News

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.

This self-serve feature added so you are less likely to forget your appointment (As we all have busy lives) if you have double-checked the date(s) and time(s) of your upcoming appointment(s). The ability to cancel without queuing means you are more likely to cancel an appointment, freeing it up for someone else.

You are identified with a combination of your CLI (the number you are calling from) and your date of birth, for you to progress we must identify your unique patient matching those details within our clinical system. (you will need to call from the telephone number we have on our clinical system)

Cancelled appointments automatically update your patient record and the appointment is immediately made available for another patient to use.

All you need to do is give us a call on 01895 822 944 to make use of this new feature.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS: EASTER 2024

With Easter fast approaching, please make sure you have submitted your repeat prescriptions by the following dates:

EASTER DATES: March – April 2024.

Please submit requests by 8am.

Friday 22^ndMarch – collection Thursday 28^th.

Monday 25^thMarch – collection Tuesday 2^nd April

Tuesday 26th March – collection Wednesday 3^rd April

Wednesday 27th March – collection Thursday 4^th April.

Thursday 28th April – collection Friday 5^th April.

PLEASE ALLOW 5 WORKING DAYS FOR YOUR REQUESTS.

Pharmacy First

MALTHOUSE PHARMACY

THE MALTHOUSE, BREAKSPEAR ROAD NORTH, HAREFIELD, UXBRIDGE, MIDDLESEX, UB9 6NF

Telephone number:01895824782

Map and directions
Harefield Pharmacy

12E HIGH STREET, HAREFIELD, MIDDLESEX, UB9 6BU

Telephone number:01895822273

Map and directions
Boots

16 STATION PARADE, DENHAM, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UB9 5ET

Telephone number:01895832532

Map and directions

Dave Pharmacy

9 MONEY HILL PARADE, UXBRIDGE ROAD, RICKMANSWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE, WD3 7BE

Telephone number:01923772561

Map and directions
The Chief Cornerstone Ltd

MONEY HILL PARADE, 125 UXBRIDGE ROAD, RICKMANSWORTH, HERTFORDSHIRE, WD3 7DN

Telephone number:01923 774715

Map and directions

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.

Shingles vaccine on NHS.UK.

Shingrix vaccine patient leaflet – given as 2 doses.

Covid 19 vaccinations for the 2023/24 autumn winter season

Please see below a list of pharmacy sites in Hillingdon delivering Covid 19 vaccinations for the 2023/24 autumn winter season

Pharmacy site	Address
Boots	132 Uxbridge The Chimes Shopping Centre, 128 Intu Uxbridge, The Chimes Shopping Centre, High Street, Uxbridge UB8 1GA
Carters Pharmacy	41 Salisbury Road, Pinner, London HA5 2NJ
Daya Pharmacy	750 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB4 0RU
Eastcote Pharmacy	111 Field End Road, Eastcote, Middlesex HA5 1QG
H A Mcparland Hayes	522 Uxbridge Road, Hayes, London UB4 0SA
Harefield Pharmacy	12E High Street, Harefield, Uxbridge, Middlesex UB9 6BU
Howletts Pharmacy	81 Howletts Lane, Ruislip, London HA4 7YG
Lansbury Pharmacy (Hayes)	102 Lansbury Drive, Hayes, Middlesex UB4 8SE
Lawton Pharmacy	8/9 Crescent Parade, Uxbridge Road, Hillingdon UB10 0LG
Mango Pharmacy LTD	3 The Parade, High Street, Cowley, Middlesex UB8 2EP
Nuchem Pharmacy	24 Coldharbour Lane, Hayes UB3 3EW
Oakleigh Pharmacy - Hillingdon	Dellata House, Uxbridge Road, London UB10 0LU
Puri Chemist Limited	165 Ryefield Avenue, London UB10 9DA
Ross Pharmacy	28 Joel Street, Northwood, Middlesex HA6 1PF
Ruislip Manor Pharmacy	53 Victoria Road, London HA4 9BH
Sharmans Chemist	3 Clive Parade, Maxwell Road, Northwood HA6 2QF
Statue 2 LTD T/A Vantage Pharmacy	252 Kingshill Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex UB4 8BZ
Vantage Pharmacy	1 Park Parade, Barra Hall Road, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 2NU

Local Trust

Hillingdon Hospital is offering the covid 19 autumn booster vaccination

Booking to attend a vaccination site

Some pharmacies also offer walk-ins, to find your local pharmacy offering a walk-in service, visit the 'Grab-a-Jab' website'.

