Welcome to Highcroft Surgery

With this website we aim to help you find all the information you need at the click of a mouse. We use it to keep you updated on practice developments and news such as results of patient surveys, health campaigns and new services.

To really make the most of our online services, register for SystmOnline at reception to order prescriptions and book appointments online.

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Highcroft Surgery News

FLU CLINICS 2019

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition the effects of flu can make it worse even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well.

You should have the free flu vaccine if you are:

•  pregnant

•  a carer

or have a long term condition such as:

•  a heart problem

•   a chest complaint or breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or severe asthma

•  a kidney disease

•   lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment)

•  liver disease

•  had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA)

•  diabetes

•   a neurological condition, eg multiple sclerosis (MS), cerebral palsy or learning disability •   a problem with your spleen, eg sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed

•  are seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above)

This list of conditions isn’t definitive. It’s always an issue of clinical judgement. Your GP can assess you to take into account the risk of flu making any underlying illness you may have worse, as well as your risk of serious illness from flu itself.

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27-11-2019 UPDATE Regarding Child Flu vaccinations for 2/3 year olds

We have started vaccinating our 2 and 3 year old patients with the nasal flu vaccination.

There are still order restrictions in place and we are due to receive another 20 vaccinations on 2nd December.

Additional clinics have been added on the following dates:

2.12.2019 - 2.00pm - 4.00pm

Please call us on 0115 8832330 to book your child an appointment.

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Same day ' sit & wait ' clinic

After reviewing our same day clinic staffing structure and in order to optimise availability of routine pre booked appointments, when we are adequately staffed for same day clinic, on few occasions we will have routine pre bookable clinic running alongside the same day clinic.

New NHS.uk social care guide

Patients who need help with day-to-day living because of illness or disability can now get information and support online. There is new guide to social care on the NHS website that contains information for people who might need social care.

Visit the Social Care and Support guide 

Extra evening and weekend appointments now available in local area

Did you know you can now book routine GP and Nurse appointments in the evenings, at weekends and over bank holidays in your local area?  Pre-bookable appointments are available Monday-Friday, 6.30pm-8pm, plus weekends and bank holidays and you can be seen by a GP, Nurse or Healthcare Assistant.

To book your appointment, contact Highcroft surgery during normal opening hours. Please be aware that the appointment may take place at another GP Practice in the area.

If you need urgent medical advice when the surgery is closed, you should continue to call NHS 111.

When attending for appointment at Highcroft Surgery after 6.30 pm or weekends please use the buzzer which is located on the right hand side of the entrance door.

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Carers

Are you a carer? Please let a member of the reception team know if you care for a friend or family member.

Our carer champions at the surgery are Julie Corrigan and Jo Croft.

For further information and support please visit the below links. 

https://carerstrustem.org/hub

http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/care/adult-social-care/carers/support-for-carers

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We hold a Same Day 'Sit & Wait' Clinic on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between 08:00-10:30hrs for urgent non-life-threatening problems that need treatment on the same day. We hope this system will allow us to meet patient needs.  Appointments are not needed for this clinic, just walk in where the clinic will provide you with sit and wait access to assessment, advice and treatment of an urgent health problem. If you have a urgent health problem on a Wednesday or Thursday or at any other time ( till 6.30 pm ) , the receptionist will need to take as much information from you as possible so the duty doctor can review you and decide the best course of treatment. You may be directed to an appointment with the GP or one of our nurses or the doctor may call you to see if help can be given over the phone. You may also be signposted to see other local health professional as per clinical need.

On arrival at the surgery, patients are asked to kindly present to the reception desk where you will provide the receptionist with your name, date of birth and address as well as a brief history of your presenting urgent problem.  This information is needed in order for the clinical team to decide who will need clinical priority.  If you wish for your information to remain private, there is a private side room you can go into.  Please note there may be a queue of patients waiting to check-in so; your patience is greatly appreciated. 

Depending on your health problem, you will be seen by a GP, Advanced Nurse Practitioner or Practice Nurse.

The clinic is not able to offer assessment and treatment and is not appropriate for the following health conditions: -

• Suspected broken bones - we have no x-ray facilities.
• Routine / on going health issues e.g. blood tests / suture removal / health follow-up - please arrange a routine advance appointment with GP / nurse of choice for these.
• Dental problems - please visit your dentist who will be able to advise and treat the problem.
• Emergencies such as chest pain, severe shortness of breath or loss of consciousness - please dial 999 in the first instance.

Please remember there are other options to consider if your health problem is minor and you are not able to pop down to us between the above stated times.  Pharmacy First are able to treat conditions ranging from earache to vaginal thrush and you do not need to make an appointment to join and access this service.  There is also the option of calling NHS 111 (free phone line) where you can speak to a trained advisor who can then direct you to the best medical care. 

To enable this service run effectively, we will only be able to discuss and treat one problem.

When all is running well, the average waiting time is ~ 60 minutes and of course some people will wait no time at all. However, when there have been patients with complex issues and other emergencies, the Same Day 'Sit & Wait' Clinic can run late. If the problem is less clinically urgent you may be offered the option of a time slot when you can return to see a Clinician. We aim to see majority of patients in this clinic within 2 hours which is in line with other walk-in and Urgent care centres in the country.

Routine face to face or a telephone consultation appointment with a GP or ANP can be booked up to 28 days in advance as usual. Telephone lines open at 08:00 from Monday to Friday. GP appointments are also available to book on-line. Please visit appointments section for more information.

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Where else can you be Seen and Treated?

Please remember the Urgent Care Centre in Nottingham is funded and supported by all the Nottingham GPs and is available to all patients for urgent non-life threatening conditions.  Call them on 0115 883 8500 or visit Nottingham Urgent Care Centre website for more information. The Urgent Care Centre is open every day of the year including weekends and bank holidays between 7 am and 9 pm. You do not need an appointment, just walk in. There are also many conditions that can be treated by pharmacies. Ask your local pharmacist for advice.

Visit www.nhs.uk/choosewell for more information on choosing the right NHS service for you.

Visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ which provides a Health A-Z guide to treatment and conditions.

Visit ' Get medical help near you ' to answer questions about your symptoms and depending on the situation you'll:

• find out what local service can help you
• be connected to a nurse, emergency dentist, pharmacist or GP
• get a face-to-face appointment if you need one
• be told how to get any medicine you need
• get self-care advice

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Prescription Changes

Due to the unprecedented demand of prescription requests, below will be the new turnover times for prescriptions until further notice. We do apologise for the inconvenience this may cause. 

Handed in before 12:30pm - 72 hours (3 working days)

Handed in after 12:30pm - 96 hours (4 working days)

Friendly reminder of our policy for urgent prescriptions: 

Urgent prescription requests handed in to the surgery BEFORE 12:30pm will be processed and ready to collect after 6pm. If you do not want this to go to your nominated pharmacy, please clarify this with the receptionist. 

Urgent prescription requests handed in to the surgery AFTER 12:30pm will be processed and ready to collect after 6pm the NEXT working day. 

The GPs have requested that where possible a reason is given to why the medication is urgent for monitoring purposes.