News
A Letter to our patients 05/08/2024
Dear Harefield Practice Patients,
We are aware that many of you are very worried about the media reports regarding the British Medical Association’s GP ballot and news that GPs plan to take Collective Industrial Action:
https://news.sky.com/story/gps-vote-to-take-collective-action-for-first-time-in-60-years-13188629
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c72vp774rp3o
98.3% of those who voted have indicated that they are willing to take this action, which would appear to be a decisive and damning condemnation of the present situation in General Practice throughout the UK.
Full details of the BMA’s planned action can be found here:
https://www.bma.org.uk/our-campaigns/gp-campaigns/contracts/gp-contract-202425-changes
At The Harefield Practice, as many of you will be acutely aware, we have already been on a journey together.
We are working tirelessly as we continue to improve the services that we offer you, and thank you for your patience while we make the changes that are needed.
While we share the intense frustration with our GP colleagues around the country over the deeply inadequate funding and unreasonable pressures placed on our team and our patients over many years, we have at this moment elected NOT to take ANY action which may in ANY WAY impact the care that we offer to our patients.
If we were prepared to “work to rule” and not go the extra mile as a matter of routine, this practice would have closed already.
While we understand and support our GP colleagues who find they need to take a different path, our specific situation in Harefield right now means that we will not be making any negative changes to our services.
As our patients, you already know that when you come to the surgery you may have to wait while we help the patients in front of you, which can be frustrating. Please help us help you. While, as a matter of safety, we do not make you end your appointment after discussing just one medical problem, we kindly ask that you respect your fellow patients and don’t make plans to deliberately use the next person’s appointment as well as your own. We understand that sometimes, you just need a little more time. If you do have a list of problems to discuss, kindly inform reception and they will find you a longer than usual appointment, to lessen the impact on fellow patients.
Having to wait is frustrating for everyone, which is why we are pleased to announce that over the next few weeks, two new excellent doctors are joining our team.
We also know that when you call us, you wish we were given more resources to help you faster. We have actively been helping patients with more urgent problems faster than those with less serious conditions for some time now, which is why we always ask you what is wrong when you call; and we are aware that for some, the delay in getting an appointment with us and even the delay to get through on the phone has been frustrating.
We are continuously finding ways to improve. Our telephone waiting times are now, on average, less than 3 minutes. If it is busy, and your problem could wait, please consider calling back later to enable patients with urgent problems to get through to us faster.
Our upgraded telephone system is now able to listen to you and recognise your voice, so for many issues (such as requesting medication) you don’t have to wait to speak to anyone at all.
We are negotiating with our local NHS Commissioners to protect and maximise our funding so that we can continue to provide you with the very highest level and range of services, while at the same time we are have been asked to share our ideas, innovations and experience with the wider NHS so that others can benefit from the lessons we have learned rebuilding The Harefield Practice.
In summary, please do not worry. It is business as usual in Harefield, and as usual, if you think of anything that we could be doing better, just let us know.
With Kind regards,
The Harefield Practice Partners
Dr Rajivi Sanjeevi
Dr Anthony Gallagher
Mr Scott Ridley
The Harefield Fun Day
Join us and The Harefield PPG (Patient Participation Group) for the fantastic Harefield Family Fun Day! 🎉 Enjoy delicious treats, activities and connecting with your friends, family, and your community.
Where: Harefield Football Club
When: 10am - 3pm, 29th August 2024
Would you like to host a stall at the event? If so, contact them for further details on: community@h4all.org.uk
We hope to see you there!
#FamilyFunDay #Community #CharityEvents #CommunityOutreach #Wellbeing #H4All #Harefield #Summer #ThingsToDo
General Practice IT systems are impacted by an IT outage
Updated as at 7pm 21-07-2024
Due to the General Practice IT systems impacted by an IT outage on Friday the 19th of July
We are currently prioritizing rebooking canceled routine appointments,
If your call is of a routine nature and can wait could we please ask you to call back later in the week.
