Surgery News
St Wulfstan Surgery is proud to be a GP Training Practice. We have loved having Dr Hayward and Dr Maharjan, but unfortunately for us it is time for them to move onto their next training post and we wish them the best of luck!
As they depart, we welcome Dr Mulligan and Dr Nangia to the practice. They are both excellent Doctors and we wish them both a warm welcome!
Financial Support
BHBH’s team of experts can with with households to apply for grants and funding to help with your home energy. Schemes like the Warm House Discount can take £150 off your bills and ECO Funding can replace heating systems as well as install insulation. Give them a call on 0800 107 0044 to see if you’re eligible and start the process.
Priority Services Register
If you’re of pensionable age, have long-term medical conditions or live with children under 5 years old, the BHBH team can assist you with checking your eligibility and signing your household up to the Priority Services Register so you find out about any issues and outages with your home energy immediately.
Free Home Energy Visits
A trained home energy advisor can install free small energy-saving measures such as draught-proofing and LED light bulbs, advise on bills and debt, help you understand your heating system, and much more during a free home energy visit. They will assess your property and signpost you to other services that can help you save money and stay warm in your home.
All advice is free, confidential, and tailored to the resident. To speak to one of the team, please call the number below Monday-Friday between 9:00am and 5:00pm.
If you’re pregnant, you can trust the NHS-approved emails from Start for Life. They can help you every step of the way through pregnancy and beyond.
From coffee to cheese, find out what you can eat and drink , plus lots more advice.
It’s normal to have pregnancy questions. Sign up below to weekly Start for Life emails for everything you need to know:
It is also a great programme to support with arthritis and back pain and has proved to support people with managing day to day activities. The programme has been designed by clinical experts and has seen to reduce their pain and improve mobility.
There are 4 sessions a week:
Monday 12:15pm-1:15pm - Land based
Thursday 9am-10am - Aqua
Thursday 10am-11am - Aqua natal
Friday 12pm-1pm
Attendees are advised to arrive 30 minutes early for their first session for registration,
It is also just £4.50 per session.
Please see links below to the Everyone Active website on the offering available and also Good Boost’s direct website to view.
In many cases, type 2 diabetes and its complications can be delayed or even prevented by adopting and maintaining healthy habits. Knowing your risk and what to do is important to support prevention, early diagnosis and timely treatment.
You can still get a covid jab by checking online: Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment - NHS (www.nhs.uk) or by calling 119.
We are still doing Flu vaccinations, and have 2 clinics left! The details of these are:
Saturday 18th November
8:00am-12:30pm for under those under the age of 65, and then 1:00pm-4:00pm for those aged 65 and over
Saturday 25th November
8:00am-12:30pm - session open to both age groups (under 65’s & 65 & over)
We have lots of Flu vaccines left for those under 65 years, if you are eligible and have not yet been vaccinated, you only have 2 weeks left to get this with us - call the surgery today on 01926 810939 to book! If you are not sure if you are eligible, or think you are but don’t know for sure - give our fantastic reception team a call and they will be able to advise you!
In response to this, Warwickshire County Council is working with schools and parents to encourage open conversations with young people about vaping, raising awareness of the risks associated with vaping and equipping them with the facts so they can make informed decisions.
What are vapes/e-cigarettes?
Vapes are battery operated devices that simulate the sensation of smoking, they are an effective tool in quitting smoking. They do not contain as many of the harmful ingredients as cigarettes so they are less harmful than cigarettes, but they do contain nicotine and they are not completely risk free.
It is recommended by the National Institute Centre of Excellence (NICE) that e-cigarettes should not be used by people who have never smoked.
Councillor Margaret Bell, portfolio holder for Adult Social Care and Health has said:
“We know that the rate of young people vaping is increasing and we are working hard to support schools, parents and carers to work with young people and raise awareness of the associated risks.
“Although vaping has fewer risks than smoking, it is not risk free, and our message to everyone is: if you don’t smoke, don’t vape.”
There are also risks associated with the small batteries used in vapes. It is important to keep the batteries out of reach of young children to avoid any accidental swallowing or choke hazards. Regularly inspect vape batteries and replace the battery immediately if it is damaged, leaking or malfunctioning.
All Warwickshire Household Waste Recycling Centres have recycling facilities for vapes and batteries. They should never be disposed of in general waste bins as this is a fire hazard.
You can find out more about vaping here:
To view the school toolkit, visit smoke and vape free schools.
If you are under 65, eligible for the flu and/or covid vaccination, and haven’t had them yet, call our wonderful reception team to book in on 01926 810939.
Who is eligible for a flu vaccine?
