Good afternoon.
There have been news reports over the last few days about an increase in the number of people being admitted to hospital due to having the flu virus. If you are eligible for your flu vaccine, but have yet to have it, please contact the surgery as we do still have a supply.
Please be aware that we can only vaccinate those that are eligible, we cannot do private vaccinations for flu.
The NHS recommends flu vaccination for several groups:

Everyone aged 65 years and over
Individuals under 65 with certain medical conditions, including children and babies over 6 months of age
All pregnant women
All children aged 2 and 3 years (provided they were aged 2 or 3 on 31 August 2024).
Care home residents
Carers
Those living with people who are immunocompromised.

Child flu vaccine has a very short shelf life so we only order small amounts at a time but if your child should be having it, please contact the surgery and we can arrange a time for when we can get the vaccine.

Many thanks

Please note that we will be CLOSED at the weekends in addition to the bank holidays on Wednesday 25th December, Thursday 26th December and Wednesday 1st January. Firs House, Histon will be operating normal opening hours on all other days during the holiday period.  42 Telegraph Street, Cottenham will be closed from 1pm on 24^th December but normal opening hours on all other days.

Please plan ahead and make sure you have enough medication to last the festive period. The last date for ordering repeat prescriptions in time for the Christmas holidays is Thursday 19th December. The last date for ordering repeat medication before New Year will be Friday 27th December. This is to ensure the surgery has enough time to process all requests. We cannot guarantee how long the pharmacy will take to process requests once received from us.

When the surgery is closed please call 111 for medical assistance, or 999 for a life threatening emergency.

For Urgent Mental Health Support, please call 111 and select option 2

For details of local Pharmacies that will be open over the bank holidays please visit Find a pharmacy - NHS

From all at Firs House Surgery we wish you a happy and health festive period.

This year’s flu vaccination programme commences in October 2024 for most adults.

This is a national contract decision by NHS England and applies to all organisations that offer flu vaccination.  The reason given is to ensure that the vaccine is at its most effective at the peak of the flu season.

Our clinic are now open for booking.  We are starting to invite our patients in by SMS (where you can book directly into a clinic) and by letter and/or phone calls. 

You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you?

• Are aged 65 or over
• Have certain long term health conditions
• Are pregnant
• Live in a care home
• Are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carers allowance
• Live with someone who has a weakened immune system
• Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer

Childrens Flu Vaccinations for 2024

The national flu vaccination programme for children commences in September 2024 for

• Children age 2 years and 3 years
• Children under 18 with certain long term health conditions
• School age children from Reception to year 11 will be vaccinated in school. We are unable to offer vaccines to this group.

What about the Covid19 booster vaccinations for autumn 2024?

We are not in a position to offer the covid vaccination in our flu clinics this year.  We anticipate that NHS England will release updates and information regarding this programme. 

The new RSV vaccination programme

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of lower respiratory tract infections that can be serious for some people. A vaccine to help protect against RSV will be available from 1 September 2024.  It is available for people aged 75 to 79 years.

Invitations have started for people aged 79 first as you are no longer eligible at 80 years old.

The RSV vaccination clinics are separate to the flu clinics.  Clinical advice is to avoid giving at the same time as other vaccines as it may be less effective so we cannot co-administer in the flu clinics as we do with other vaccines.

More information at:   https://www.firshouse.com/practice-news

What is Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common cause of coughs and colds. It usually gets better by itself, but it can be serious for some babies and older adults.  

RSV vaccination available from September 2024

A vaccine to help protect against RSV will be available on the NHS from 1 September 2024.

You'll be able to get the vaccine if:

• you're aged 75 to 79
  • If you're aged 75 to 79, your GP surgery will contact you about getting vaccinated. Please wait to be contacted.

• you're 28 weeks pregnant or more – this will help protect your baby for the first few months after they're born
  • From September, you can speak to your maternity service or GP surgery about getting your RSV vaccination if you're 28 weeks pregnant or more. For Firs House patients who are currently pregnant the community teams will be providing vaccinations.

