Patient Newsletter May 2024
📆 The real cost of missed appointments
A lot goes into running a busy GP practice. Last month at Tudor Lodge:
- We processed over 1,500 repeat prescriptions.
- Our duty doctor assessed around 100 online requests a day.
- We offered over 3,900 GP appointments, over 1,400 nurse appointments and over 370 other appointments with our pharmacists, physio, mental health nurse and social prescriber.
Unfortunately, 201 of those appointments were missed or not attended. Life gets in the way sometimes, we know this better than most, but when patients don’t let us know they no longer need the appointment, it means longer waiting times for other patients and wasted clinical time we can’t offer to somebody else.
Imagine really needing an urgent appointment today only to discover you can’t get one because one or two other patients have failed to turn up for theirs that they booked today as well. At a time when the NHS continues to be in such demand, it takes seconds to cancel an appointment and it really could mean a life-changing difference to somebody else.
The vast majority of our patients reading this always do the right thing and let us know if they can’t make their appointments by:
- Using the NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App).
- Replying with the word CANCEL to their appointment reminder text message.
- Phoning us on 020 8780 0125 during opening hours.
A big thanks for helping us to help you.
💟 Loneliness: you’re not alone in feeling alone!
Every single one of us is affected by loneliness at some point in our lives, but it’s still a hard subject to talk about out in the open, isn’t it? It affects us all very differently and is not limited to one age group or another. Admitting we feel lonely and understanding the reasons for it can really help to identify and manage these feelings better though.
NHS Health’s campaign Every Mind Matters has some great resources including tips on dealing with loneliness and help and support for loneliness. And if you’ve tried some of those things and are still feeling less connected than you’d like, get in touch with us to book an appointment with our social prescriber to discuss further support.
🕊️Dying Matters
Let’s be honest, it’s not a subject many of us want to discuss, but talking about dying can make a big difference in how a person feels about the last part of their life. Dying Matters Awareness Week is this week, and this year’s theme, “The way we talk about Dying Matters” focuses on the language we use, and conversations we have, around death and dying – specifically between healthcare professionals and patients, their carers and their families.
Take the Talking Matters quiz – this online quiz will ask you six questions related to a polling of 1,000 recently bereaved people and their experiences relating to language and end of life care. At the end of the quiz, you’ll find reflections from Dying Matters’ expert, Palliative Medicine Consultant Dr Lucy Pain, and some examples of questions you could ask when talking about death and dying.
Below is a list of books recommended by Lucy as well to help you talk about death and dying. You can find more resources from Hospice UK here.
đź‘ź Looking for a new local exercise class?
You’ve probably heard time and time again before but regular physical activity in later life is so important – not only does it improve your health, but your wellbeing benefits from the social aspect of meeting and working out with others.
Going to the gym or doing a parkrun isn’t the answer for everyone, and luckily, there’s more choice than ever when it comes to finding something that gets your blood pumping and your body moving that you enjoy and can do often. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out the local Active Lifestyles programme, there are affordable exercise classes for everyone across the borough. Everything from Thai Chi on a Monday night and Walking Football on a Wednesday to Tone and Stretch on a Friday. There are loads more classes to choose from so if you’ve not had much luck finding an exercise class you enjoy yet, be sure to check it out.
đź’»Helping your teen stay calm during exam season
It’s that time of year again for GCSEs and A-levels! It’s naturally an anxious time for youngsters and us as parents, so here are three useful tips for both parties:
It’s okay… it IS a big deal
Exams are a huge deal for most kids, even the ones who tell us they’re not bothered about school. Telling them, “It’s fine, you’ll be okay”, might seem like a helpful thing to say and is most likely the truth, but in their mind, what do you mean? Will they be fine if they hit the grades they need or does it mean they’ll be fine whatever happens? It’s better to validate those hard feelings instead, yes they are stressful but they can only do their best, and that’s enough. Keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs your child might be feeling under pressure or anxious and this advice from Young Minds is spot on.
Play head of household wellness
Keep encouraging healthy habits for everyone in the house, like regular exercise, good sleep routines, and cooking their favourite meals. Making time for fun activities like watching a funny film and planning short breaks away from revision to relax and recharge is really important, too.
When things get overwhelming
If anxiety is really ramping up, get them to pause and concentrate on taking six deep belly breaths. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth, or two short, sharp inhales and one long exhale.
Nobody knows your child better than you so you’ll know what signs seem to be more than typical pre-exam nerves. If you spot persistent worrying, panic attacks, problems sleeping, or avoiding school and social situations altogether, don’t wait. Make an appointment with a GP who can check for underlying issues and refer to NHS Talking Therapies if appropriate.
🤧Summer cold or allergies: which is it?
ACHOO! There’s nothing worse than being sat on the Tube or bus with someone sneezing or sniffling behind you, is there? Yes, there is. It’s you with the sniffles and sneezing!
Congestion and a sore throat are all symptoms of a summer cold, but with the pollen count now firmly on the rise, these symptoms could easily point to summer allergies like hayfever.
It can be hard to tell the difference between the two, but allergies tend to cause watery and itchy eye and/or skin irritation, neither of which occurs with a cold. Likewise, the body aches and fever that come with a cold are rare in allergies.
Allergies last longer too, so if your symptoms ease within a couple of weeks, then it’s likely you had a summer cold.
Remember, your local pharmacy can prescribe medicines and over-the-counter treatments for colds as well as hayfever and pollen allergies so you don’t have to wait for a GP appointment if you are suffering. Tissue anyone?
