Apr 09:- Issue 24

Spring 2009

Dr Rodgers’ Retirement

After 25 years at the Green Practice, Dr Joan Rodgers is retiring at the end of March. She will be sorely missed by all her GP, Nurse and Practice colleagues – as well as her Patients – and we wish her all the best for her retirement and travels. Here are a few words from Dr Rodgers herself:

"After 25 years with The Green Practice I shall be retiring at the end of March this year.

Being here has been good in many ways - I have particularly enjoyed the privilege of getting to know patients over the years, and will certainly miss that contact. Many of you have become friends as well as patients

My successor here will be Dr Joanna Richards – some of you will remember her as she was with us as a registrar for a year in 2000. She is calm and competent, and I think you will find her to be a very caring doctor. As she has to move her family back to Edinburgh, she will not be starting here until mid June. There will be a locum in place from the beginning of April, though you can of course see any of the partners if you prefer.

I have managed to say goodbye to many of my patients but for those whom I have not managed to see, I would like to wish you all the best – and good health – in the future."

Welcome to Dr Joanna Richards

We are delighted to announce that Dr Jo Richards will be joining the practice in June 09 as Dr Rodgers’ replacement. Dr Richards has worked at the practice before when completing her GP training year in 1999-2000, before moving down south for a time. Congratulations to her on her new post, and we very much look forward to her joining the team. Here is an introduction from Dr Richards in her own words:

“I am excited to be rejoining the team at the Green Practice in June as the new GP Partner. Originally an Edinburgh girl, brought up in Colinton, I graduated from Edinburgh University before completing my GP Training here at Stockbridge in August 2000. Since then I have had a mobile and varied career as a GP working in Edinburgh, Bristol and Glasgow.

My husband and I are now delighted to be settling in Edinburgh with our young family. Without a doubt having my own children has been the greatest learning experience of my career so far! When family permits I enjoy a variety of sports including tennis, running and skiing.

Overall I would describe myself as a generalist but my personal interests are women’s health, depression, mental health and cancer care. I look forward to meeting you all soon.”

Exam Success

Congratulations to Dr Jenny Lamb who has passed the second component of her final postgraduate examination for membership of the Royal College of GP’s – a qualification she requires to be able to practise independently as a GP at the end of her registrar training year. This exam involves a “simulated surgery” with actors posing as patients presenting with an enormous variety of symptoms and problems to deal with in strict 10minute slots! At present all participants are required to travel to the examination centre in Croydon – well done to Jenny for getting there despite all the adverse travel conditions with heavy snow falls, particularly in southern England.

Green Practice Website Re-Launched

Over the past 12 months our IT facilitator, Russel Sanders, has been busy updating and redesigning our practice website, with GP input from Dr Reid. Our thanks to Russel who has taken on this task with great enthusiasm and gusto, often using his own time at home to complete the work.

You can view the new website at:
www.greenpractice-shc.co.uk

We have aimed in particular to improve information on local resources, so the web site can act as more of a “one-stop” advice page for our patients. Here are some examples:

Direct Access NHS Services – did you know you can refer yourself to NHS physiotherapy, the Family Planning Clinic, Podiatry? Also includes links and info on A and E, Minor Injuries, Optometry (can now see you for acute eye problems on the NHS), Dentistry, Stop Smoking Services, Genito-Urinary Medicine Clinics – all of which patients can access without a prior GP Referral.

Travel – a useful link written by our nurses including basic advice, web links to find out about vaccine requirements, and travel questionnaire we ask all patients to fill out before making a travel appointment at the practice.

Sick Notes, Private Medicals and Reports – rules and fees surrounding provision of NHS and NON-NHS forms and reports eg occupational, travel cancellation.

Clinical Services – includes info about what the practice provides which patients may or not be aware of eg diabetes and cardiovascular clinics, minor surgery, joint injection, wart clinic, antenatal and postnatal care.

We have retained the popular facility for patients to order repeat prescriptions by email, as well as staff profiles, contact details, popular health links, info for patients registering, temporary residents, disability access, complaints and suggestions etc. In an ideal world we would like to work towards expanding our use of online communication with patients – eg for booking appointments, or giving feedback to the practice – however this is not possible at present due to IT compatability issues, safety and clinical concerns. Please complete a suggestion slip at the front desk if you have any feedback – thank you.

Nurse Prescriber

Pauline Waugh has been undertaking ongoing further training and personal development in practice nursing: recently she has been accredited as a NURSE PRESCRIBER. This means that she can now issue and sign her own prescriptions for conditions that she has particular experience and expertise in, from her own designated “core formulary” which includes:

Asthma, COPD, Urinary Tract Infection, Sexually Transmitted Infection, Wound Infection, Travel Vaccines

And

Contraception, HRT, Hypertension, Chronic Cardiovascular Conditions (Angina, High Cholesterol, etc). *

NB * medications in the 2nd group only must be initiated by a GP in the first instance, but Pauline can then supervise and issue repeat prescriptions. However, for conditions in the 1st group of listed conditions, Pauline can initiate new medication and undertake ongoing follow-up if required.

Well done to Pauline for her work in obtaining this extra qualification. We feel this is a logical step in developing more efficient patient care, and saves Pauline from having to opportunistically “catch” a doctor to simply sign a prescription, for patient problems she is clinically competent and experienced at dealing with.