! But, how much sleep to we actually need?

It’s well known that children need more sleep than adults, and as children grow up, the amount of sleep they need decreases. Here is a rough guide

  • Newborns (0-3 months) : 14-17 hours

  • Infants (4-11 months) : 12-15 hours

  • Toddlers (1-2 years) : 11-14 hours

  • Preschoolers (3-5 years) : 10-13 hours

  • School Children (6-13 years) : 9-11 hours

  • Teenagers (14-17 years) : 8-10 hours

  • Adults (18-64) : 7-9 hours

  • Older adults (65+) : 7-8 hours

It’s no secret that a lot of us struggle to get to sleep at night, but why?

It is very important to appreciate how important sleep is. Time in bed should be considered time well spent! While we sleep, our brains form memories and go through the day’s events - remember this, sleep is not a waste of time.

Good sleep habits, also know as good sleep hygiene, are things you can do before bed to improve your sleep quality. Following these good sleep habits may help you with your sleep.

Top 10 tips on getting a good nights sleep:

  1. Have a regular sleep pattern; try to go to sleep at the same time every night and get up at the same time every morning (we will let you off for the occasional lie in)

  2. Be in bed for the correct amount of time; the average number of hours an adult needs to sleep is 7-8

  3. Bed is for sleeping, not for hanging out; playing on your phone and/or watching tv can mess up your sleep. You really shouldn’t sleep with the TV or other devices on either - your mind needs to know that if you are in bed, you are there to sleep.

  4. Wind down and relax before bed; try to avoid using your phone or computer within an hour of bedtime, try not to worry about the day you’ve had or the day ahead. Find a relaxation technique that works for you, and use it!

  5. Have a comfortable bedroom; your bedroom should be dark and quiet, with comfortable bedding and good temperature control

  6. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes; alcohol might help you drift off to sleep faster, but it will decrease the quality of your sleep throughout the night. Cigarettes, cups of tea/coffee and fizzy pop are stimulants that can keep you awake - so it makes no sense to have these before bed

  7. No napping in the day; if you sleep during the day, it will make it much harder to get to sleep at night. Don’t let yourself fall asleep in front of the TV - but if you absolutely have to nap, you shouldn’t nap for more than 20 minutes, and then you shouldn’t go to bed for at least 4 hours

  8. Don’t watch the clock; if you can’t sleep at night, watching the clock will just make you more anxious - turn the clock around if you can’t take it out of the room, and resist the temptation to look at the time on your phone.

  9. Avoid sleeping pills; unless in exceptional circumstances - sleeping pills do not fix the cause of your sleeping problem, and you don’t want to become dependant on them!

  10. Get professional help if you are still struggling after putting these tips to use; if lack of sleep is affecting your mood, if you have excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness in bed, severe snoring, or not feeling refreshed after and adequate length of time asleep; contact us - we can offer the further support you may need!

Visit https://worldsleepday.org/ for more information on how important your sleep is!

Space for Sleep

And if you're struggling with your sleep, why not consider trying our online Sleep Course Space for Sleep. To access this online programme please visit the Silver Cloud website

This programme will teach you the skills for overcoming your sleep difficulties, allowing you to achieve better quality sleep and wake up feeling refreshed.

  • Understand the causes of poor sleep and how it can affect you.

  • Accurately assess how you are currently sleeping and track your progress.

  • Learn proven techniques for developing and maintaining a healthy sleep cycle.

Today is the day you could quit smoking!

Make No Smoking Day 2023 the day you quit for good - you’ve got what it takes!

No Smoking Day falls this year on Wednesday 8th March 2023!

Fun facts about quitting smoking:

  • Quitting smoking protects your brain health and reduces your chances of dementia

  • You’re 3 times as likely to successfully quit if you get support

  • Your GP and pharmacist can offer advice and tips on how to quit smoking

  • It’s never too late to quit - your health and wellbeing will improve as soon as you stop smoking, even if you’re already sick from it

  • Smokers spend roughly £47 a week on tobacco, that’s nearly £2500 a year saved once you quit

  • Quitting smoking can add ass much as 10 years onto your life expectancy

The links between smoking and dementia

Smokers have an increased risk of dementia, quitting can substantially reduce this risk. Up to 4 in 10 cases of dementia could be linked to health, lifestyle and environmental risk factors - quitting smoking ranks the 3rd most significant modifiable risk factor.

