The Pinn Piper

Autumn 2023

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Patchs

Dear all, on behalf of the Pinn Medical Centre I thought it would be a good idea to write a few words about Patchs and how you as a patient can get the most from it.

Around eight months ago, the Pinn Medical Centre made the decision to move appointment access over to a fully digital platform. This platform is called Patchs.

It has taken a huge amount of hard work, from all of the staff at the Pinn Medical Centre in order to implement Patchs. We did not take this decision lightly, but from the feedback that we have received from yourselves, and from our own internal analysis, we know that many of you struggled to get through on the phone lines first thing in the morning in order to arrange an appointment for yourself or somebody that you care for, especially if it was somebody that was acutely unwell and needed an urgent medical assessment that day.

All of primary care in England and Wales are being pushed heavily to move to a digital first solution. The main reason is to improve access.

The Patchs system is very easy to use and it is accessible from our website. We as a practice, open our Patchs system at 8 o'clock in the morning. You as a patient, can submit a Patchs request through a simple  form that you complete online. The form asks basic clinical questions in order that your request is directed to the most appropriate person.

Every single day, one of the partners is responsible for reading all of the Patchs requests and deciding which clinician you need to see and the appropriate timescale. You will then receive a text from our team, informing you of the time and date of the appointment that is made. To allay any fears that you may have the Patchs system does not operate solely on artificial intelligence, and every single patchs request is looked into carefully by one of the GP partners.

Your request may then be delegated to another member of the team, such as a pharmacist, first contact physiotherapist, or one of our administrative team but at all times, the GP covering patches that day will be available for the team to liaise with directly in order to ensure that your queries are dealt with appropriately.

Like any service within primary care, resources are finite. When we reach capacity for on the day appointment, we unfortunately have to close Patchs for that day. Sometimes we are flooded with requests and we  close patches temporarily in order for clinical and administrative teams to catch up with demand and we may then reopen Patchs later in the day. If the service is closed, the login page will tell you the next time it is going to be open.

In order to make best use of appointments, you may well find that the GP reading your request triages you to see another allied professional, such as first contact physiotherapist, nurse practitioner or one of our  practice nurses. Some of the feedback we have had is that people want to see a GP for their problems, please be reassured that at all times clinical problems for the patients are reviewed very carefully and if a GP  is needed you will be booked to see a doctor. However, often problems of various natures can be dealt with by a large team of allied healthcare professionals.

Over 90% of all Patchs queries for clinical appointments are seen on the day. If you do submit a Patchs query, please be prepared to answer a phone call from our surgery reception team (usually will phone back  within the hour) when called otherwise your appointment will be delayed. Please be prepared to attend the surgery on that day; with limited urgent appointments on the day, it is not always possible to give  appointments after 4pm.

If you have an unwell child who needs to be seen, please do not send them to school as your child will be prioritised to be seen within a few hours of the Patchs submission.

We are delighted to say that we have had some excellent feedback already on our NHS choices website with regards to patchs. A vast majority of patients who require on the day appointment with us are are seen  in a quick and efficient manner through the Patchs system.

Those patients with health needs who require a longer time or follow up will be given a pre-booked appointment at a time and date that is convenient for them and often with a doctor of their choice for continuity of care. We are always looking for ideas and suggestions of ways to improve the Patchs service and we would welcome any feedback to our patient liaison officer Tracy Dorman.

We have produced a short tutorial video on how to use Patchs on our YouTube channel.

Watch the video here

The Board of Trustees of the Pinn Medical Centre Patient Association

At the Annual General Meeting of the PMCPA held on July Ilth 2023 at the Pinner Methodist Church in Love Lane, Members of the Association were invited to ratify the appointments of the new Trustees.

Following an extensive recruitment process in which over 130 people expressed an interest in applying for the vacancies available, 30 applicants were shortlisted and 15 people interviewed. The field was of  exceptional quality with many serving clinical professionals and several others of great skill and experience being included within the shortlisted group, It was a difficult task for the selection panel.

Eight interviewees were appointed and the AGM unanimously accepted their candidature for the position of a Trustee.

They will each undertake a leadership role on the Board and each will also serve as an assistant to another Trustee in their own area of responsibility. In this way a team approach will develop and the work of the  PMCPA will enjoy a strong philosophy of togetherness by sharing tasks and developing a good degree of shared knowledge.

We are hoping to add to our list of services as the work of the Board of Trustees develops. The roles assigned to each Trustee will follow at the end of this piece.

Introducing...

Who's Who

Carers Cafe

A carer's cafe is held once a month by the Patient Association Group and it is held at the Pinn Medical Centre were refreshments are available. A carer is someone who is looking after a family member, friend or  someone they may look after by supporting them with their individual care.

The carers cafe benefits the carer, as it is a way for them to discuss any concerns and spend some free time with other carers of similar circumstances.

This year the Pinn Medical Centre hosted a Carers Event on the 22nd of February 2023 in the Pinner Methodist Church. Carers came along with questions for the professionals to answer and were provided with  support. A wide range of services attended including the lead for Harrow Carers, the Pinn Medical Centre's Social Prescriber along with The Patient Association Group, Carers Benefit advice team who offered  support to explain and advise the different benefits that carers are entitled to.

An appointment with our new Patient Liason Officer

Tracy Dorman

How long have you been working at the pinn and what did you do before?

Before joining the Pinn in January 2023, I was employed by the Central and North West London NHS Trust working with adults and adolescents with Mental Health problems.

What makes you laugh?

My family and work colleagues! I also love stand up comedy.

How do you relax after work?

I go swimming and enjoy walking.

What is your favourite food?

I love all food.

If stranded on a desert island, what three things would you want with you?

I would like a good book to read with some matches to light a fire and lastly a blanket for when it gets cold.

What's your favourite film or program?

I love Romance Films my favourite is The Lucky One.

What was the last book you read?

Pride and Prejudice Brilliant book.

If you could have dinner with any three people (living or dead) who would it be?

Hunnam, Theo James and George Charlie Michael.

What would you do if you were health minister for a week?

Firstly, I would listen to what Doctors and Nurses have to say and address their concerns. I would ensure NHS care is underpinned by compassion. I would do a survey to find out why recruiting for clinical staff is so  difficult and how we can address this, trying to in encourage people to want to work for the NHS in all areas.

I would like to bring back walk-in centres on certain days of the week to support working people and their families.

The Pinn Medical Centre's Management Team

Since our last newsletter, there have been a number of changes to our management team. We thought it would be helpful to share with you a brief summary of who our management team are and their key roles.

Meet the management team

Paediatric Life Support

Prior to the pandemic, The Pinn regularly hosted patient health education evenings. We relaunched this program earlier this year with two Basic Life Support Events for our patients with young children. It was hosted in the Pinner Parish Hall, we wish to express our appreciation to the venue for providing us with their fabulous facilities and making the event a huge success.

In total, the two events have helped over 65 of our patients learn Basic Life Support skills. It was a lot of fun and an enjoyable evening, bringing the community together and a sense of community spirit. The feedback we got from the attendees on the night was very positive and welcoming.

If there are other health education events that you would like us to deliver, please do get in touch and we will consider this for our upcoming program.

Who's New At The Pinn

There have recently been some new health care professionals join The Pinn Medical Centre and we would like to warmly welcome them to our multidisciplinary, patient-centered team.

Allied healthcare professionals:

Ms Ayesha Hussain is our new Physician Associate who provides consultations for patients with a range of medical presentations, with the support of a GP's supervision. She joins Mr Daniel Kirk, our other Physician  Associate, who has been at the Pinn for a few years now. Both are valued members of our medical team, they are able to examine and investigate a range of medical presentations and are extensively supported by  our GP team.

Ms Nandi Patel, our clinical pharmacist, has returned from maternity leave. We are so thrilled to have her back and hear of her little one thriving. Nandi re-joins our wonderful clinical pharmacy team, which  comprises of four pharmacists and one pharmacist technician, who are key in prescription and medication management at the practice. The team also do a range of other key patient-centred roles, including  medication reviews, asthma reviews and respiratory management.

Nursing:

We are delighted to say that in recent months, Ms June Elliott has taken on the role of Lead Nurse at the Pinn Medical Centre, following her experience at the medical centre she is training new nurses, vaccinating  housebound and care home patients whilst overseeing several nursing priorities at the practice.

We are very pleased that she has taken on the Enhanced Nurse Practitioner role for some of her time at the surgery, focusing on supporting patients with complex morbidity and frailty.

Ms Katherine Gardener completes her Practice Nurse training this month, having been supervised by June Elliott and Dr Hannah Bundock and we are delighted to announce that she will be staying on at the practice as a Practice Nurse.

Some of her work will focus on women's health and respiratory medicine and we really value her interest and enthusiasm in these areas of nursing healthcare.

GPs:

Dr Sabha Naem has returned from maternity leave and we are excited to have her back. We also have two new GPs, Dr Abhinav Vepa, who joined in August and Dr Tara Urquhart, who is joining us shortly. I hope you will all join us in welcoming them to our large doctor team!

Non-clinical staff:

We have a number of new non-clinical staff and we welcome them all to our team.

Ms Tracy Dorman is of particular interest to patients, being our new Patient Liaison Officer.

She has made strong links already with the Pinn Medical Centre Patients' Association (PMCPA) and with the Personalised Care Team in our group of practices locally.

We are also welcoming Ms Maithili Agarwal soon to our team as our new IT administrator.

Personalised care team:

We are part of a primary care network (PCN) called Healthsense PCN, which is a group of 7 practices working together on certain initiatives to improve patient health locally.

Healthsense PCN has recently employed a number of healthcare professionals that are known as the Personalised Care Team. This includes two Social Prescribers who are able to help patients with providing signposting and advice regarding a number of social and wellbeing needs.

The team also has two Health and Wellbeing Coaches who are able to help patients with their approach to their health conditions and wellness.

And finally, the team includes two care coordinators who are helping to identify patients with certain health needs, assist the Social Prescribers and Health and Wellbeing coaches with patient care and organise  some key health interventions for patients.

If patients think they may benefit from seeing the Personalised Care Team, please discuss this with a healthcare professional at the Pinn.

Measles - Update

Measles is a highly infectious disease that spreads very easily and can cause serious complications especially in young children. Unfortunately, cases of measles are rising especially in London and are set to rise as  winter approaches risking serious illness like pneumonia, meningitis hospitalisation and long term disability.

The good news for parents and carers is that 2 doses of the MMR vaccine can give lifelong protection against measles, mumps and rubella -all serious infectious diseases. Two doses are needed- one given at 12  months of age and the second around 3 years. We know that vaccination levels dropped during the pandemic, so a lot of children maybe unprotected. It is never too late for your child to get these critical  vaccinations, we will be happy to discuss through any questions or concerns you might have.

If your child hasn't had a first or second dose, or you are just not sure what they have and haven't (use your child's red book to check) you can contact the Pinn Medical Centre via PATCHs. If they have not had two  doses we strongly advise you to complete the course and arrange an appointment, so these important vaccines can be given to protect your child.

Protect yourself and others against flu and Covid-19 this winter

During the colder months, flu and Covid-19 spread more easily as we spend more time indoors. Both flu and Covid viruses can have a serious impact on people's health, which can lead to admission into in hospital  or even death. If you're eligible, getting your vaccine will help protect you and those around you over the winter months.

Eligibility Criteria:

Flu vaccinations

• those aged 65 years and over
• those aged 6 months to under 65 years in clinical risk groups
• pregnant women
• all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2023
• primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6) Children aged 2 - 17 will be offered the flu nasal spray or vaccine, and those in school will have the option to have it during their school day
• those in long-stay residential care homes
• carers in receipt of carer's allowance, or those who are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person
• close contacts of immunocompromised individuals
• frontline workers in a social care setting without an employer led occupational health scheme including those working for a registered residential care or nursing home, registered domiciliary care providers,  voluntary managed hospice providers and those that are employed by those who receive direct payments (personal budgets) or Personal Health budgets, such as Personal Assistants

Covid vaccinations

• residents in a care home for older adults
• all adults aged 65 years and over
• persons aged 6 months to 64 years in a clinical risk group,
• frontline health and social care workers
• persons aged 12 to 64 years who are household contacts of people with immunosuppression
• persons aged 16 to 64 years who are carers and staff working in care homes for older adults.
• Currently there is a new strain of Covid-19 which is spreading in the community and causing potentially more severe illness.

The Pinn Medical Centre will offer patients BOTH vaccines during the same appointment as recommended by NHS guidance.

We strongly advise those eligible to have the booster and flu vaccines to come forward so as to reduce the risk of serious illness, hospital admissions or worse.

The NHS App

Did You Know That You Can View Your Full Health Record And Results On The NHS App?

Learn more and download the app

A little thank you

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you, for all the help and support everyone has provided to the Pinn Medical Centre over the years and for years to come.

We remain appreciative and humbled by the indomitable community spirit of all our patients who make the Pinn Medical Centre what it is today!

A huge thank you from all the staff at the Pinn Medical Centre.

In the words of Mother Teresa, when we work together we can achieve the impossible!

Published: Nov 14, 2023