Issue 6 Spring 2019

Magnolia House Newsletter

Know the symptoms!

Bowel Cancer: The symptoms can include: • Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo

• A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit

• Unexplained weight loss

• Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason

• A pain or lump in your tummy Most people with these symptoms don’t have bowel cancer. Other health problems can cause similar symptoms. But if you have one or more of these, or if things just don’t feel right, go to see your GP.

Cervical Screening Campaign Public Health England (PHE) launched its ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’ campaign last month which aims to increase the number of woman attending their cervical screening across England. Here in East Berkshire, we would like to see more women being screened. Clinical Cancer Lead, Dr Sachdev, said: “Cervical screening makes it possible to find and treat cervical cancer in the early stages. The test involves scraping a small sample of cells from the surface of the woman's cervix. Around 2000 new cases are diagnosed each year in the UK, and according to the National Cancer Institute, regular screening reduces the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer by 80 percent. If you have not been contacted and have not had screening in the last 3 years please make an appointment.

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Spread the word about pop-up

clinics!

Glucose Monitors For Type 1 Diabetes Flash Glucose Monitors for Type 1 diabetes patients who fit criteria One in five patients nationally with type 1 diabetes will benefit from life changing glucose monitors on the NHS from next month. East Berkshire CCG is currently working with local specialists to enable those patients who qualify to receive FreeStyle Libre, either through their GP or specialist diabetic consultant. A detailed press release containing more information will be issued and shared with you all very soon.

Outreach Primary Care update Daytime pop-up clinics at the drop in session at the Kerith Centre continue to operate with Dr Price as part of a team made up of dictors from local surgeries who supported the homeless during the winter. She has found the NHS pop-up clinics have really helped to make a difference to people’s lives. Further developments include providing outreach clinics for the travelling community as well as sex workers.

Brexit Guidance for Patients As a practice we are following the Department of Health and Social care’s (DHSC) advice on supply of medicines to the NHS in the event of a “no deal” EU exit. GPs have been instructed that there is NO need to write longer NHS prescriptions or additional prescriptions and to advise patients that they will not need to and should not store additional medicines at home. This is to ensure that medicines supply is effectively managed across the NHS. The government’s medicines supply information outlined below has been shared with us and explains some of the work that is and has been happening. The Government has been contingency planning and we have been informed, by letter, that work is well advanced across all areas of the medicines supply chain. A summary of the key work underway is outlined below.

• The government has requested that the medicines manufacturers (and in addition unlicensed and specials suppliers) to ensure there is a 6 week stockpile of prescription only medicines and pharmacy medicines.

• The DHSC has secured additional warehouse space for stockpiled medicines, including ambient, refrigerated and controlled drug storage.

• The government has reviewed transport of medicines into the UK and have plans to prioritise medicines supply via alternative routes to maximise the capacity for supply to continue after 29th March 2019.

• The government has put in place a “serious shortage protocol” with community pharmacies, which will reduce unnecessary input from GPs, when a safe alternative may be provided by a community pharmacist. An example of this may be switching from a tablet to capsule formulation of the same medicine.

We understand that there is much uncertainty around Brexit including medication and the uninterrupted supply of your medicine/s is extremely important, please support us, so that the likelihood of medicine supply issues are minimised across the country.

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Keep your mobile number upto date.

Chain SMS to Message Patients coming Soon… Chain SMS is a system which allows us to easily send text messages to patients. It means we can be much more proactive about some communications, messaging you quickly and securely, so you are not waiting around to hear from us! Some examples of how we might use it...

• Reminders or notifications (e.g. prescription ready) • Responding to simple queries (e.g. if you had a quick question about your

medication) • Letting you know we tried to call • Sending you advice at the end of a consultation or test results

The practice name will always be at the bottom of the message. You won't be able to reply them. Please help us to help you by keeping your number up to date. This new service will be launching in April but if you don't want us to contact you in this way please let us know.

Health Information Talk – The Problems with Prostate and Overies: a talk by Dr Anant Sachdev The Clinical Lead for Cancer, East Berkshire CCG, Thames Valley Cancer Lead and CRUK Clinical Lead Wednesday 5th June 2019 at 7:30 pm in Linwood Village, Sunninghill

Antihistamines and eye drops for hayfever You don’t need a prescription for these, they can be purchased at low cost from shops and pharmacies. NHS England would appreciate your support in helping to save money by buying these if you are able to, rather than having it on prescription.

Keeping Hydrated How much should I drink? As a basic guide, most people need about 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid a day, which is about eight to ten glasses. You can get this from water and other drinks, such as milk and fruit juices. Water in food also counts, fruit and vegetables contain lots of water. Cucumber lettuce and tomatoes have the highest water content of any food, a massive 95-96%. Just adding some to salad or to a sandwich can top your hydration levels up.

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Get Vitamin D and stay safe

The amount of fluid you personally need can depend on things like:

• Your age – this affects how well your body can balance water and salts; and as you get older, you store less water. • Your gender – men need more water than women because women have a higher proportion of body fat.

• The amount of physical activity you do – you need to drink more if you exercise more.

• The climate – you need to drink more if it’s hot and you’re sweating water out of your body.

• If you’re pregnant – you’re more likely to develop constipation during pregnancy so you need to drink more. Your diet – if you’re following a special diet or very low-calorie diet, you may need to drink more but ask a dietician for advice.

New Surgery News As many of you are well aware Magnolia House has submitted a planning application to build a new surgery on land at Ben Lynwood Village on Rise road. Details of these can be found on the RBWM website with the planning application number: 17/01188/FULL. We will keep you informed of progress as and when the news comes in.

How to stay safe in the sun Sunscreens Choose a sunscreen with an SPF level of 30+ which has both UVA and UVB coverage. If you are swimming choose a water-resistant sunscreen and reapply this frequently. Apply generously, the amount should be about the size of a golf ball and should be applied at least half an hour before you go out. Cover up Wear light coloured, loose fitting clothing. Wear a hat with a brim all round. Baseball caps leave the ears exposed so they are not the best choice for sun protection. A hat will also protect your eyes from the glare. Wear sunglasses Staying out of the sun The sun is at its strongest around the middle of the day. Make the most of shade. Finding a spot in the shade is more effective than sunscreen. Schedule outdoor activities to avoid the hours when the sun is at its strongest. When walking babies and children outdoors, choose the coolest parts of the day. Use a sun canopy over a pushchair and ensure that children are adequately covered with clothing, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen when out in the heat of the day. Know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke If you experience any of the following symptoms, get out of the sun (preferably somewhere cool) and drink plenty of fluids. Skin that is hot to the touch Dizziness or disorientation, Nausea or vomiting,Dark and or infrequent urination, Excessive sweating, Fatigue, Rapid heartbeat If symptoms do not improve, seek medical attention

Magnolia House Surgery Station Road, Sunningdale, Berkshire, SL5 0QJ • Tel: 01344 637800

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