Please note that the current advice is that for those over 75 years the RSV vaccine should not be administered at the same time as the flu and covid vaccines so Firs House will be offering separate RSV vaccination clinics.  The clinical reason is that in this age group these vaccines may be less effective if given together.

Further information below or click on this link to NHS Choices

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/respiratory-syncytial-virus-rsv/

Who's at risk from RSV

RSV is very common. Almost all children get it at least once before they're 2 years old.  It's not usually serious, but some babies and adults have a higher risk of getting seriously ill, particularly:

• babies under 6 months old
• children who were born prematurely
• adults over 75 years
• babies, children and older adults with a weakened immune system, or long-term lung or heart conditions

In babies, RSV is a common cause of a type of chest infection called bronchiolitis. This can cause breathing problems and may need to be treated in hospital.

RSV can also cause a serious lung infection (pneumonia) in babies and older adults.

How to avoid catching and spreading RSV

RSV is spread in the coughs and sneezes of someone who has the virus.

There are some things you can do to reduce your chances of getting it or spreading it to anyone else, such as:

• wash your hands and your child's hands often
• wash or wipe down toys and clean surfaces regularly
• avoid sharing things like cutlery and cups
• use disposable tissues and throw them away as soon as you've used them
• keep newborn babies away from anyone with a cold or the flu – especially if they were born prematurely or have serious health conditions

Treatment for children at risk of serious infections

Children who have a very high risk of getting seriously ill from RSV may be given treatment in the winter (between October and March) to help reduce the risk of RSV causing severe bronchiolitis.

Symptoms of RSV

Symptoms of RSV usually start within a few days of getting infected.

Most people only get cold-like symptoms, such as:

• a runny or blocked nose
• sneezing
• a cough
• tiredness
• a high temperature – signs include your back or chest feeling hotter than usual, sweatiness and shivering (chills)

Babies with RSV may also be irritable and feed less than usual.

If RSV leads to a more serious infection (such as bronchiolitis) it may also cause:

• a cough that gets worse
• faster breathing or long gaps between breaths
• difficulty feeding or eating
• noisy breathing (wheezing)

Information:

Cold-like symptoms are very common in babies and children. They're not usually a sign of anything serious and should get better within a few days.

But get medical help if you're worried your child is seriously ill.

Urgent advice:Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

• your child is unwell and it's getting worse
• your child is feeding or eating much less than normal
• your child has had a dry nappy for 12 hours or more, or shows other signs of dehydration
• your baby feels hotter than usual when you touch their back or chest, feels sweaty or is shivering
• your baby is under 3 months and has a temperature of 38C, or is older than 3 months and has a temperature of 39C or higher
• you or a child aged 5 years or older has a temperature below 36C
• your child is very tired or irritable
• you get cold symptoms and you have a long-term medical condition (such as a heart or lung condition) or a weakened immune system (for example, because you're having chemotherapy)
• you have difficulty breathing – you may be more short of breath than usual

Check symptoms on 111 online (for anyone aged 5 and over) or call 111 (for children under 5).

Information:

How to take a temperature

If you have a digital thermometer, you can use it to check if you or your child has a high temperature.

For more information about how to do this, see:

• high temperature in children
• high temperature in adults

If you do not have a thermometer, look for signs such as the back or chest feeling hotter than usual, sweatiness and shivering (chills).

Immediate action required:Call 999 if:

• your child is having difficulty breathing – you may notice grunting noises, long pauses in their breathing or their tummy sucking under their ribs
• you have severe difficulty breathing – you're gasping, choking or not able to get words out
• you or your child is floppy and will not wake up or stay awake
• you or your child's lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands
• your child is under 5 years and has a temperature below 36C

As a parent, you may know if your child seems seriously unwell and should trust your judgement.

Information:

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Treatment for RSV

There's no specific treatment for RSV.

It often gets better on its own in 1 or 2 weeks and you can usually look after yourself or your child at home.

Children and adults who get a more serious infection may need to be treated in hospital.

