Willow Tree Family Doctors News Blog

It's that flu jab time of year again!  F lu jabs are now here.  They are coming in batches so best check what is available.  THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT SORTS OF JAB THIS YEAR! Currently we have stock for the over 65 AND under 65 age groups.   They   are free of charge and are recommended for   all those over 65 years , all pregnant women (at whatever stage), those under 65 (including children over 6m) in certain high risk groups - see below -  and you may also qualify if you are a carer for a vulnerable person or receive the carer's allowance or live in a long stay care facility.  Last year was pretty bad, so don't delay! This year is a little more complex in view of the 2 different flu vaccines - the ' Trivalent' which works best for those over 65yrs (is is 'adjuvanted' meaning it has an extra booster built into it in view of the rather more lethargic immune system as we get older) and the 'Quadrivalent' for those at risk in the younger a

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2018 National GP Patient Survey The national GP Patient Survey is run by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the NHS each year. They send out questionnaires in January to random patients from a GP register to gain an idea of what patients think about their practice. 394 surveys were sent to our patients and 125 were returned. As in previous years the results are generally good. 72% found it easy to get through on the phone (67% locally, 70% nationally) 79% were satisfied with the appointment times (65% locally, 66% nationally) 73% were offered a choice of appointment (65% locally, 62% nationally) 71% describe their experience of making an appointment as good (63% locally, 69% nationally) 90% say the health professional they saw was good at giving enough time (81% locally, 87% nationally) 92% say the healthcare professional was good at listening to them (86% locally, 89% nationally) The full results are here If you are really brave there are huge spreadsheets to download to compa

We are being asked to cut down our prescribing in NW London The NHS in NW London CCGs: Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Hammersmith & Fulham, Kensington & Chelsea, and Westminster spent over £13 million in 2016 on products that can be bought without a prescription at community pharmacies. The NHS is under pressure. Our budgets are not large enough to pay for all the treatments the public would like us to provide. We would therefore like to spend less on medicines you can buy without a prescription so as to free up funds for other valuable NHS services.   So practices across North West London are being asked to stop routinely prescribing medicines which are available to buy over the counter in pharmacies (and, in the case of some medicines, in supermarkets and other shops too). If a medicine you need can be bought without a prescription, your GP may ask if you are willing to buy it.  If you are not willing to buy it, it will be prescribed. More detail

New Clinical Pharmacist Shaina Thakrar "I qualified from the University of Nottingham in 2014 and completed training as an Independent Prescriber in 2018, with a keen interest in diabetes. My role as a Clinical Pharmacist in the practice is a varied and expanding! I deal with prescription and medication queries, see patients for medication reviews and help with the management of long-term conditions. When I am not at work, I enjoy going to the gym and spending time with my family and friends." We welcome Shaina to this new role to help us develop our services to patients and high standard of clinical care. Pharmacists are extremely valuable at this time of increasing pharmaceutical complexity, with many new drugs being developed and patients taking more diverse mixtures of drugs as the treatments for long term conditions become ever more sophisticated. She will also be helping us with changes to medication following hospital discharges and other areas o

We welcome Rebecca   Feeley, who starts in mid July "I’m so happy to be joining the Willow Tree team and integrating my role as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner & Independent Nurse Prescriber.  I have worked in accident and emergency departments for 15 years, beginning as a staff nurse graduating to an advanced emergency nurse practitioner after many years of training.    During my many years in A&E I specialised in Injuries and minor illness and also have experience in critical care and paediatrics. My role as an advanced clinical practitioner means that I complete full assessments of patients, including a full medical examination, diagnosis of illness and injuries,  treatment and discharge. I am also a nurse prescriber, which means I can prescribe any medication necessary during my consultation.    I shall be taking part in the Rapid Access appointments 2.5 days a week, working alongside the Duty Doctor who shall offer support should my patients require