You don't need to be registered with a GP to attend the walk in service

To check eligibility, availability and to book for a covid vaccination, use the National Booking Service.

Link: Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

Covid vaccines will not be offered routinely to healthy under-65s this winter, following advice from UK immunisation experts.

Last autumn, all over-50s were invited for a booster jab to protect them during the winter months.

But only the over-65s should get the option this year, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said.
Younger people with health problems, along with a number of other specific groups, should remain eligible.

Committee chair Professor Wei Shen Lim said the move was about focusing on those at greatest risk of getting seriously ill: "These persons will benefit the most from a booster vaccination.

"It is important that everyone who is eligible takes up a booster this autumn - helping to prevent them from hospitalisations and deaths arising from the virus over the winter months."

It had previously been announced that the age cut-off for routine eligibility of the flu jab was also to be set at 65, after that too was reduced to 50 during the pandemic.

The full list of those eligible for a Covid vaccine are:
Residents in a care home for older adults

All adults aged 65 years and over

People aged six months to 64 years in a clinical risk group

Frontline health and social care workers

People aged 12 to 64 who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression

People aged 16 to 64 who are carers and staff working in care homes for older adults

England's Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, said he had accepted the advice, and NHS England would soon confirm details of the rollout, which aims to be finished by December.

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

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.

Email: thh.adulthearing@nhs.net
Clinic hours: Monday - Friday, 9am-12.30pm and 1.30-5pm (excluding Bank Holidays)

The Adult Audiology Team are led by Ian Ross, Audiology Manager. We are a training department for Audiology PTP degree students from Middlesex University/UCL. There may be a student present during your appointment. Please let us know if you do not wish to be seen by a trainee.

HILLINGDON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE

Use the main entrance and take the stairs/lift to the lower ground floor. Take the main corridor to your left, following signs for ‘Hearing Aid/Therapy Centre’. You will find us in a portacabin on your right, just past the turning to the Alderbourne Unit.

Adult Hearing Aid Centre, Hillingdon Hospital

GETTING TO THE HEARING AID AND HEARING THERAPY CENTRE

Use the AccessAble access guides to help plan your journey and easily find you way around the hospital.

Access guides to hearing aid centre

Map to Adult Audiology - Hillingdon Hospital

MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE

We are situated in the Treatment Centre at Mount Vernon Hospital.

Adult Hearing Aid Department
Treatment Centre
Mount Vernon Hospital
Rickmansworth Road
Northwood
HA6 2RN

Map to Adult Audiology - Mount Vernon Hospital

HEARING AID REPAIRS

We offer an appointment-only hearing aid repair service. Please contact us to arrange an appointment. Bring your hearing aids and earmoulds, and let us know if you will require an interpreter for your appointment. If you are unable to attend in person, you can have a friend or relative bring your hearing aid in for you, but please remember that you still need to contact us to arrange an appointment slot. We also offer a postal repair service; please contact us for details.

LOST HEARING AIDS

Your hearing aids remain property of the NHS and are on long-term loan to you. Please take good care of them. If your hearing aid is lost or damaged, please contact us to arrange for repair/replacement. If your hearing aids are repeatedly lost or damaged, we may need to charge £50 per hearing aid. The Audiology department will make a decision based on the circumstances and your hearing loss.

REPLACEMENT BATTERIES

Hearing aid batteries are available (free of charge) on production of your hearing aid service book from:

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

We also offer a postal battery replacement service. Please send your brown service book enclosing the old batteries with a stamped, self-addressed envelope for return to:

The Hearing Aid Centre
Hillingdon Hospital
Uxbridge
UB8 3NN

OUR HEARING AIDS

We fit digital Oticon hearing aids in our department. We are currently fitting Sense/Sense Power and Dynamo hearing aids, which are all the ‘behind-the-ear’ style. Your audiologist will help you to choose the most appropriate hearing aid for your level of hearing, taking into account other factors such as dexterity and visual ability.

We are also able to fit Phonak Bolero CROS/BiCROS hearing aids for patients with single-sided deafness.

Oticon Synergy

Oticon Synergy Sense with thin tube fitting

Oticon Dynamo

Oticon Dynamo (for severe/profound hearing losses)

www.c2hearonline.com - interactive videos on hearing aids and how to hear well.

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR APPOINTMENT

ASSESSMENT (REFERRAL FROM GP): 45 MINUTES

Your audiologist will discuss any problems that you have been having with your hearing, before looking in your ears and performing a hearing test. The audiologist will work with you to agree an individual management plan, explaining the different options that are available to you.

