Ear Wax Removal at Broadshires Health Centre (starts 10 Nov 2022)

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.

"Thin on the Ground" Tuesday 25 October

Due to illness, we have only one GP on site all day, who will be carrying out the Duty Doctor role.  We have two GPs working remotely on the phones this morning, but after that, we will have to refer patients to 111, once our appointments are full.

We have a full nursing team on site today, but unfortunately our Advanced Nurse Practitioner is also off ill.

The situation is better later in the week so, if you can wait for an appointment, please call back on Wednesday or Thursday. I know the phones are rubbish, we are in the process of replacing the system.

Please bear with us as we try to give the best service we can today.  Please remain calm and polite when you contact us or visit the Practice.

I am in the Practice Managers office all day and the door will be left open so, please do speak to me if you think I can help.

Many thanks,

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

"MANIC MONDAY" 24 October

I am sorry to report that today we are extremely short of Reception Staff and GPs.

There will be two on reception, both morning and afternoon sessions.  Our check in screen is also not working so please stand in the queue to check in, but do speak up if your appointment time is fast approaching or has past.

We have two GPs and two Registrar's in today, all excellent but, they will be under extreme pressure trying to cope with emergencies and any appointments we have needed to transfer from colleagues off ill today.

Please try to be patient and work with us today.  I am sat in the Practice Managers office all day if you would like to speak with me.

Many thanks

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

COVID & FLU VACCINATION CLINIC - SATURDAY 22 OCTOBER

A further clinic will be held on Saturday 22 October, for the following patients ONLY:

1. Anyone aged 65 and over who has not already had a Covid Autumn booster vaccine,

2. Any adult - irrelevant of age - with underlying health conditions (identified by the National Covid Database), who has not already had a Covid Autumn booster vaccine.

All patients who fall into groups 1. or 2. above, will also be offered a flu vaccine at the clinic on Saturday.

We are sending invitations to book in for Saturday's clinic, please DO NOT contact us or visit to make a booking at the clinic unless, you do NOT have suitable online access to book your appointment.  Where you do have online access, please use this method to reduce administration for our staff.

Any other Patient's - who do not fall into groups 1. or 2. above, will need to make arrangements for a COVID BOOSTER at a local centre, by contacting 119.

We will be holding further FLU ONLY VACCINATION clinics and will similarly issue invitations to eligible patients.

These arrangements are based upon instructions by our regulator, we have no capacity to make any variations.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE - DO NOT ARRIVE MORE THAN 10 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT TIME.  ANYONE ARRIVING TOO EARLY, WILL BE TURNED AWAY.

Please have your Covid Vaccination forms ready for staff to check, prior to your vaccine appointment.  This massively reduces the likelyhood of a long wait outside in the queue.

Many thanks,

Alex Ruff

Business Manager 19/10/22

UPDATE 28/09/22 - Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations

A Covid booster and Flu vaccination clinic will be held on October 12 at the Broadshires Health Centre.

The Patient group included is all aged 75 and over, irrelevant of any health issues.  We will contact you to book you in, please DO NOT contact us or visit to make a booking at the clinic.

All other Patient's will need to make arrangements for a booster at a local centre, by contacting 119.

These arrangements are based upon instructions by our regulator, we have no capacity to make any variations.

Please DO NOT phone or visit to enquire ABOUT VACCINATIONS.  We know that you may have questions and be finding it difficult that we have no resource to answer enquiries.  Unfortunately with the continuing staffing and appointments crisis, unnecessary phone calls and visits slow down attention to today's urgent and emergency needs.

Thank you for your understanding and support,

Kind Regards

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

SYSTEM FOR PATIENT APPOINTMENTS

You may find that the CHECK-IN screen at Reception does not recognise your details/find your appointment.  We are in transition from one system to another for booking/recording patient appointments and hence some patients will not find their appointment on the screen.

Try not to panic, just ask at reception to be booked in.

Many thanks,

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

Monday 19 September - Bank Holiday

Broadshires Health Centre will be closed on Monday 19 September, allowing staff to remember Her Majesty, the late Queen Elizabeth II.  We are in the process of moving appointments already booked for Monday 19 to either Friday 16 or Tuesday 20/Wednesday 21.  For some appointments, we might consult with you by text, rather than require you to attend a telephone or face to face consultation.

Please DO NOT phone or drop by in person to enquire about a Monday 19 appointment.  This will unfortunately slow us down with making new arrangements or in being able to handle our general workload.

Please contact me, should you have any questions.

Kind Regards

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

(alex.ruff1@nhs.net)

Covid-19 Booster Vaccinations - Autumn 2022

You may have heard that the next round of booster vaccinations is scheduled for autumn/winter 2022.

