Need Help Using NHS Online Services? Pop In - Lighthorne Heath Village Hall

Online services, such as the NHS App, have made it easier than ever to contact the surgery, book and cancel appointments, order repeat medications, get advice and view your medical record.

But we realise not everyone can access these services, or know how to access these services. So we want to help.

The next stop on our travels is Lighthorne Heath Village Hall. We have arranged a drop in session where our Operations Team will be on hand to help you access and learn how to use online services such as the NHS App.

Even ff you don’t have a computer or smart device then please feel free to attend and we can show you how to access these services.

If you’re struggling to access services on your laptop or smartphone then please bring it along and we will be on hand to help you.

And there is no need to book, just drop in.

We look forward to seeing you!

Welcome Jo Hamilton - Our Quality and Patient Experience Lead

Welcome Jo

As a sign of our commitment to providing the highest quality of care and best patient experience we are pleased to announce the appointment of Jo Hamilton as our new Quality and Patient Experience Lead.

This role has been created to ensure high quality care is delivered at the practice, and the experience of patients remains at the heart of everything we do.

Jo brings with her a wealth of experience, most recently as the Warwickshire East PCN Digital & Transformation Lead.

A few words from Jo:

“My name is Jo Hamilton and I am thrilled to be joining St Wulfstan Surgery as the new Quality and Patient Experience Lead starting on the 19th August.
With 10 years’ experience in the NHS, I am passionate about patient care and wanting to make a difference. I am really keen to share the surgery’s values of care, quality and compassion for our patients and their families.”
— Jo Hamilton
“My name is Jo Hamilton and I am thrilled to be joining St Wulfstan Surgery as the new Quality and Patient Experience Lead starting on the 19th August.
With 10 years’ experience in the NHS, I am passionate about patient care and wanting to make a difference. I am really keen to share the surgery’s values of care, quality and compassion for our patients and their families.”
— Jo Hamilton

St Wulfstan Surgery - National Primary Care Provider Of The Year Finalists 2024!

We are really proud to have been named as a Finalist in the National and prestigious HSJ Awards 2024 for the award of Primary and Community Care Provider of the Year. In fact, we are the only GP surgery in the country to be named as a finalist in this category, this year.

This is a really significant achievement for the surgery and has only been made possible by the incredible relationship we have with you, our amazing patients, and the incredible dedication of our staff. We remain committed and dedicated to offering the highest quality of care to everyone, and to have this recognition is fantastic.

We thank you all again for your support, and remain proud and privileged to be at your service!

The winner of the award will be named on 21st November 2024 in London.

Need Help Using NHS Online Services? Pop In...

Online services, such as the NHS App, have made it easier than ever to contact the surgery, book and cancel appointments, order repeat medications, get advice and view your medical record.

But we realise not everyone can access these services, or know how to access these services. So we want to help.

We have arranged 4 drop in sessions where our Operations Team will be on hand to help you access and learn how to use online services such as the NHS App.

If you don’t have a computer or smart device then please feel free to attend our Southam Library sessions where, as long as you are a Warwickshire resident and bring ID with your address, then we can show you how to access these services. And you can always attend the Library to use these computers and online services in the future.

If you’re struggling to access services on your laptop or smartphone then please bring it along and we will be on hand to help you.

And there is no need to book, just drop in.

We look forward to seeing you!

Beat the heat! Tips for getting better sleep during a heatwave

Is it possible to get a good night’s sleep when it’s hot? We are all familiar with the feeling of tiredness and lethargy following a poor night’s sleep in the summer, so how can we sleep better when the temperature soars?

The heat affects our sleep; and there are a few reasons for this. Being too hot is uncomfortable for us, and being hot and sweaty at bedtime can make it hard to relax, and to fall asleep. We can also find out that our usual bedtime set up - our thick duvet sets and pyjamas are unsuitable for such weather.

