As our staff celebrate the Easter season, the practice will be closed on:

• 29 March
• 1 April

Make sure you have enough medication to get you through this period by placing repeat prescription requests ahead of time.

You can still get medical assistance and advice while the practice is closed by calling 111, or vising the NHS App. In an emergency, call 999.

From 2 April 2024 Stub it! will no longer be providing stop smoking services for the citizens of Nottingham city. This means Stub it! will be unable to take any new referrals after 1 March 2024.

If you would like help to stop smoking after 1 March 2024 you will be supported by Thriving Nottingham – a new, free health & wellbeing service here to help you live well and feel great. You can sign up from the 2 April by visiting www.thrivingnottingham.org.uk, or you can join their waiting list now.

Please be aware that the new service doesn’t start until 2 April 2024, therefore there will be a delay in your referral being processed. Although it is appreciated a delay isn’t ideal, it will mean you receive consistency in care and support to stop smoking.

Stop smoking services are just one part of the new Thriving Nottingham service. Thriving Nottingham will support adults, children and families with weight management, as well as providing smoking cessation, community-based physical activity options, and personalised 1-1 health and wellbeing coaching.

Thriving Nottingham is accessible free of charge to all Nottingham city residents and is funded by the Nottingham City Council Public Health Grant.

If you have any questions about the new stop smoking offer, or the Integrated Wellbeing Service please email: hello@thrivingnottingham.org.uk

From today (31st January 2024), patients in England will be able to get treatment for seven common conditions at their high street pharmacy without needing to see a GP.

Highly trained pharmacists will be able to assess and treat patients without the need for a GP appointment or prescription for common conditions:

• sinusitis
• sore throat
• earache
• infected insect bite
• impetigo
• shingles
• uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women (under the age of 65) 

Over 90% of community pharmacies in England (10,265 in total) will be offering this service. It is hoped this will ease the pressure on GP practices and provide quicker and more convient treament for patients experiencing non-urgent health concerns.

To find your nearest pharmacy, you can use the NHS 'find a pharmacy' feature. Please be aware that not all pharmacies will be able to provide treament for these conditions.

Across the UK, the number of children and adults getting measles is on the rise.

Measles is highly contagious and can lead to complications such as ear infections, pneumonia, and inflammation of the brain which require hospitalisation and on rare occasions can lead to long term disability or death.

Spending 15 minutes or more in direct contact with someone infected with measles is enough to catch the infection. People whose immunity is compromised, pregnant women and unvaccinated children are at increased risk of severe disease.

Measles symptoms to be aware of include:

• high fever
• sore, red, watery eyes
• coughing
• aching and feeling generally unwell
• a blotchy red brown rash, which usually appears after the initial symptoms.

Anyone with symptoms that could be measles is advised to stay at home and phone their GP or NHS 111 for advice, rather than visiting the surgery or A&E. This is because measles spreads very quickly and easily and so it is important to try and prevent the illness spreading further.

People who have symptoms should also especially try to stay away from areas where you could come into contact with vulnerable people such as schools, nurseries or care homes.

The increase in measles cases is largely due to the decrease in children being vaccinated against the disease.

The free MMR vaccine is a safe and effective way of protecting against measles, as well as mumps and rubella. Since the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1968 it is estimated that 20 million measles cases and 4,500 deaths have been prevented in the UK.

To book in your child for their MMR vaccination, please contact the practice.

Click here to read the latest edition of our practice newsletter for winter 2023. For a physical copy, please visit the practice and speak to reception.

From 1st November 2023, we will NOT be accepting medication requests over the phone.

Instead, it is advised to use the NHS App. You can find more details of how to download and view your NHS account here: www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/ 

If this option isn’t suitable, prescriptions can also be requested via: request slips found in foyer or sending your request by post.

If you run out of medicine outside of your GP surgery’s normal opening hours and need some urgently, there are a few ways to get an emergency supply quickly, even if you’re away from home.

This is for urgent need only, so it is important to always remember to order repeat medication from your GP practice in good time so that you never run out.

There are two main ways you can request an emergency supply of medicines:

• Contact NHS 111 via telephone or use the online service here: Emergency prescriptions – NHS 111. NHS 111 will then tell you which pharmacy you can go to or direct you to an urgent care centre. If the medicine is supplied, you will be charged the relevant prescription charge unless you are eligible for free prescriptions. This is not an NHS service so charges will vary.
• Contact a Community Pharmacy directly. Use the NHS pharmacy service search to find other nearby pharmacies and their opening hours – some are open until midnight or later, even on public holidays. This is not an NHS service so charges will vary.

What happens next:

The Community Pharmacist will need to talk to you to check that they can meet the legal criteria to supply and to find out:

• if you need the medicine immediately
• who previously prescribed the medicine to you,
• what medicine and dose of the medicine the prescriber has asked you to take.

The pharmacist will decide how much to supply up to a maximum of 30 days. There are sometimes when the smallest pack available has to be given such as one inhaler.