ASSESSMENT (REFERRAL FROM EAR, NOSE AND THROAT DOCTOR): 30 MINUTES

Your audiologist will discuss any problems that you have been having with your hearing, and look into your ears. It is likely that you will have already had a hearing test done in the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic. We will work with you to agree an individual management plan, explaining the different options that are available to you.

HEARING AID FITTING: 45 MINUTES

Your audiologist will check the fit of your hearing aids, and check that your ears are clear of wax. Your hearing aids will be set to a prescription that is based on the results of your hearing test. We will run some measurements on the hearing aids (‘real ear measurements’) which help us to check that the hearing aids are performing well in your ears. Once you are happy with the sound of your hearing aids, we will show you how to operate and insert/remove them. Your audiologist will advise you about how best to get used to the sound of your new aids.

HEARING AID FOLLOW-UP: 15 MINUTES

This appointment will be a few weeks after your hearing aid fitting, and can be carried out either in person or over the telephone. It is important that you have tried to wear your hearing aids as much as you can before this appointment. We will ask you questions about how you have been getting on with your hearing aids and you will be able to ask us questions too. We are able to fine-tune the hearing aids if necessary to help you to get the best out of them. If you are struggling with your hearing aids, please feel free to contact us sooner than your arranged follow-up.

REASSESSMENT: 45 MINUTES

It is a good idea to have a hearing test every 3-4 years – this allows us to check whether there have been any changes to your ears/hearing and ensure that you have the most appropriate and up-to-date hearing aids for your hearing loss. Please contact us if you would like to book a reassessment. It is not usually necessary to get a new referral from your GP if you have had hearing aids from us in the past.

HEARING AID REPAIR CLINIC: 15 MINUTES

It is important to have ear moulds retubed/thin tubes changed every 4-6 months to keep your hearing aid working optimally. At your hearing aid fitting appointment you should have received a booklet called Information about your hearing aid’. This booklet includes some troubleshooting advice for common issues, however if you are still having problems with your hearing aid please contact us to make a repair appointment.

Junior doctors strike

Following a ballot in favour of strike action, Junior Doctors will take their second round of strike action on, Wednesday 14, Thursday 15th and Friday 16th June 2023 in a bid to persuade the government to enter talks to achieve pay restoration in relation to salaries that have not kept pace with inflation. GP Trainees (Registrars) will be part of the strike action.

For The Harefield Practice, this means that the Registrars currently completing their GP training with us may be away from work on these dates and for any subsequent rounds of strike action.

Although trainees are considered supernumerary (i.e. are extra provision over and above the normal number of GPs we would have working on any given day), they do provide the practice with very valuable extra resource to see patients. On the strike days, we may not have access to this additional capacity and therefore the number of appointments we offer may be less than usual.

Please be patient when contacting us for an appointment over this time. We will always do our best to help get every patient to the right appointment in a timely way but there will be additional pressure on the availability of appointments and will continue to impact our services until the following week whilst we recover from the loss of provision.

111 and your local pharmacy can be helpful for many medical concerns.

The way we access and use services is changing.

Due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, services have changed and this may have affected the ways you can get in touch with health staff and services. The changes have been put in place to support and protect you and our NHS staff to reduce the spread of infection, in order to get you the help you need more quickly so that you may not need to visit the GP surgery or go into the hospital.

We appreciate that some of these changes may be a bit more difficult for some people but it is for your safety and to reduce waiting times. You will be helping us to help you.

Changes to appointments: As well as being able to get health advice from 111 online https://111.nhs.uk/ and 111 by phone, many GP surgery services are now given through telephone and online appointments. In many cases coming into the practice is not needed and you may be able to get the health advice you need over the phone; online or via a video consultation without having to leave your home. You will still be able to come into the GP surgery for appointments if the health staff need to see you face to face.

Changes to referrals: The way your GP refers you for hospital care is also changing. Before any referral, your GP will now be able to get advice and guidance directly from the hospital consultants in the first place, so hopefully you may not have to go into the hospital at all. If the hospital consultant then decides that they want to see you in person, the GP will refer you and you will then be made an appointment to attend the hospital. Our aim is to make sure you have shorter waiting times and better outcomes for you.

The practice is here to help you so if you have any concerns about the care you are receiving please do contact us directly.

Please also remember that we have a Zero Tolerance when it comes to disrespecting or being rude to our staff. They are here to help you so please treat them with respect.

Thank you for working with us to work differently to Help us Help you.