Much work will be going on in the background trying to catch up on unfulfilled work that was unable to be done so Please be patient with the staff has they try to navigate these issues.
We thank you for your support as always.
Updated as at 1pm 19-07-2024
Some of our general practice IT systems are impacted by an IT outage. The clinical computer systems used by our GPs in Brent, Harrow, Hillingdon, Dormers Wells practice in Ealing and Spring Grove practice in Hounslow are currently unable to access patient records, including telephone numbers and email addresses. Telephone appointments may not be possible until this matter is resolved.
If you have a appointment booked and the issue is urgent you are advised to call the practice or use NHS 111 online. If you are expecting a regular repeat prescription, you should visit your pharmacy, who can issue an urgent prescription covering 3 days.
If you require medical advice, please visit your community pharmacist or Get help for your symptoms - NHS 111.
Check and Cancel - An Introduction
We are pleased to offer our patients the option 24-7 to check for their upcoming appointments without necessarily speaking to a member of the reception team. You can also choose to cancel your appointments if you need.
Pharmacy First
Please consider consulting your local pharmacy for minor illness, you may not require an appointment at the Harefield Surgery.
A Pharmacist will discuss your condition with you and provide medication if required. They can also check your blood pressure if needed.
Pharmacy First was set up to provide local populations with rapid access to a pharmacist who can give self-care advice on a range of minor ailments.
The following minor ailments are included in Pharmacy First:
- Cough
- Cold
- Earache
- Sore throat
- Threadworms
- Head lice
- Teething
- Athletes foot
- Thrush
- Hay fever
- Blocked nose
- Sprain or strain
- Indigestion
Want to know more about Pharmacy First?
Speak to your local pharmacist
Local Pharmacies
-
MALTHOUSE PHARMACY
THE MALTHOUSE, BREAKSPEAR ROAD NORTH, HAREFIELD, UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, UB9 6NF
Telephone number:01895824782
-
-
Dave Pharmacy
9 MONEY HILL PARADE, UXBRIDGE ROAD, RICKMANSWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE, WD3 7BE
Telephone number:01923772561
-
The Chief Cornerstone Ltd
MONEY HILL PARADE, 125 UXBRIDGE ROAD, RICKMANSWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE, WD3 7DN
Telephone number:01923 774715
What is Pharmacy First?
Pharmacy First will enable community pharmacists to supply prescription-only medicines, including antibiotics and antivirals where clinically appropriate, to treat seven common health conditions without the need to visit a GP.
What are the seven common conditions?
- Sinusitis
- Sore throat
- Earache
- Infected insect bite
- Impetigo (a bacterial skin infection)
- Shingles
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women.
How can I access treatment from my pharmacy?
You can get treatment for these conditions by walking into the pharmacy or contacting them virtually. GP receptionists, NHS 111 and providers of emergency care will also be able to direct patients to pharmacies, that offer the service, if contacted.
What will happen when I arrive at the pharmacy?
The pharmacist will be able to speak to you privately in a separate consultation room. They may perform an examination or ask to access your medical records. The pharmacist will be able to recommend the best course of action on an individual patient basis, including by issuing prescriptions for antibiotics or antivirals where necessary.
How will this reduce NHS waiting times?
By reducing the number of patients with common conditions, needing blood pressure checks or oral contraception visiting a GP, Pharmacy First aims to free up 10 million GP appointments a year by next winter for more complex diagnosis
This will give GPs time and space to see patients with more complex conditions.
Four in five people in England can reach a community pharmacy within a 20-minute walk and there are twice as many pharmacies in the most deprived communities, making access to care quicker and more convenient.
How do I know if my local pharmacy is offering the service?
More than 10,000 pharmacies have already signed up to Pharmacy First – that’s over 95 per cent of all those in England.
Will I have to pay for my medication?
Usual prescription charges will apply for the seven common conditions. Patients that were already exempt from prescription charges will still be exempt.
What if I still want to see my GP?