Only a few controlled medicines can be prescribed in an emergency, such as those for epilepsy and only up to 5 days supply can be given. Many controlled medicines, such as morphine or diamorphine, cannot be supplied without a prescription by a pharmacist in an emergency.

At the request of the prescriber

In the rare case that a prescriber cannot get a prescription to the Community Pharmacist quickly enough, a community pharmacist may be able to issue an emergency prescription at the request of the prescriber.

The Community Pharmacist will make a record of the supply and the prescriber must supply a prescription within 72 hours.

The medicine involved must not be a controlled medicine, except phenobarbital for the treatment of epilepsy.

This Stoptober, we are encouraging smokers in Nottingham to start their quit attempt.

Nottingham city has a particular problem with smoking, with rates much higher than the national average. It is one of the biggest causes of ill-health and death in the city.

To help reduce these rates and make Nottingham a healthier city, the Stub it! Stop Smoking Service provides FREE, personalised treatment to help create a programme that works for you.

Over 12-weeks, our expert and friendly advisors will use a variety of methods (including vapes) to help make your quit attempt a success, adapting it to your specific goals, needs, and reasons for quitting.

Since 2018, the Stub it! team have seen over 5,000 patients, with 40% of our graduates quitting for good. 99% of people who have used the service say they would recommend it to friends and family, and came away extremely satisfied with the support we provided.

As well as improving your health, stopping smoking can save you thousands of pounds a year. The average smoker spends over £2,000 a year on cigarettes alone. That’s an awful lot of money, especially in the current cost of living crisis.

Stub it! is available to all Nottingham city residents aged 12 or over. To start your quit attempt with us you, you can call the team on 0115 824 0583 (option 2), email nnicb-nn.info.ncgpa@nhs.net, or fill out the registration form on our website.

You can also sign up in person by speaking to the GP+ reception team between 4pm and 8pm (Angel Row entrance). For further updates from the team including tips on assisting your stop smoking journey, follow our Stub it! page on Facebook.

Click here to read our latest newsletter.

This year there has been a big rise in cases of measles in certain parts of the country.

Measles can lead to serious problems if it spreads to other parts of the body, such as the lungs or brain. Problems that can be caused by measles include:

• Pneumonia
• Meningitis
• Blindness
• Seizures (fits)

These problems are rare, but some people are more at risk. This includes babies and people with weakened immune systems.

To ensure the best protection for our local population, we are asking parents and guardians to make sure their children are up to date with their two MMR doses. Please call the practice or speak to reception to book in your child for their jabs.

For full details and advice, please visit the government's website: Vaccine update: issue 341, August 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The practice now uses Notts Care Record to share data across health services to improve your care.

The Notts Care Record is a view of all the data about you that is held by each different health and social care organisation across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. By sharing patient data across services, clinical and care staff involved in your care can access relevant medical information to improve your care.

We understand the importance of handling senstive medical information with due care and consideration. Please see the below FAQs to understand how, why, and when we use this data, and how to opt-out of the service:

Who can see my health and social care data? 

Only professionals in health and care organisations that you have interacted with can see this data.  For example, Doctors in Accident and Emergency and your GP.

Why are you sharing my data?

We are already sharing some of your health and care data to make sure that your health and care professionals have the correct information about your medical history.

The Notts Care Record is the upgraded version of this data sharing which will allow health and care professionals to see important information about you to make sure you get the right care at the right time. It will also help reduce the number of times you need to tell the same set of information to different health and care professionals, which will make your care experience more pleasant.

Is this data sharing safe?

This system has been created by the NHS, for the NHS and social care. All the necessary checks have been done to ensure your data is safe and can only be viewed by health or care professionals.

How can I opt out of this data sharing?

If you would not like your data to be shared, please speak to the practice in order to opt-out of the service.

What is the consequence of opting out of this data sharing?

If you take steps to prevent some or all of your health and care data being shared, you can still receive good quality health and care from organisations across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. 

It will mean however, that you may need to tell the same set of information to each different health or care professional that you encounter as they will not have the ability to know your medical history across the organisations you have used.

It might also mean that you are asked to do the same, or similar tests at different organisations because they don’t have access to the results. For example, A&E might do the same blood test that your GP did last week because they can’t see the results from that initial blood test.

Would you like to know what a Clinical Lead Physiotherapist does at a GP practice and how they can help you? The CityCare MOSAIC team have put together this handy video with Karen Martini to help explain the role in more detail.

A free NHS service has been launched to offer specialist treatment and support to people in the East Midlands who are struggling with a gambling problem.

The East Midlands Gambling Harms Service, which is based in Derby, will provide specialist therapies, treatment and recovery to those affected by gambling addiction and gambling problems in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland.

The team providing the service will include clinical psychologists, therapists, mental health practitioners and psychiatrists as well as experts-by-experience – people who have recovered from a gambling addiction themselves.

Most support will be provided through virtual treatment programmes and group workshops. Further support and advice will be available to family members and carers, with the support of other agencies to help with problems such as mental health, debt management and housing.

