St Wulfstan Surgery Named HSJ Primary Care Provider of the Year 2024

Last night St Wulfstan Surgery were awarded the coveted HSJ Primary Care Provider of the Year 2024, in what organisers called the largest awards of their kind in the world.

We are incredibly proud of our staff who work so hard to deliver the best quality care to patients. And we are so proud of our patients also. The service we deliver is only made possible by the mutual respect shared between the surgery, staff and patients. You are all brilliant!

Thank you to everyone who supported us, including our Sponsors for the event, RWM Midlands. And congratulations also to our partners at South Warwickshire NHS Trust who were awarded Trust of the Year.

We remain committed to our values of Care, Quality & Compassion, and remain passionate about developing outstanding services to you all!

New artwork at Southam Clinic by Scot Harris

Check out our new Tarc the Robot art collection at Southam Clinic

We are delighted to announce that we now have brand new St Wulfstan artwork on display at Southam Clinic on Pendicke Street, by amazing artist Scot Harris, featuring our favourite humanoid, Tarc the Robot.

The artwork has been created to be personal to our beliefs of providing caring, compassionate, high quality care to all of our patients.

You can see the art on display in our brand new reception area, on the left hand side as you walk in through the Clinic doors, and in our waiting area at the clinic.

Be sure to check it out on your next visit!

Crochet and Tosca: The role of the independent prescriber

Mina Hunjan is one of our Clinical Pharmacists, she works in the Warwickshire East Primary Care Network as a Care Home Pharmacist as part of her role. She is an independent prescriber for Frailty and Diabetes. She is a member of the British Geriatrics Society and the soon to be formed National Faculty for Care Home Professionals.

She recently wrote a blog for the BGS, and we share it with you here:

“Call it selfish, but my Care Home visits often leave me more inspired and in awe than sad or upset at the inevitable decline of the residents. I visit once a week to conduct structured medication reviews (SMR), pre-planned with the patient, if they have capacity, or with their carers or nurses and family members if they have expressed an interest.

I am part of a Surgery Team that looks after the residents. The other team members are the GP Lead and the Frailty Nurse. Together we provide a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) approach to the patient’s Care Plans. My focus is on the medications, while the Nurse looks at RESPECT Forms and the GP pulls it all together. More recently, our MDTs have involved a wider approach with the Care Home (CH) Leads joining in on a monthly basis.

There is always a Resident of the Week who gets extra special attention, but alongside this I review new patients and those discharged from hospital or those who may have had a fall. I am trained in using the Kadia mobile device which can detect atrial fibrillation. I tend to do a trace if the patient is not on a direct acting anticoagulant (DOAC). I have picked up quite a few patients with irregular heartbeats and provided there are no contra-indications, I have initiated a DOAC. These interventions are made following shared care discussions with the family members.

Conversely, if the patient is a frequent faller, or if blood tests have shown a reduced haemoglobin level or there is haematuria or a positive FIT Test, I may discuss de-prescribing this medication. Either way, it is a route to great relationship building with patients’ families and involving them in the care of their loved ones, which is so important.

I am also trained to perform diabetic foot checks which is an opportunity for spending time with patients and getting to know them. Through these interactions, I was taught to crochet by one of the residents for whom it is second nature; even her face flannels are embellished with a crocheted border! Her neighbour in the room next door is a keen keyboard player and many a visit is accompanied by ‘Raindrops keep falling on my head’ which is often an apt tune.

These are the uplifting encounters, but often I learn that residents can still feel lonely or isolated even though they appear to be surrounded by people. Sometimes their own family members do not choose to visit.

My main role is to liaise with the carers or nurses and with residents and their families, if needed, to optimise medications in a holistic manner. In addition, there can be other medication queries to help with. For example, one of our Residents with COPD wished to stop smoking, so I was invited to speak with him. He is an opera buff and walking into his room was like entering a bite-sized version of the Royal Opera House. Before we even began to speak about smoking cessation, I was regaled with stories of his favourite operas and singers. As I left, a fully illustrated transcript of Tosca was pressed into my hands. I am now totally captivated!

