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LAWLEY MEDICAL PRACTICE Telephone 01952 560011 Fax 01952 501502 www.lawleymedical.co.uk Newsletter Winter Edition Welcome to Lawley Medical Practice’s Newsletter. These will be released quarterly to try and provide patient’s of Lawley Medical Practice with information about changes, anything new happening at the practice and any useful information. Christmas and New Year Opening Times Monday 24th December – Normal Opening Hours Tuesday 25th – CLOSED Wednesday 26th – CLOSED Thursday 27th – Normal Opening Hours Friday 28th – Normal Opening Hours Monday 31st – Normal Opening Hours Tuesday 1st January – CLOSED Wednesday 2nd – Normal Opening Hours Resume If you need urgent Healthcare when we are closed, please contact Shropdoc on 08444 068888. Flu Vaccines If you are eligible for the flu vaccine and have not yet had your vaccine this year, please ask at reception about booking an appointment. Staff Update We recently appointed a new GP, but unfortunately this did now work out. This has now left us with a shortfall of appointments which we are trying to cover, but at such short notice we are finding it hard to cover all clinics. Please bear with us as we work to resolve this situation. Antibiotics and the common cold Some people refer to a bad cold as flu; although a bad cold can make someone feel very ill, flu is a different condition and different viruses cause flu and cold. One or more of the following symptoms for a cold are present: Sneezing and Blocked nose (congestion) Runny nose (rhinorrhoea); beginning with watery fluid (mucus), then often changing to a thicker yellowish discharge. Sore throat. Pain on swallowing. Mild fever or temperature. Tiredness. Headache Coughing Antibiotics are not prescribed for the common cold because antibiotics do not work against viruses. Exceptions to this may be if the cold leads on to sinusitis, ear infection, tonsillitis, or develops into a chest infection. To relieve the symptoms the following may help: Drinking plenty of fluids is important. It is important to avoid smoking as this irritates the nose and throat. It may be helpful to sleep with more pillows. Other self help aids are decongestants, paracetamol or aspirin, vitamin c and or steam inhalations. 1 Keep Warm Keep Well The following tips can help people to keep warm and well and stay out of hospital during periods of cold weather: Ask your health or social care provider about staying healthy in winter and make sure you have sufficient medication if winter weather is forecast Keep curtains drawn and doors closed to block out draughts and wear several light layers of warm clothes (rather than one chunky layer) Food is a vital source of energy, which helps to keep your body warm. Try to make sure that you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day and keep active in the home if you can Wrap up warm if you need to go outside on cold days Keep your main living room at around 18-21°C (64-70°F), and the rest of the house at least 16°C (61°F). Maintain your heating to the right temperature (between 18°C/65°F (bedroom) and 21°C/70°F(dayroom), so you can keep warm and keep your bills as low as possible. Use room thermostats or other heating controls if you have them. Have a room thermometer so you can monitor the temperature indoors. If you can’t heat all the rooms you use, heat the living room during the day and the bedroom just before you go to sleep There are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills. It’s worthwhile claiming all the benefits you are entitled to and to access these before the winter sets in visit www.nhs.uk or www.gov.uk for more information Watch out for icy conditions- icy pavements and roads can be very slippery. Take extra care if you go out and wear boots or shoes with good grip on the soles. Make arrangements with friends and neighbours about clearing ice and snow from in front of your house and public walkways nearby, if you are unable to do this yourself. Find out more on how to safely clear icy roads at www.metoffice.gov.uk Keep an eye on the weather- visit www.metoffice.gov.uk and be prepared Look after yourself and check on older neighbours or relatives to make sure they are safe, warm and well Have your heating and cooking appliances checked. Carbon monoxide is a killer. Make sure that flues and chimneys are swept and checked for blockages and ventilation points are not blocked. If not connected to gas or electricity mains, and you use heating oil, LPG or wood products as the main heating source, make sure that you have a sufficient supply to avoid running out in winter. You should also fit an audible carbon monoxide alarm which is EN 50291-compliant, but fitting an alarm should not replace regular maintenance of appliances. Building Works for Care Home There are currently ongoing works around the practice for the new care home. If you have any problems and would like us to pass these on to the contractors then please speak to Reception, as they are trying very hard to keep disruption to a minimum. Patient Questionnaires We are currently circulating patient questionnaires regarding appointment awareness. If you would like to complete one and have not yet, then please ask at reception. The results will be out in the New Year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From everybody at Lawley Medical Practice 2