Friends and Family - November 2024

Our November Friends and Family results are now in!

Patients are asked via SMS to rate the service they receive after having an appointment at the Practice. There are also manual cards available in reception. 

195 out of 204 (96%) of patients who responded say we were good or very good!

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening, also known as AAA screening, is a test to check if there is swelling in your aorta, which is the main blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the tummy (abdomen)

Please share the video link below to raise awareness with your friends and family. It could save somebody's life!

https://vimeo.com/1023957573/09a9697c4c?share=copy 

This week is Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week. 

Some of us may not know what this is, and what the consequences of Antimicrobial Resistance means to our health. Dr Vaidya has created a video to hopefully answer any questions you may have about Antimicrobial Resistance. 

Mental health crisis support

You can now contact 111 when in mental health crisis!

Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option if you, or someone you know, is in a mental health crisis.

Available 24/7, you’ll speak to a mental health professional who can help you find the right support.

Mental health and wellbeing support in Greater Manchester

We know things may be difficult at the moment. If you find yourself feeling anxious, stressed or overwhelmed there’s a range of support that you can self-refer to.

Mental health crisis support

Call NHS 111 and select the mental health option if you, or someone you know, is in a mental health crisis. Available 24/7, you’ll speak to a mental health professional who can help you find the right support.

If there’s an immediate risk to life ring 999 or go to A&E.

Free online wellbeing programme

· SilverCloud aged 16 years+. Online programmes to help ease your levels of stress, sleep better or to build resilience. You can choose to use any of the programmes. They are self-help, confidential and secure.

· Supporting an Anxious Child (for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11) and Supporting an Anxious Teen (for parents and carers of teenagers aged 12 to 18). Instant access to self-help support: www.gm.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/

Free digital mental wellbeing support

Join the community and access free, safe and anonymous professional support online. There are

no waiting lists for support and no referral needed. Access to these platforms is available instantly

24/7. Support available includes: Live chat or messaging with qualified mental health professionals; Self-help tools and activities; Online community · Kooth (for ages 10 to 25) www.kooth.com/ · Qwell (for ages 26+) www.qwell.io/

NHS Talking Therapies

Psychological treatments, including cognitive behaviour therapy, are effective in treating anxiety

and depression and are often recommended first, particularly for mild to moderate anxiety and

depression. You can find out more about services in your area here: www.hub.gmintegratedcare.org.uk/mental-health/nhs-talking-therapies-for-anxiety-and-depression/

Shining a Light on Suicide

Whether you’re feeling suicidal, worried someone else is, or have lost someone to suicide, you’re not alone. Whatever you’re going through, we’ll help you find the support you need. www.shiningalightonsuicide.org.uk

Are you, or is a young person you know, not coping with life?

For confidential suicide prevention advice for young people under 35 years of age, contact Papyrus at HOPELINEUK. They’re open 9am to 12am (midnight) every day of the year. Tel: 0800 068 4141. Email: pat@papyrus-uk

Greater Manchester Bereavement Service

This service is available for anyone living or working in Greater Manchester who has been bereaved or affected by a death by whatever cause, no matter how long ago. No one needs to feel alone as they deal with their grief. www.greater-manchester-bereavement-service.org.uk/

Tel: 0161 983 0902

Friends and Family - October 2024

Our October Friends and Family results are now in!

Patients are asked via SMS to rate the service they receive after having an appointment at the Practice. There are also manual cards available in reception. 

195 out of 204 (96%) of patients who responded say we were good or very good!

🎀🎀🎀🎀This week, you may see the team wearing pink! This is to help raise awareness for #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth 🎀🎀🎀🎀!

Around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK every year!

www.nhs.uk/conditions/how-to-check-your-breasts-or-chest/

This years Flu Campaign has begun and invites have been sent. If you have received an invite, please book and appointment or walk in with no appointment any working day between 11am and 5pm. 

If you haven't had an invite and you think you should be eligible, please contact reception and we will check this for you. 

Wythenshawe Legal Advice is a service available for residents on the neighbourhood wards of Baguley, Brooklands, Northenden, Sharston, & Woodhouse Park.

Get a face to face appointment at Wythenshawe by contacting them on neighbourhoodadvice@gmlaw.org.uk or by texting 07907368415 (Please note this is not an advice line)

This is for one off advice for 30 minutes that is free and confidential for:

• Income maximisation (E.g. Benefit checks)
• Welfare benefits
• Housing law
• Employment law

Friends and Family - September

Our September Friends and Family results are now in!

Patients are asked via SMS to rate the service they receive after having an appointment at the Practice.

151 out of 165 (92%) of patients who responded say we were good or very good!

On Saturday 28th September, we held a "Flu Fighter" clinic for our eligible children to get their flu vaccination to protect them this winter. Thank you to all the patients who attended, and to our fantastic staff for giving up their Saturday to help make it a success!

We also had different organisations including GM Law, Read Manchester, Citizens Advice and Wythenshawe Family Hub. We hope you found having these organisations at the practice useful!

