Latest News

Phone System

As of 21st September 2021, the telephone number for Blakelaw and Denton Road is changing. Westerhope medical group will now have one number for all 3 sites. This is due to upgrading our phone system. All calls will now come through one central number.

There will also no longer be a separate number for the prescription line, this will now be part of a menu option on the central number

The number for all 3 surgeries including the prescription line is

0191 2437000

COVID 19 VACCINE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO0dQl6MuGs 

 

NHS researchers in the UK are working together to help find a vaccine against COVID-19.


Many possible COVID-19 vaccines are being tested in the UK. Different vaccines may work better for different groups of people. It's important we include people from all backgrounds and ages in our research. This gives researchers an understanding of how well each vaccine may work.

All COVID-19 vaccines being researched in the NHS have gone through strict safety testing, and have been approved by a number of processes. We use the same high standards to COVID research as we do to all NHS research.

We are still looking for volunteers for studies in the North East and North Cumbria to find a vaccine against COVID-19.

To sign up and for more information visit www.nhs.uk/researchcontact

Message for patients with Online Access

Some patients may have received an email from no.reply@service.patientaccess.com about there new website, we have spoken with EMIS who have confirmed this is an email from Patient Access. Please may we remind you to be vigilant when opening emails from unknown email address.

Appointment and clinical reminders by text messaging

 

Forward booking your Doctor or Practice Nurse appointment helps you plan your healthcare around other commitments. However it does sometimes mean that occasionally you forget to diary the appointment. The practice’s clinical system has the ability to send you a ‘reminder’ text to your mobile ‘phone 48 hours before your appointment. This message will be anonymous “Just a reminder of your appointment tomorrow at XXX pm ….”. The SMS system can also alert you to forthcoming vaccination campaigns such as ‘Flu vaccinations for Senior Citizens.

 

The SMS prompt system is widely used throughout the NHS and millions of ‘reminder’ messages are sent out daily. WMG will be introducing SMS messaging from September 2016. Should you wish not to receive a ‘reminder’ message please inform Reception who will make a note of your preference on your record.

 

 

 

Improving patient access

 

Many patients say that they find it difficult to make time during the working day to get into the surgery to have bloods taken. The availability of phlebotomy appointments is limited primarily due to the timing of the courier who collects blood samples from the surgery to the laboratory for testing. The introduction of a late courier collection at Westerhope surgery on Monday evenings is a significant improvement. To support this innovation the practice has extended the Phlebotomy session to 7.00pm each Monday evening.

 

The introduction of this evening phlebotomy service builds on the existing GP and Practice Nurse Sessions already available at the surgery on Mondays. Both the GP and Nurse evening sessions have proved extremely popular with patients especially those who have difficulty getting time off work after the weekend to attend GP or Nurse appointments. To increase the number of available appointments to meet patient demand on Monday the practice is also moving the single GP session, which is currently delivered at Westerhope surgery on alternate Wednesdays or Thursdays, to the Monday at Westerhope.

 

Difficulty getting an appointment?

 

Have you ever called the surgery only to find all the Practice Nurse appointments have been booked? Perhaps you wanted to book ahead with the doctor of your choice only to find he or she has no pre-bookable appointments left? Imagine how frustrating it would be to find that some of the patients who had booked these appointments didn’t bother to turn up.

 

In the last four weeks a total of 351 appointments with doctors and nurses were wasted because the patients who had booked the appointment failed to attend or ring to cancel it.

 

If you are not going to be able to keep an appointment you’ve booked please ring to cancel (it will only take a minute) so we can offer the appointment to someone else. The practice’s DNA (Did Not attend) Policy states that patients who habitually book then DNA appointments could, ultimately, be removed from the practice list

Breast Screening Service

From 13 May 2017 Newcastle Breast Screening Service will be contacting WMG patients to offer screening appointments.

Screening has historically been done at RVI but the Service has also a mobile facility in the car park at the General Hospital to improve access.

