Willow Tree Family Doctors News Blog

There is a multiplicity of services in this increasingly fragmented NHS. Where do you go when you're ill?  With A&E waiting times typically of several hours and likely to get worse this winter, it seems many choose that option. But is it the best? If you you haven't had an accident and it's not an emergency (chest pain, collapse, loss of consciousness etc) then probably not.  Many people visiting A&E are making the wrong choice and are delaying the care of more urgent cases. Should they instead have chosen a walk-in centre, urgent care centre, GP out of hours service, visited a pharmacist or checked what to do on-line? So, how to choose, if you're not sure?  A good starting point is to ring NHS 111  which has a directory of all local services. If it's not urgent and they are busy, you may have to wait a while until someone calls you back. You will be asked about your problem and a computer will help the adviser to decide on the level of urgency and give y

...but find it hard? Don't we all! (of course if it was easy, nobody would be unfit, overweight and smoke) NHS Choices website has made it somewhat easier and we at Willow Tree Family Doctors recommend it!  It has a growing collection of excellent mini-sites dealing with tackling these life enhancing (and life preserving) self imp rovement programmes with excellent tips and free apps to download to your mobile phone to help become and remain motivated.  There is just so much advice out there - everyone is cashing in (and trying to get your cash!) and you don't know who to listen to, with new fads every weeks. NHS Choices has sifted through the information and makes a great place to start, for instance with its review of the current popular diets  . The advice on NHS Choices is all non commercial, evidence based and reliable, drawn up by experts and the programmes offered are realistic and really can help. With all the recommended programmes and changes you will notice

We are sorry, but due to recent changes, we are no longer allowed to countersign UK passport applications. The Gov.UK website explains who can sign the applications: Who can sign forms and photos Personal relationship The countersignatory must: have known the person applying for at least 2 years be able to identify the person applying, eg they’re a friend, neighbour or colleague ( not just someone who knows them professionally ) They can’t be closely related or involved with the person applying, eg: related by birth or marriage be in a relationship or live at the same address as the person applying The sentence above we have emboldened explains that we can no longer sign as just knowing you as your doctor but we have to know as a friend, neighbour or colleague. Further, doctors are no longer in the list of trusted professionals - we have been relegated from our previous position "of being people of good standing in the community". We wonder what we h

As reported in the Harrow Times  : Here is our full press release: Patients and staff of Willow Tree Family Doctors and Fryent Medical Centre gathered on 19 th March, to mark the official commencement of works for their new medical facility on Stag Lane, Kingsbury.  Dr Selwyn, the lead GP for the Practice was on hand with a shovel to officially start the proceedings, marking the culmination of years of hard work and support from all the parties involved:           “Our existing surgery, which was state of the art on 1986, has been increasingly squeezed  over the past few years to the point where it is no longer viable for the increasing number of patients we look after.  We’ve been planning this move for many years to give the residents of Kingsbury the modern facility they deserve. We’re looking forward to providing a host of new services to satisfy their health needs well into the future. We’re very grateful for the support of the developers GPI led by William Sheardo