Patients can still choose to visit a GP if they wish to. Pharmacy First offers alternative access for these seven conditions and we encourage people to make the most of this service and to consult the highly trained professions in their local pharmacy.
We are working to expand GP access, and have now delivered on our manifesto commitment for 50 million more general practice appointments per year. We are also growing the primary care workforce and we hit our target for 26,000 additional staff in primary care by March 2024 more than a year early.
Will pharmacies be able to cope with the increased demand?
The government has invested £645 million over two years to help community pharmacies, including providing improved IT and a wide range of guidance and support.
More broadly, we support the sector with £2.6 billion every year.
How else are you expanding pharmaceutical services?
From December 2023, thousands of women have been able to get their contraceptive pill from their local pharmacy, with up to 25% of all women on oral contraception being able to benefit from this new service.
Pharmacists are also increasing the number of life-saving blood pressure checks given to at-risk patients over the next year, with a commitment to deliver 2.5 million a year by spring 2025 - up from 900,000 carried out last year. It is estimated this could prevent more than 1,350 heart attacks and strokes in the first year.
Where does Pharmacy First apply?
This new service is run by NHS England and therefore will be available across England.
Newsletter January 2024
Harefield Practice Patient Newsletter – Episode 1 -Quarterly newsletter
Welcome to the first edition of patient newsletter for patients on the Harefield Practice. This newsletter will contain information for patients on their GP practice.
Patient Feedback Survey July 2023
Thank you to those who completed our last patient survey. This feedback, along with other sources, will inform an action plan that the practice will be using to help us improve our services.
There were 315 responses to the survey and 80% of patients completing the survey have interacted with the practice in the last 3 months.
Below is a summary of the feedback and some actions we will be taking to improve the feedback.
|
Themes from Feedback (You Said) |
Actions we have taken (We did) |
|
Patients find it difficult to get through on the phones (also noted in GP Patient Survey 2023) |
· Actively encourage patients to use the online form Patches if they can to free up phone lines. · Reviewed telephone data as a practice and ensure as many staff as possible on phones at busy times. · Added a message to phones and on website to encourage patients to use Patches where possible |
|
I had a response from Patches within 2 hours thanks so much |
· Publicised this feedback on socials and website to see if more patients can be encouraged to use the service |
|
Find the pharmacy service helpful but need clarity on when to order prescriptions |
· Added an article in our newsletter to promote our pharmacists (see below) · Added information on when to order prescriptions on website · Increased time to order to two weeks before prescription runs out |
|
Add a list of social community help services such as PALS, H4ALL and befriender volunteers to anything where vulnerable and anxious patients may struggle. |
· Updated website with key information · Added posts to Facebook page with more information |
|
We would like more face to face appointments and timed appointments for telephone calls |
· Most appointments can now be either telephone or face to face just ask when booking. |
NEW Facebook page for patients of Harefield Practice
Join us on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theharefieldpractice
The practice has recently started a Facebook group to support patients who use social media to access information
about the practice and relevant health education. The page is monitored by the practice management team.
Harefield Practice is promoting use of the NHS app for patients to support management of their health and care.
HAVE YOU VISITED THE HEALTH POD?
Whilst you wait, please visit the pod
to check and update us of your
BLOOD PRESSURE HEIGHT & WEIGHT
Have you noticed our new
ticket system in reception?
To control footfall, we advise our patients to submit a patches, e-contact or telephone us.
If you need to come down, there is now a ticket system. We noticed & patients have feedback when they are at the front desk with a query personal space is not always respected when someone is directly standing behind them in ear shot of confidential conversations.
Some conversations can take a while and we do not wish our patients who are unable to stand for long periods of time having to stand when they can take a seat.
Please press the button on the black box located on the reception desk take a ticket & take a seat Your number will be called when the receptionist is free and there is confidential space.