Did you know that our body temperature is linked to sleep regulation? Our core body temperature goes up and down throughout the day in a predictable way, and how sleepy we feel during the day is linked to this. Our body temperature tends to cool down and make us feel tired before we go to sleep, so when we’re too hot at night, this is all thrown out of balance.

An ideal bedroom temperature is around 16-18℃, according to the Sleep Charity, but UK homes are not routinely equipped with air conditioning, so when the outside temperature is hitting the 30℃ mark, it’s likely that our homes are sweltering too. So what can we do to stay cool and sleep better?

  1. Stick to your usual routine
    The heat can make us feel tired during the day because we are using more energy to regulate our temperature and keep cool. However, sticking to your usual bedtime routine can help you sleep at night. If you nap during the day, you may be less likely to sleep at night because you are less tired.

  2. Keep your bedroom as cool as possible
    Professor Kevin Lomas, a professor of building simulation at the University of Loughborough who has studied overheating properties, explains that when it comes to keeping your room cool, timing is important:

“There are lots of things you can do to bring the temperature down by a few degrees. But the trick is doing them at the right times, for example, opening curtains and windows allows air to circulate.
However, the benefits would be neutralised or even reversed if you also allow sunlight to beam in all day - the heat from which becomes trapped in furniture and raises the temperature””
— Professor Kevin Lomas, University of Loughborough

Therefore, it can help to keep curtains and blinds shut during the day.

3. Use an electric fan
Air conditioning is not available to many of us, but an electric fan can do a decent job to help air circulate in your bedroom. A fan helps to encourage sweat evaporating, which makes it easier for our bodies to regulate our internal temperature. Putting a tray of a ice and some water in front of the fan can help to cool the air even more.

4. Use a cold water botte
Filling a hot water bottle with ice cold water and putting it by your feet can help to keep you cool.

5. Change your bedding
Try swapping your usual duvet for a thinner cover. Natural fibres such as cotton and linen are more breathable at night. You may feel too hot to put a cover over you when you go to bed, but once your body temperature drops you may feel cold, so it can be handy to have a thin cover to hand.

6. Drink enough water during the day
Drinking lots of water during the day when it is hot replaces what is lost through peeing and sweating, this avoids dehydration. The guidelines say to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day, but you will need to drink more than this when it’s hot as you will likely sweat more than usual.

Vaccinations in pregnancy

More babies are catching Whooping Cough (pertussis)

Whooping cough (pertussis) rates have risen recently. Babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk.

Whooping cough can be serious for babies and may lead to complications resulting in hospitalisation and even death.

Pregnant women can help protect their babies by getting vaccinated.

You should usually have the whooping cough vaccine around the time of your mid-pregnancy scan (usually at 20 weeks pregnant), but you can have it from 16 weeks.

To help give the best protection to your baby, you should have the vaccine before 32 weeks. If you miss out, you can still have the vaccine later.

The Whooping Cough vaccination in pregnancy helps to protect your baby until they can have their first immunisations at 8 weeks old.

To book your appointment for Whooping Cough Vaccination, contact your GP surgery or your midwife!

Samaritans Awareness 24/7 Day 2024

Today’s date is 24/7. We’re supporting #SamaritansAwarenessDay by reminding you that if you need to talk, @samaritanscharity is there 24/7 for anyone who needs someone to listen.

Every year in July, Samaritans branches in the UK and Ireland hold local events to raise awareness that Samaritans are here to listen to anyone who's struggling to cope, at any time of the day or night.

Our nearest branches are:

  • Coventry

    57 Moor Street, Earlsdon, Coventry CV5 6ER

    • Distance from Southam: 12m

  • Banbury

    33 Albert Street, Banbury Oxfordshire OX16 5DG

    • Distance from Southam: 13.3m

    • Wheelchair accessible

  • Stratford upon Avon

    Tyler House, Tyler Street, Stratford upon Avon CV37 6TY

    • Distance from Southam: 14m

    • Wheelchair accessible

Samaritans aim to share one simple message: They are here 24/7 for anyone who is struggling to cope. Talk to them, they’ll listen.