The World Health Organisation Knowledge (WHO) Summary on Tobacco and Dementia explains many of the reasons linking dementia with smoking. These include the fact that the two most common types of dementia - Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular dementia - have both been linked to problems with the vascular system (your heart and blood vessels).

Smoking increases the risk of vascular problems, including strokes or smaller bleeds in the brain, which are also risks for dementia. As well as this, toxins in cigarette smoke cause inflammation and stress to cells, which has been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The WHO estimates that 14% of Alzheimer’s cases around the world could be attributable to smoking.

Every time you quit, you’re closer to success!

It’s estimated that the average smoker quits smoking 30 times before they quit for good. Less that 40% of smokers try to quit every year, and around 1/4 of these will succeed. However, many more smokers are thinking about quitting or trying to cut down. Every attempt to quit should be seen as making progress. Never give up giving up!

It’s never too late to quit and feel the benefits of better health – that’s our message to smokers ahead of #NoSmokingDay. From reducing the risk of at least 16 cancers, stroke, COPD & dementia, a smoker's health improves from the moment of quitting. Visit www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ #TodayIsTheDay

For more information on how to quit smoking and to find your local stop smoking service visit:

South Warwickshire's Heart to Heart Support Group ❤️

Have you or any of your family members experienced cardiac problems?

This could be:

  • Heart attack

  • Angina

  • Heart surgery

  • Heart failure

  • Pacemakers (including complex devices such as ICD & CRT’s)

If so, you are invited to go along and join South Warwickshire’s Heart to Heart Support Group’s information sessions. In theses sessions, they will share each others experiences, socialise, and have a general catch up!

Date: Every last Wednesday of the month (except August)

Location: Norton Lindsey Village Hall, Wolverton Road, Norton Lindsey, Warwick, CV35 8JL

Time: 6:30pm-8:00pm

Registration and drinks cost just £2.00!

Hosted by:

  • Kath Warwick - Group Leader

  • Donna McDonnell - Cardiac Nurse Specialist

For further information or enquiries contact the Cardiac Device office at Warwick Hospital, or email Donna.mcdonnell@swft.nhs.uk / Katherine.warwick@swft.nhs.uk

Eating Disorders Awareness Week

Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW) is back this week, 27th February - 5th March 2023. This year, the focus is on eating disorders in men.

Around 1 in 4 people with eating disorders are men, yet many struggle to ask for help, and their symptoms can be easily unnoticed by those around them. Men are often met with disbelief if they do ask for help, with their symptoms being overlooked as being a fussy eater, liking to work out or being too busy.

Eating disorders awareness week charity Beat want to bust the toxic stereotypes that prevent men from speaking up, they want to change the narrative! Beat will be using EDAW to shine a light on the different experiences men face, and how we can create a safe space for men to turn to for support towards recovery.

To get a better understanding of these complex mental illnesses, and break down gender stereotypes, Beat launched the UK’s biggest survey to date on men’s experience with eating disorders.

“Of those that took part, 1 in 5 had never spoken out about their struggles. 6 in 10 were disappointed with the help available to men. And 4 in 5 felt raising awareness would help more men get treatment sooner.”

This Eating Disorders Awareness Week, you can help set the record straight. You can start conversations and spread the word: yes - men get eating disorders! But let’s be honest, stranger things have happened… #HelpMenGetHelp

Watch and share this video for more information, you can also visit Eating disorders in men (beateatingdisorders.org.uk), and read some stories from some real men who have battled different eating disorders. You are not alone!

🚫 Cancer Prevention Action Week 🚫

Cancer Prevention Action Week is an annual event that aims to raise awareness of cancer and cancer prevention, and encourage you to take action.

The World Cancer Research Fund, founded in 1982 tell us:

“Around 1100 people get diagnosed with cancer every day, but experts now believe that up to 40% of cancer cases are preventable. If people didn’t smoke, avoided the sun, avoided alcohol, ate a healthy diet, maintained a healthy body weight and stayed physically active, 1 in 4 cancers might simply never develop.

We want that to happen. We want to live in a world where no one develops a preventable cancer.

One of the problems with cancer is that people often don’t think about it until, sadly, they hear the words “you’ve got cancer”. While it’s true that cancer is much more common in older people – because our cells deteriorate as we age – prevention can start young.”

