News
There is a lot to tell you in this issue. This was going to be the “Bonfire night” issue, but as we have had to delay the major innovations announcement until it was officially “rubber stamped”, this is now the “bumper Xmas” issue and will probably take till after the New Year to read through everything!
Please read the innovations section carefully. We are changing our online and total triage process to standardise and simplify the process.
You will find this easier to use. If you have regular medications, please read the repeat prescription ordering section as many pharmacies are no longer ordering repeat prescriptions for you.
We have included the ICB news letters from 8 November and 15 November in this issue as it has an update on the targeted lung screening programme and other cancer screening, winter advice, physiotherapy, special educational needs and links to the “Big Conversation”, a survey of what patients want for the NHS, and much more. We have also included Community information from Hastings Voluntary Action on food banks, as it is important to eat well to stay healthy, particularly with the additional stresses of cold and winter infections.
Innovations:
We are standardising our triage process for all medical appointment requests aiming to go live in early 2025. As you know, we have been triaging appointment requests since the start of Covid, nearly 5 years ago.
We ask a set of standardised questions, the information gathered by our call desk is reviewed by the call allocation team and discussed with the duty GP partner, and appointments are made with (hopefully) the most appropriate clinician. This is how we maximise our appointment capacity. Phone appointment requests are following the same format of a series of screening questions, so it is unlikely you will notice much of a difference at the patient contact point.
The current online appointments through engage consult ask a different set of questions, and capacity is very restricted for this service. We are replacing this with the AccuRx system. Most of you have already had texts from the Accurx system and uploaded data and photos via this. It is easy to use, compatible with all IT and phone platforms, and more importantly provides a unified way of requesting appointments, administrative tasks and medication queries. Best of all, it does not require you to make and account, think of a complicated password (which most people immediately forget), and is easily used for carers dealing with problems on behalf of children or the elderly. Capacity to access this will be dramatically increased and we anticipate that most patients who have access to a smart phone or computer will opt for this route, rather than listening to the phone messages.
Engage consult will be deactivated and the online consultation Icon section on the first page of the Hill Surgery Web site will be replaced with the turquoise Accurx icon.
This following YouTube video explains how total triage works for patients who have not accessed our services recently.
Appointment data
We continue to outperform expectations and offer substantially more appointments than almost any other practice in Sussex, pipped to the podium by a tiny West Sussex practice (remember small numbers make statistics less comparable).
In September 2024 we offered 795 appointments per 1000 patients, a total of 16,117 appointments. That is 18 % more than the next highest Sussex practice and nearly 30% more than the closest Hastings practice. As a town, Hastings is well served by its practices, despite the high depravation indices. All bar one of the Hastings practices are offering nearly twice as many appointments per 100 patients, as the lowest 10 percentile in Sussex. Well Done everyone.
Repeat Prescriptions
Many pharmacies are no longer ordering repeat prescriptions for the patients. You will need to order your own prescriptions in the future. Please only order what you need, many items are only required intermittently such as creams, laxatives and pain killers, and do not need to be ordered every month.
This is a chance for you to take control of your prescriptions and reduce costly waste by stopping indiscriminate over ordering of everything on the repeat. Some surveys suggest a quarter of all prescribed items are not used and are wasted. In 2015 an NHSE paper calculated there was an estimate of £300m cost to these unused items, that’s over 80,000 hip replacements or the entire tax take from over 25,000 average salary tax payers. Newer estimates put the figure closer to £800m.
We need an audit trail of requests, a mispronounced phone request to a non-clinical member of staff is not sufficient to safely order medication. We require up to 72 hours in the working week to process prescription requests, and the dispensary needs another 48. However if we can take out the bottle necks in the processing steps, this can be faster.
Ways to order repeat prescriptions:
NHS app
This is the fastest way. If your item is authorised (we generally re authorise standard items for 3-6 months) by using the app, the item request will be put through to the signing box for the GP directly, taking out all of the time consuming processing steps. Please note that repeat dispensing (where we have issued a batch of 6 scripts for monthly dispense) will not be visible on the app as they are already available for the pharmacy to down load.
