Surgery News
Due to our ongoing expansion we are a recruiting a new Receptionist/Care Navigator to come and join our incredible team.
We can offer both part-time and full-time roles.
Please visit our Indeed page for more details and to apply.
Applications close 16th October 2024.
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:
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
There are a range of different kinds of support for stopping smoking, visit our Smoking Cessation page on our website to find out more:
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!
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:
Call 033 3150 3456 (calls charged at a standard local rate)
Monday - Wednesday: 9am-8pm
Thursday - Friday : 9am-5pm
Saturday - Sunday : 10am-4pm
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.
Image by Scot Harris
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!
Southam in bloom photo, taken July 2024
This year, we were proud to have sponsored a flower box for Southam in Bloom 2024!
You can find it on Market Hill, on the footpath by Southam Library!
It has grown a lot since the first photograph was taken in July, the image below was taken just last week!
Southam in bloom photo, taken September 2024
St Wulfstan Surgery is proud to be a GP Training Practice, meaning we support training GP’s become fully fledged GP’s. As part of this process we are sad to have to say goodbye to our excellent GP Trainees, Dr Nathan Mulligan and Dr Sachet Nangia, who have moved on to their next placement.
But we are happy to introduce our newest GP Trainees, Dr Isabel Rodriguez and Dr Chris Harper who have started seeing patients at the surgery and will be with us until December.
Welcome Isabel & Chris!
All sessions provide free access to sport, opportunities to meet new people, specialist support & occasional social activities (e.g. attending CCFC game, stadium tours, Mental Health football league etc.)
Two services are on offer, these are:
All sessions are completely free of charge, all they require is a completed referral form beforehand. You can self-refer to the session, and referrals can also be completed by a health professional, family member or friend. Each person referred will be contacted by a member of Sky Blues in The Community once the referral has been received.
To refer yourself or a friend/family member to MENtalk:
To refer yourself or a friend/family member to DEMENTIA active:
What is RSV?
Respiratory Syncytial virus is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections resulting in illness including pneumonia
Who can have the vaccine?
Pregnant patients can have the vaccine from week 28 of their pregnancy
Every adult turning 75 years on or after 1st September 2024 will be offered a single dose, and this year it will be offered to those already aged 75-79 years on 1st September 2024 as part of a catch up programme. You can get the vaccine up to the day before you turn 80
What is the vaccination process?
The RSV vaccine is called the Abrysvo vaccine - it is a single dose of an inactive vaccine, given as an Intramuscular injection
What are the side effects?
The same as most vaccinations, the main side effects are mild like redness, swelling around the injection site, headache, etc.
Can I have it with my other jabs?
The RSV vaccine can be given with the shingles and pneumonia vaccines
There needs to be a 1 week gap between the RSV vaccine and the flu and Covid vaccines
During pregnancy, there needs to be a 2 week gap between the RSV vaccine and the Whooping Cough (Pertussis) vaccine
When can I have it?
Clinics for RSV vaccines are running on Saturday’s in September - 7th and 14th are now available for booking, from 8am-4pm
How can I book it?
Self-booking links will be sent via SMS to eligible patients with a mobile phone number. You can also book appointments by calling our reception team
For more information regarding the RSV vaccine in pregnancy, please visit:
For more information regarding the RSV vaccine in older adults, please visit:
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
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.”
“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.”
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.
We are recruiting a new, full-time Care Navigator / Receptionist.
Join a wonderful, warm, efficient, compassionate team at St Wulfstan Surgery.
And our Reception team has consistently received incredible patient feedback.
Applications close 23rd AUGUST 2024.
To apply, or for more details please see our post on Indeed
