Oldham has seen a significant increase in COVID-19.
New guidelines are in place to save lives & avoid local lockdown.
More here: www.oldham.gov.uk/coronavirus
Please wear a face covering if you visit the practice
It is important that when patients have an appointment or visit the practice that they wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth.
Face coverings can help contain the Coronavirus, especially when social distancing measures cannot be maintained. This applies when people have to visit a clinician as it will help us protect our staff and other patients.
The Government have provided information and guidance on how and when face coverings should be used and this includes a useful guide on how people can make their own covering, please click here for more information
By following these measures local people can help protect themselves and others as we continue to manage the pandemic in Saddleworth.
Online Consultations
Did you know you no longer have to wait on the phone to get the health advice you need? Now, you can use Online Consult or Patient Access to assess your symptoms using online forms and send a message to the practice at any time, day or night. We’ll then review this so that we can advise you on the most appropriate next steps. Click here to get started.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Please see the Coronavirus section
ShareforYou
From 17 February 2020, your medical record will be able to be viewed by other health and social care professionals directly involved in your care via a ShareforYou record.
Please visit www.pennineshareforyou.nhs.uk/ for more information.
If you would prefer that we didn't share your record then you can opt out at any time. Please speak to your GP or a member of the reception team.
For more information please watch this short video about ShareforYou: https://youtu.be/mv8eGfsvzZw
Improving the availability of doctors appointments
We recognise that it has be difficult to get an appointment with a doctor. From Monday the 13th of January 2020 we aim to improve this with a change to our how we appoint you.
When you ask to be seen the receptionist will ask "why you need to seen". This is to help get you the most appropriate care. If your condition can be treated by our Minor Aliment Clinic or the First Contact Physio the reception will offer you an appointment with them.
If your condition cannot be treated by our Minor Ailment Clinicians or First Contact Physiotherapist our Rapid Assessment Team will look at the information you have provided reception and the practice will contact you with an doctors appointment or advice from the Rapid Assessment Team.
Shingles vaccination Who’s eligible?
- Aged 70 years. Plus anyone in their 70s who was born after 1 September 1942 and has not yet had the vaccine.
- Aged 78 years. Plus anyone aged 79 years old who has missed out on the vaccine.
Protect yourself from the pain of shingles – speak to the Practice about having your vaccine today!
Flu Vaccination - Ask about yours today
Flu vaccination provides the best protection against an unpredictable virus which infects many people and can cause serious illness and death each year. The vaccination is free and recommended yearly for those most at risk of flu. This includes:
- everyone aged 65 and over
- anyone living with a long term medical condition
- pregnant women
- people with caring responsibilities
- children aged 2 to 10 years old (Pre-school children aged 2 to 3 years will be vaccinated at the practice. Children aged 4 to 10 years will usually be vaccinated at school)
NHS 10 Year Plan - What Would You Do?
The NHS is changing and it needs your help.
Help your local NHS in Oldham to invest in the right support by sharing your ideas.
Complete our survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/9DMLZS8
Your anonymous answers will be used to help influence local and national services.
For more information visit https://www.healthwatcholdham.co.uk/
Go direct to a physio without seeing the doctor!
First contact Physiotherapist are available at the Practice.
The physio will:
- Access you and diagnose what's happening
- Give expert advice on how best to manage your condition
- Refer you on to a specialist service if necessary
Ask reception for more information.
Help Us Help You, GP Access
NHS England and Public Health England are highlighting that appointments are now available in the evenings and weekends through local NHS services. By utilising the evening and weekend appointments, you can stay well, prevent an illness getting worse, access the correct healthcare when they need it and get well again sooner. For more information visit www.nhs.uk/GPaccess.
Oldham's Evening and Weekend appointments - 7 day service
If you would prefer to see a GP in the evening or weekend, Non-urgent / routine appointments are available at a selection of location in Oldham to book call 0161 934 2827
What are we doing to improve?
Background
The Practice and Patient Participation Group look at a variety of sources of feedback from patients (National GP patient survey, NHS website reviews, Friends & family test results and patient’s comments and complaints). Two common themes are:
- Improving Access by the phone
- Improving Access to GP appointments
We are listening and working hard to find the solutions to improve. This article will cover what the practice is doing to address these issues.
Improving Access by the phone
- Working with Oldham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to obtain analysis of current phone system
- Increasing the number of staff answering phones
- Promoting online appointment booking and requesting of repeat prescriptions- 20% of patients are now registered
- Piloting text messaging patients their test result service
- Promoting online access to medical record for patient with Long Term Conditions
Improving Access to GP appointments
- Increasing the number of GP telephone consultations offered
- Developing the roles of Community Matrons and Clinical Pharmacist
- Promoting alternative to a GP appointment to patients
- Reducing unnecessary follow-up of patients (analysing high frequency attendees)
- Exploring the possibility of implementing GP triage & online triage
- Exploring the possibility of group consultation for Long term Condition
Other things we are exploring which we think may help
- Developing the Care Navigator role within Reception / Health Care Assistants
- Introducing social prescribing
- Reducing the number of unnecessary blood tests (analysing repetition & low clinical value)
Flu Vaccination Now Available
Please call 01457 872228 to arrange your appointment.
Changes to Ordering Repeat Prescription Online
Our Old repeat prescription ordering service will not be available after the 9 July 2018. It is being replaced by Patient Access, please register for Patient Access at your earliest convenience.
General Data Protection Regulation
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a new law that determine how your personal data is processed and kept safe, and the legal rights that you have in relation to your own data.
The regulation applies from 25 May 2018.
What GDPR will mean for patients
The GDPR sets out the key principles about processing personal data, for staff or patients:
- Data must be processed lawfully, fairly and transparently
- It must be collected for specific, explicit and legitimate purposes
- It must be limited to what is necessary for the purpose for which it is processed
- Information must be accurate and kept up to date
- Data must be held securely
- It can only be retained for as long as is necessary for the reasons it was collected
There are also stronger rights for patients regarding the information practice hold about them. These include:
- Being informed about how their data is used
- Patients to have access to their own data
- Patients can ask to have incorrect information changed
- Restrict how their data is used
- Move their patient data from one health organisation to another
- The right to object to their patient information being processed (in certain circumstances)
Click here for Saddleworth Medical Practices Privacy Notice