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Welcome to Whitchurch Surgery website

We hope to use our surgery website as a way of presenting all our patients with an up to date resource for all information relating to our practice. We will keep it current with any news, developments & details that are relevant to the practice & our patients.

As well as a source of information about our Practice, the staff & the services we provide, we hope you use the website as a useful resource with links to other reliable websites for health related information.

We are a dispensing practice.

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO MORNING SURGERY

STARTING

MONDAY 11th JUNE

Due to increased unprecedented demand and some patients having to wait up to 3 hours to be seen, we are having to change how we run the morning surgery. An open surgery will no longer be available. However, if you feel unwell and need to be seen on the same day, you should contact the surgery at 8.00am to book an appointment for the same day. If you prefer to see a doctor of choice, please let reception know and they will try to accommodate you, however this may not always be possible.

If there are no appointments available, the receptionist will add you for a telephone consultation. A doctor will contact you to discuss the best management of your problem, to determine whether an urgent or routine appointment with a doctor or nurse, or another appropriate service is suitable for you.

Please remember that your appointment time is 10minutes. If you are unable to attend an appointment, please remember to cancel it as this will enable other patients to be seen.

HOME VISITS:

If you need a doctor and are too ill to travel to the practice and feel a home visit is essential, please telephone the surgery, as early in the day as possible, and a doctor will ring you back to discuss whether a visit is required.

TEST RESULTS:

Test results can be obtained from reception after 11.00am. Please inform the receptionist which doctor asked for your tests to be carried out, this helps your queries to be directed to the appropriate doctor.

PRESCRIPTION REQUESTS:

The dispensary will only take telephone calls 11.00am-1.00pm and 2.00-4.00pm (closed from 1.00pm on Thursdays). If you wish to order a repeat prescription, you can post, fax (01296 640021) or email whitchurchdispensary@nhs.net Please remember to leave at least 48 hours before attempting to collect your items.

OUT OF HOURS:

If you need a doctor at weekends, public holidays or between 6.30pm and 8.00am weekdays please contact Bucks Urgent Care on 0300 130 3035.

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SEASONAL MEDICAL NEWS

Spring is a lovely time of the year with the explosion of colour in the countryside, but for some (10 to 20%) it can be accompanied by the onset of miserable symptoms (hay fever and/or asthma) due to allergy to pollen from trees, grass and weeds. Symptoms tend to be more common in children and young people as some sort of tolerance can develop if you are older.

· Hay fever symptoms including– sneezing, runny nose and nasal congestion (blocked nose) itching (e.g. throat & eyes) and watery eyes.

· Asthma symptoms include—cough (especially at night and early morning), wheezing, breathlessness and mucoid sputum.

· Symptoms can be mid and intermittent or more severe and continuous

· Impact of severe symptoms includes: disturbed sleep, tiredness and reduced concentration at school or work.

For mild to moderate hay fever symptoms— self medication can be bought over the counter with the advice of a pharmacist if necessary.

Antihistamine — tablets or liquid medicine e.g. cetirizine or loratadine—most useful for prevention of sneezing itching and watery eyes. Can be used intermittently as usually start to work within the hour.

Sodium Cromoglicate eye drops — useful to prevent itching/water eyes

Steriod nasal sprays — e.g. beclomenthasone and fluticasone (various brands) - most useful to treat nasal congestion. Must be tried for 7 to 10 days before assuming it is not effective. Follow instructions and dosage carefully. Steriod nasal sprays need to be used continuously to be effective although the dose can be reduced to a lower maintenance dose once symptoms are controlled. (Steriod nasal sprays are known to be safe for general use during the spring and summer)

Nasal douches ( wash out the pollen from the nose and may help)

When to consult your doctor or asthma nurse specialist

· If you have severe symptoms of hay fever or asthma interrupting sleep, work or school

· If you have daytime asthma symptoms on exercise or if you are using your blue inhaler more than 3 days a week (EVEN IF YOU THINK YOUR ASTHMA SYMPTOMS ARE MILD). This is especially IMPORTANT in children who tend to exercise more at this time of the year. If they have asthma and hay fever with nasal congestion they tend to breathe more pollen into their lungs as the nose is blocked, and it is unable to filter out the pollen before it enters the lungs. As a consequence there is a real risk (albeit small fortunately) that they can suffer a severe acute asthma attack which can be life threatening. It is important, therefore, to treat not only the asthma symptoms, but also the nasal congestion.