Treatment in hospital may include being given fluids to avoid dehydration or oxygen to help you breathe.

Things you can do to ease RSV symptoms

If you or your child have mild RSV symptoms, there are some things you can do to help ease the symptoms.

Do

• take paracetamolor ibuprofen if you have a high temperature and are uncomfortable
• give your child children's paracetamolor children's ibuprofen if they have a high temperature and are uncomfortable – always check the leaflet to make sure it's suitable for your child
• try using salt water (saline) drops if your or your child's nose is blocked
• stay upright as much as possible when awake – this can help make it easier to breathe
• drink lots of fluids – try smaller feeds more often in babies, and give older children extra water or diluted fruit juice

Don’t

• do not give aspirin to children under 16
• do not smoke around your child – children who breathe in cigarette smoke have a higher risk of getting serious RSV infections
• do not try to lower your child's temperature by sponging them with cool water or taking off all their clothes

Our new clinical system, SystmOne, is now live and online services have now been turned on. We recommend using the NHS APP, which is NHS approved and secure. If you want to continue to access online services (formerly ‘Patient Access’) you will need to register for Systmonline (SystmOne’s version of patient Access).

To Register

If you are able to; please request this access by completing the online access form via our “ONLINE FORMS TO CONTACT THE SURGERY” button the homepage, scroll down and click onto the 'Register for Online Services' and this will provide instructions on how to register. Once we have received 2 forms of identification we will be able to provide your login details. Our ODS Code is D81028 which is required when registering.

If you are unable to complete the online form, please come into reception with a form of photo ID and they will give you the new details.

There is no need to re-register if you currently access Online Services via the NHS App. If you were using the NHS App to access our online services, for ordering your repeat medication etc, your access should have automatically connected to the new system so you should not need to re-register, however you may need to fully uninstall the APP and re-install for the app to connect to our new clinical systems.

Further details about the NHS APP can be found here – https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-app/

Thanks for your patience and understanding during this time.

How will I order my prescription during the cut over period?

We would request that if your prescription request falls between 12 – 23^rd July, please order early in your usual way.  If you need a prescription during these dates you will need to use the form on the website or order in person at the surgery.  The request form on the website can be found in the Non Urgent Admin Query box.  Please pick the Admin Query option and follow the steps on the screen. 

How will I get my prescription during the transition period?

The electronic Prescription service which sends your prescription directly to the pharmacy will be turned off during this time.  This means any prescriptions issued will need to be paper prescriptions that will need to be picked up from the surgery.  It is important that you specify whether you would like to pick your prescription up from Histon or Cottenham. We will endeavour to get your prescription to the correct place as soon as possible but if we get it wrong please bear with us, we will arrange for it to be sent to the correct building for the following day.   If your medication is on repeat dispensing the pharmacy will already have received these requests.

Will I be able to view and use the NHS App? 

No, The NHS App and Patient Online Access systems will be unavailable during the 12 – 23^rd July. 

Will my NHS App work after 23^rd July?

Yes, you will need to fully uninstall and reinstall the app on your device so it can synchronise with the new system.  Initially when you reinstall, you may only have access to the basics as it may take up to 2 weeks for your app to be reinstated fully. During this time please use the website for any requests and keep checking the App.  Unfortunately the surgery cannot help with getting it working again but we can try to assist in the reinstall, if required. We are arranging for our digital champion to be available within the surgery to assist with this.

How do I book an appointment during this transition?

Appointment booking will not be affected.  Please call on the morning, at 8am, if you have an urgent issue that needs to be seen on the day. We have reduced capacity to see patients with routine issues this week.  We are being asked to minimise during this week, where we can, the data being input into our existing system as it all needs to be transferred to the new system.

How do I contact the surgery during this time?

Please contact us in the same way as you usually would for all enquiries.  The only change during this period is that the NHS App and Patient Online Access will not be available. Please contact the surgery telephone, the website or in person.

Do I need to do anything different?

No, please be reassured that we are working as normal.  We are available to assist you should you need it for an urgent medical matter.

