Area SEND Inspections
SEND stands for special educational needs and/or disabilities. Ofsted inspects education services in England, like schools and nurseries. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspects health and adult social care services in England, such as hospitals and care homes.
Please follow the link below for further information in relation to SEND inspections.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-area-send-inspections-information-for-families/area-send-inspections-information-for-parents-and-carers
Carer's Week
Monday 10th June - Friday 14th June 2024
Carers Week is an annual campaign across the UK to raise awareness of unpaid Carers and highlight the challenges they face and the massive contribution to our families, friends and communities.
For
more information please visit the link below:
Patient Participation Group
We always welcome new members. We meet every two months. If you want to know more, contact Martin the manager or email our dedicated PPG email address - nencicb-cd.patientparticipation@nhs.net
UTIs
Please see the short animation for information on a new pharmacy service for females, aged 16-64, with a urinary tract infections (UTI) without the need for a GP appointment or prescription, providing a more convenient option and faster access to treatment:
There may be third party advertising as part of the clip: the practice is not responsible for these adverts and does not endorse any product or service that may be advertised.
Local pharmacies currently offering this service can be found in the following document:
Local Pharmacies offering the UTI access service
Know Your NHS Services - Co Durham
A poster to help you identify which NHS service can best help you..
Know Your Co Durham NHS Services
Telephone lines
Between 12 noon and 1 pm, Monday to Friday, the telephones will be switched off. This will enable non-clinical staff to come together each day to undertake joint administrative tasks; i.e. the practice is supporting staff to better support patients.
We are not closing the doors: reception will still be operational, and patients will still be able to collect prescriptions, etc.
Information from the Citizens Advice Bureau
Cost of Living poster
Energy prices poster
Tax Credits poster
Universal Credit poster
Cough and Colds in Children
We are seeing an awful lot of children with coughs and colds - to reassure parents and to offer some guidance and support, please see the following resources:
YouTube clip on coughs and colds in babies and children
Little Orange Book - Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV) Animation - YouTube
If you want access to the full "Little Orange Book", which is a really useful resource, it is a comprehensive guide for parents which covers a wide range of aliments in children from common minor ailments like teething, constipation, and colds, through to more serious conditions, then please contact the surgery and we can email it to you (it is too big to go on the website!)
Prescription Requests via Email
You can now order your repeat prescription via our new generic email address:
nencicb-cd.prescriptionrequestsacriston@nhs.net
Please include your name, date of birth and the medication you wish to request.
Your request will be processed within the normal time frame of 2 working days.
Veterans Health
Please see the attached poster if you are a veteran.
Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
Pain Killers Don't Exist Campaign
If you have been taking painkillers for longer than three months, they are probably no longer working. And, you run the risk of being unintentionally, physically addicted to the medication.
Please click on the following link for further information: www.painkillersdontexist.com
First Contact Physio Service
First Phyiso Service: Contact Details
Patient Transport: How to access it...
Leaflet for Patients about Patient Transport
Poster for Patients about Patient Transport
electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD)
If you get regular or repeat prescriptions, you could save time by switching to electronic Repeat Dispensing (eRD).
eRD sends your prescriptions electronically from your GP surgery to a pharmacy of your choice. It’s easy to use and you don't need a computer or electronic device. Ask your GP or pharmacist to set it up for you.
eRD allows your GP to prescribe your regular medicines for up to a year. It’s reliable, secure and confidential. Your regular prescriptions are stored securely on the NHS database, so they'll be ready at the pharmacy each time you need them.
Using eRD you can:
- save time by avoiding unnecessary trips or calls to your GP every time you need to order a repeat prescription
- order or cancel your repeat prescriptions online (if your GP practice offers this service)
- pick up your repeat prescriptions directly from your pharmacy without having to visit your GP
- spend less time waiting for your prescription in the pharmacy or GP practice
- save paper – you won’t need a paper prescription to collect your medicine from the pharmacy
For more information about eRD and how it works, ask at your GP surgery or pharmacy, or visit the NHS website: www.nhs.uk/eRD
IMPORTANT
Information for patients
Regarding non-NHS repeat prescription services
We are aware that repeat prescription services that are not legitimate NHS services are currently being advertised.
Be cautious if an individual offers to pick up your prescription for you at a cost.
Anyone signing up to this service should be aware that it is not endorsed by, or aligned to any NHS organisation. Patients will be signing up to a private contractual agreement between themselves and the individual providing the service.
We would strongly advise any patient thinking of signing up to this service to ensure that they consider whether it complies with Data Protection Act (DPA) and General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in relation to how their information will be stored and processed.
Any advertisement for a legitimate NHS service offering repeat prescription service will display the NHS logo and the contact details of the organisation(s) providing this.
If you have any questions or concerns about a service that you have seen advertised in your local area, please speak to the Business Manager (Martin) who will forward on your question or concern.
The Medicines Optimisation Team
DDES and ND CCGs
August 2019
Extended Access Service
There is an extended access service, running Monday to Friday evenings, and Saturday and Sunday.
Both GP and Nurse or Health Care Assistant appointments are available.
This is an extension of the GP service that runs as normal throughout the day, and is aimed firstly for those people who, for example, work and find it difficult to get to see a GP or Nurse or Health Care Assistant during the day.
This poster offers more information:
Extended Access Service
Information about our appointments system
Appointments
Ring our main appointments number on (0191) 371 0232: the line is open from 8.00 am to 6:00 pm.
Urgent appointments
Is one where you have contact with a GP within 24 hours (we cannot guarantee that you will be matched to the GP of your choice, but we will try to)
Routine appointments
- With any GP is an appointment within 2 weeks
With the GP of your choice is an appointment within 4 weeks
Our Reception staff has been trained to ask questions to help direct you to the most appropriate appointment / GP / Nurse: PLEASE take the view that they are there to help, and are not asking questions for no reason at all.
We offer:
- Early morning appointments (before 8 am) on a weekly basis: days can vary occasionally so ask at Reception for details.
- Late evening appointments every Monday (last GP appointment 8:20 pm).
You can book an appointment on-line via our website: please ask a Receptionist for details as to how to do this.
You can help us by:
- Being on time for your appointment
- Letting us know if you need to cancel
- Calling for a home visit or urgent appointment before 10 am
- Ringing for the results of tests between 9.00 am and 6.00 pm
Prescriptions
Repeat prescriptions
- Please ask at reception if you would like to start ordering via email or nominating a pharmacy you would prefer to have your prescription forwarded to electronically.
- You can also post the prescription request in the box in the foyer (please ensure social distancing) or post your request to us.
PLEASE allow 2 working days for the practice to process your prescription request, and 3 working days for the on-site pharmacy to process the prescription order (other local pharmacies may operate on a different time scale).
Therefore, we suggest you plan ahead at least 5 working days for any repeat medication requests.
- If you take medication on a long-term basis, you can ask for a repeat prescription by ordering via the NHS App, Patient Access, our dedicated Prescription Email Address or via the Front Desk.
Wi-Fi available to patients
Please see the attached poster as to how to access Wi-Fi in the waiting room.
WiFi available in the surgery
Eligibility for help with NHS Costs
Patients are required to make a payment towards the cost of certain items, such as prescriptions, dental or eye care.
The NHS has an online checker so you can see what help you could get to pay for NHS costs at:
https://tinyurl.com/paying-nhs-costs