Deprescribing medications forms a large part of my Structured Medicine Review (SMR). The evidence base is not always supportive and there can be a margin of uncertainty with these interventions. I find a shared care approach is invaluable as it allows for personalising priorities. Reducing the pill burden was a bit daunting at the start but I have improved over time with experience and the support of the MDT. I have learned to take time and care with my explanations to patients and care home staff, preparing them for some acceptance of withdrawal effects or recurrence of symptoms. Mostly, they can rest assured as there is always a robust follow-up plan. Educating CH staff that prescribing fewer medications does not equate to offering less care, is an ongoing process, but I shall persevere.

Working as a Primary Care Pharmacist provides a privileged opportunity to spend time with these wonderful residents and learn of their full and varied lives, how they overcame challenges and still do.”

St James' Church Needs Our Help

The Grade 1 listed St James Church has stood in the centre of the small market town of Southam in Warwickshire, England for almost 700 years. It is the oldest building in Southam and is at the heart of our community being widely used for art festivals, play groups, concerts, coffee mornings and much more as well as for Christian worship.

The Church now needs extensive repair and restoration. The roofs leak, there are holes in the beautiful stained glass, medieval wall paintings are suffering due to damp, the spire is crumbling and the much-loved Victorian turret clock no longer works. Our community is very busy fund raising - and having lots of fun whilst doing so - but they can’t hope to raise sufficient funds by themselves which is why we are appealing to you.

Please can you help us?

St Wulfstan Travel Vaccination Service

Did you know that we run a travel vaccination service? We provide all necessary vaccinations for travel worldwide, and we are a registered yellow fever centre

Travel advice and vaccinations are not an NHS service, but we do provide them at a cost. You must be registered with St Wulfstan Surgery to use this service.

Please be aware that some courses of vaccinations need 2-3 months to be completed, and we advise that our reception team will contact you within 28 days of you submitting your form - so please begin this process with plenty of time to spare!

Planning a trip but don’t know if you need to get any jabs?

Visit the NaTHNaC website for full details on what vaccinations you may require.

Below are the vaccinations that we offer and their charges for registered St Wulfstan patients:

  • Yellow Fever (injection & certificate) - £79.00

  • Rabies (course of 3 injections) - £260.00

  • Meningitis ACWY (1 injection) - £60.00

  • Hepatitis B (3 injections) - £150.00

  • Hepatitis B Booster (1 injection) - £49.00

  • Hepatis B Paediatric (3 injections) - £81.00

  • Japanese Encephalitis - £218.00

  • Tickborne Encephalitis (2 injections) - £140.00

Need vaccinating for your upcoming trip?

Complete our online form HERE (option to print off paper copy available) and submit at least 3 months before your intended dates of travel.

Our reception team will contact you within 28 days of submitting your form to book you an appointment with the nurse to go through the details.

Please be aware that if your travel arrangements are within the next 28 days, there is a chance we will not be able to fulfil your request and in this instance we recommend using a private travel vaccination company.

Happy travelling!

Join us for a chill session where we chat about all things menopause - the good, the bad, and the hilarious!

Come join us for an informative and supportive session where we will discuss all things related to menopause.

Whether you're experiencing symptoms or looking to learn more, this event is for you.

Our expert speakers Dr Viswa and Mina will cover a range of topics including managing symptoms with HRT and non HRT methods, lifestyle changes, and more. Don't miss out on this opportunity to connect with others going through a similar journey. See you there!

Tickets are free but limited and available on a first come, first serve basis - reserve yours here:

New Smoke Free Website launched to help Coventry & Warwickshire residents quit smoking

The new website provides details of free, confidential stop smoking services, as well as resources and information about smoking and vaping

The website is part of a national effort championed by the UK Government to create the first ever smoke free generation.

Approximately 18.4% of people aged 18 and over in Coventry and 13.9% in Warwickshire smoke (source: Annual Population Survey, Office for National Statistics 2022).

Those who wish to quit often struggle due to their addiction to nicotine. Over 80% of smokers start before they turn 20, most as children (source: Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024).

The new Smoke Free website and enhanced services and initiatives aim to tackle this by providing evidence-based support that is free, non-judgemental and easy to access.

People aged 12 and over, who live, work, or are registered with Coventry or Warwickshire GP are entitled to free support.

Those who sign up to their local stop smoking service will get access to:

  • 12 weeks of one-to-one support (face-to-face or virtual) with a specialist stop smoking practitioner

  • Help to manage cravings and withdrawal symptoms

  • Free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) products or Vape Quit Kits (18+ only)

  • Access to a Smoke Free App

People who quite smoking with the support of a stop smoking service are 3x more likely to quit for good!