WEB SITE
We have a new online form you can fill in from the web site. Let us know if any issues.
https://www.thehillsurgery.nhs.uk/prescription-request/
This will be suitable for large lists of repeat medications, and will email the admin team, and the prescription requests will be prepared in the same way as a paper request using the repeat prescription (white) part of the prescription. This saves coming to the surgery. It has the huge advantage of not needing an account, and log in and parents can order for children.
Launching shortly on the Web Site: For medication queries, the new Accurx triage template will be suitable for medication queries for non-routine medications. We will update you as soon as this becomes available. Engage consult: Do not use this for routine repeat prescriptions
Paper requests.
These can be sent to the surgery by post or put in the collection boxes, but there is an inevitable delay as these are not picked up immediately and need sorting with the mail and processing the request.
Global warming:
With COP29 in the news for all of the wrong reasons, we believe in leading by example. Global warming should be on everyone’s agenda. There are some estimates that the NHS accounts for 10% of the entire UK greenhouse gas emissions. We are trying to do our bit to reduce this, including with prescribing initiatives.
Over the past couple of years we have been trying to convert inhalers to dry powder or lower CO2 equivalent greenhouse gasses. The propellants in all inhalers, like the familiar “Ventolin puff inhaler”, use a very potent greenhouse gas, which is many thousands of time more potent than carbon dioxide, indeed a single inhaler is as damaging as driving a car nearly 300 kilometres. Please discuss at your next lung review, and try a lower CFC alternative. The dry powder inhalers have just as much medication to treat your lung condition, without the having to inhale the same type of chemicals that are used as refrigerator coolant.
Integrated Care Board (ICB) news:
NHS Sussex News
8 November 2024
More than 130 lung cancers detected in Sussex thanks to early health checks
More than 130 people across Sussex have received early treatment for lung cancer, thanks to the NHS’s Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) programme, which aims to catch lung cancer early when it is more treatable.
This local achievement comes as new data released today reveals that, nationally, the programme has led to the early detection of over 5,000 lung cancers in England since its inception in 2019.
So far, the programme has sent over 56,000 invitations, with more than 34,000 attending and over 15,800 CT scans performed at local community sites, often in mobile CT units. For many people, this early intervention has led to life-changing and potentially life-saving treatments.
One of these individuals is Ian Needham, 71, a retired nursery practitioner from Brighton. Read Ian’s story, and more about lung health checks, on our website.
New Musculoskeletal service set to transform care for patients in Sussex
Health and care partners across Sussex are delighted to announce that an innovative new Musculoskeletal (MSK) service is set to start for local people in December 2024.
This is the culmination of four years of work and engagement with many stakeholders across the Sussex health and care system to design a transformed, integrated, MSK service for patients in Sussex.
The new service will see a fully integrated MSK pathway across primary, community and secondary care for orthopaedics, pain and rheumatology, and include services such as physiotherapy, diagnostics, and surgical treatment. Read much more on our website.
Sussex clinical hubs set to benefit patients and reduce hospital admissions
Patients across Sussex will benefit from the establishment of two multi-discipline clinical hubs set to begin operations.
The hubs are designed to ensure 999 callers are receiving the most appropriate response, first time, and reduce the number of patients being taken to emergency departments. Read the full story here.
“I just feel so lucky” – AI helping women to have breast cancer detected earlier
Sheila Tooth, 68, is now back home in Littlehampton and recovering from breast cancer surgery – thanks to the power of AI to spot cancers which may be invisible to the human eye.
Sheila said: “It’s extraordinary and I’m amazed. When I talk to friends, we just can’t believe this AI can detect what the human eye can’t always see. I just feel so lucky.”
University Hospitals Sussex is one of 15 trusts across the country that participated in a project that looked at the effectiveness of using an AI system to analyse mammograms – an X-ray of the breast to help detect cancers – to see if it could improve the early detection of breast cancer by seeing tiny signs of cancer that can be missed at this stage. Read the full story on UHSx’s website.
