Cherrymead Surgery News
- Flackwell Heath Surgery 2012
- Repeat Prescriptions
- Patient Choice and Referral Assessment
- A new way to get your regular Prescriptions
Flackwell Heath Surgery 2012
This year there will be a change to the provision of services from our branch surgery at 17, Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath. The building at 17, Straight Bit is owned by private landlords and the GP Partners are their tenants. The lease on the building expires on 30 June 2012. We asked a surveyor to assess the building’s suitability for future use as a GP surgery and to make recommendations for improvement.
His findings are that the building does not meet NHS standards and will require expansion, rebuilding and refitting to do so. At present the Flackwell Heath building is unused for half of the week and the rooms at Loudwater are correspondingly under used while Flackwell Heath is being staffed.
Many of the services which we need to provide for our patients, including emergency care, urgent investigations, minor operations, and vaccination clinics cannot be provided from the Flackwell Heath site. This means that patients attending Flackwell Heath have to be rebooked into Loudwater at a later date.
We want to provide the safest and most up-to-date services possible and also to be able to offer better access to these services in future. We do not think we will be able to do this safely and effectively if we continue to use the building at Flackwell Heath, with the staff being split across two sites. Therefore we have taken the decision not to renew the lease on the building in July and to focus on developing our services at Loudwater.
From 1 April we will be seeing all patients who are able to travel for appointments at our surgery in Queensmead Road, Loudwater. People who are too ill to get to Loudwater, who are unwell and can get to surgery but have no means of transport and need a medical assessment and those who are housebound will continue to be visited at home by our doctors, community matron, healthcare assistant, phlebotomist and the community nurses. The GPs at Hawthornden Surgery, 47 Straight Bit, Flackwell Heath have agreed to register those patients who wish to continue to attend clinics in Flackwell Heath.
We will be holding a public meeting at Christ Church, Chapel Road, Flackwell Heath from 7pm to 8.00pm on 24 January 2012 to share our plans in more detail and gain ideas on how we can best develop our services.
Repeat Prescriptions
Any requests for repeat medication will be centralised and processed at the new premises. We advise that you order your medicine in plenty of time and well BEFORE you have run out. The 3 local Pharmacies, Boots, Tesco and Ryemead all offer a service to collect your prescription directly from us. Alliance will also be starting a drop-off point for prescription requests to avoid Flackwell Heath residents from needing to travel to Loudwater.
You can also order your medicines via our website on
Please remember we operate a “2 working-day” turnaround. For example prescriptions received by 12 noon on a Monday will be processed the same day and ready after noon on Wednesday. If your request is received after noon on Monday, it will not be processed until Tuesday and therefore ready after 12 noon on Thursday.
If you require a Pharmacy to collect your prescription you need to allow an extra day. You need to advise us when you order if you wish us to send your prescription direct to the Pharmacy. If your medicine needs re-authorising by a GP, this may take longer.
Patient Choice and Referral Assessment
Since 1 January 2006, GPs have had to offer patients a choice of at least 4 hospitals when a referral for further treatment or investigations is needed.
Your GP may offer on-line booking which will give you a list of choices which you can then telephone to make your appointment.
All specialities are not available at all hospitals. Not all specialties can be booked on line. Your GP may ask you to indicate your choice of hospital while you are in surgery.
Wycombe Primary Care Trust has overspent on its budget for hospital care. It has set up a Referral Assessment Centre staffed by doctors and nurses.
Your GP’s letter will be scrutinized at the centre and the assessing doctor there may re-direct your referral to another department or hospital with a view to saving on spending.
Wycombe Primary Care Trust has also added procedures such as benign moles and varicose vein surgery to its Low Priority List. This means that your GP will recommend that you try various non-surgical treatments first and will have to apply to a special panel for funding for surgery if these methods fail. The Patient Advice & Liaison Service at the PCT is 01494 552256
A new way to get your regular Prescriptions
If you or someone you care for, use the same medicines regularly, you may be able to benefit from repeat dispensing from the pharmacist. This means you won’t have to visit the surgery or make an appointment every time you need more medicine.
STEP 1: Talk to your GP and ask if you can use repeat dispensing. They will ask you for permission to share information with your pharmacist. This will help the pharmacist give us information about your treatment and give you useful advice. You will be asked to sign an agreement form.
STEP 2: You need to decide which Pharmacy you want to use to collect your repeat medicines. Your GP will issue sufficient prescriptions to last up to one year and send them directly to the Pharmacy of your choice.
STEP 3: Next time you need more medicine, go straight back to the same pharmacy.
Questions you may have:
Can any pharmacy provide this service?
You can choose any pharmacy that dispenses NHS prescriptions. You just need to make sure you use the same pharmacy each time.
Is the pharmacist qualified to help me?
As well as doing a 4 year masters degree, pharmacists do an additional year’s training which covers the actions, uses and side effects of medicines. This means they are highly qualified to advise you.
Can the pharmacist change my prescription without telling me?
The pharmacist can talk to you about your medicine and help you with any questions or problems. No one will change your prescription.
What if I move home and want to use a different pharmacy?
You will need to go back to your prescriber and get a new set of forms. You should take the new set to your new pharmacy when you need your medicine.