The service is accepting referrals and individuals who are concerned about their gambling can either refer themselves or ask a health worker to make a professional referral for them.

The service is being run by Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

Paul Sanger, East Midlands Gambling Harms Service Manager, said: “The team are pleased to launch this service, to provide support and treatment to those individuals who are experiencing problems with gambling problems across the East Midlands region.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to work as one of a number of gambling services now in operation across the country in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.

“Our aim is to equip those in need of help with the tools to overcome the desire to gamble, and to support those close to someone who is experiencing problems with gambling. We are confident that this service will provide better access to help in the region.”

Chris Kershaw, a recovering compulsive gambler who has supported the launch of the East Midlands Gambling Harms Service, said: “Problem gambling can have extremely detrimental effects on people’s physical and mental health, relationships and work, as well as causing financial issues such as debt.

“For me, my 24/7 compulsive gambling led to a breakdown and suicide attempt in early February 2006. I lost everything – not just money but also many relationships, which had a massive impact on my mental health.

“This service is a vital resource for residents across the East Midlands, to help people make better life choices. The support available will help those struggling to lead better, more fulfilling lives – not only for themselves but also their often long-suffering loved ones.”

Any resident within the East Midlands wishing to access support from East Midlands Gambling Service can call 0300 013 2330 or visit www.eastmidlandsgambling.nhs.uk.

Check out the latest edition of our practice newsletter: Newsletter

While many people enjoy warmer summer weather, hot weather can cause some people to become unwell through overheating (becoming uncomfortably hot), dehydration, heat exhaustion and heatstroke:

• keep out of the sun at the hottest time of the day, between 11am and 3pm
• if you are going to do a physical activity (for example exercise or walking the dog), plan to do these during times of the day when it is cooler such as the morning or evening
• keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• if you do go outside, cover up with suitable clothing such as an appropriate hat and sunglasses, seek shade and apply suncreen
• drink plenty of fluids and limit your alcohol intake
• check on family, friends and neighbours who may be at higher risk of becoming unwell, and if you are at higher risk, ask them to do the same for you
• know the symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke and what to do if you or someone else has them

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Heat exhaustion occurs when the body overheats and cannot cool down. Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency medical attention if you cool down within 30 minutes. If you do not take action to cool down, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke.

Common symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• tiredness
• weakness
• feeling faint
• headache
• muscle cramps
• feeling or being sick
• heavy sweating
• intense thirst

Heatstroke is where the body is no longer able to cool down and the body temperature becomes dangerously high.

Common symptoms of heatstroke include:

• confusion
• lack of co-ordination
• fast heartbeat
• fast breathing or shortness of breath
• hot skin that is not sweating
• seizures

Heatstroke is a medical emergency. If you think someone has heatstroke you should dial 999 and then try to cool them down.

You can find out more about symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke on NHS.UK.

How to cool down

How to cool down if you or someone else has symptoms of heat exhaustion:

• move to a cooler place such as a room with air conditioning or somewhere in the shade
• remove all unnecessary clothing like a jacket or socks
• drink cool water, a sports or rehydration drink, or eat cold and water rich foods like ice-lollies
• apply cool water by spray or sponge to exposed skin, and using cold packs wrapped in a cloth and put under the armpits or on the neck can also help

You should start to cool down and feel better within 30 minutes.

If you are concerned about symptoms, or they are worsening, seek medical advice by contacting NHS 111. In an emergency, or if you think someone has heatstroke, dial 999.

Bookings are now open for those who are at highest risk of becoming unwell from Covid-19.

Spring Booster vaccinations can be booked from today (5th April), with vaccinations being available from 17 April, subject to vaccine availability.

The spring booster will be offered to:

• everyone aged 75 years and over
• residents in care homes for older adults
• people aged 5 years and over who are immunosuppressed.

Eligible individuals will be offered the vaccine around 6 months after their previous dose.

The vaccination is available through a mixture of walk-in and booked appointments at pharmacies, GP sites, designated health centres and hospital hubs across the city and county.

People who have not yet received a 1st and 2nd dose of the Covid-19 vaccinations will still be able to receive this – however, following JCVI advice, availability of these vaccines will conclude at the end of the spring campaign on 30 June 2023.

Steve Upton, Deputy Director of Operations for the Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, said: “Like some other vaccines, levels of protection may decline over time. Boosters are offered to help you maintain strong protection from becoming seriously ill or needing to go to hospital if you catch Covid-19.

“That’s why the most vulnerable people are given a chance to top up their immunity with a seasonal booster. It is important those at highest risk of severe illness do not become complacent and I would encourage everyone who is eligible to come forward and book a spring booster as soon as possible.

“We have been delivering the life saving vaccine for more than two years now and our incredible teams of staff will be available to give you the very best service, help and advice throughout the whole process.”

People can book an appointment on the NHS website or by calling 119. Or you can also get a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine from a walk-in site without an appointment. People can find their nearest walk-in sites on the NHS website.