Make your local pharmacy your first healthcare stop
This ‘Ask Your Pharmacist’ week, local pharmacists are encouraging people in Sussex to make the most of their expertise, and the convenience offered by local pharmacies, as winter approaches.
This winter, residents can access expanded services under Pharmacy First, including flu and COVID-19 vaccinations, and treatment for minor ailments, which pharmacists can now address directly, allowing for a faster route to care, with no need to see your GP first.
Since its launch in Sussex, the Pharmacy First service has helped patients in local pharmacies through walk-ins and referrals from GP surgeries or NHS 111, addressing issues such as earache, sinusitis, impetigo, urinary tract infections, shingles, infected insect bites, and sore throats.
Local pharmacies also offer preventative health services such as blood pressure checks for those over 40, help with quitting smoking, and sexual health advice, making it easier than ever to stay well during the colder months. Read more about how your local pharmacist can help on our website.
Consultation opens to help improve the lives of autistic people in West Sussex
Autistic people, their families and carers, and professionals working with autistic people are being invited to help West Sussex County Council make the county a better place for those with lived experiences of autism.
The consultation is open until Monday, 16 December. Please go to the West Sussex County Council’s website for more information about the consultation and how to take part. There you will also find links to the three unique online surveys which ask people to share their experiences and views.
East Sussex Area SEND inspection: surveys for children and young people; parents and carers and practitioners
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) are visiting East Sussex to assess how effective the local area partnership’s commissioning arrangements are at identifying and meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND.
Your views are important and will help inspectors understand your experience of the arrangements within your area.
If you are a young person with SEND; a parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND; or a practitioner working with children or young people with SEND in education, health or care services, please complete the relevant survey online.
The surveys will close at 9am on Tuesday, 12 November 2024.
Join the ‘biggest ever conversation’ about the future of the NHS
We are calling for people to share views and ideas that will shape a new 10-Year Health Plan for the NHS.
The government has launched ‘Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future’ to have the biggest ever conversation about the future of the NHS. Find out more on the Change NHS website.
Watch Chief Executive Amanda Pritchard asks you to have your say on the future of the NHS video
Help shape the future of your local hospitals
Local people are being asked to take part in University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust’s Big Conversation, kicking-off with an online survey. It is a chance to tell NHS leaders what aspects of local hospital care work – and what doesn’t – and what people want from their hospital services in the future.
To find out more about the Big Conversation campaign, visit www.uhsussex.nhs.uk/trust-strategy
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NHS Sussex News
15 November 2024
NHS services in Sussex are currently very busy – please use services wisely
As we head into the weekend, health leaders are calling on people to remember the full range of services available if you need help and support.
Pharmacies can offer help and advice for minor illnesses, NHS 111 is the first port of call for advice and direction to local services if you need face-to-face care, including Minor Injury Units and Urgent Treatment centres. Read more about the NHS services across Sussex.
Please only use A&E if your condition is life-threatening. Find out how to get the right care in the right place.
Get winter strong with seasonal vaccinations
Eligible residents can get ‘winter strong’ by taking up the offer of their COVID-19, flu, and RSV vaccinations.
Getting vaccinated means symptoms will be milder and people are likely to recover more quickly if they run into winter bugs.
These infections can be especially dangerous for those at higher risk of severe illness, such as older people and those with long term health conditions.
Find out if you are eligible to get vaccinated and book your appointment via the NHS App or website.
Reducing the time people are waiting for care – Community Diagnostic Centres delivering thousands of scans and appointments
Fantastic, convenient, a lovely community feel – that is the patient verdict on the new Community Diagnostic Centre (CDC) in Shoreham, as it becomes fully operational.
The new state-of-the-art centre at Southlands Hospital was initially opened in October 2023, featuring world-class CT and MRI scanners, alongside three cutting-edge x-ray rooms, all in one dedicated space. It has already welcomed more than 60,000 patients since then.
The recent opening of phase two means the centre is now complete and offering patients additional diagnostic services in echocardiography, ultrasound, gynaecological, and respiratory procedures. Read much more about the centre online.