Service Update 21/7/24 - Systems Are Back Up & Running

As you maybe aware our systems were affected by the recent global Crowdstrike/Microsoft IT outage.

We are glad to say our systems are now back up and running.

As such normal services will resume on Monday 22nd July. We anticipate some time maybe required to clear any backlog which developed on Friday and over the weekend so your patience this week would be most appreciated.

Thank you again for all of your patience and understanding.

Service Update 19/07/24 PM

Good evening.

Unfortunately our service has been, and still is, affected by the global IT outage and as such our systems are currently down. We are awaiting a resolution from our IT providers so please bear with us.

Patients who are booked in for face-to-face appointments on Saturday 20th July should still attend.

Patients who are booked in for face-to-face appointments on Monday 22nd July should still attend, except for blood tests. Unfortunately we are unable to undertake blood tests until the problem has been resolved.

We are really sorry for the inconvenience caused and will do everything we can to resolve this issue. Further updates will be made available through our website and social media channels.

MENopause - what support would women like from men in their lives?

Action Menopause Warwickshire and Healthwatch Warwickshire are working together to enable men to support the women in their lives who are experiencing a difficult perimenopause or menopause.

As a first step, we would like to ask women what support they would like from the men in their lives, their husbands, partners, friends, brothers, adult sons, employers or work colleagues.

 

The responses received will help Action Menopause Warwickshire and Healthwatch Warwickshire to plan a focus group for men, being held in the evening of 12th September in Warwick, so views can be gathered on the issues. 

They want to find out what men would like to know in order to support the women in their lives and what support men need for themselves.

They want to know how men would prefer to receive information and support.

Please get in touch using the link below if you would like to join this group.

Fill in the questionnaire for women here:

If you are a man who would be interested in attending the focus group in Warwick on 12th September from 7pm-9pm, please email  info@actionmenopausewarwickshire.org.uk

Alcohol Awareness Week 2024

It is Alcohol Awareness Week 2024, running from 1-7 July. The aim for this week is to raise awareness of the harm caused by alcohol and learn more about the role that alcohol plays in our society.

Alcoholchange.org.uk has created a short video exploring the centre-stage role that alcohol plays in our lives and in our society, and how we can work together to change that. Please watch the video below:

Are you worried about how healthy your drinking is?

You can check below by taking Alcohol Change’s quick drinking quiz:

Tips for cutting down on alcohol

  1. Think and drink in units
    The UK’s Chief Medical Officers recommend not drinking more that 14 units a week - that is equal to about 6 pints of normal strength beer or 1.5 bottles of wine per week. Use a unit calculator to help you work out exactly what you are drinking

  2. Have a few alcohol-free days each week
    This is a good way to cut down and give your body a rest, boost your immune system and improve your mental health and wellbeing, and save money

  3. Keep Track
    Recording what you drink for a few weeks will help you to understand your drinking pattern, so you can decide if you want to make a change

  4. Choose a smaller glass and lower ABV (strength)
    This can be a helpful way to cut down

  5. Set a limit
    Decide what you want to drink in advance and stick to your plan

  6. Practice your drink refusal skills
    Plan what you will say if you are offered a drink, and say it with confidence

  7. Try drinking low-alcohol and no-alcohol alternatives
    Swap your usual tipple with an alcohol-free alternative. Alcohol-free beers, ciders, wines and spirits are now widely available

  8. It’s fine to say ‘No’
    Not everyone drinks alcohol, and it’s fine to say no

  9. Pace yourself
    Enjoy each drink slowly, and remember that you don’t have to join in every time someone else decides to drink

  10. Eat before and while you drink
    Having something to eat before drinking, and if possible, whilst drinking, will slow down the alcohol being absorbed into your bloodstream

  11. Ask for help!
    If you feel your drinking is getting out of control, ask for help! There is nothing to be ashamed of; lots of people struggle with alcohol at some point in their lives and need support to turn things around. Contact your GP or your local alcohol service.