Union Brae and Norham Practice Newsletter – Spring 2010
Welcome to the spring newsletter. Please come and talk to us, or hand in a written note, if you have any suggestions or questions about services at the practice. We are always pleased to hear from you.
Your NHS Number – it’s unique and it’s important!
Each of us has our own NHS number. The NHS will be using NHS numbers increasingly to make sure we are dealing with the correct patient – and to avoid errors. We are now including our patients’ NHS numbers in all letters about you – and to you. We may need to ask you for your number to check your identity. If you don’t know what your number is, just phone the surgery and we can tell you. Keep it in a safe place so you can use it in future.
Invitations for blood tests
We regularly write out to patients asking you to come in for blood tests. Unless we tell you differently, these are routine tests and you don’t need an urgent appointment. We will fit you into the next available appointment. Please don’t ignore the letter though – these tests allow us to check you are healthy and well.
Cervical Smear Tests – New Reminder System
When your test is due you will now hear directly from the North East Family Health Services Agency (NEFHSA) or NHS Borders rather than the practice. Just phone as usual to make your appointment. Fewer women seem to be coming for smears. This is a worrying trend because this simple test can avoid cervical cancer. Please come along when your test is due.
Our New Appointments System
We think our new system at Union Brae is making it easier for patients to make appointments with their GP. Let us know what you think. Just to remind you about the choice of appointments which we offer:
Helping us to get in contact with you
Can you let us have details of your current:
This helps us to contact you if we need to. We would also like to consider using systems like text messaging to remind patients about appointments but we will need to know your mobile phone numbers to be able to do this.
Appointments for blood tests when you are seeing a consultant
You may get a letter from your consultant asking you to have a blood test before your appointment. Please make sure you have the blood test at the surgery a week before the appointment to give enough time for the result to get through. When you have the blood test make sure you let the practice nurse know it is for a consultant appointment.
A sad goodbye to Pauline at Norham!
After over 40 years of loyal service Pauline Coltherd will be retiring from her job looking after Norham Surgery at the end of October 2010. She will be sadly missed and impossible to replace! Over the next months we will be looking at our staffing needs and ways of reorganising our practice time to be most effective. We will be asking Norham patients what you think about our ideas. Please come into the surgery to pick up a copy of our proposals so you can have your say.
Dr Fraser is retiring
We will also be very sad to lose Dr Gill Fraser who is retiring in July 2010. The GPs are discussing how we plan to replace Dr Fraser and we will let ou know as soon as new arrangements are in place.
Christine Ritchie and Debbie McLeman
Christine and Debbie will both be returning to the practice following maternity leave.
Chris Turner
Chris is our new Community Matron co-ordinating the district nursing team.
Bank Holidays in the Spring
The surgeries will be closed on the following days:
Good Friday on 02 April 2010
Easter Monday on 05 April 2010
Monday 03 May 2010
Monday 31 May 2010
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