Under 65 year olds in clinical risk groups such as those with
- chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma, COPD
- chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
- chronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5
- chronic liver disease
- chronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson’s or motor neurone disease
- learning disability
- diabetes and adrenal insufficiency
- splenic dysfunction or asplenia
- a weakened immune system due to disease, such as HIV/AIDS, or treatment, such as cancer treatment
- morbidly obese, defined as a BMI or 40+
pregnant women
those aged 65 and over
those in long-stay residential care homes
carers in receipt of carer’s allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
locum GP’s
frontline staff employed by the following types of social care providers without employer led occupational health schemes:
- registered domiciliary care provider
-Direct Payment (personal budgets) and/or Personal Health Budgets, such as Personal Assistant’s
a registered residential care/nursing home
- a voluntary managed hospice provider
those living in:
- long stay residential care homes or nursing homes
- other long-stay health or social care facilities
- a house bound patient
Who is eligible for a covid vaccine?
those aged 65 and over
aged 6 months to 64 years are at increased clinical risk
living in a care home
a frontline health or social care worker
aged 16-64 years old and a carer
aged 12-64 years old and live with someone with a weakened immune system
If you are still not sure whether you are eligible, give our wonderful reception team a call on 01926 810939 and they will be able to advise you!
You can have both jabs on the same day, or you can have them one at a time, it is entirely your choice!
We're now letting you see all the information within your health record. If you are over 16 and have an online account, such as through the NHS App, NHS website, or other GP online services and apps, you will now automatically be able to see all future information entered on your medical record. Some people can already access this feature, this won't change for you.
This means that you will be able to see records from your appointments, as well as test results and any letters that are saved on your records. This only applies to records from your doctor (GP), not from hospitals or other specialists, although you will be able to see any letters that hospitals or specialists send to your doctor (GP). You will only be able to see information from 18th October 2023. For most people, access will be automatic, and you won't need to do anything. If you want access to view your historical medical records, you will still have to apply via your GP practice, you can do this by visiting Online Services — St Wulfstan Southam Surgery and filling in our online form.
Your doctor (GP) may talk to you to discuss test results before you are able to see some of your information on the app. Your doctor (GP) may also talk to you before you are given full record access to make sure that having access is of benefit to you. If you are concerned that seeing your records is not right for you, you should speak to your practice.
These changes only apply to people with online accounts. If you do not want an online account, you can still access your GP health record by requesting this information via reception. The changes also only apply to personal information about you. If you are a carer and would like to see information about someone you care for, speak to reception staff.
The NHS App, website and other online services are all very secure. You'll need to make sure you protect your login details. Do not share your password with anyone as they will then have access to your personal information.
If you do not want to see your health record, or if you would like more information about these changes, please speak to your GP or reception staff. You can also read more by going to www.nhs.uk/gp-record.
Healthwatch Warwickshire would like to hear your experience of healthcare during the menopause
Have your say on menopause support services in Warwickshire.
Have you had the support you need? What is your experience of HRT?
Share your story and let us know what you think would make menopause services better for you.
World Mental Health Day is about raising awareness of mental health and driving positive change for everybody’s mental health. It’s also a change to talk about mental health, how we need to look after it, and how important it is to get help if you are struggling.
Top tips for talking about mental health
We know by now that the first step to getting help is to talk about your mental health, but we also know that starting a conversation like this isn’t as easy as talking about the weather! Here are some tips for getting that initial conversation going.
Talking about your mental health:
Pick somebody you trust - this could be a friend, family member or a colleague; you might find it easier to talk to somebody you don’t know and there are support helplines for this.
Find the best place to talk - you want to feel comfortable in the place you decide to open up; whether this is somewhere private where it’s unlikely you’ll be disturbed, or whilst doing an activity, such as walking
Prepare yourself for their reaction - hopefully, you will have a good experience when you open up to someone, but there is a chance they not react in the way you hope. There’s a few different reasons for this; maybe they are worried about you, or don’t fully understand at first - they may need time to process what you have told them.
Talking to someone about their mental health:
Find a good place to talk without distractions - if you’re worried about someone, try to find somewhere to talk to them where you won’t get distracted. Give them your full attention.
Listen and ask questions - one of the most valuable ways to be there for someone is to listen to them. Show them you’re actively listening by facing them, making eye contact, and not interrupting. Questions can help clarify meaning and show you’re actively listening, but ensure the questions are relevant to what they are saying.
Ask how you can help - do this and make suggestions, try not to tell them what to do next. They might want support making a GP appointment, help around the house, or just for you to keep things normal and chat about what’s going on in your life.
We’ve all been living through difficult and uncertain times recently. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed, down or anxious, whether you are worrying about big stuff or small stuff. It may help to talk about how you are feeling.
Your GP surgery (us) is your first point of call if you have concerns about your mental health that won’t go away, we offer lots of different services, with varying levels of involvement to try and help you.
You can call the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub by calling 111 if you need support when the GP is closed or unavailable.
There are other options for free, confidential support by phone or online. You can:
Call the Samaritans on 116 123 at any time of the day/night
Message SHOUT to 85258 for 24/7 text support on your mobile
If you are a child or young person, call Childline on 0800 1111 or talk to them online
Call the CALM helpline on 0800 58 58 58 or use their webchat - they are open from 5pm to midnight, 365 days a year
Find more information regarding mental health here:
Health and wellbeing coach Chelsea Loydall writes:
“Baby Loss Awareness Week is a wonderful opportunity to bring us together as a community and give anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone.
During last year’s ‘#WaveOfLight messages of remembrance and hope brought many people together. Take care of yourselves and know that we are here for you now and throughout the year.
You are not alone!”
