Surgery News
During this time, the entrance will be out of use for staff and patients.
The Lions Room will be a temporary entrance and exit so as not to disrupt access.
There will be signposting indicating the way for you to go.
Thank you for your cooperation during this time!
At St Wulfstan Surgery we are looking for another new Part Time Receptionist to join our lovely, expanding team.
For more information or to apply please visit our advert on Indeed.
Applications close Thursday 24th August 2023 - Be Quick!
We all suffer with symptoms of stress, anxiety, worry and low mood at some stage in our lives.
And most of us (perhaps all of us!) could benefit from simple skills and tricks to improve our own mental and physical wellness.
Thats why we have made a new online tool available for free to all our our patients.
And you can access this tool at any time of the day or night, with a quick and simple sign up process.
The online course is easy to use, doesn’t take too long to complete, is tailored around your needs, and almost everyone who has used it has found it satisfying, and improved their sense of wellness and wellbeing.
You can pick and choose the modules which you think will help you.
Modules include:
How do I tell people how I feel?
How do I stay healthy?
I don’t get enough sleep
How do I cope with money problems?
Finding a way to relax
How do I get motivated?
How do I manage challenging times?
Help with grief & loss
How do I overcome my fears?
Why not give it a go?
To give it a try, and improve your mental wellness and wellbeing please visit:
https://wepcn.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/
And use the PIN CODE: WEPCN
Dr Pinky Maharjan
Dr Alison Hayward
We are really pleased to announce the arrival of our two, new, GP Trainees.
We welcome Dr Maharjan and Dr Hayward to the team. They are fully qualified Doctors with extensive hospital experience, but are now working towards a career as a GP. They are closely supported by all of our GP’s and we are sure they will be able to give you an excellent service.
St Wulfstan Surgery is proud and happy to help the next generation of GP’s reach their maximum potential!
From 1 August 2023, holders of Warwickshire disabled person’s bus passes will be able to travel at any time using their passes for journeys that start within Warwickshire.
This will enable passholders to get to work, school and college using their bus pass, which has previously not been possible as they were only valid from 9 am.
This follows a decision by WCC Cabinet in April to introduce all-day travel for holders of disabled person’s passes below state retirement age, for a trial period of 12 months.
The disabled person’s bus pass is available to anyone who has a qualifying disability, is under state retirement age, and lives within Warwickshire.
For more information about the eligibility and how to apply please see
Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning said:
“The national concessionary travel scheme is a vital service for many of our disabled residents in Warwickshire, and we are committed to ensuring that it provides additional benefits such as increased flexibility and improved access to essential services for our own residents. We are confident that these changes to the scheme will achieve these goals for a larger number of residents than ever before."
The disabled person’s bus pass is distinguished by the orange stripe down the side. Holders of the older person’s bus pass (with a blue stripe down the side, and available to Warwickshire residents over state pension age) will still be able to use their passes from 9 am to midnight on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.
Warwickshire passholders can also use their passes anywhere else in England, between 9.30am and 11pm on weekdays and all day at weekends and on bank holidays.
Find out more about Cabinet’s recent approval for a companion bus pass pilot here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/news/article/4347/wcc-cabinet-gives-its-approval-for-companion-bus-passes
More information about concessionary bus travel in Warwickshire can be found online: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/concessionarytravel
We welcome Roger back after a period of leave. We are fortunate to have new appointment available with Roger on Mondays and Tuesdays. These appointment can be booked online and are called “First Contact Physio” appointments.
Roger is a qualified and very experienced Physiotherapist who is working with us as a First Contact Practitioner (FCP). In this role he will be seeing people with new joint and muscular pains and problems. Whether it be muscular strains or hip/knee/ankle/neck/back/shoulder or elbow pains, it is possible to book in with Roger in the first instance. As well as having a wealth of experience, he is able to refer to appropriate services such as physiotherapy or the local specialist Musculoskeletal service. He is also able to refer for investigations such as scans.
To help us better understand, Roger has kindly put together a video for us below:
Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service (WFRS) is excited to announce a series of open days taking place at fire stations over the coming weeks.
These events are open to all and are a great opportunity to meet local firefighters, learn more about the fire & rescue service and take part in fun family activities.
Southam Fire Station will be holding an event on Saturday 5 August 10 am – 4 pm where the public are welcome to attend the fire station and meet the fire fighters and other staff.