Please follow the following the link for more information on the change of system and how it will affect prescription requests in the lead up to the change on 23rd July Home | HI HUB. Many thanks

The Firs House Surgery & Telegraph Street Patient Participation Group (PPG) is please announce that bicycle stands have now been installed at the rear of 42 Telegraph Street for patients to use when visiting the surgery. We are grateful for the Fen Edge Community Associations generous support in providing this facility for the surgery's patients and staff. 

We are having a GP Responsive Online Inspection on 26th January and the CQC are requesting patient feedback. If you would like to provide this please do so by clicking on the following link.

Please give feedback on your care to CQC

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is assessing how people access Firs House Surgery and would like to hear about your experience. You can share your experience with CQC by completing this online form by 19 January 2024.

Many thanks

There are new rules around who is eligible to receive the shingles vaccine. Please see the following link for more information https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vaccinations/shingles-vaccination/. 

Following the news that Dr Poole is retiring at the end of this year, Firs House Medical Parntership are very pleased to announe that Dr Rahman will be staying with the surgery as a new Partner.  

Dr Rahman joined the surgery in April 2023 to cover the maternity leave of Dr Bastiani. We are very excited to be retaining Dr Rahman and hope you will agree that she will be a fantastic permanent addition to our team.

We know that holding to get through to the surgery, at busy times, is difficult so the practice will be adding a call back option to the phones from 1pm on Friday 22nd September. 

Once you have entered the queue you will be given instructions on how to use this service.  By using this service your space in the queue will be secured and we will automatically call you back when you reach the front of the queue.  We hope this will make it more convenient and save you time. If using this service please ensure you keep your phone available, ready to get the call back. The system will try to contact you 3 times before your place in the queue is lost. If you do not wish to use this service you can hold as normal. 

As this is a new service it may take a few days for our reception staff to get used to it so please be patient. We will be able to see how many people are in the queue, and how long people are holding for, and divert staff accordingly, hopefully reducing waiting times.

We hope this new service will enhance the experience of getting through us here at the surgery. 

We get asked a lot at the surgery about how to dispose of sharps bins. Please click on the following link to see information on which local pharmacies accept used sharps bins.  https://www.scambs.gov.uk/bins/clinical-waste We hope this is useful.

Thank you 

There has been a messaging service introduced by NHS England called Iplato which has been turned on without our knowledge or input.  It is messaging some patients and not others with appointment information/reminders.  Unfortunately, it hasn't been set up accurately and doesn't take into account that we have 2 sites at Firs House.  The Messgae just states please go to Firs House for your Appointment when accually your appointment is in Cottenham.  We are trying to get this sorted but are having to rely on the central IT team.  If you receive a text stating a venue you are not expecting please ignore the message and go to the site you were told by the receptionist or person booking your appointment originally. Any questions please contact the surgery to check.  Many thansk and apologies for any inconvenience caused 

Dr Sally White will be leaving Firs House Surgery on 15th September to take up a position at a surgery closer to her home. Dr White has been with Firs House since 2017 and has been a huge asset to our team, providing great care to our patients. We will miss her but wish her all the very best for the future. Due to Annual leave Dr Whites last working day at the surgery will be 1st September.

In January 2023 we introduced the Accurx Triage service, as contracted by NHS England and commissioned by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICS.  Accurx Triage allows patients quick access to medical advice without having to call the surgery. Whilst the majority of patients have used this service and shared positive feedback, we have in recent weeks experienced a number of patients query why the online triage system is closed once we have filled all of our available appointments and are at capacity. 

We have listened to patients who have raised concerns directly with us, we have spoken to our PPG about the challenges we are experiencing with regards to increasing patient need in comparison to staffing resource available, and we have sought advice from surgeries in the Cambridgeshire area who use the same online triage system. Having reviewed patient concerns raised regarding our current online system the Partners and Management team have agreed to make changes as to how our patients access us.

