Quay Lane & Downderry Surgery Patient Group
Newsletter
Welcome to the third edition of our PPG
Newsletter. In the last Newsletter we said
that we would let you know what the PPG had raised funds for at our
surgeries.
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Water Cooler for patients
24 hour blood pressure monitor
ECG machine for Downderry surgery
24hour ECG monitor and wheel chair for patient use
Minor surgery light for treatment room & ECG machine for Quay
Lane Surgery
2016 Blood pressure monitor, Sega weighing scales, blood pressure
cuffs for adult and child and an Otoscope
With the money raised from the Christmas Raffle and the cake stall at the
Priory Craft Fair we have been able to purchase a new defibrillator.
We have approached Waitrose green token scheme to raise funds for
refurbished /new waiting room chairs for both surgeries. Unfortunately
there is a long waiting list so are unsure when this will happen. Watch this
space to find out when it does. Venetia Lynch
Practice
---------------------------------------------------------------News by Debbie Todd, Practice Manager
Car Parking Issues at St. Germans – there have been numerous
incidents over the past couple of months in the
surgery car park resulting in damage to staff cars,
patients’ cars and surgery property (on average
one incident per week). This is very stressful for
everyone involved. Please be mindful of cars
around you when parking your car, please ensure that your handbrake is
on fully/in gear when leaving your car and please drive slowly in and out
of the car park, thank you.
HAVE YOU EVER FAILED TO TURN UP OR CANCEL YOUR
APPOINTMENT AT THE SURGERY?
DO YOU STRUGGLE TO GET AN APPOINTMENT?
During the last 3 months (Nov, Dec and Jan) we have had 307 appointments
wasted because patients have failed to turn up or cancel their appointment. This
has resulted in a total of:
 14 hours of GP time
 36 hours and 20 minutes of Nursing time
 5 hours of counselling time
This time could have been offered to other patients!
WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU LET US KNOW IF YOU CANNOT ATTEND
YOUR APPOINTMENT SO THAT WE CAN OFFER IT TO SOMEONE ELSE
Magazines - Whilst we welcome donations of magazines
for our waiting room we kindly ask you do not donate
anything over 6 months old, thank you.
Save the Fish Tank Campaign - Due to increased time pressures we
were finding it ever more difficult to maintain our fish
tank and had to consider getting rid of it. The PPG
suggested putting an advert in the surgery for a Fish
Friendly Volunteer. We are delighted to announce that
this proved very successful - a patient has very kindly
offered to come in on a regular basis and look after it.
Dogs - Do’s & Don’ts
Do not bring your dog inside the surgeries at St. Germans or
Downderry as they are clinical environments. Do tie them
up in the designated areas. Do not put your poo bags in or
next to our waste bins (they are not designed for this use).
Do not leave your poo bags outside our front door for staff
to pick up. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
We now offer Minor Illness Appointments
Our Practice Nurse, Celia, has been trained to deal
with minor illness and is able to prescribe
medication for certain conditions. This relieves
pressure on the GP’s and could also get you seen
quicker. If you have any of the following conditions
then you can book an appointment to see Celia:









Sore throat or coughs
Eye infections
Earache, sinus problems
Hay fever
Chest infections
Minor stomach complaints
Constipation, diarrhoea
Urine infections
Skin complaints:o rashes
o minor allergic reactions
o insect bites
o stings
o sunburn
Celia holds clinics on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
and has dedicated slots for minor illness (please ask for one of these
appointments when booking).
Changed your details?
If you have changed your telephone number or e-mail address then please
don’t forget to let us know.
Dementia
by Dr Jon Carty
Dementia is a condition which can affect short term memory, and cause difficulties with thinking, problem solving or language. It is estimated to affect
850,000 people in the UK and is most common over 65 years of age, but can
affect younger people. Figures show that 1 in 14 patients over 65 will have
dementia but also that 42,000 people under 65 in the UK will have dementia.
The most common cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease in which connections between brain cells are damaged and then die. Early symptoms include
day to day memory loss, word finding difficulties, problem solving and making
decisions. In Vascular Dementia brain cells die when they are starved of oxygen because of narrowing or blockage of blood vessels. The symptoms can
occur suddenly after a large stroke or more slowly due to repeated small
strokes. Many people have a combination of Alzheimer's disease and Vascular
Dementia.
The most effective way to reduce the chances of developing dementia is to
live a healthy lifestyle especially during middle age. A diet low in salt and saturated fat will help, a Mediterranean diet is perfect. Regular physical exercise
as well as maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and drinking alcohol in
moderation can reduce the risk of developing dementia. Keeping the brain
active by socialising, doing puzzles, reading or learning a new skill can also
lower the risk of dementia. Volunteer work provides excellent mental and social activity. Ensuring eyesight and hearing are as good as possible is also of
vital importance.
If you are worried about yourself or a relative there is a quick and easy screening test that can be carried out by a GP, just make an appointment.
More information is available from Dementia
UK https://www.dementiauk.org/ and The Alzheimer's Society https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/