Patient Call Summary 2023
|
Call Summary |
|
Month |
Calls Inbound |
Average Queue Time |
|
January 2023 |
6979 |
10m |
|
February 2023 |
6583 |
11m |
|
March 2023 |
7615 |
11m |
|
April 2023 |
6073 |
12m |
|
May 2023 |
7033 |
12m |
|
June 2023 |
6582 |
7m |
|
July 2023 |
5794 |
10m |
|
August 2023 |
5554 |
8m |
|
September 2023 |
6151 |
10m |
|
October 2023 |
6124 |
8m |
|
November 2023 |
6176 |
8m |
|
December 2023 |
5166 |
5m |
Friends and Family Test Results
|
Summary Scores |
|
Month |
|
Positive |
Negative |
Neutral |
|
May 2023 |
|
89% |
5.5% |
5.5% |
|
June 2023 |
|
84% |
16% |
0% |
|
July 2023 |
|
90% |
3% |
7% |
|
August 2023 |
|
85% |
12% |
3% |
|
September 2023 |
|
86% |
8% |
6% |
|
October 2023 |
|
81% |
13% |
7% |
|
November 2023 |
|
92% |
7% |
5% |
|
December 2023 |
|
90% |
4% |
6% |
Why you may have to wait for your shingles vaccine
Shingles vaccination programme
From 1 September 2023, the vaccine programme is being offered to healthy people turning 65 or 70 years on, or after, that date.
The roll out will continue at these ages until all those aged 65 years in 2023 have turned 70 and been offered vaccination (in 2028).
In 2028, the vaccine offer will also be extended to those turning 60, as well as those turning 65.
In 2033, the Shingrix shingles vaccine will become a routine offer at age 60 (by which time all those turning 65 years will have already been offered the vaccine). Once you have become eligible, you will remain eligible for the shingles vaccine until your 80th birthday.
Eligibility
You can view or download information on the eligibility for the programme.
People aged 50 years and over with a severely weakened immune system
If you have a severely weakened immune system and are over 50, you remain eligible and there is no upper age limit.
Individuals aged 65 years who are not eligible for the vaccine this year
Anyone whose 65th birthday occurred before 31 August 2023 will not be eligible until they turn 70. You will be invited by your GP practice to have the vaccine.
Eventually the vaccine will be offered to everyone over 60 but this is being phased in to make sure the NHS can deliver this programme effectively alongside other seasonal and routine vaccination programmes and other healthcare priorities.
The roll-out is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). When any vaccination programme is introduced, difficult decisions need to be made on who will be eligible first and in what order they should be offered the vaccine. These decisions are based on a combination of factors including the risk of the disease and the effectiveness of the vaccine in different age groups, vaccine supply and the capacity of the NHS to deliver the programme alongside other important healthcare priorities.
Eligibility if you turn 65 in 2024
You will be eligible to have your shingles vaccine once you turn 65. Your GP practice will invite you.
Individuals aged 66 to 69 years
Individuals aged 66 to 69 years will have to wait until they become 70 to receive shingles vaccine.
Programmes that initially require vaccination of a large number of people are complicated to deliver. The order of the rollout is based on the advice of the JCVI who advised that the shingles vaccination programme could be implemented in stages. It is expected that a phased rollout will be more effective than a one-off campaign to reach everyone eligible. ## Why you need 2 doses of Shingrix vaccine
Shingrix is a non-live vaccine, and you will need 2 doses to give you the best longer-lasting protection.
For most people the second dose of Shingrix will be offered from 6 to 12 months after the first dose. If you have a severely weakened immune system your second dose of Shingrix should be given earlier, but at least 8 weeks after dose one. Your GP practice will let you know when to book for the second dose.
Missing your shingles vaccine
If you missed your first dose of shingles vaccine
You can still have your shingles vaccine if you are in an eligible age group.
If you missed your second dose of vaccine
You can still have your shingles vaccine, you should contact your GP practice to arrange an appointment for your second dose.
If you are over 80 and have a severely weakened immune system and you missed your vaccine
You can still have your shingles vaccine. Anyone aged 50 and above with a severely weakened immune system can have the shingles vaccines. You should try to have it as soon as possible.