From the 1^st April 2023 the Accurx online Triage system will be for patient admin and routine clinical needs only.  Patients who have clinically urgent needs will need to call the surgery where you will be added to a triage list and our Duty Doctor will assess your needs and respond within 24 hours.  We would like to remind patients that if they are experiencing life threatening symptoms, please dial 999.  When calling to discuss an urgent clinical need, our Reception Team will require information regarding the reasons you are calling, including symptoms, durations of symptoms, and self-care utilised to help the Duty Doctor respond to your request.  Please be aware that waiting times on the phone are likely to increase as a result of this change.  Our Reception team will be working hard to respond to patients calls as quickly as they can, whist taking detailed notes as to the clinical needs so that the Duty Doctor can triage appropriately.  Please be patient with our team and help them to help you by providing as much information as possible in a timely manner so they can move on to the next caller.

Patients wanting clinical support for routine clinical needs are to continue to utilise the online Accurx Triage system.  Your requests will be triaged by our Duty Doctors and you will be signposted to the most appropriate clinical provide or given an appointment with one of our Enhanced Access clinics or at Firs House. If you call the surgery with a non-urgent clinical need, you will be supported by Reception to complete an online form and our clinical team will triage your request. The online system will remain open to admin and routine medical requests between 08:00-18:00hrs Monday to Friday.  We will respond to all routine requests within 1 calendar week.  Please be aware that we do anticipate longer waiting times for routine appointments so if you have a routine medical need, submit your request online at the earliest convenience to ensure there are no delays in your clinical care.

The team at Firs House Surgery will continue to work hard within the safe working guidelines outlined by The British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners and utilising the staffing and building capacity we have available. When we as a practice have reached capacity and no longer have any appointments to offer, we will continue to signpost you to the most appropriate clinical service for your needs, whether that be your local Pharmacist, emergency Opticians, the Minor Injuries Unit, or NHS111 who can direct your enquiry to an appropriate service or appointment.

DR EMMA BALDWIN – RETIREMENT
Firs House Medical Partnership would like to announce the retirement of Dr Emma Baldwin at the end of March 2023. Dr Baldwin has been a Partner at Firs House Medical Partnership since 1997 and will be remembered for her unconditional dedication, hard work and commitment to the patients of Histon and Cottenham. We hope you join us in wishing her the very best in her future ventures.

DR BEN CURTIS - NEW GP PARTNER
We are also very pleased to announce that Dr Curtis will be joining Firs House Medical Partnership as a new Partner in July 2023. We hope you join us in welcoming Dr Curtis to Firs House and Telegraph Street Surgeries.

In early 2020 NHS England advised the implementation of a total triage system for all appointments.  This system was encouraged to reduce the number of covid contacts, but also because the number of pre-booked appointments meant that we no longer had the capacity to safely manage the number of urgent appointments required each day which increased dramatically over the pandemic. Since the pandemic, patient demand has continued to increase to the point we are now seeing over double the amount of patients, and they are having more appointments more regularly.

We have listened to patient feedback over the last two years and have tried multiple ways to improve the appointment booking system.  We agree with your feedback that it is no longer sustainable to use the telephone appointment booking system due to the level of demand we are experiencing.  For this reason, we are taking on board your requests and changing how patients can access our clinical staff at Firs House Surgery and Telegraph Street Surgery, and it will no longer be via telephone.

We will now ask that patients fill in the short form on our website for all appointments and other requests. These forms are looked at by a GP, who will then decide on the appropriate next step. This could be a phone call or a face to face appointment with a GP, pharmacist, minor illness nurse, practice nurse or first contact physiotherapist. You will be notified of the outcome by text message or phone call within a few hours of your message. 

If the query is either very simple, or something that we are not the most appropriate service for,  then you may receive a text message signposting you to another service such as a dentist, minor injuries service or minor eye conditions service, or with a link to the appropriate medical advice online.   

From 2nd January 2023 Accurx Triage will be the only way to submit medical & admin queries - https://florey.accurx.com/p/D81028

Feedback from GP Surgeries across England with regards to online triage systems has been overwhelmingly positive.  We look forward to offering you, our patients, an accessible method to contact us in a way that is convenient for you and that recognises your feedback and requests for us to modernise our services.

For a multitude of reasons, primary care is under a lot of pressure, and unfortunately, we do not anticipate this will change for the foreseeable future. We believe that patient triage is the only way that we can sustain a safe and accessible service for all of our patients based on clinical need and to ensure that there is still a service available to our local community in the future.

FAQs

What if I do not have access to the internet or struggle to complete forms?

We recognise that there will be patients for whom use of the internet is challenging and for those patients, the receptionist will fill in the form over the phone during a discussion with the patient, and this will then be triaged in the same way by the duty doctor. It is for this reason that patients are required to provide the Receptionist with information as to why they are requesting clinical support. 

Why do I need to complete a form or answer the questions the reception team ask me?

We will no be longer be able to submit a request to the triaging clinician without some basic information as to why you are calling. This will ensure that appointments are allocated based on clinical risk and need.

The clinicians who look at all the information submitted can provide you with the appointment or advice you need with the right person in the right time period. Firs House Surgery now has a number of additional practitioners working alongside the GP’s. These include First Contact Physiotherapists and a Clinical Pharmacist. It may be more appropriate for you to see or speak to them.

Please rest assured that all surgery staff abide by confidentiality rules and strict surgery policies regarding data handling.

Can reception make me an appointment instead?

From now on, whether you visit in person or contact them by phone, they will no longer be booking you an appointment. They will help you complete the form for medical query if you struggle to do it yourself.

Will I get an appointment quicker if I speak to reception instead?

As per the previous answers, the reception team will no longer be making routine GP appointments with patients directly. All methods of completing the triage forms, either online, in person or over the phone and these will be assessed equally.

If you contact the surgery and say you want an urgent appointment what happens next as you will no longer be making appointments?

We will continue to have a duty doctor every day to deal with urgent clinical requests. There will be an option of booking urgent appointments with the duty doctor on the day, but if not medically urgent, the doctor will ask the patient to fill in the triage form & attend to your query within given turnaround time. The triage tool will list the types of emergencies that will need you to attend A&E before you submit the medical query so to avoid delay.

How long will it take to fill in the form?

For medical queries if will take 5-7 minutes. For administrative or simple issues it is shorter

• Examples of admin issues are – to ask about recent tests, to get a repeat prescription, to ask about a fit (sick) note.
• Examples of simple issues are – change of contact details such as a mobile number

How long will it take to hear from the practice?

For all medical issues the practice will get back in touch within 2 working days after you submitted your query, but much quicker in urgent cases.

When the surgery contacts you it will either be by text, email or by a phone call. You may be offered either an appointment, advice, or help direct and arrange your care from appropriate healthcare services in the community that we work with, such as a social prescriber, pharmacist, nurse etc.

Will I have to fill in the same questionnaire every time I need an appointment?

For each new contact you will be asked to fill in an online questionnaire.  We are, however, making changes to the way follow up appointments are arranged.  Currently clinicians will often ask patients to speak to reception to book subsequent appointments for relevant investigations such as blood tests and then, following that, book a follow up appointment with the GP or other clinician.  Instead we aim to be booking these for you during your first contact avoiding the need for you to contact the surgery again just to make the appointments we have already agreed.

Will the patient still have a choice of which doctor they see?

There is an option to specify which doctor the patient would like to see. We will try to meet this request, doctor’s availability permitting. We will also ask the patient if they are happy to wait for the consultation with the requested GP, but this may mean that the patient will have to wait longer than 2 days for their query to be dealt with.

What if the time/day of the appointment doesn’t work for me?

There is a section on the form where you can write down the times that you aren’t available, which our team can avoid when getting in touch with you.

Will my request be saved to my record?

Any request you submit about a medical issue will be saved to your record so that whoever calls you or sees you about your problem has your information to hand. If you send us a question about an administrative issue we will only save this to your record if we think it would be helpful to do so (or if you ask us to).