Patient Services

Primary Care Networks

Primary Care Networks (PCNs) are a key aspect of the NHS Long Term Plan, with general practices being a part of the network, typically covering 30,000-50,000 patients. PCNs, and the structures and funding they provide, allow services to be developed locally, in response to the needs of the patients in their area.

To support PCNs, the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS) provides funding for 26,000 additional roles to create bespoke multi-disciplinary teams. Primary care networks assess the needs of their local population and, working with local community services, make support available to people where it is most needed.

Clinical Pharmacy Services

Clinical Pharmacists

What is a Clinical Pharmacist?

As a Clinical Pharmacist I may be a little different to the pharmacist that you will be used to seeing on your local high street. I still have all the same training, but have developed extra skills and undergone further training to enable me to help you manage your medicines and health better.

When will you see me?

You may be referred to see me by a nurse, or GP – or you may see me first. We call this triage. I am able to write prescriptions to treat the conditions in which I have specialised. I also might reach out to you via a telephone call or text message to arrange an appointment with you.

Long term conditions

As a Clinical Pharmacist I can help you to manage your long term conditions. If you have a condition such as asthma, Type 2 diabetes, arthritis or high blood pressure I can discuss your medicines and make sure they are working for you. I can take time to go through things that you may have forgotten over time, like how to use your inhaler well, or getting the best from your blood glucose monitor, talk about dose timings, side effects and what you can expect. All those things that you were thinking that you didn’t want to bother your doctor with, or you forgot to ask in your usual appointment.

Organising your prescription queries

Together with the rest of the team, I’ll monitor requests for repeat prescriptions, checking you’ve had the right blood tests done, helping to sync up your medicines – and as I have a community pharmacy background, I’ll be able to help with all those niggly queries that can make your prescriptions tricky. I dealt with these things on the front line in pharmacy for many years – so I’ve seen most things before!

Although I won’t be giving you your medicines, I’ll have a line of communication into your local pharmacy, helping you to sort out availability issues and prescription problems.

Reviewing your medicines

If you have been taking medicines for a long time, you may see a clinical pharmacist periodically. We can review your medicines together, carry out health and blood pressure checks, and have time to talk together about the things that matter to you about your health and medicines. If we have any concerns we can’t resolve – we’ll pass those to your doctor.

After a stay in hospital

If your medicines have been started, or changed, in hospital, I might talk to you to explain these changes, and make sure you understand how your new medicines will work for you. I’ll be helping ensure that the information that comes from the hospital, gets transferred to your GP records properly, and that your new prescriptions are ready to go in the community – when you need them.

Pharmacy Technicians

Health and Wellbeing Service

Social Prescribing

Care Coordination

Health and Wellbeing Coaching

Acute Care Team

The Acute Care Team is a multi-disciplinary team made up of GPs, Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Paramedics and an Acute Care Team Care Coordinator. This team offers on the day appointments to patients between 8-6.30pm and are based at our Village surgery site. You can and will be offered a telephone or face to face appointment dependant on your medical problem and we can accomodate video consultations where requested. We will always do our best to accommodate your preferred option.

First Contact Physiotherapy

First Contact Practitioners (FCPs) are physiotherapists usually based in GP surgeries with an expertise in the assessment and management of musculoskeletal conditions. It involves placing physiotherapists directly into GP practices to treat patients who come into the clinic with musculoskeletal problems. They can help patients with musculoskeletal issues such as back, neck and joint pain by:

Assessing and diagnosing issues
Giving expert advice on how best to manage their conditions
Referring them onto specialist services if necessary.

First Contact Practitioners help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They are also able to provide referrals for patients requiring long-term ongoing physio care.

Patients with MSK conditions bypass the appointment with a GP, and go straight to get help with a specialist physiotherapist. Instead of the traditional method where they are seen by the GP then referred for a physio appointment which can take up to 6 weeks or more.

This makes wait and recovery times shorter, frees up GP appointments, and reduces the need for medication.

They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease.

You may be eligible for an appointment with a physiotherapist for the following problems:

All soft tissue injuries, sprains, strains or sports injuries – upper and lower limb
Arthritis – any joint
Possible problems with muscles, ligaments, tendons or bone, eg tennis elbow, carpal tunnel syndrome, ankle sprains
Spinal pain including lower back pain, mid-back pain and neck pain
Spinal-related pain in arms or legs, including nerve symptoms, eg pins and needles or numbness
Mobility changes
Post-orthopaedic surgery

Patients can book an appointment directly with the clinician via the surgery receptionists, which means they won’t need to wait for a referral from a doctor.