Shingles vaccine given with other vaccinations
You can have your shingles vaccine at the same time as your COVID-19, flu or pneumococcal vaccine. Don’t delay vaccination, have your vaccines as soon as you are invited by your GP practice.
Paying for the shingles vaccine privately
The Shingrix vaccine is available at cost from private vaccination clinics to anyone aged 50 years and over.
Further information
Guide to the shingles vaccination leaflet.
Shingrix vaccine patient leaflet – given as 2 doses.
Your online GP Record
Most of our patients over 16 can now see new information added to their health record. This includes notes from your GP appointments, test results, medications, and letters from hospitals added to your record since [date]
You can view this via the NHS App, NHS website, or another GP online app you use. If you don't want to see your record, speak to your GP. You can visit www.nhs.uk/gp-record for more information or visit our website.
Happy 75th Birthday NHS!
Like many things that are lucky enough to celebrate their 75th birthday, The NHS finds itself facing some ups and downs today. The heart is beating strong, but the knees are not what they used to be!
Like much of the NHS, The Harefield Practice has seen some difficult times of its own over recent years, and as we mark this historic moment, we can reflect on the principles that guide us and our NHS.
1. The NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all
2. Access to NHS services is based on clinical need, not an individual’s ability to pay
3. The NHS aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism
4. The patient will be at the heart of everything the NHS does
5. The NHS works across organisational boundaries
6. The NHS is committed to providing best value for taxpayers’ money
7. The NHS is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves
(hee.nhs.uk)
These are tough times and there are tougher times ahead.
Industrial action in our hospitals by Nurses, Junior Doctors, Consultants, Radiographers and by the Ambulance Service has increased the pressure on our practice immensely.
However, we have increased our operating hours, our staff numbers and our appointment numbers to help shield our patients from the impact.
Although the number of patients registered with us has not changed significantly over recent years, it is a fact of life that we are all getting older. Our patient population has aged by approximately 45,000 years and the number of requests for appointments annually has increased more than fivefold since 2018.
As with all GP Practices, we have been required to introduce triage systems to ensure that our appointments are allocated based on clinical need and we have welcomed new Doctors, Nurses, Pharmacists and Phlebotomists to our team this year to lessen the impact of triage felt by our patients.
In 2022, more than 300 million people saw their GP in the UK. That’s an average of between 4 and 5 GP appointments per year for every single person in the UK.
In Harefield, that number is between 12 and 15 times per person per year, and while we have been highlighted as an area of exceptional need in the UK, the £92 per year that we are funded to provide that service, results in some of the very best value for money within the NHS.
NHS England has grouped practices together into populations of approximately 40,000 – 50,000 patients called Primary Care Networks, and together with our PCN we provide additional resources for our patients alongside the services already provided by NHS England.
For anything that is Urgent, we have an Urgent Care Centre,
For Minor Injuries, we have a Minor Injuries Unit,
And for minor ailments there are very many NHS Pharmacists
For Dental Problems we have NHS Dentists,
For eye problems, we have NHS opticians.
There are NHS Audiologists for hearing problems, NHS Podiatrists for Foot Problems and a host NHS mental health services available.
If you have an Emergency, you should contact the Emergency Services or visit the Emergency Department.
Thank you, with utmost sincerity, to all of our patients that use these other resources appropriately.
By not contacting the GP Practice when we are not the part of the NHS that you need, you are helping those that do need us, to access us; and you are helping us save lives in our community.
In the surgery, we are limited now, primarily, by room space.
Our population has not grown, but the needs of our population has outgrown our premises over recent years.
We have already converted rooms to make additional clinical space so that we can attend to more patients simultaneously, and we are already working with NHS Properties to explore options to improve that situation even further.
Meanwhile, huge numbers of additional GP appointments are provided by our PCN Hub and the government’s “Pharmacy First” program is well underway. Before calling your GP surgery, visit your Pharmacy First and your Pharmacist will tell you if you need to see a doctor, and if so, where.
