Flu and Covid Vaccine Programme Autumn 2023
In accordance with new government guidelines, we aim to have most of our patients eligible for flu and covid vaccinated by the end of October.
We have been asked to initially prioritise children’s nasal flu vaccines (2-3 year olds) and these will start in the second week of September. Parents will receive a text to book. All other age groups will be vaccinated in school.
Our joint Covid and Flu programme will begin as soon as we have our delivery, which is likely to be at the very end of September. We have been asked to prioritise our vulnerable housebound patients and our care home residents.
Our main clinics for all patients will be at Broadshires Health Centre throughout October. Most clinics will be on a Wednesday. The clinics will be divided by those aged under and over 65. You will receive an invitation to book via text, or a phone call if you do not have a mobile phone.
Please be aware that on the vaccine clinic days reception staff will not be available for at the desk routine queries. Please only come to the surgery on Wednesdays in October if you have an appointment. Please see attached eligibility document for full information, including criteria.
Flu & Covid eligibility
INFECTION CONTROL & MASK WEARING (09.06.23)
Patients are no longer required to wear masks in any areas within the practice.
New infection prevention control (IPC) guidance in healthcare settings states that it is no longer a requirement for staff or patients to wear masks on a routine basis within the practice.
You may see our staff or other patients wearing masks, this may due to reasons including (but is not limited to):
Patient choice (please let your clinician know if you would like them to wear a mask and they will be more than happy to put one on!)
Staff member choice
Staff member seeing an immunocompromised patient
Staff member seeing a patient presenting with respiratory symptoms
Staff member with current respiratory symptoms.
Our priority is your safety and that of our staff.
WE NEED YOUR HELP - JOIN OUR PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP!
Our aim is to provide the best possible service to patients registered with the Broadshires Health Centre. To do this, we would like to work with our patients to address issues and gain insight as to how we can strive to be our best. The patient participation group consists of patients who wish to be involved in the practice to support us in providing best possible care.
Due to how hectic general practice has become, our PPG was put-aside for some time, but we are now more ready than ever to hear what you have to say and are very excited to build an excellent new PPG from scratch.
To make it possible to fit being an active member of this group into people's busy lives, the group's business will mainly be conducted via email using, primarily, surveys to develop an understanding of the important issues facing both the patients and the practice alike. The results of surveys will be published on this website.
Membership of the PPG
Membership of the PPG is open to all patients registered with the practice. We are keen to get as broad a representation of the practice's patient list demographic as possible and are keen therefore to attract members from all age groups. To sign up for the group please email us at broadshireshealthcentre@nhs.net for the attention of our Practice Manager, Katie Nickless.
EAR WAX REMOVAL AT BROADSHIRES HEALTH CENTRE
We have recently entered into an joint arrangement with Ear Care Clinics, audiology specialists in micro suction ear wax removal.
Jason and Emma are audiologists with over 18 years’ experience between them.
They know better than anyone how much wax occlusion can impact people in their everyday lives and how tricky it can be to find a wax removal service. Their reason for specialising solely in wax removal is to offer the best dedicated care with as little stress and inconvenience to our patients. Currently providing wax removal services to GP practices and hospitals in the North Cotswolds area, we are delighted that they have decided to add Broadshires Health Centre to to one of their locations.
Every Thursday from 10 November 2022, Emma will be available for you to book directly by contacting them through their website Ear Care Clinics
This service is available not just to Patients of Broadshires Health Centre, but anyone who lives in the surrounding area.
APPOINTMENTS DILEMMA
For the last 12-18 months we have increasingly asked our practitioners (GPs, Nurses, ANPs) to "squeeze" additional appointments into their day to try and help meet demand. We took the decision to adopt this approach because we believed our staff shortage would be resolved over the short to medium term.
You will not be immune to news almost everyday that more and more staff are leaving the NHS. Also, stories about how fewer people are choosing healthcare/NHS as a career.
Hence, we continue to find it very difficult to employ new staff, especially GPs. We are told by our peers locally and elsewhere in the country, that they are also finding it difficult to employ new staff.
So, it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to return to a more manageable level of appointments each day for our clinical staff. We will not be so able to squeeze additional appointments when the demand is greater than the availability of clinical staff on a given day. We will need you to bear with us. I know this is a big ask and many of you do understand that we are trying to offer you the best service we can under the circumstances. Thank you for your support and for working with us, we do appreciate your patience.
In partnership with Broadshires Pharmacy, the Rural West Primary Care Network (Bampton, Charlbury and Burford practices) we are rolling out improved information to help you self care for minor illness and symptoms. We might also recommend you call NHS111, visit Minor Injuries or A&E, if we do not feel we can meet your need soon enough.
Many of you will know our Practice Manager, Katie Nickless, who has been at Broadshires for some years. Katie is working so hard to enhance the relationships with Broadshires Pharmacy, the Rural West PCN and other associated services. Katie is organising further training for our staff and, Katie is at the heart of our recruitment process, actively interviewing and sending out offers of employment to those who we feel will bring something really excellent to our team.
We will not turn away anyone who has a critical and urgent need. We are enhancing the triage training of our Patient Coordinators and they will continue to treat you all as individuals and not just a statistic on our patient list. Please help us by listening to their explanation of the next steps for you to take. That might be some self care, a conversation with a Pharmacist, a telephone call with a practitioner. We are not trying to fob you off, we are trying to do our best to use the appointments we have each day for anyone who is in absolute need.
Please DO NOT though, feel that your need is not as valid as another patient.
We do have more amazing new staff joining over the next few months and are continuing to actively recruit for permanent GP staff, in the meantime, we are taking on Locum staff to work either remotely or in the Practice.
TELEPHONE SYSTEM
In our recent bulletin, we reported changes planned to our telephone system. This is not an insignificant project and most important is continuity of service as we transition.
For the time being, you will continue to experience difficulties getting through when the phones are busy. This is not because we switch off the phones.
We typically have 3 or more reception staff answering the phones all day between 08:00 and 18:30 each working day. The phones are put to voicemail over lunch time 13:00 to 14:00 to allow handover between the AM and PM teams.
There is no typical phone call - they can last between 1 and 20-30 minutes, it depends upon your needs. As soon as a call has been completed, our team update your notes, action anything required and move instantly onto the next call.
We are looking at other ways for you to access services - web and app based, self service, pharmacist support and other services. This will reduce your need to phone to get the help you need, hence it will reduce the volume of call traffic.
ACHIEVE OXFORDSHIRE
Achieve Healthy Weight Loss Oxfordshire is delivered by the innovative healthy lifestyle provider Thrive Tribe, funded by Oxfordshire County Council. This is a partnership with leading weight loss providers and offers patients a range of FREE programmes to support you in weight management. There are valuable tools and skilled Health Practitioners to give encouragement throughout your weight loss and healthy lifestyle journey.
If you would like some weight loss support, maybe give some consideration to this free 12-14 week voucher scheme. Our team at Broadshires Health Centre are fully supportive of this offer and have successfully referred other patients to the service. To start your own journey, please visit Achieve Oxfordshire or call 01865 590181.