For more information on First Contact Practitioners please take a look at the following sites.

NHS England » First contact physiotherapists

Long Term Condition Services

How can GPS Healthcare help with Long Term Conditions?

WHAT IS A LONG TERM CONDITION?

Long term conditions are physical or mental health conditions that require ongoing management over a period of years; for example

Diabetes
COPD and respiratory conditions
Obesity
Heart Conditions
Dementia
Persistent pain
Fibromyalgia
Chronic fatigue syndrome/ME
Gastrointestinal conditions and IBS

Some people can suffer from multiple long term conditions. Living with a long-term condition brings challenges and it’s important to have the confidence, support and information to manage your health. Self-care can help you make the most of living with your condition(s), rather than avoiding or missing out on things because of it. Self-care puts you in control.

Some long term conditions require monitoring by your practice for example to check your medicines are helping or that you aren’t developing any complications of your condition. If you are invited to one of these reviews then please try to attend so that your practice can support you.

TIPS FOR LIVING WITH A LONG TERM CONDITION

HOW CAN LONG TERM CONDITIONS AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

There are many challenges involved, especially when dealing with difficult or unpleasant symptoms, procedures or treatments. It’s understandable that this can cause you to feel down, stressed or just not your usual self.

Please click for local mental health services. Mental Health Support Services | solihull.gov.uk

A long term condition can affect all aspects of your life. You can struggle to manage the changes that a health condition requires of you or find it more difficult to cope with your usual daily activities.

All of the Nurses, HCAs, Care Coordinators and Pharmacists support with long term conditions such as Diabetes, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), Asthma, COPD and they understand the mental strain you may feel.

Our practice staff can ensure you are booked in or referred for specialist support from within the PCN such as Clinical Pharmacists, Care Co-ordinator, Social Prescriber and Mental Health Link Workers.

Community Pharmacy Referral Scheme

Self Referral:

Pharmacists are experts in medicines who can help you with minor health concerns.

As qualified healthcare professionals, they can offer clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of minor illnesses, such as coughs, colds, sore throats, tummy trouble and aches and pains.

Please click on link below for more info and to find a pharmacy near you:

https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/prescriptions-and-pharmacies/pharmacies

GP Practice Referral:

Pharmacies now provide a service by taking referrals from GP practices. When you call into reception your condition may be eligible for a pharmacy referral – see image on the left for conditions that can be treated by pharmacists.

This is a faster than waiting for a GP appointment, meaning your condition can be treated on the day.

Reception recieve your query through telephone.
Referral is sent to you preferred pharmacy.
You recieve a telephone call from the pharmacist to discuss best treatment.

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Research

GPS Healthcare is actively supporting clinical research studies within primary care

The NHS Constitution states that Research is a core function of the NHS. Clinical Research is a major driver of innovation and central to NHS practice for maintaining and developing high standards of patient care.

Ultimately, clinical research means patients get access to new treatments, interventions and medicines. Investment in research means better, more cost effective care for patients.

What are the Benefits of GP practices taking part in Research?

It offers patients access to new treatments
It brings new dimension to practice and added skills to those involved
It provides national gold standard training for research
It offers mentorship and support to those involved in research within practice

All clinical research carried out at GPS healtcare is thoroughly checked and approved by ethical committees thus ensuring it is appropriate and safe to perform.

Your participation is entirely voluntary and can be withdrawn by yourself at any time without any explanation required.

You are under no obligation to participate in any research project

Your care and your relationship with your doctor or nurse will not be affected in any way if you decided not to take part in a research study. You will always receive clear information about what taking part in a research study would involve. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and obtain further details about a study.

If you do agree to take part in a study you will be asked to sign a consent form. This will clearly state which parts of your notes (if any) may be looked at for the purposes of the research study. Nobody from outside this practice will be given your contact details or have access to your medical records without your prior consent.

We are very grateful to any of our patients that have taken part in these studies in the past and would encourage patients to become involved in the future.

You can see full data governance policy for GPS on the website.

If you do not wish to be contacted for research studies please complete the OPT-OUT form.

Our current research clinical trials at GPS Healthcare

Patient Information Leaflet

GPS Healthcare Patient Information Leaflet