Clinical pharmacists are the go-to people who help patients recover from illness or maintain a healthy lifestyle. The doctor makes the diagnosis and prescribes medications in a general form, but the clinical pharmacist helps make specific decisions.
There is a clinical pharmacist in the surgery every day and they are available for telephone and face to face consultations, and home visits to house bound patients.
Help with medication:
interactions
adverse reactions
side effects
counselling on medications
opioid reviews
medication shortages
Medication optimisation:
COPD
Asthma
Raised blood pressure
Diabetes
Heart failure
Interpreting blood test results
Hospital discharge:
Help with understanding of Medication changes
Lifestyle modifications:
Smoking cessation/weight management
Referral to Health Coaches and social link workers
Signposting to the Healthy Minds Hub
Frailty medicines assessment through home visits in the community and at care homes
The results of the national GP Patient Survey 2023 have been released on behalf of the NHS.
We are extremely thankful to our patients for their incredible feedback, and we have been awarded:
10th place in England, out of all 6402 practices
1st place in England when considering practices of a similar size to ours and larger (those above 10 000 patients)
Having scored 99% of patients describe their overall experience of our practice as good
This represents a further improvement on our results from last year and we know this is only made possible by the support of our patients, and the hard work of our incredible team. We feel privileged to serve you all. It remains our passion always to keep delivering the best quality of care we can, under our core values of Quality, Care & Compassion.
Some highlights include:
99% find it easy to get through to this GP practice by phone
99% find the receptionists at this GP practice helpful
97% describe their experience of making an appointment as good
99% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment
100% had confidence and trust in the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to during their last general practice appointment
96% felt their needs were met during their last general practice appointment
99% describe their overall experience of this GP practice as good
For more information or to view results you can visit the The Mirror article or the GP Patient Survey website.
Once again, thank you to all of our patients.
Hayfever symptoms
Summer is here, the weather is warming up, skies are blue, so why are you feeling so irritable? Itchy eyes, streaming nose, non-stop sneezing, coughing. If you’re anything like me, you’ll probably be feeling like a total mess. Yes, it’s hayfever season. In fact, this can start much earlier in the year as well. Many of us are allergic to a variety of triggers, often associated with different pollens. The high pollen counts tend to vary according to the prevailing weather conditions and with climate change this can bring on the flowering season earlier / later than expected. Some of us might only be allergic to a particular pollen from a certain plant which has a short flowering season, others may be worse off and experience symptoms to a wider range of pollens and therefore experience hayfever symptoms for longer.
Tried different treatments and frustrated with them not working? Try again! Here are some helpful tips on the best way to use the treatments available from Pharmacies, to get the best effect from them.
Some people find they are only affected by one symptom, such as itchy eyes, in which case, eye drops might be the best option. However, some find eye drops difficult or inconvenient to use, so might prefer a tablet. There are also nose sprays available, particularly helpful for the nasal symptoms of sneezing/coughing etc. It is safe and often worth trying a combination of eye drops / tablet / nose spray together, which could be the most effective treatment option for you, if one product alone isn’t enough to keep symptoms at bay.
Top tip #1:
All hayfever treatments with active ingredients within them are PREVENTATIVE, rather than RELIEVING. This means, in a perfect world, we would have a crystal ball to know when to start using them, at the right time just before our symptoms start. In reality, it means that they can take some time to kick in, so be patient, and keep going. How long should I expect treatments to start working?
Eye drops - within 1 hour
Tablets - within 2 hours
Steroid nose sprays - a few days/up to 1 week to full effect
Top tip #2:
For instant relief, wash your face with some cold water. Apply something cold to the eye / face area, such as a cold compress / wet flannel made with cold water / pack of frozen peas etc. This helps by washing away the pollen and reducing the inflammation caused by the histamine release, reducing the itching feeling. If possible, get into an areas with air conditioning such as a car, a shopping centre, or cinema, to instantly remove the pollen / trigger contact with your body.
Top tip #3:
To minimise contact with pollen, try keeping windows/doors closed. Wear wraparound sunglasses to reduce contact between pollen and the eyes. Apply vaseline around the nose and eyes, to “catch” the pollen. Routinely wipe this away and re-apply. Dry any laundry inside the house rather than outside. Take a shower & change clothes after being outside.
Treatment options available from Pharmacies:
Remember - It is always important to consult with your Pharmacist if you have any medical conditions or take other medications, which could interact with treatments used for hayfever. In addition, if you are pregnant or breast-feeding. Always check with your Pharmacist first before using any medicines.
