22/07/24 ***URGENT - OUR CLINICAL SYSTEM CAN NOW BE ACCESSED BUT ITS NOT FUNCTIONING FULLY. TO ALLOW THE TEAM TIME TO CATCH UP AND REVIEW THE SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM WE ARE ONLY GOING TO BE DEALING WITH EMERGENCY AND URGENT APPOINTMENTS AND MEDICATION REQUESTS TODAY. PLEASE CALL BACK LATER IN THE WEEK FOR ANY OTHER REQUESTS. PLEASE BE KIND AND PATIENT WHILST WE NAVIGATE THE AFTERMATH OF THE IT ISSUES.
COVID Spring Booster 2024
COVID spring booster invites will be sent out w/c 22.4.24 via a text booking link. If you have not received a text but believe you are eligible, please check this at A guide to the spring 2024 COVID-19 vaccination campaign - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) prior to calling the surgery to check. If you are unable to follow the booking link, please call the surgery after 10am to book your appointment - please note that ONLY patients that have a received a text will be booked by reception.
Prior to the appointment, please collect a consent form from outside reception or download it from below, and bring this COMPLETED form to your vaccine appointment.
Please DO NOT arrive early for your appointment.
Please wear short sleeves under your outer clothes.
Please park in the Leisure Centre car park if possible, we have agreed this with the leisure centre.
Spring 2024 Covid19 Consent Form
MMR VACCINATION REMINDER PROGRAMME (Feb/March 2024)
You maybe aware of the current increase in cases of measles nationally. As a result of this there is a national MMR vaccination reminder programme due to commence in February and March. This is a reminder sent to parents/guardians of children aged 6-11 years. The reminder will request that parents check with their GP surgery to confirm their child's records are accurate. Children require two doses of the MMR vaccine; the first at age 1 year and the second at age 3 years,4 months. If the vaccines were given earlier than these ages, they are not recognised. For a child to be fully protected they need to have received both doses. Your child's vaccine history should be documented in their red book. Please check this before contacting the surgery to confirm your child's vaccine status. If you are unsure whether we have your child's vaccine records and/or they are up to date, please do send them into us via eConsult and we will get in touch if any MMR vaccines are required.
Many thanks,
Nursing Team
INFECTION CONTROL & MASK WEARING (09.06.23)
Patients are no longer required to wear masks in any areas within the practice.
New infection prevention control (IPC) guidance in healthcare settings states that it is no longer a requirement for staff or patients to wear masks on a routine basis within the practice.
You may see our staff or other patients wearing masks, this may due to reasons including (but is not limited to):
- Patient choice (please let your clinician know if you would like them to wear a mask and they will be more than happy to put one on!)
- Staff member choice
- Staff member seeing an immunocompromised patient
- Staff member seeing a patient presenting with respiratory symptoms
- Staff member with current respiratory symptoms.
Our priority is your safety and that of our staff.
WE NEED YOUR HELP - JOIN OUR PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP!
Our aim is to provide the best possible service to patients registered with the Broadshires Health Centre. To do this, we would like to work with our patients to address issues and gain insight as to how we can strive to be our best. The patient participation group consists of patients who wish to be involved in the practice to support us in providing best possible care.
Due to how hectic general practice has become, our PPG was put-aside for some time, but we are now more ready than ever to hear what you have to say and are very excited to build an excellent new PPG from scratch.
To make it possible to fit being an active member of this group into people's busy lives, the group's business will mainly be conducted via email using, primarily, surveys to develop an understanding of the important issues facing both the patients and the practice alike. The results of surveys will be published on this website.
Membership of the PPG
Membership of the PPG is open to all patients registered with the practice. We are keen to get as broad a representation of the practice's patient list demographic as possible and are keen therefore to attract members from all age groups. To sign up for the group please email us at broadshireshealthcentre@nhs.net for the attention of our Practice Manager, Katie Nickless.
EAR WAX REMOVAL AT BROADSHIRES HEALTH CENTRE
We have recently entered into an joint arrangement with Ear Care Clinics, audiology specialists in micro suction ear wax removal.
Jason and Emma are audiologists with over 18 years’ experience between them.
They know better than anyone how much wax occlusion can impact people in their everyday lives and how tricky it can be to find a wax removal service. Their reason for specialising solely in wax removal is to offer the best dedicated care with as little stress and inconvenience to our patients. Currently providing wax removal services to GP practices and hospitals in the North Cotswolds area, we are delighted that they have decided to add Broadshires Health Centre to to one of their locations.
Every Thursday from 10 November 2022, Emma will be available for you to book directly by contacting them through their website Ear Care Clinics
This service is available not just to Patients of Broadshires Health Centre, but anyone who lives in the surrounding area.
APPOINTMENTS DILEMMA
For the last 12-18 months we have increasingly asked our practitioners (GPs, Nurses, ANPs) to "squeeze" additional appointments into their day to try and help meet demand. We took the decision to adopt this approach because we believed our staff shortage would be resolved over the short to medium term.
You will not be immune to news almost everyday that more and more staff are leaving the NHS. Also, stories about how fewer people are choosing healthcare/NHS as a career.
Hence, we continue to find it very difficult to employ new staff, especially GPs. We are told by our peers locally and elsewhere in the country, that they are also finding it difficult to employ new staff.
So, it is with a heavy heart that we have taken the decision to return to a more manageable level of appointments each day for our clinical staff. We will not be so able to squeeze additional appointments when the demand is greater than the availability of clinical staff on a given day. We will need you to bear with us. I know this is a big ask and many of you do understand that we are trying to offer you the best service we can under the circumstances. Thank you for your support and for working with us, we do appreciate your patience.
In partnership with Broadshires Pharmacy, the Rural West Primary Care Network (Bampton, Charlbury and Burford practices) we are rolling out improved information to help you self care for minor illness and symptoms. We might also recommend you call NHS111, visit Minor Injuries or A&E, if we do not feel we can meet your need soon enough.
Many of you will know our Practice Manager, Katie Nickless, who has been at Broadshires for some years. Katie is working so hard to enhance the relationships with Broadshires Pharmacy, the Rural West PCN and other associated services. Katie is organising further training for our staff and, Katie is at the heart of our recruitment process, actively interviewing and sending out offers of employment to those who we feel will bring something really excellent to our team.
We will not turn away anyone who has a critical and urgent need. We are enhancing the triage training of our Patient Coordinators and they will continue to treat you all as individuals and not just a statistic on our patient list. Please help us by listening to their explanation of the next steps for you to take. That might be some self care, a conversation with a Pharmacist, a telephone call with a practitioner. We are not trying to fob you off, we are trying to do our best to use the appointments we have each day for anyone who is in absolute need.
Please DO NOT though, feel that your need is not as valid as another patient.
We do have more amazing new staff joining over the next few months and are continuing to actively recruit for permanent GP staff, in the meantime, we are taking on Locum staff to work either remotely or in the Practice.
Healthwatch Oxfordshire
Healthwatch Oxfordshire are the county’s independent health and social care watchdog. They collect your opinions and experiences to inform and influence those who run your health and social care services. They can also provide help and advice if you have a question about local health services – please get in touch! The Broadshires Health Centre Healthwatch Oxfordshire