We have requested the vaccine stock and, in accordance with national guidelines, will let Patients know when we have a confirmed date for delivery.  We will then be able to schedule dates for the vaccine clinics and invite all patients in the groups that we have been instructed to vaccinate.

In the meantime, please to not phone or visit to enquire about vaccinations.  We know that you are keen to know and be sure not to miss your opportunity.  Unfortunately with the continue staffing and appointments crisis, unnecessary phone calls and visits slow us down attending to today's urgent and emergency needs.

Thank you for your understanding and support,

Kind Regards

Alex Ruff

Business Manager, Broadshires Health Centre.

INFECTION CONTROL & MASK WEARING (05/09/2022)

Patients are no longer required to wear masks in the reception area, waiting room or any outdoor waiting areas.

You will be required to wear a mask* - that you supply yourself - in either a Treatment or Consulting Room where two or more persons are present.  This is a requirement under infection prevention control (IPC) guidance in healthcare settings.

*There are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering.  Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances.  Some people are less able to wear face coverings, and the reasons for this may not be visible to others.

This includes (but is not limited to):

• children under the age of 11 (the UK Health Security Agency does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)

• people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability

• people for whom putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause severe distress

• people speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate

• to avoid the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others

• police officers and other emergency workers, given that this may interfere with their ability to serve the public

*We will continue to exercise our discretion with regards to patients and staff who have genuine concerns about wearing face masks.  Our priority is your safety and that of our staff.

(SUPERSEDED BY NEWS ITEM ADDED 05/09/2022)

YOU MUST WEAR A MASK* 

Face coverings are no longer required by law in England, but remain a requirement under infection prevention control (IPC) guidance in healthcare settings. There are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering.

Face mask guidance updated at Oxford Health sites - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances. *Some people are less able to wear face coverings, and the reasons for this may not be visible to others.

This includes (but is not limited to):

• children under the age of 11 (the UK Health Security Agency does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)

• people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability

• people for whom putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause severe distress

• people speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate

• to avoid the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others

• police officers and other emergency workers, given that this may interfere with their ability to serve the public

*We will continue to exercise our discretion with regards to patients and staff who have genuine concerns about wearing face masks.  Our priority is your safety and that of our staff.

Advanced Health Care national IT outage - GP update 8 Aug 2022

Appointments "GOOD NEWS" 02/08/22

Yes, you did read correctly, there is some good news!

We are so very pleased to let you know that Dr Tanz Chowdhury will be joining the team as a Salaried GP, working remotely.  Tanz brings a wealth of experience and some fresh energy to the team.  Her current work pattern is mornings and afternoons on both Wednesday and Thursday each week.  This instantly adds 60 more appointments to our week :)

As with other colleagues who might work remotely, Tanz will be complimented by a team who are onsite at the Practice.  If any patient requires a face to face consultation, that will be arranged.

I hope you will all join us in welcoming Dr Tanz Chowdhury to Broadshires Health Centre.

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

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.

If we do not take this decision NOW, more of our staff will burn out and suffer ill health and/or leave the NHS for good.  We do not want this to happen for our patients, for our team of excellent staff here at Broadshires.

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.

The pandemic has probably left a lot of us feeling a bit more anxious about being ill, especially if the person experiencing difficulties is a child or elderly relative.  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 will work out who needs to be seen and make those decisions.

We do have more amazing new staff joining over the next few months; Patient Coordinators, HCA's, Practice Nurses, GP Registrars.  We will continue to actively recruit for permanent GP staff, in the meantime, we are taking on Locum staff to work either remotely or in the Practice.

I know that for some of you, this will be unacceptable news.  I genuinely do care about your views and so encourage you to let me know your thoughts by email.

Please keep an eye on our website as we update you on the current situation as it changes daily.  Also, look out for information about how you can self care and use other associated services effectively to support your healthcare needs.

Kind Regards

Alex Ruff

Business Manager

alex.ruff1@nhs.net

INFECTIOUS DISEASES/CONDITIONS

DO NOT ATTEND THE PRACTICE if you develop known symptoms of any infectious disease, including COVID-19. 

Follow this link for a comprehensive list of known infectious diseases

Please take responsibility for protecting others - fellow patients and staff - by NOT coming into the building if you have known symptoms or suspect you may be developing symptoms.

We are committed to following NHS Infection Control procedures, protecting vulnerable patients and staff, also ensuring that we continue offer a service to the community, however reduced that service might be some days.

For assistance, please phone through for a telephone consultation.

Thank you so much for your understanding and compliance, in advance.

Practice Telephone System

In our recent bulletin, we reported changes planned to our telephone system.  This is not an insignificant project and most important is continuity of service as we transition.

For the time being, you will continue to experience difficulties getting through when the phones are busy.  This is NOT because we switch off the phones when we cannot take the pressure!

