James O’Riordan Medical Centre are pleased to announce an update to our Triage service. On Tuesday 5th September 2023, we will be introducing ‘Anima’, a new system which will replace the need to call through to the surgery.Anima seamlessly and confidentially integrates with your medical record bringing improvements to how you access care and appointments and how our staff assess your condition. Anima allows our Clinical Triage Team to continue to improve access times by helping us to direct you to the most appropriate care for your medical needs. This ensures we make use of our limited resources in the most safe and efficient way. All appointments will continue to be offered according to clinical urgency and need.Your request will be handled in exactly the same manner whether you complete the Anima request online yourself, or contact us via telephone, where our receptionists will ask the same questions to ensure equity of access for all patients. We would encourage all patients who can do so to use Anima, as this will prevent you needing to queue on the telephone and keep lines free for those who do not have internet access. Completing an Anima request yourself also provides you with more discretion should you prefer not to discuss your medical problem with one of our receptionists.More information is available on the Anima website patients.animahealth.com/. You will be able to register now and submit your Anima request from Tuesday 5th September 2023.We would like to ask for your patience whilst we change to Anima as we are aware that introducing any new system may have some teething troubles, however we are not anticipating any disruption.We have listened to patient feedback and hope you find Anima easier to use. We are really excited about this change and the benefits it will bring to all our patients and staff.What are the benefits to me as a patient?As a patient you will benefit from:·  Being able to log on to see the status and outcomes of your current and past requests. (Coming Soon: NHS Login will link to Anima).·  You will be asked questions based on your issues (asked without medical jargon)·  You can use the system in a number of languages·  Your medical records will be more complete for the future·  The practice responses will be clearer·  You will receive a text message and email to let you know when the practice has responded (no more missing emails in the junk box).·  You can provide all the information that the practice needs without waiting on the phoneWhat are the benefits to the practice?As a practice, James O’Riordan Medical Centre will benefit from:·  We will see your request in a clear structured format·  We will be able to save all the information about your requests in a structured way into your medical records – This will help staff when looking at your records for this episode of care or in the future.·  As patients can see the status of their request, we should get less duplicates that clog up the system.·  Your requests will be cleared to understand at first glance and so the team will be able to allocate correct people, thus making our turn around more efficient.·  Your requests will come into our system with a Red, Amber, Green rating with clear information about what responses have trigged the rating. This will allow the team to focus on any urgent requests.·  We will be able to provide clearer responses due to the way that Anima builds the response as we perform actions. These responses will be safer as well as it will be secured behind a log in. 

111 is the NHS non-emergency number. It’s fast, easy and free. Call 111 and speak to a highly trained adviser, supported by healthcare professionals. They will ask you a series of questions to assess your symptoms and immediately direct you to the best medical care for you. NHS 111 is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. In case of a life threatening emergency, please dial 999

Did you know that 10 of the most minor ailments seen by GPs can also be treated by you at home?By treating yourself at home you could save a trip to the surgery and free up time for the GPs to see patients with more serious health problems.Read about some of the most effective home treatments on the NHS website for:1.    Back pain2.    Dermatitis3.    Heartburn and indigestion4.    Nasal congestion (blocked nose)5.    Constipation6.    Migraines7.    Coughs8.    Acne9.    Sprains and strains10.HeadachesAntibioticsEach year 25% of the population visit their GP for a respiratory tract infection (eg sinus, throat or chest infection). These are usually caused by viruses. For patients who are otherwise healthy, antibiotics are not necessary for viral infections. These infections will normally clear up by looking after yourself at home with rest, plenty of fluids and paracetamol.Ear infections typically last 4 days, 89% of cases clear up on their own. A sore throat typically lasts 7 days, 40% of cases clear up after 3 days and 90% after 7 days without antibiotics. Sinusitis typically lasts 17 days, 80% clear up in 14 days without antibiotics. Cough/bronchitis typically lasts 21 daysAntibiotics reduce symptoms by only 1 dayAntibiotics only work for infections caused by bacteria. Taking unnecessary antibiotics for viral infections should be avoided because they may not be effective next time you have a bacterial infection.Patients with long-term conditions such as asthma, diabetes and COPD are eligible for flu and pneumococcal vaccinations. Ask at reception for more information.Medicine cabinetYou can treat many minor ailments such as colds, coughs and indigestion by keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home. We suggest you keep the following:Paracetamol and aspirin (children under 16 and people with asthma should not take aspirin)Mild laxativesAnti-diarrhoeal medicinesRehydration mixtureIndigestion remedy (for example, antacids)Travel sickness tabletsSunscreen – SPF15 or higherSunburn treatment (for example, calamine)Tweezers and sharp scissorsA thermometerA selection of plasters, non-absorbent cotton wool, elastic bandages and dressingsRemember: Keep the medicine chest in a secure, locked place out of reach of small childrenAlways read the instructions and use the suggested doseWatch expiry dates – don’t keep or use medicines past their sell-by dateTake all unwanted and out-of-date medicines back to the pharmacyOther NHS servicesAs well as our practice, there are many other local NHS services you can contact for health advice, information or treatment. You can ask your local pharmacist about lots of health issues, including when to visit your GP. And there’s no need for an appointment.