We value your feedback so we know whether to host more events with different organisations in the future.

https://www.nhs.uk/services/gp-surgery/the-park-medical-centre/P84045/ratings-and-reviews

We are ready to welcome our eligible children to have their nasal flu vaccination tomorrow morning. Children and Parents are welcome to dress up in their best fancy dress / super hero costumes. Invites have been sent to eligible patients, and the vaccines are by appointment only due to vaccine stocks. 

We will have local organisation at the practice including Read Manchester, GM Law, Citizens Advice, and Wythenshawe Family Hub outreach team. All patients are welcome to pop in if they can benefit from speaking to any of these services even if they haven't got an appointment. 

October is breast cancer awareness Month!

Throughout the month of October, we will be raising awarness in many ways including:

• Displays in practice
• Wear pink days
• Leaflets in reception for breast cancer awareness
• Symptoms to look out for

Please join in and wear pink in October. Lets get everybody talking Breast Cancer... It could save a life!

We are hosting a "Flu Fighter" nasal flu clinic on Saturday 28th Septmber 9am - 1pm. This is for children aged 2-3, or children at risk. Eligible patients have all been contacted by SMS in the last week. Fancy Dress is optionial.

As well as offering the Nasal Flu Vaccine, we will have other organisations such as Read Manchester, Citizens advice, and GM Law. 

This clinic is fully booked, but if you would like your child to attend please contact reception who will be able to squeeze eligible patients in so you don't miss out! 

111 have a new mental health crisis service. 

If you find yourself in mental health crisis, you can now call 111 and choose option 2. This gives you a way to get urgent help if you are struggling with your mental health. 

The Park Medical Centre is a Domestic Abuse Aware Practice. 

If you are being hurt or controlled by your current or ex-partner, are afraid of someone at home or a member of your family, you can talk to doctors, nurses and other staff at IRIS.

If you are a woman, you can call the 24 hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on freephone 0808 2000 247

If you are a Man, You can call the Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327

If you have been violent or are worried about your controlling behaviour, call respect on 0800 802 40 40 

You can also talk to your GP or any Practice Staff in confidence and they will support you with referring to IRIS. 

We will be starting a new RSV Vaccination campaign this Autumn.

Invites will be sent to elgibile patients over the next week. 

The below video has been created by Dr Chowdhury our Junior Doctor here at The Park Medical Centre to increase awareness of RSV and what the vaccine is for.

For further information, please visit: https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/rsv-vaccine/ 

On Friday 30th August, we hosted Michelle and Lynne from the AAA Screening team to help improve access to this service. Eligible men from our practice, as well as the local community were invited to be screened for an admominal aortic anuerysm.

1 in 70 men have a AAA, which is a weakening of the artery wall. A quick ultrasound scan can find this, and potentially save your life. 

If you are 65+, please make sure you attend your appointment when contacted. If you think you should have bee contacted, please call 0161 291 5716.

For more information, please click here

At the Park Medical Centre, we are proud to be training the clinicians for the future. 

PATIENT UPDATE: 

We have ordered your free NHS flu vaccines and they are due to arrive in September. We are planning to start our flu campaign in October. As soon as we get the go ahead to say we can start, you will start to receive your invitations. We will update you again when we get more information about when we can start vaccinating.

RSV vaccination programme starting this September 

From 01st September, a new vaccination to protect against Respiratory Synctial Virus (RSV) will be offered to:

• Pregnant women (Over 28 weeks) to help protect newborn babies
• Adults aged 75+

Find out more: https://ukhsa.blog.gov.uk/2024/07/17/what-is-rsv-and-is-there-a-vaccine/ 

As part of the NHS commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, we are trying to optimise the inhalers prescribed to people living with asthma and COPD. Some inhaler devices contain gases which contribute to climate change. You may have a higher than necessary carbon footprint due to less environmentally friendly inhalers through no fault of your own. During appointments we may discuss switching your inhalers to more environmentally friendly and easier to use devices. If you would like to discuss optimising your inhalers please make an appointment.

Click here for more infomation

We want to thank our patients for helping us improve access over the last 6 months.

As part of our drive to help our community, the Park Medical Centre hosted its first diabetes community engagement event on Monday 24th June. A diagnosis of diabetes pulls forward the time you are likely to develop cardiovascular disease by a whopping ten years! In the next couple of months, Dr Vaidya, our diabetes lead at the practice will be delivering a series of talks to help you manage your diabetes better.

If you receive an invite to one of the community engagement events, we enourage you to attend. 

Are you upto date with your Breast Screening? Your Doctor at the practice encourages all patients to attend.

Please contact the Nightingale Centre on 0161 291 4444 if it has been three years since your last appointment or if you have received an invite in the post. If you are under 53, you will receive an invite before your 53rd birthday. If it hasn't been 3 years since your last appointment, please ignore this message for now. Breast screening saves lives!

https://www.breast-screening.uhsm.nhs.uk/home.aspx 

This week is Mens health week. 

Please reach out if you need some support! It's ok not to be ok!

Friends and Family May 2024.docx

If you are an unpaid carer, come and visit our drop in Carers Event for free support from local organisations!

Date: Thursday 13th June 2024

Time: 9am-11am, 4pm-6pm

Where: Northenden Health Centre, 489 Palatine Road, Northenden, M22 4DH

Please click the following link for more information - Carers Week 2024 Poster.docx

June is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. 