We typically have 3 or more reception staff answering the phones all day between 08:00 and 18:30 each working day.  The phones are put to voicemail over lunch time 13:00 to 14:00 to allow handover between the AM and PM teams.

There is no typical phone call - they can last between 1 and 20-30 minutes, it depends upon your needs.  As soon as a call has been completed, our team update your notes, action anything required and move instantly onto the next call.

We are looking at other ways for you to access services - web and app based, self service, pharmacist support and other services.  This will reduce your need to phone to get the help you need, hence it will reduce the volume of call traffic.

If you would like to give any feedback about the impact of the current situation, please email alex.ruff1@nhs.net

Advice for the public as SCAS contends with significant increase in pressure | South Central Ambulance Service

Face mask guidance updated at Oxford Health sites - Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

If you are not able to wear a face covering:

Face coverings are no longer required by law in England, but remain a requirement under infection prevention control (IPC) guidance in healthcare settings. There are some circumstances where people may not be able to wear a face covering.

Please be mindful and respectful of such circumstances. Some people are less able to wear face coverings, and the reasons for this may not be visible to others.

This includes (but is not limited to):

• children under the age of 11 (the UK Health Security Agency does not recommend face coverings for children under the age of 3 for health and safety reasons)

• people who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability

• people for whom putting on, wearing or removing a face covering will cause severe distress

• people speaking to or providing assistance to someone who relies on lip reading, clear sound or facial expressions to communicate

• to avoid the risk of harm or injury to yourself or others

• police officers and other emergency workers, given that this may interfere with their ability to serve the public

We will continue to exercise our discretion with regards to patients and staff who have genuine concerns about wearing face masks.  Our priority is your safety and that of our staff.

Oxford hospitals trusts bring back masks amid Covid surge - BBC News

Telephone Consultations - we are experiencing an increase in the number of calls not answered when a GP/ANP or Nurse calls.  There are undoubtedly a number of reasons - mobile network coverage, uncertainty about the exact time of the call plus others.

Whilst we continue with the current practice of triage leading initially to a telephone consultation, please do everything you can to ensure you are available during the session (morning or afternoon) that the clinician has booked to call you.  Many thanks :)

Prescription Requests - Please allow 5 working days for us and Pharmacy to process your prescription.  If you have regular medications, please make yourself a note to request a repeat in plenty of time.  Each time a prescription is required "urgently" that could have been ordered ahead, it requires a receptionist to print a prescription and interrupt Duty Doctor to have the script signed and taken over to Pharmacy.  Then for Pharmacy to stop their regular work and prioritise your script.

MASK WEARING IS STILL MANDATORY "BYO"

Please continue to wear masks within the 'building' of the Health Centre.  This not only protects you but our valuable staff.  There is an increase in incidents of the latest strain of Covid-19 and we desperately do not want our workforce impacted.  Too many staff off ill at any time does have an immediate impact on our ability to make a sufficient number of appointments available to patients.

(Mask wearing exemptions still apply upon evidence of exemption)

Please "bring your own" mask as we unfortunately do not have the resources to supply patients with masks.

UTI Service in Community Pharmacy (Women only)

Please use the following service before asking for an appointment with a GP or Prescribing ANP.  The service will undoubtedly be quicker and more convenient for you and help reserve scarce appointments for other patients.

The service is available to non-pregnant women aged 16 – 64 years old requiring treatment for an uncomplicated UTI, presenting with 2 or more of the following symptoms:

1. Dysuria (Burning pain when passing urine)

2. New nocturia (Needing to pass urine in the night more than usual)

3. Cloudy urine (visible cloudy colour when passing urine)

Patients do not have to make an appointment for this service, it’s a walk-in service. But it is recommended patients call the pharmacy first to see if the pharmacist registered to provide this service is working on the day. Telephone consultation during COVID-19 pandemic are also permitted under this service with a patient representative sent to collect the antibiotics.

The EXCLUSION to this service and thus will need a prescription is:

• Under 16y or over 65y
• Pregnant, possible pregnancy, breast feeding 
• Allergies to nitrofurantoin
• Fever >38 C, nausea/vomiting, lower back pain, severe abdominal pains, headache, abnormal vaginal discharge, blood in urine (unless menstruating)
• Women treated for UTI with antibiotics in the last 2 weeks, or on 2 occasions in the last 6 months or 3 during the previous 12 months 
• Women currently taking a prescribed course of antibiotics/current preventative UTI antibiotics 
• Previous failed antibiotic treatment for the same infection episode
• Kidney or liver disease 
• Women with catheters
• Diabetic, anaemic, HIV, nerve disorders (incl. peripheral neuropathy) patients on immunosuppressants

Below is a list of the pharmacies in Oxfordshire who are registered to offer the OCCG Nitrofurantoin Patient Group Direction: