News from the Quantock Medical Centre March 2019

Every month in the surgery we put up on the PPG board by the Dispensary a list of how many appointments have been missed or not attended in the previous month. What has become alarming to see is that even with regular campaigning, the amount of DNA’s (Did Not Attend) are not decreasing.  Since June last year 397 appointments were unattended with our doctors and nurses.  This equates to 99 hours worth of their time that could have been spent with other patients who would have attended their appointments.  These missed appointments cost the Practice £12,000 a year. Please make sure you either attend or cancel your appointment with as much notice as you can so that another patient can benefit from it.

Some of our missed appointments are for Cervical Smears. Cervical screening can prevent potentially harmful cells from developing that could turn in to Cancer if left untreated.  It can stop Cancer before it starts.  The symptoms of Cervical Cancer are not always obvious, and it may not cause any symptoms at all until it’s reached an advanced stage.  That’s why it’s important that you attend all your cervical screening appointments.  Our nurses are very well trained and will talk you through every aspect of the test if you are at all nervous, and you are welcome to bring a friend with you if it will help.  This is a very important test, so please do book and attend your appointment.

Part of our contract and duty of care to you, our patients, is to regularly review you if you have a chronic condition such as COPD, Asthma or Diabetes. This is usually a yearly review with our nurse which we try to book in around your birthday month.  This is so we can make sure that you are taking the right medication with the right dosage and that you are keeping well.  Please make sure that you attend these appointments when they are booked for you.

The April Walking for Health Walks have been planned (please see table below). If you would like to walk with us please come to the Medical Centre on a Tuesday morning at 11am if the start of the walk is the Medical Centre or 10.30am if the start of the walk is elsewhere.  Lifts can be arranged so do not worry if you do not have a car.  The Walking for Health group are very friendly and chatty and have benefitted enormously health wise in the weekly regular walk, so please do come and join in.

Kate Lyness