What can increase your chances of getting cancer? And how can you prevent it?

  • Obesity and weight
    Keep your weight within the healthy range (BMI 18.5-24.9 in adults)

  • Being inactive
    Be physically active as part of everyday life - walk more and sit less

  • Poor diet
    Eat a wide range of wholegrains, fruits , vegetables and pulses such as beans, limit consumption of fast foods and processed foods full of fat and sugar (you can still eat your favourite foods - but make sure to do this in moderation!)

  • Red and processed meat
    Try not to eat more than 3 portions of red meat a week and little to no processed meat (such as chicken nuggets, hot dogs and hamburgers), try to have at least 1 meat free day per week.

  • Sugary drinks
    Try to avoid sugar-sweetened drinks and stick to water, tea or coffee without any sugar or fruit juice in small portions. Fizzy drinks are one of the highest contributing factors to obesity.

  • Alcohol
    Don’t drink alcohol - but if you do, follow national guidelines (in the UK it is advised to drink no more than 14 units of alcohol a week, spread over at least 3 days)

  • Smoking
    This is the biggest cause of cancer around the world. Not smoking or giving up smoking is the best way to reduce your own cancer risk and the risk of those around you.

  • Sun & UV rays
    Don’t stay out in the sun too long, apply high-factor sunscreen frequently and avoid using sunbeds or tanning booths.

This year, the World Cancer Research Fund is focusing on how people can cut back on processed meat, which is linked to bowel cancer. Visit their website to quiz yourself on how much you know about processed meat: Quiz: How much do you know about processed meat? - World Cancer Research Fund (wcrf-uk.org)

Charity Race Night in aid of Muscular Dystrophy UK

roll up! roll up! get your tickets for charity race night!

As some of you may know, last weekend our lovely Tanya completed a 24 hour bikeathon in aid of Muscular Dystrophy. We felt it was only right to host an event that Tanya could enjoy this time!

Tanya’s story:


”I am running the London Marathon on 23-April to raise money for Muscular Dystrophy. I have picked this charity as my amazing friend Julie Davies’ son, Rhys has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, they are the most positive family I have ever met they are truly an inspiration! I want to be able to raise as much money as I can so the charity can help fund treatment and hopefully find a cure to help all those children/adults who are living with the disease”

Tickets are just £5 and can be purchased from The Shoulder of Mutton, Grandborough and St. Wulfstan Surgery. All proceeds go to Muscular Dystrophy UK.

Your smear test results.... explained!

So, you’ve had your cervical screening (smear test) and now you have received your results; but what do they mean?

Dr. Hannah lawrence-smith explains:

“HPV (Human papillomavirus) is a common virus and most people will get it at some point. You can get it through any kind of sexual contact.
HPV can stay in the body for many years. It can stay at very low or undetectable levels and not cause any problems. This means a HPV infection may have come from a partner a long time ago.
There are many different types of HPV, but only some high-risk types can lead to cancer.
There is no treatment for HPV. Most HPV infections do not cause any problems and are cleared by your body within 2 years.

Cervical screening samples are tested for types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer. Testing for HPV first, rather than looking at the cells down a microscope, is proven to be a more sensitive test. It will help to find out more women with cervical cell abnormalities that may need treatment.

results:

  1. HPV not found - you will be offered a screening test again in 3 to 5 years (depending on your age)
    If you have a negative result for the most common types of HPV that cause cervical cancer, your risk of cervical cancer is very low and there is no need to check for abnormal cells even if you have had these in the past.

    If you have a positive result for HPV we will check the sample for abnormal cells. Abnormal cells are not cancer, but they could develop into cancer if left untreated.

  2. HPV found (HPV positive) but no abnormal cells
    You’ll be invited for a repeat smear in 1 year and again in another year if you still have HPV. If you still have HPV after 3 smears, you may need to have a different test to look at your cervix (colposcopy).

  3. HPV found (HPV positive) and abnormal cells
    You will be invited for a colposcopy

During a colposcopy a smooth, tube-shaped tool (a speculum) is gently placed into your vagina to open it. A microscope is then used to look at your cervix in greater detail. The microscope stays outside your body.

A small sample of cells may be taken from your cervix for testing. This is called a biopsy.”

If you are overdue your smear test, please book one at the surgery!

By Dr Hannah Lawrence-Smith