As we step forward into the next 75 NHS years, our little practice finds itself as a piece of a much bigger NHS jigsaw puzzle. There is no denying that it is intensely busy, and proposals to improve the pressure on General Practices in the UK are currently few and far between, but we will continue to fight for our patients, and our patients will always be at the heart of everything we do.
75 Years of the NHS
75 Years of the NHS
The history of the NHS
Treating 1.3 million people a day in England, the NHS touches all our lives, and today we cannot imagine life without it. As we mark 75 years of the NHS, we look back on the achievements of our organisation, as well as looking ahead to the opportunities we have to shape the future. 75 years on, the NHS’s founding principles remain intact. The public still support having a national health service, with 94% of people agreeing that healthcare should be free of charge, 84% that care should be available to everyone, and 62% that the NHS made them most proud to be British.
When it was founded in 1948, the NHS was the first universal health system to be available to all, free at the point of delivery. Those principles remain as relevant, and valued, today as they did in the years after the Second World War.
And since then, the NHS has innovated and adapted to meet the needs of each successive generation, always putting patients at the heart of everything it does.
Between 1948 to 1973, the number of doctors doubled, whilst anaesthetics advanced to enable longer and more complex surgery. Large-scale vaccination programmes protected children from whooping cough, measles and tuberculosis. We delivered huge medical advances, including the world’s first liver, heart and lung transplant, to pioneering new treatments, such as bionic eyes to restore sight.
Sharp Box Collection
Please note that sharp boxes are no longer accepted for disposals by GP’s, pharmacist or hospitals.
- Free sharps box collection service Hillingdon Council are providing a free sharps box collection service available to all Hillingdon residents. This collection will be for non-cyto sharps and will include needles, syringes, lancets and needle clippers.
- To book a monthly or one-off collection of full sharps box(es), residents can call on 01895 556000. Hillingdon Council have published patient leaflets and posters detailing the service.
The Harefield Practice are no longer able to supply hearing aid batteries but find details where you can go for help below:
CONTACTING US
-
Telephone: 01895 279343
-
Email: thh.adulthearing@nhs.net
-
Clinic hours: Monday - Friday, 9am-12.30pm and 1.30-5pm (excluding Bank Holidays)
HILLINGDON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE
GETTING TO THE HEARING AID AND HEARING THERAPY CENTRE
MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE
Treatment Centre
Mount Vernon Hospital
Rickmansworth Road
Northwood
HA6 2RN
HEARING AID REPAIRS
LOST HEARING AIDS
REPLACEMENT BATTERIES
-
Hearing Aid Centre, Hillingdon Hospital
-
Pharmacy, Lower Ground Floor, Hillingdon Hospital
-
Reception Desk at the Mount Vernon Hospital Treatment Centre
-
Charville Library, Bury Avenue, Hayes
-
Main Reception Desk, Civic Centre, High Street, Uxbridge
-
Eastcote Health Centre, Abbotsbury Gardens, Pinner
-
Harefield Health Centre, Rickmansworth Road, Harefield
-
Harlington Library, Pinkwell Lane, Hayes
-
Ickenham Libary Community Close, Long Lane, Ickenham
-
Manor Farm Library, Bury Street, Hayes
-
Northwood Health Centre, Neal Close, Acre Way, Northwood Hills
-
Northwood Hills Library, Potter Street, Northwood
-
Oak Farm Library, Long Lane, Hillingdon
-
One Stop Shop, Botwell Green Leisure Centre, East Avenue, Hayes
-
South Ruislip Library, Victoria Road, Ruislip
-
The Mobile Library
-
Uxbridge Library, High Street, Uxbridge
-
West Drayton Library, Station Road, West Drayton
-
Yeading Library, Yeading Lane, Hayes
-
Yiewsley Library, High Street, Yiewsley
Hillingdon Hospital
Uxbridge
UB8 3NN