Lambourn Surgery Patient Participation Group Newsletter – April 2024

Missed Appointments

During March more than 30 hours of clinical appointments were wasted due to patients not attending; 33 GP appointments, 52 nurse appointments, 12 clinical pharmacist appointments etc….

Please ensure that if you have an appointment and either don’t need it or can’t make it then please cancel it. This will help ensure that those who do need that appointment have the opportunity.

Military Veteran Aware Accreditation

Lambourn Surgery has been accredited as a “Veteran Friendly” practice under a new national scheme to improve medical care and treatment for former members of the armed services.

Clinical and administrative staff have been trained to ensure they can offer extra support for ex-military personnel and their families who may face additional challenges when they return to civilian life. They will have access to a GP who understands their military related health needs and supports them to get the right treatment and support.

Covid Boosters

Spring Covid Boosters will be available to those Over 75 and the immunosuppressed. Eligible patients will be contacted by the surgery. The clinic will be held at the surgery on Saturday 27th April from 8.30am to 1.30pm. Look out for further details.

Breast Screening

The Breast Screening Unit will be at Lambourn Surgery from Thursday 18 April 2024. The service is normally available in any one location for about six weeks but this will depend on demand.

Patients will automatically receive their first invite, by post, for breast screening between the ages of 50 and 53. They will then be invited, by post, every three years until they turn 71.

If you are over 71, you can still have breast screening every three years, but you will need to call the breast screening service on 0118 322 8282 to book a routine, non-symptomatic mammogram.

Please do not call the surgery to book your appointment. For any changes to the appointment, please follow the instructions on the postal invitation.

For more information, go to www.nhs.uk/conditions/breast-screening-mammogram/

Pharmacy First

For seven common conditions your pharmacist can now provide some prescription medicine, if needed, without you needing to see a GP.

The following conditions and age ranges apply.

Earache; 1-17 years
Impetigo; 1 year and over
Infected insect bites; 1 year and over
Shingles; 18 years and over
Sinusitis; 12 years and over
Sore Throat; 5 years and over
Uncomplicated urinary tract infections; women 16-64 years

Find out more at ww.nhs.uk/nhs-services/pharmacies/how-pharmacies-can-help/

Lambourn Surgery Amenities Fund

LSAF is a registered charity that raises funds to improve the patient experience by funding equipment or services that would not normally be funded by the NHS. Examples include:

The Blood Pressure Machine in the waiting room that reduces the number of nurse appointment for routine blood pressure checks
The blood sample centrifuge which can stabilise blood samples and thus speeds up the blood test process.

The charity is entirely funded by donations and legacies. If you would like to donate or establish a legacy, then please contact the PPG as below and we can pass on further information.

Help is available/NHS App/Online Services

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 online access and phone apps. The PPG are now working with surgery staff to put together a series of workshops to help get you started with NHS online services. Watch out for further information. In the meantime, 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