An open letter to diabetic patients at Saxonbury House -February 2021
Please ignore this letter if this does not apply to you or if you have your diabetic reviews in other specialist community or hospital settings.
We are writing as you’ve been identified as a diabetic patient who is yet to have been offered the usual annual review this year (April 2020-March 2021). We apologise if you feel we are falling short of our own high expectations but are following national guidance to prioritise those diabetics who are at a high risk of complications. With the pressures from Covid-19 we are inevitably at a reduced capacity and unable to fit all our diabetics into clinic.
If you are not contacted this year then we hope come summer 2021 that life will have returned to some sort of normality, so we can provide annual reviews plus the 6 monthly blood checks to monitor progress for everyone, as we have aspired to achieve in previous years. In the meantime if you are concerned that your diabetes could be significantly worse then please feel free to contact the surgery with any queries which can be passed to Dr Mulder if necessary.
It is really important as a diabetic to look after your eyes and feet. Please keep any retinopathy screening appointments which are now continuing as normal. I would encourage you all if you are able to, or with the help of family/friends, to take a look at this link which explains in words and a video how to look after your feet:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/complications/feet/taking-care-of-your-feet
Finally, smoking and obesity, along with diabetes, have been shown to be independent risk factors associated with serious complications from Covid-19 infection. Now may be an ideal time to stop smoking or lose excess weight. One You East Sussex are there to help and can be contacted via their website at: www.oneyoueastsussex.org.uk
Please stay safe and continue to follow the Government’s guidance.
With best wishes
Dr Wesleigh Mulder
Diabetic Lead
Saxonbury House Surgery
We are now LIVE on the National Booking Service for Covid-19 vaccination appointment booking. Please book via the following link, or by calling 119. You will need your 10-digit NHS number. Any adult aged 25 years or over may now book their 1st dose. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
WE HAVE HAD A HUGE RESPONSE FOR VOLUNTEERS, WE HAVE ENOUGH TO HELP WITH THE COVID CLINIC'S - THANK YOU
Please DO NOT contact the surgery regarding the COVID vaccine.
Supplying face mask exemption letters to patients
Practices are reporting increases in requests from patients for letters of exemption to wearing face masks in various public settings.
The Government guidance suggests there is no requirement for evidence for exemption. It should be sufficient for someone to declare that they are eligible for an exemption direct with the person questioning them (eg bus driver).
Practices are therefore not required to provide letters of support for those who fall under the list of exemptions, or to those who do not fall under the list of exemptions.
Some transport providers are providing evidence of exemptions themselves, see for example this information from First Bus and Arriva.
Home Visit Policy Update October 2019
We have reviewed our home visit policy which can be viewed in full under the Home Visit section on the home page which can be found under the Appointments Header. We have had to review this due to the level of visits we are being asked to undertake for patients who could have attended the surgery. The best place for a patient to be seen is at the practice where all the required equipment for diagnoses and treatment is available. The doctors can also see many more patients in the time taken to travel to the home visit location.
Improved Access
We have joined with other local practices to provide clinics from 6:30pm to 8:00pm Monday to Friday and 8:00am to 12:00 noon on Saturdays. We will be rotating clinics therefore please ask at reception or call in if one of these evening appointments suit you. There will be a GP and a Practice nurse offering 15 minute appointments.
Clinics are also available at weekends at the Meads surgery in Uckfield and in Lewes on Sundays.
Extended hours
Much like improved access we work together with other local practices in what is known as a Primary Care Cluster (PCN). For patients registered here there will be early morning appointments with a Practice Nurse at 07:30 and 07:45 Monday to Thursday. There will be 2 telephone consultations with a GP at 6:30pm and 6:45pm in the evenings and these can convert to a face to face consultation if required. Please ask at reception or call in if one of these evening appointments suit you.
Did you know that every GP practice in England is now required to have a Patient Participation Group (PPG)?
The Saxonbury house patient group was formed at the beginning of 2018 and have met 12 times. We meet monthly at the Practice on a Thursday afternoon but had to postpone meetings for some months after the December 2018 fire. PPGs are groups of active volunteer patients working in partnership with practice staff and GPs. This unique partnership between patients and their practices is essential to achieving high quality and responsive care. We are currently working on a survey to gather and analyse patient views, a review of the current website and this monthly newsletter. If anyone is interested in joining the group please pass your name to reception.
Electronic Referral Service (E-RS)- for 1st outpatient appointments only
There is a new way for us to send referrals which allows patients to book their own appointments via a dedicated telephone number. We will be rolling this out over the next few weeks and information will be given when an electronic referral is made. It becomes the patients responsibility for booking the appointment, but you will be given choice of available dates and times allowing you to fit the appointment in with your commitments. You will know when your appointment is as soon as you book it rather than waiting to hear from the hospital.