Lambourn Surgery Patient Participation Group Newsletter – July 2023

Lambourn Surgery Patient Participation Group Newsletter, July 2023

The Future of Primary Care in the Lambourn Valley (3)

Things are moving at a pace now and some significant changes will be happening with effect from Thursday 13^th July in order to meet the ambitions for Primary Care previously described.

From that date new procedures and website for Lambourn Surgery will be launched (it will still be www.lambournsurgery.co.uk) that will provide the gateway for most services. It is designed to be user friendly and aid access to all Primary Care Services. It is hoped that this will free up clinician time to offer more appointments. Telephone access will still be available.

These changes will fall broadly into three categories.

Care Navigation

We have become familiar with care navigation over the past couple of years through the online forms process of triage, this will continue as below now using a guided system called eConsult. From the 13th of July, the reception team, now care navigators, will choose the right clinician in the appropriate time frame to help with your problem based on the information you supply. They have undergone extensive training to enable them to provide the best solution for patients. If in doubt they will always refer to a clinician.

These are the appointment options that you may be offered by the care navigation team.

Doctor
Advanced Nurse Practitioner
Mental Health Nurse
Social Prescriber
Care Co-Ordinator
Practice Nurse
Musculo-Skeletal practitioner
GP Assistant
Community Pharmacy Service

Making an appointment

The aim is always to help patients to access the right person to support their care in the right timeframe for their condition or concern.

OPTION 1 – Start your consultation online.

Visit the Lambourn Surgery website

Complete the eConsult form (available Monday – Friday 7.00am – 5.30pm) and submit to the surgery, you may be advised to contact the surgery if urgent symptoms are identified.

You will be contacted by the end of the next working day with a link to book an appointment or further advice to help your problem.

OPTION 2 – Phone

Phone the surgery on the appointments line which is open 8.30am – 5.30pm – 01488 72299

Speak to our reception team (care navigators) They will need some explanation about the concern you have. They will then be able to offer you options on who can help with your concern and when they are available. They will be able to book an appointment for you directly with the appropriate member of the clinical team.

Requesting medication

With the changes to the website, you can request medication in one of four ways:

Using the Airmid App – a smart phone app that works in the same way as Systm Online. (The existing system already used by 50% of patients). It also offers access to your test results and medical and vaccination records.
Using Systm Online via the website with same facilities as Airmid.
Using the NHS App – with same facilities as Airmid except it currently can only handle repeat prescriptions but not special requests.
A written request handed into the chemist or dispensary.

Just a reminder – requests for medication cannot be accepted over the telephone as it is not safe.

Help is available

In the patient survey performed by the PPG in 2021, a significant percentage of patients who had not used online services before said they were prepared to give it a try if help was available. PPG members are available to help patients and/or community groups to get used to these new systems and processes, especially online access and phone apps. You can contact the PPG as below to request help/training.

Please Help Keep Everyone Informed
Please be so kind as to share this newsletter with those who would not normally have access.

Thank you.

You can contact the PPG via email; ppgchairpersonlambourn@gmail.com or in writing via the surgery office, addressed to the Chair of the PPG.

Alan Breadmore, Chair, Lambourn Surgery PPG