Breast screening is important and the clinicians would encourage patients to attend the screening appointment they receive from the Breast Screening Service

Legal High Warning

We have received information from Northumbria Police and the North East Ambulance Service about a number of incidents (overdose and other health harms) relating to young people/young adults after using Novel Psychoactive Substances – so called ‘legal highs’ in Newcastle.

It appears this is connected to use of a range of synthetic cannabinoids. For more information on NPS, their legal status, their effects and harm reduction advice, please look at:

www.talktofrank.com

www.hiwecanhelp.com

Legal High Warning Poster

Patient Feedback

The practice welcomes feedback from patients regarding the range and standard of services we provide. Feedback, positive comment or constructive criticism, can be given in a range of ways:

 

  • Friend and Family Test feedback questionnaires
  • On the 'Have your say' section of the practice newsletter
  • Complaints (written or verbal)
  • Directly to staff or clinicians
  • Via the Patient Participation Group

 

All patient feedback is valuable in allowing the practice to assess and, where necessary, modify the services we provide.

 

Protection from meningitis and septicaemia

This is being offered as a new vaccination programme for all 17 and 18 year olds born between 01 September 1996 and 31 August 1997. This vaccine protects against meningitis (inflammation of the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning) caused by meningococcal groups A, C, W and Y.

It is very important that you take up the vaccine. It is being offered in response to a rapidly growing increase in cases of a highly aggressive strain of meningococcal disease group W. This disease can cause meningitis and septicemia that can kill in hours, and those who recover may be left severely disabled. The vaccine also protects against three other meningococcal groups too – A, C and Y.

 

Going to University?

If you’re planning to go to university, please make an appointment as soon as possible before leaving for university. You are at more risk of meningitis and septicaemia in the first weeks at university when you mix with lots of new people, some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria, which is usually spread through prolonged close contact.

 

As the vaccine will also boost your protection against Men C, it replaces the “Freshers’” Men C programme which has been in place for the past year.

 

Please phone us as soon as possible to arrange an appointment to have the vaccination. If you decide not to have the vaccination please let us know so we can enter this on your medical records.

 

Further information on the vaccination programme and meningococcal disease can be found on NHS Choices at:

Ways to Wellness

In Newcastle, there are an estimated 40,000 people who suffer with one or more long-term health conditions including diabetes, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and heart disease and this week NHS Newcastle West CCG along with partners are launching a ‘Ways to Wellness programme’ to provide funding for social prescribing.

To address this issue, a newly-formed organisation called Ways to Wellness has developed an innovative programme based on the concept of ‘social prescribing’ – the use of non-medical interventions to achieve sustained lifestyle change and improved self-care among people with long-term health conditions. Ways to Wellness believes this first programme, which will start next week and run for an initial seven years, can improve the health of approximately 11,000 people living in the west of Newcastle.

Ways to Wellness Presentation 

Ways to Wellness Poster

Friends & Family Test

Have your say to improve your healthcare

Did you know you can now have your say to help improve more services across the NHS?

The Friends & Family Test is about giving patients the opportunity to provide quick feedback on their care and treatment experience. It’s already in use in many parts of the NHS and is expanding to a lot more.

You can say what is going well and what can be improved so that people who make decisions about local healthcare can take your views into account.

It doesn’t take long and you don’t need to give your details on your feedback form.

Look for details in the reception or waiting room. You can ask a member of staff how you can take part or find out more online.

Family and Friends Test Power Point.pdf

Online Services

Westerhope Medical Group patients are able to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions on line. We are now expanding the online service to include access to medical record.

At this stage access is limited to a summary of Medications and Allergies. However EMIS, the practice’s clinical system supplier, will be able to provide access to other parts of a patient’s medical record from 2016. Further information regarding the scope of this access will be circulated when available.

In the interests of security and confidentiality it is necessary to register for online services and further information is available from Reception.

Please find the registration form for access to Online Services below.

Online Services - Patient Application Form

 
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