Dear All
From November we are changing the way that we provide services to you. We have put together a team approach to managing your care to provide increased continuity and improved access.
Each team will have a lead GP who will normally be one of our experienced partners. They will be joined by other GPs, a Medical assistant, a GP registrar and a Personal assistant. Together, they will get to know you and provide consistent, joined up care.
Providing support to all of our teams there will be Paramedics to undertake home visits, Advanced nurse practitioners, the Nursing team, a Joint pain service, Mental health services, Clinical pharmacists and our contact team who will be on hand to direct you to the most appropriate person to deal with your problem.
So who will you see?
When you get in touch with the surgery by telephone, at reception or online our contact team have been trained to ask a series of questions to ensure that you are directed to the correct person to deal with your query. In the past everything would be addressed to the doctors and nurses but recently a number of other roles have been developed to provide additional capacity and ensure that the GPs are used in the most effective way.
The Team
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The Lead GP will usually be the most experienced member or the team. They will be available to answer queries from less experienced team members, much like a hospital consultant. Appointments with this GP will be for those with the most complex conditions or difficult diagnosis. |
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Team Doctors will see all patients with conditions which cannot be managed by our specialist nurses, advanced nurse practitioners or other members of the support group. |
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Medical Assistants will be available to carry out assessments requested by the doctors, be your point of call to ask questions of the doctor and complete follow up appointments with you working on the doctor’s instructions. They will also be on hand to carry out tests which the doctors require to help with your diagnosis and management such as blood pressure. |
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Personal Assistants will be assigned to each team to deal with all correspondence and ensure that requests, enquiries, referrals, medical reports, test results and medication problems are dealt with in a timely manner by the most appropriate person ensuring that the doctors only deal with a limited amount of paper work freeing them to see more patients. |
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Registrars are fully trained doctors who have chosen a career in general practice. If your team has a linked registrar you will have access to a doctor whose consultations will be overseen by a trainer. |
The Support Teams
Advanced Nurse Practitioners will triage all same day requests for appointments and will see all minor illness. They will book appointments with other members of the team for more complex conditions which need urgent treatment. Non urgent problems will be booked into the next available routine appointment.
Clinical Pharmacists will deal with medication problems and carry out medication reviews. They will also be able to see some, same day minor illnesses.
Community Pharmacists will be available for you to contact for all problems which do not require assessment within the surgery. They are trained and available to deal with a range of conditions. The contact team will advise you if they are the most appropriate person for you to see.
Mental Health Practitioners will be asked to contact you if you are suffering from anxiety or a low mood. They are trained to offer expert advice and management. Ongoing problems will be assessed by the doctors and follow up may be arranged with the medical assistant.
The Musculoskeletal (MSK) service offers direct access appointments for joint pain and will give advice on how to manage your condition or refer you for treatment if appropriate.
Visiting Paramedics are available to deal with patients who are housebound because of a clinical condition. If your problem is lack of transport you will be directed to the community voluntary transport service.
Specialist nurses will deal with those with long term conditions such as Diabetes or asthma. They will be supported by a nurse administrator who will be organising recalls for reviews
Practice Nurses and Health Care Assistants will continue to provide services such as vaccinations, cervical smears, wound dressing etc.
Phlebotomists will provide blood tests which will be available daily.
Prescription Clerks will deal with requests for medication on repeat prescription made on line or by paper. Unfortunately we are unable to deal with telephone requests.
An Online Administrator will deal with the daily communications made via our website www.creffieldmedicalcentre.nhs.uk (Not sure this is correct and needs to change to Creffield Medical Group)
We will be monitoring the effect of these changes weekly and will be discussing the results with our patient group. If you would like to be involved please register on the website or at reception.
Yours faithfully
Ann Read
Group Practice Manager.