Our Blog
MAS (Minor Ailments Scheme) passport scheme withdrawn
By Leslie Vasquez
The MAS (Minor Ailments Scheme) passport has been withdrawn with effect from 30th September 2022.
Patients are still encouraged people to use their pharmacy as the first point of access for the treatment of self-limiting conditions and to consider Over the Counter (OTC) medications for minor ailments after having a consultation with a member of the pharmacy team.
Remember:
- Medicines are given at the discretion of the pharmacist. If the pharmacist has any concerns, they may refer you to your GP.
Taking your blood pressure at home
By Leslie Vasquez
Health at Home
As you have seen, we are asking all of our patients who have high blood pressure and are taking medication to buy their own blood pressure machine and monitor blood pressure at home. I met with Dr Fleminger and Annie the nurse and they gave me very good tips about home blood pressure monitoring.
In order for us to provide an efficient, safe blood pressure service we would like to work in partnership with you to provide the best care. By buying your own blood pressure monitor, this help you to manage your own condition with the help of the nurses. Our doctors recommend two choices of monitors which are the same we use in the Health Centre. Please click here to see Omron or here to see A&D.
Tips:
- Measure your upper arm and obtain the right cuff size. For A&D monitor get a larger cuff 23-37cm. For Omron monitor get a medium cuff 22-32 cm.
- Take the blood pressure for 7 days, in the morning and evening.
- In the chart here, record the lowest of 3 readings over 5 minutes.
- Sit upright and do not talk or move while you are taking your blood pressure.
- Send you results to hwmc@nhs.net or fill in an econsult.
The HCA could show you how to use the monitor and the best technique to check your blood pressure at home. Please book an appointment with her if you need help. Remember, if you need to request medication please click here.
Often when patients have their blood pressure taken at the surgery, their blood pressure is higher than normal. Recording the blood pressure at home will ensure that we will get the most accurate reading.
‘About a quarter of people become anxious while they have their blood pressure taken in the surgery, meaning they potentially give a misleading reading’ (NHS news, 2011).
Help Us Help You. For more information please visit NHS website.
Diabetes and Pre-diabetes
By Helen Roskell
Low Carbs style
The pandemic has highlighted the consequences of suboptimal metabolic health. BMI and poor outcomes from coronavirus are directly correlated. For more information, read the report 'Associations between body-mass index and COVID-19 severity in 6·9 million people in England: a prospective, community-based, cohort study here.
Our diabetic, pre-diabetic & hypertensive registers continue to grow and variants of coronavirus are here to stay. In addition many of us who consider ourselves metabolically healthy have gained unwelcome lock-down lard.
Dr Helen Roskell, Lifestyle GP at Hollow Way is hosting her first on-line information session about Diabetes and Pre-diabetes: what it is and how lifestyle interventions can dodge, halt or turn these conditions around without the need for lifelong medication. Weight loss is often a happy consequence too.
A handful of patients involved in our pilot have successfully made changes, put their disease into remission and safely reduced or stopped their medications.
The information session is free for anyone to attend. It will last approximately 30 minutes.
At the end of the talk there will be the option to sign up for ongoing care in a more personalised interactive small group session also known as a Virtual Group Consultation (VGC).
VGCs are currently run monthly on Teams by the Hollow Way team: GP Helen, Lifestyle Coach Lisa, and Health Care Assistant Les.
VGCs form part of your NHS care, are free & confidential. Blood tests and metrics are done at the practice in advance so results can be discussed during the session. Follow-up coaching is available with Lisa and deprescribing consultations with Helen.
To access this innovative form of healthcare all you have to do is attend an Information session. We will capture your details and invite you to the next stage.
Due to the confidential nature of healthcare virtual group consultations are not recorded.
Once Helen has built up her confidence she may be willing to record the Information Session as this is non-participatory.
If you would like to attend please contact the Practice and ask to get a call back from Leslie.
How to contact your practice when the doors are closed.
How to use video consultations - The Patient Journey AccuRx
Video Consultations
By Leslie Vasquez
How it works:
- Your practice will let you know that they would like you to do a video consultation
- Your clinician will then send you a text message with a link to load video consultation, that looks something like this:
What you need to do:
- Once you receive the message click on the link
- It will then open your internet browser (e.g. Safari, Chrome)
- It may show you a screen where you need to click "Request permissions" to enable your camera and your microphone
- Then you need to click "Join Meeting"
- You should then be able to see your GP:
What do I need for it to work?
- A smartphone, either with working Wifi/3G/4G connection
- Your Internet Browser needs to have your phone's microphone and camera enabled (you can see how to alter this in your phone settings here)
- iPhones running older software that has not been updated (iOS 12 and earlier) will need to download the Whereby app to join the consultation)
For more information and a video please visit AccuRx blog or watch this video