Learn more by visiting the new Smoke Free website here:

You can also access stop smoking support via the phone. Coventry residents should call 0800 122 3780
Warwickshire residents should call 0333 005 0092

BBC Radio Comes To St Wulfstan Surgery (Listen Again)

It was brilliant to welcome BBC Radio Coventry & Warwickshire into the surgery last week, in response to being revealed as finalists for the national HSJ Awards 2024 as Primary Care Provider of the Year.

There is still time to listen again:

  • Visit BBC CWR

  • Login to BBC Sounds

  • Our first segment is at 1 hour 42 mins

  • Our second segment is at 2 hours 17 mins

  • Our third segment is at 2 hours 50 mins

The Covid vaccines are in!

We now have had the COVID vaccines (Pfizer) delivered, ready to start vaccinating from 03/10

Eligibility groups are the same as last year, these are:

  • Any person over 65 years of age

  • Carers

  • Healthcare workers

  • High Risk (severely immunosuppressed) under 65 year olds

If you already have your flu jab booked, you can have your Covid jab at the same appointment (as long as you are eligible)

If you prefer to have your flu and covid jabs separately, you can discuss this with the clinician doing your flu jab and we can get you booked in for your Covid jab in another clinic.

Join the Vaccinated VIP club! This years vaccination campaign artwork has been lovingly created by Scot Harris and features Tarc the Robot!

Supporting people with dementia to maintain independence this World Alzheimer's Month

There are lots of support services in Warwickshire to provide help for those diagnosed with dementia and their loved ones.

Did you know, there are over 8000 estimated to be living with dementia in Warwickshire? And that number does not include those caring for people with the condition.

Early diagnosis of dementia can help people to make sense of the symptoms and access support and guidance as soon possible, it allows for:

  • The person living with dementia and their family to seek out informed advice and get a better understanding

  • Identifying the type of support that will work best for them

  • Allowing everyone to make informed decisions and plan for the future

For those in the early stages of dementia who are able to live independently, there is assistive technology available to support them. There are many different types of assistive technology, from memo-minders that can announce a pre-recorded message to remind people to do something, to items that can help around the home or whilst out and about.

AskSARA is a self-help guide that can support people in identifying equipment, gadgets and technology that could be useful to maintain their independence. Find out more here:

There are a number of dementia support groups and activities from Dementia Cafes to art workshops that can help Warwickshire residents adjust to their dementia diagnosis and relate to others. Learn more about these here:

Dementia Connect in Warwickshire is a service provided by Alzheimer’s Society and is funded by the Warwickshire County Council. It is a personalised service for anyone with dementia, their carers, family, and friends. The service can connect you with free support and advice available by phone and online. It can offer emotional and practical support, a listening ear, suggestions on coping through these difficult times, and advice about other services that may also be able to help. To get support you can:

Warwickshire County Council’s Living Well with Dementia website also provides support and practical advice to everyone and can help those living with dementia as well as those who support someone with dementia to understand more about the condition, prepare for the future and access other services.

Vaccination season is upon us!

Image by Scot Harris

Vaccination season is quickly approaching, and we are beginning to invite people for their flu jabs in preparation for this coming winter!

This Saturday, 21st September, we will begin vaccinating pregnant women against flu, whilst also continuing administering the RSV vaccine for all eligible patients (pregnant women and those aged 75-79 years).

Next Saturday, we will continue with Flu jabs for pregnant patients, RSV vaccines for eligible patients, and we will also be running a Fluenz Clinic for children aged 2-3 years and at risk children.

SMS invitations with booking links are being sent this week!

Starting on 5th October and running every Saturday into November, we will be running our flu clinics for those aged 65 years + and the at risk under 65s!

We have initially invited the over 65s, we have sent out SMS messages for this and our first clinic is almost full!

The at risk under 65s will be invited for their flu jab via SMS in the 1-2 weeks.

We have not received any information regarding delivery dates for the Covid jabs this year, we hope to know more soon and we will update you as soon as we do!

A big thank you goes to Scot Harris and Tarc the Robot, for designing and providing the artwork for this years vaccination campaign!