Crawley diagnostic service delivers over 100,000 tests and checks in first 18 months
People in Crawley have received more than 100,000 diagnostic tests thanks to the new Community Diagnostic Centre – helping over tens of thousands of NHS patients get vital NHS tests and checks sooner.
Some of the scans and tests included in the newly-expanded services include CT scans, x-rays, ultrasounds, blood and respiratory tests, and from December, a new mammography machine will ensure more patients can have breast cancer checks locally – with 3D biopsy checks only previously available at East Surrey Hospital. Read the full story here.
Help support our carers this Carers’ Rights Day
It’s Carers’ Rights Day on Thursday, 21 November, and this year’s theme is ‘recognising your rights.’ To help carers understand their rights, we are highlighting support that is available to carers. If you or someone you know is an unpaid carer you can:
- Ask your GP practice to identify you as a carer on your patient record.
- Request a free flu jab – if you’re the main carer for an older or disabled person who may be put at risk if you became ill, or if you are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance.
- Request a carers assessment if you’re over 18 and provide regular unpaid care for someone.
You can register with local carers organisations to find support:
- West Sussex – Carers Support West Sussex
- East Sussex – Care for the Carers
- Brighton & Hove – Carers’ Centre
Sussex Health and Care Assembly – meeting next week
The Sussex Health and Care Assembly is meeting in public on Wednesday, 20 November. The Assembly meets to formally agree the strategic direction for our system and, to facilitate joint action across a broad alliance of organisation to improve the outcomes, equality of access and patient experience of health and care services for all communities across Sussex.
The papers for this meeting are available here, and meetings are recorded, so members of the public can watch the discussion back following the event via our NHS Sussex You Tube channel.
However, if you do not have access to the internet to watch online, there is a very limited capacity for members of the public to be able to attend meetings in person with sufficient advance notice. Please contact sxicb.contactus@nhs.net if you would like to discuss this possibility. Find out more on our website.
Working with local people to improve digital health tools and data use
Over the past year, a group of 14 local people have been supporting NHS Sussex to improve the use of digital technology and data.
The Digital and Data People’s Panel is made up of people with a range of lived experience including carers, people with physical and mental health conditions and people who are less digitally able.
Since the panel was established in November 2023, the group have been involved in a range of activities to influence the development of digital applications and the way health data is shared and used, including undertaking user testing on the NHS App with the national app team, contributing to the development of three new features, and providing insight on the reasons for low satisfaction scores with GP digital services.
You can hear more about the Digital and Data People’s Panel by listening to this podcast with Evolution Exchange, and read more about the Digital and Data People’s Panel on our website.
Sharing the success of remote monitoring in care homes
Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust’s (SCFT) Telehealth Lead Nurse, Natasha Gordon, recently presented at the Sussex Digital In-Reach Team Annual Conference, highlighting the impact of remote monitoring technology in Sussex care homes and its significant benefits for patient care.
Natasha shared the amazing work being completed by herself and her colleagues in implementing the Whzan Blue Box, an innovative way of monitoring people’s health in care homes across the county.
Since launching in April 2022, 118 Blue Box remote monitoring units have been deployed across 63 care homes in Sussex. This technology enables care home staff to monitor residents’ health remotely, allowing for early detection of potential health issues and timely intervention to help keep patients out of hospital. Read the full story on SCFT’s website.
The next meeting of the Young People’s Advisory Group
The next meeting of the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Young People’s Advisory Group will take place on 23 November 2024, 10am.
The group is made up of young people aged between eight to 18 years who want to make research better for children and young people. They meet every one to two months either in person at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Brighton, or online.
This month the group will be hearing back from a researcher about their results from a study looking to better understand the needs of autistic children and young people and their experiences in school.
If you know anyone aged 8-18 years who would be interested in joining the group, or if you are a researcher interested in presenting your project to the group, please get in touch, or find out more online.
Community news:
Local Food and Warm Space initiatives:
Flu data survey:
Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year from the Hill Surgery team.