From all the staff at The Harefield Practice

Practice News

Dear Patients

We would like to emphasise that the Practice is open and staff are available for consultations. However, we were sorry to hear that some patients are finding it difficult to access our services and we thought it would be helpful to clarify how we are working in these difficult times.

Due to the Pandemic we have had to adapt the way we provide our services in order to avoid any possible spread of the disease. In April this year we were required by NHS England to introduce the e-Consult system as a means of patients assessing our services, safely. During September, the system was accessed by 2,259 patients and 1001 e-Consults were submitted and the team has been working very hard to meet the unprecedented demand. Whilst many patients have been happy with the system, we are aware using e-Consults is not suitable for some patients. We are feeding back any concerns raised by patients to the e-Consult team and the Clinical Commissioning Group team.

There are two ways to contact the Practice, by telephone or through e-Consult via our Practice website https://www.theharefieldpractice.co.uk/econsult-2. Face to face consultations are available but if a consultation can take place over the phone to the satisfaction of both the patient and the doctor, this will be the preferred option.

If patients are asked to come in, they will be asked to arrive as close as possible to their appointment time and we will endeavour to see them promptly. We have listened to your concerns about the Practice door being closed and from 4 November onwards patients with appointments will be brought into the Surgery and be able to wait in a socially distanced safe place. A maximum of 4 patients will be allowed in the Surgery at any one time.

We continue to be accessible by telephone. The Surgery has had greatly increased demand over the past few months and we are aware that some patients have experienced difficulty in getting through on the phone. We are currently addressing how we can improve telephone access as a matter of priority.

We as a Practice are committed to improving the experience you have when accessing our services and we very much appreciate your feedback both positive and negative. Positive feedback is a great boost to staff morale whereas negative feedback can be the basis for improving our service. The best way to give us feedback is via our secretaries at hillccg.harefieldsecretaries@nhs.net

Thank you for all your support and we look forward to continuing to improve our service.

Dr Gill Dale and Dr Adris Lemar, GP partners

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News

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.

REPEAT PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS: EASTER 2024

Pharmacy First

Local Pharmacies

MALTHOUSE PHARMACY

Harefield Pharmacy

Boots

Dave Pharmacy

The Chief Cornerstone Ltd

What is Pharmacy First?

What are the seven common conditions?

How can I access treatment from my pharmacy?

What will happen when I arrive at the pharmacy?

How will this reduce NHS waiting times?

How do I know if my local pharmacy is offering the service?

Will I have to pay for my medication?

What if I still want to see my GP?

Will pharmacies be able to cope with the increased demand?

How else are you expanding pharmaceutical services?

Where does Pharmacy First apply?

Newsletter January 2024

Patient Call Summary 2023

Friends and Family Test Results

Why you may have to wait for your shingles vaccine

Shingles vaccination programme

Eligibility

People aged 50 years and over with a severely weakened immune system

Individuals aged 65 years who are not eligible for the vaccine this year

Eligibility if you turn 65 in 2024

Individuals aged 66 to 69 years

Missing your shingles vaccine

If you missed your first dose of shingles vaccine

If you missed your second dose of vaccine

If you are over 80 and have a severely weakened immune system and you missed your vaccine

Shingles vaccine given with other vaccinations

Paying for the shingles vaccine privately

Further information

Covid 19 vaccinations for the 2023/24 autumn winter season

Your online GP Record

Covid vaccines winter 2023

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!

75 Years of the NHS

75 Years of the NHS

Sharp Box Collection

The Harefield Practice are no longer able to supply hearing aid batteries but find details where you can go for help below:

CONTACTING US

HILLINGDON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE

GETTING TO THE HEARING AID AND HEARING THERAPY CENTRE

MOUNT VERNON HOSPITAL ADULT HEARING AID CENTRE

HEARING AID REPAIRS

LOST HEARING AIDS

REPLACEMENT BATTERIES

OUR HEARING AIDS

WHAT TO EXPECT AT YOUR APPOINTMENT

ASSESSMENT (REFERRAL FROM GP): 45 MINUTES

ASSESSMENT (REFERRAL FROM EAR, NOSE AND THROAT DOCTOR): 30 MINUTES

HEARING AID FITTING: 45 MINUTES

HEARING AID FOLLOW-UP: 15 MINUTES

REASSESSMENT: 45 MINUTES

HEARING AID REPAIR CLINIC: 15 MINUTES

Junior doctors strike

Bank holiday pharmacies opening hours

The way we access and use services is changing.

Practice News

IMPORTANT NOTICE

The Harefield Practice Easter opening times

Further Information

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