Eye drops - Sodium Cromoglicate
Sodium, what…? This is the active ingredient found in most allergy treatment eye drops. As mentioned previously, it works by prevention, so needs to be used regularly, often four times a day. Well-known brands include Opticrom and Optrex Hayfever relief, but many others are available, including chemist own versions which often cost less but have the same active ingredient.
Tablets
First choice would be the “newer” antihistamine tablets which work for longer, so only need to be taken once a day, and are typically non-drowsy. Examples include Cetirizine and Loratadine, found in brands such as Zirtek and Clarityn. Many chemists / supermarkets will make their own cheaper version which is just as effective and saves money.
The “older” antihistamine tablets can be effective but tend to have more of the drowsy side effect and wear off more quickly so you need to keep taking repeat doses during the day, making it both inconvenient and less effective through the day. Examples include Chlorphenamine (Piriton) and Acrivastine (Benadryl). Again, many chemists will sell their own version.
The newest arrival to the market is called Fexofenadine, which until recently was only available on prescription but is now available to buy from Pharmacies. It is currently more expensive than the other antihistamines but is worth a try if you haven’t had much joy with the other cheaper alternatives, as people do respond differently to different antihistamines.
Remember, don’t expect the tablets to work instantly, they can take a few hours to kick in.
A note for treating children…Liquid versions of the antihistamine tablets are available for children from age 6 upwards for the newer antihistamines, and Chlorphenamine (Piriton) liquid is ok for children aged from 1 year. It’s worthwhile checking what is available & appropriate for your child by talking with the Pharmacist.
Nose Sprays
First choice would be a steroid nose spray, which can be very effective. They work in the local area of where the nose spray gets to, so mainly help with sneezing, but can sometimes help reduce eye/mouth/throat symptoms as well. Be warned, they can take up to a week, yes ONE WEEK, to fully take effect, so keep using regularly and be patient. Examples include Fluticasone (Flixonase) and Beclometasone (Beconase), these are also suitable for children aged from 4 and 6 years up, respectively. They are safe to use continuously for the summer hayfever season. Again, some chemists may stock their own versions which contain the same active ingredient but cost less, so ask the Pharmacist for advice.
Another choice but only for short term use are decongesting nose sprays, such as those containing Xylometazoline. They work rapidly for unblocking sinuses, within a few minutes of use. However, do not use for more than 7 days continuously because they can cause re-bound congestion, worsening symptoms, so these tend to be better for treating cold/virus symptoms. Also, to be avoided by people with high blood pressure, glaucoma, diabetes and other conditions, so ask the Pharmacist for advice.
Finally,
Top tip #4:
Histamine is present in many food and drink products, including alcohol. So, having taken your antihistamine tablet, if you are off to the pub to enjoy the newfound freedom of that fresh summer pollen filled air and celebrate with a glass of something alcoholic, you might want to pause for thought. The histamine in the alcohol might override the antihistamine benefit you have achieved from effective treatment. Thankfully, certain types of alcohol are lower in histamine, for example, white wines / sparkling such as prosecco / champagne are lower in histamine compared with red wines / beer. As always, the advice is: there is no amount of alcohol which is beneficial, so know your limits. Remember, alcohol makes you drowsy, which will be enhanced by the drowsiness effect from any antihistamine, so be extra cautious. Consider limiting the amount you drink and having non-alcoholic alternatives.
Enjoy your summer!”
“Hi, my name's Mandy and I've recently joined the reception team at St Wulfstan. They're providing great training along with support and encouragement, all of which is greatly appreciated, as there's more to learn than you think!
The whole team at St Wulfstan are welcoming, friendly and helpful, as are the patients. This is all making it a lovely place to work and I'm enjoying every day so far!
I moved to Southam a year ago and it's nice to be welcomed into the community. I come from a customer service background, so apologies in advance if I refer to any of you as customers, from time to time.
When not working, I enjoy going for long walks with my dog, horse riding, gardening, crafting and will even enjoy DIY.
I'm looking forward to many years working for such a great GP surgery.”
We are delighted to have you on the team Mandy - Welcome to St Wulfstan!
The service is designed for Coventry and Warwickshire residents aged 16 and above, for those times when the challenges of life being to overwhelm and impair daily living, providing open access drop-in support and supplementing existing NHS mental health crisis and emergency care. It will do this by increasing the ways local residents can access mental health support, it will also help relieve pressures on other mental health services by allowing for earlier interventions.