Very early-stage cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms. It is usually found and treated because of cervical screening tests (this includes a smear test).

Some of the common symptoms of cervical cancer can include:

• Vaginal bleeding unusual for you
• Changes in vaginal discharge
• Pain or discomfort during sex
• Pain in your lower back or pelvis.

Talk to your GP or practice nurse and get the symptoms checked if you experience them. These symptoms can be embarrassing, but your GP or practice nurse will understand. The earlier cervical cancer is found, the easier it is to treat.

Did you know 1 in 4 patients don't attend their cervical screening test? 

If you are invited for your Cervical Smear, please book an appointment. Cervical Screening saves lives!

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-awareness/cervical-cancer-awareness 

Today we are lucky to have the AAA (Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm) Screening team seeing patients at the practice!

AAA screening is a way of checking if there iis a bulge or swelling in the aorta, the main blood vessel that runs from your heart down through your tummy. 

If you have received an appointment, we encourage you to attend.

Are you aged 55 to 74 years old and a current or former smoker?

Over the next few weeks, you will receive an invitation letter to book an appointment to have a lung health check at the NHS mobile clinic that will be based at Tesco in Baguley. 

If you are invited, we encourage you to book an appointment and go for your lung screening.

For more information, visit https://gmcancer.org.uk/gmcancernews/car-park-lung-health-checks-come-to-brooklands-and-northenden/ 

If you see blood in your urine, you should speak to your GP as soon as possible.

Submit an online request by clicking here now to request a GP appointment.

People over 40 should know their blood pressure, and should monitor this regularly. You can have your blood pressure checked at the pharmacy for free, and they will let your GP know of the result and if action is needed.

May is skin cancer awareness month. It is important we protect our skin and use sunscreen. Heres a few facts:

• Most skin cancers are caused by skin damage that happens from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun or sunbeds.
• All typesof skin are at riskof sun damage and skin cancer. The risk is highest when you have skin that burns easily, or freckles in the sun.
• There are 3 main type of sking cancer. Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma
• Soltan and macmillan recomment 5* UVA with at least SPF 30. You should reapply frequently as receommended on the bottle.

https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/skin-cancer 

May is bladder cancer awareness month. 20,700 people are diagnosed each year in the UK, and it affects all ages and sex.

Some symptoms to look out for:

• Blood in your wee (No mattter how much or how many times)
• Frequent need to wee (Or sudden urgency)
• Recurring U.T.I.s (Urinary infections that don't clear up

These are just some of the main symptoms. For more information, click here.

Friends and Family April 2024.pdf

We close at our usual time today (Friday 03rd May) and reopen at 8am on Tuesday 07th May due to the bank holiday on Monday.

We are also closed on Wednesday 08th May 1pm - 3pm for staff training.

If you require medical attention during this time, please call 111 or in an emergency call 999 / go to a&e.

This month is bowel cancer awareness month. As well as Dr. Vaidya's video, the team have been doing a few different things to increase awareness including

• Wearing blue at the end of April
• We have been baking cakes to go with the blue theme (Dr. Hannan has made some amazing Blueberry Muffins)
• We have a health awareness board in the waiting area with a Bowel Cancer Information display.
• We have been sharing lots on our facebook page. If you haven't followed our page yet, we recommend you do - "The Park Medical Centre Wythenshawe"

Friends and Family Test Results March 2024

Friends and Family Test Results February 2024

We now have a new facebook page and we encourage all patients to follow us for important updates and health information. This page will be regularly updated, and we hope you find it useful.

Please search on Facebook for "The Park Medical Centre Wythenshawe"

Have your say on the way your local GP services are working  

Around 2.4 million people, aged 16 and over, who are registered with a GP practice in England will receive an invitation to take part in Europe’s biggest patient experience survey in early January. The answers we get help the NHS to improve local health services for people like you and your family. It is important that we hear about your experiences even if you haven’t visited your GP practice recently, or if you have filled in a questionnaire before.  

The invitations go out mostly by letter to a random selection of people who have been registered with their GP practice for at least 6 months. The survey team at NHS England will follow this up with a text message reminder (where a mobile number is available) alongside further paper questionnaires to encourage as high a response rate as possible.  

If you receive a survey, please do take the time to take part.  It provides vital information to the NHS to identify what’s working well and what can be improved. It helps to identify inequalities in experience too, as the results can be analysed across different protected characteristics.  

If you want to check out how your practice faired in last year’s survey, take a look at the survey website:
https://gp-patient.co.uk/practices-search

Since COVID we have had to put a pause to our PPG events but we are now ready to restart our in person meetings.

As you must have noted, the Park medical centre is undergoing a lot of unprecedented changes at present but we believe that the best changes are

made when we all come together, the practice and our patients. Our vision is to build a practice which is in cohesion with its community and is hence able 

to address larger issues impacting on its community.

As someone once said" The future of every community lies in capturing the passion,the imagination and the resources of its people"

And this is exactly what we would like to do. So please click the link below to learn more about our PPG.

Patient Participation Group