Newsletter - January 2020
Published: 29 November 2019
Willingham Pharmacy – A message form Neil:
After 20 rewarding years at Willingham Pharmacy, retirement calls!!!
During this time, it has been a privilege to serve the local community as well as enjoy the support and friendship of all the doctors and staff. I am also delighted to introduce to you Sai, an experienced pharmacist who, together with his wife Lavanya, will join the existing team. They are very much looking forward to meeting all our patients and I wish them every success with their new venture.
All that remains for me to say is thank you for making me so welcome over the years and as I live in Cambridgeshire, I am sure our paths will cross again before too long.
With very best wishes to you all, Neil Rowland-Hall
Missed appointments
In August, September and October 2019 there were 278 missed appointments at Willingham surgery which had been booked by patients who failed to attend or cancel their appointment.
This is 52.5 hours of consultation time which was lost and very valuable in trying to keep our waiting times as short as possible for routine appointments. *An average GP appointment costs the NHS £25 so this amounts to a massive *£6,950 wasted.
Our Longstanton branch surgery missed 75 appointments during the same period, amounting to *£1,875 or 18 hours of lost consultation time.
If you no longer need your appointment please can you contact our receptionists or cancel online using the appointment booking system. During the winter period this consultation time is particularly valuable. We can often fill your appointment at very short notice due to high demand for appointments.
Use antibiotics on your doctor's advice
Antibiotics are essential to treat serious bacterial infections, but they are frequently being used to treat illnesses such as coughs, earache and sore throats that can get better by themselves. Taking antibiotics encourages harmful bacteria that live inside you to become resistant. That means that antibiotics may not work when you really need them.
Despite the risks of antibiotic resistance, research shows that 38% of people still expect an antibiotic from a doctor’s surgery, NHS walk-in center or ‘GP out of hours’ service when they visited with a cough, flu or a throat, ear, sinus or chest infection in 2017.
Lucky squares
Thank you to all those that kindly took part in our Christmas lucky Squares and congratulations to those who won prizes. At the time of writing the final amount donated to Magpas has not yet been calculated, but will be revealed in the February Newsletter.
Cambridgeshire Hearing Clinics
The next Hearing Aid Clinics at Willingham Surgery on Weds 15th January 2020, Weds 19th February 2020 and Weds 18th March from 2:00pm-4:00pm. No appointment necessary, just pop along for your free NHS hearing aid batteries and for help and advice regarding hearing loss.
Carers Support Meetings
Meetings held on the first Wednesday of every month. If you are a carer, please pop along and get some support from other people in the local community. Refreshments provided no need to pre-book and completely FREE! Please contact Sue Lawson at the surgery or email her at susan.lawson7@nhs.net for more information.
All the staff from Willingham Medical Practice and Longstanton Branch Surgery would like to wish our patients a Happy New Year!
A&E is not an alternative to a GP appointment. If we are closed, please call 111.