Building on the already existing Safe Haven provision that started in 2018, Coventry and Warwickshire Mind will be expanding the service to better support under-served communities and, following review and wider engagement with service users, improve the service to meet the identified needs, such as easier navigation, more widely accessible face-to-face support, and a no appointment necessary approach.
The service takes a ‘single front door’ approach, meaning that the service will be accessed through 1 phone number, 1 website and open-access drop in venues. The service started on Saturday 1st July and is commissioned by NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care Board and is being operated by Coventry and Warwickshire Mind.
The Safe Haven Coventry and Warwickshire services are:
Available from 6pm-11pm, 7 days a week, 365 days a year
Contactable by telephone - 024 7601 7200
Website - www.cwsafehaven.org.uk
Contactable by email - support@cwsafehaven.org
On social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) - @cwsafehaven
Local residents who access support can expect:
Respectful, compassionate short-term interventions
A positive relationship-based experience, enabling honest discussion and making space to explore further support
A safe, caring, non-clinical environment - informal, open, accessible for all, with no appointment required
Open-access support for as often or little as required
A staff team, experienced in delivering mental health support, bringing understanding and helping remove stigma
The service will help to provide crisis de-escalation, emotional support and help with planning, face-to-face, one-to-one support, light refreshments and information and signposting
Face-to-face, open-access drop-in venues offering one-to-one and peer group opportunities have already started at ‘The Retreat, Bond Street, Nuneaton’ and are available 7 evenings a week. More venues are due:
Wellington Gardens, Windsor Street, Coventry, 7 evenings a week - by the end of July 2023
Venues in Rugby, 2 evenings a week, and Coleshill, 1 evening a week - due October 2023
Venues in Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick, both 2 evenings a week, due in November 2023
You can find out more and read into further detail on the Warwickshire County Council website:
Sharon Fletcher - Finance Manager
Length of service: 23 years
“NHS is about pulling together as a team to provide a safe and caring environment for patients and staff”
Lindsey Ward - Practice Manager
Length of service: 18 years
“I have worked for the NHS for 18 years, 16 of them at St Wulfstan Surgery, which I joined as part time receptionist in 2007. I have seen many changes in the NHS and in primary care in that time, but one thing remains the same: the dedication of our entire St Wulfstan team to providing the very best care we can for our patients. The surgery really is the most amazing place to work and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!”
Dr Kirti Viswanathan - GP Partner
Length of service - 18 years
“I started my journey with NHS as a foundation year doctor in Yorkshire 18yrs ago. I completed my GP training in Warwickshire, and I love being part of our St Wulfstan family for the last 11 years as a partner. I feel privileged to be part of our magnificent NHS and promote wellbeing of our local community.”
Dr Faris Al-Ramadani - GP Partner
Length of service - 12 years
“It is a privilege to work at St Wulfstan and be a part of the NHS. The NHS allows us to deliver high quality care to everyone and for that we are grateful that we have a NHS!”
Damaris Gama-Valdez - Admin Manager
Length of service - 11 years
“I have worked 11 years at St Wulfstan – it has been a privilege to work within the NHS and I feel especially proud to be part of a fantastic team at St Wulfstan who are truly committed to providing the very best of care for patients.”
Amanda Cogley - Operations Manager
Length of service - 6 years
“I have worked in a couple of Health roles over the last 6 years and all the roles have given me a sense of purpose and gratitude to the patients we serve and the staff who I have worked and continue to work with.”
So, happy 75th birthday NHS - here’s to 75 more years of caring for you all, our wonderful patients!
Do you have children aged 5-11? If you do, we encourage you to visit www.healthysteps.uk and sign up to the programme!
How does it work?
Parents/carers can sign up at any time by completing a quiz about your current eating and physical activity habits. Once you have completed the quiz, you will receive weekly emails on one of the below themes, tailored to your quiz results
Reducing sugar
Eating 5 a day
Meal planning
The content in the emails will provide families with simple ways to take steps towards healthier behaviours.
As part of the programme, families are set goals or tasks to complete every other week, such as swapping out sugary fizzy drinks, or adding fruit or vegetables to your breakfasts.
Regular feedback points give families the opportunity to celebrate your successes and continue to make positive changes!
Download the free NHS Food Scanner App to find healthier swaps for all of the family, by signing up to the programme, you will have access to easy, healthy recipe cards to inspire you to be able to eat cleaner whilst still loving the taste!
Sign up here:
