PRACTICE NEWS
Flu Vaccination
We are accepting flu vaccination bookings. Speak to our reception staff or call us on 01823 331381
Monthly Closure for Staff Training
French Weir Health Centre will be closing for staff training approximately once per month, between 1.00 pm to 5.00 pm. The first date is Thursday 20th June 2024. If you need medical assistance during these hours, please consult with a pharmacist or dial NHS 111. Other dates for closure during 2024 are:
Wednesday 31st July 2024, Tuesday 3rd September 2024, Wednesday 16th October 2024, Thursday 5th December 2024.
Did you know?
If your Body Mass Index (BMI) is 30 or above or 27.5 or above for those of Black, Asian and other minority ethnic groups, there are weight management services and support available that your GP can refer you to. If you would like further information, please ask the reception team.
NHS Digital's Collection Of Data
This practice is supporting vital health and care planning and research by sharing your data with NHS Digital. For more information about this see the GP Practice Privacy Notice for General Practice Data for Planning and Research, more information is also available on the Privacy Policy page of our website.
We are an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice.
This means that, as part of the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant, we have a dedicated clinician who has a specialist knowledge of military related health conditions and veteran specific health services. This is important in helping ex-forces to get the best care and treatment.
Self Referral Links
Talking Therapies Self Referral
Musgrove Park Hospital Maternity Self Referral
Green Impact Initiative
This practice is delighted to be signed up to the Green Impact for Health Toolkit and is actively taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint. The climate emergency is also a health emergency, and health care in the UK contributes 5.4% of the UK's carbon emissions. We need to enhance the health of our current population without compromising the health of future generations, and this means operating within the sustainable boundaries of the planet. Fortunately most of the solutions for the planet also make our health better - for example eating a mainly plant-based diet, engaging in active travel and exercise in nature, avoiding smoking, reducing pollution etc all enhance our health and reduce our need for medications, with further benefits to the NHS, your health and the carbon footprint of healthcare. Please visit the Greener Practice website to learn more about this.
Failed to attend appointments
Did you experienced problems booking an appointment? Don’t be a DNA statistic!
Have you Experienced Problems Booking an Appointment?
An average 200 – 250 Patients per month Do Not Attend (DNA). GP, Nurse Practitioner and Nurse appointments. Failed appointments impact on appointment availability. If you are unable to keep your appointment please let us know. Patients who repeatedly fail to keep appointments may be asked to find an alternative practice.
Evening and Weekend Access
We now offer evening and weekend access appointments.
Why Am I Often Offered Someone Else When I Ask For A GP Appointment?
We hear almost daily through the TV, news and other media about the growing pressures that the NHS is under; “recruitment crises”, “financial deficit”, “increased patient demand”, “breaches of waiting time targets” to name but a few. The same pressures are felt in Primary Care (GP Practice).
At French Weir, we recognise that GP Practices need to be innovative and flex with the times while still offering the high standard of health care that our patients should expect.
We have analysed our patient demand. What does that mean? We know that patients are living longer, 70% of our patient demand is from patients with long term conditions and that many patients requesting a same day appointment need to see somebody because they have a self-limiting minor illness, perhaps a cough or an eye infection and are seeking a prescription for this.
What did we do?
We have looked at how many people have come in with minor illnesses and how many people present with other more complex symptoms. We then matched the workforce to the needs of you, our patients.
What did we change?
- We increased the capacity of our Nurse Practitioner Team. Our highly skilled Nurse Practitioners are able to diagnose and prescribe for acute illnesses, such as urinary tract infections, eye infections, tonsillitis, coughs etc and have direct access to a GP for a second opinion if needed. The GPs have authorised the receptionists to ask for brief reason for the appointment on their behalf to enable signposting to the correct appointments.
- We seconded Musculoskeletal Specialists from the hospital. This has allowed us to offer daily appointments with a specialist practitioner who can advise and refer when necessary for many joint and muscular problems. Currently, one of them can prescribe, but the other can request a prescription from your GP if necessary. By booking an appointment directly with the musculoskeletal specialist some patients have benefitted from prompt secondary care expertise in the primary care setting.
- We recruited 2 Emergency Care Practitioners. When a housebound patient requests a home visit, the doctor will decide whether it is appropriate for one of the Emergency Care Practitioners to attend and report the clinical findings back to the GP. The decision to send the Emergency Care Practitioner sits with the GP, not with the patient.
- We increased our Long Term Condition Nursing Team who offer dedicated clinics for diabetes, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. As well as attending to other long term conditions during their regular appointments.
- We have implemented new protocols to streamline treatment for urinary tract infections.
We are proud of our new multi-skilled team. We are also proud of our receptionists and admin staff who have the difficult task of signposting 600 telephone calls per day. We appreciate that your call and your condition is very important to you and we want to help you to get the swiftest, most appropriate appointment, this means that if your condition requires a GP consultation only, there will always be a GP appointment available for you in the short timescale that we have always endeavoured to deliver. Your GP has instructed the receptionist to ask for a brief reason for the call, this is so that they can signpost you to an appointment with either a Nurse Practitioner, a Musculoskeletal Practitioner, a Long Term Condition Nurse or a GP. By doing this we are striving to deliver a safe and sustainable Health Centre here at French Weir.
Urinary Tract Infections
We are trying to manage increasing demand on GP appointments. If you telephone to say you think you may have a urinary tract infection, the doctors have instructed the receptionists to ask you to bring a sample to the Surgery for testing.
You will be given a time to telephone back for the results and if the result is positive, instructions on where to collect your prescription or if further medical advice is necessary, a same day appointment with our Nurse Practitioner or Duty Doctor will be offered to you.
If you are bringing a sample to the Surgery, to save you some time and having to offer an explanation to the receptionist please complete the form below and bring it with you with the sample. All shaded fields must be completed. The form and specimen must be handed to the receptionist.
Patient Urinary Tract Infection Symptom Form
Receptionists Requesting a Reason for Appointment
Your GP has instructed the receptionist to ask you for a brief reason when booking your appointment. We are developing a multi-skilled team, including a musculoskeletal specialist and minor illness nurse practitioners. The receptionists will use the information you provide to book the most appropriate appointment for you. All our receptionists sign a confidentiality contract.
