We will be installing a new telephone system on Tuesday 16th April. We have been assured that there will be minimum disruption but would appreciate your patience if calls take a little longer to be answered. Thank you.

In most circumstances referrals are now uploaded to the Electronic Referral Service and patients will receive an email allowing them to choose (and sometimes make an appointment with) the clinic or hospital they would like to attend. Patients can then click on the relevant link to complete the referral.

If patients do not have internet access there will be a telephone number that they can call to do this.

In certain clinical circumstances our secretaries will continue to call the patient to discuss and complete the referral.

Click on this link for more information on the NHS Choice Framework

We are delighted to announce that Dr Simon Tolmie, has joined the practice in March. He comes from Glasgow and worked there as a GP for the last 6 years. In a past life he worked for a medical charity in Zambia with his wife Kirsty and drove an old Landrover back across Africa to Glasgow living on the roof! He now loves spending time with his children and walking with his mad collie Molly. He will be in the surgery on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

We are sad to announce that after 20 years with Lindfield Medical Centre, Dr Sheryl Knight will be retiring at the end of March 24, and will be greatly missed. There will be a book in reception for patients to leave messages should they wish to.

• Measles outbreaks happen when not enough children have been vaccinated 
• Measles can be a very serious disease leading to ear and chest infections, fits, diarrhoea, and damage to the brain. Measles can kill. 
• Your child is at risk of measles if they haven’t had the MMR vaccination. 
• 2 doses of MMR vaccine are needed to get the best protection 
• If your child is due to have had 2 doses of MMR but has not received them yet, no matter what age they are, you should contact your GP to get them vaccinated. 

For further information check www.nhs.uk 

22 – 28 JAN 2024

Around 3,200 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK each year. That’s nearly 9 cases diagnosed every day. Cervical screening can help to prevent cervical cancer, as this screening checks for a virus called high risk HPV. It is this virus that can cause changes in the cells of the cervix, that could go onto develop into cervical cancer. This means you can get any care or treatment you need early.

Did you know, that in addition to our Monday to Friday appointments, we also hold a cervical screening clinic (smear clinic) once a month on a Saturday. Please ask at reception for the next Saturday clinic. We still have appointments available Monday to Friday.

We are very pleased to announce that Dr Schofield joined the practice in November 2023. She previously worked in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk and has returned to Sussex to be near her friends and family. She enjoys hiking in her spare time and this year has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, and trekked to Everest base camp. She is a great addition to the team and will be in surgery from Monday to Thursday. 

Learn the signs of breast cancer | Breast Cancer Now 

CoppaFeel! | Check Your Chest | Breast Cancer Awareness Charity

As with previous Covid vaccination clinics, this will not be done in the surgery, but will be carried out centrally at Clair Hall. You can book via the NHS app or book online by going to www.nhs.uk and search for ‘covid vaccination’. Alternatively you book by ringing 119.

In accordance with NHS guidelines, if your birthday falls between 1/9/53 and 31/8/54 or 1/9/58 and 31/8/59 you are entitled to a shingles vaccination. Please contact the surgery to book an appointment with a nurse.

Please use the link to see when you will be eligible for the vaccination.

Shingles Timetable

We have been made aware that there have been recent scam calls from the number 020 3355 2376.

They say they are from a healthcare company or the health centre and request money for medication.

Please be assured that these calls are not from us and you should not discuss your details with them or make any payments.

If you have been invited for breast screening and for any reason missed it. It is not too late to be screened.

To book an appointment just call the West Sussex Breast Screening unit on 01903 239757.

See www.nhs.uk/breast for more information

Every 15 minutes somebody is diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK, that's nearly 43,000 people each year.Every 15 minutes somebody is diagnosed with bowel cancer in the UK, that's nearly 43,000 people each year.

April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about bowel cancer, led by Bowel Cancer UK.

Bowel cancer can be treated and cured if diagnosed early.

Being aware of the possible symptoms and signs of bowel cancer can help increase the chances of an early diagnosis and could save your life.

The symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

• Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
• A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit such as loose poo, pooing more often or constipation
• Needing to strain when you have already opened your bowels
• Unexplained weight loss
• Feeling breathless and/or tired for no obvious reason
• A pain or lump in your tummy or back passage

What is Ask for ANI?

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many victims of domestic abuse have found themselves more isolated and may be finding it difficult to access help and support. The Government has launched the ‘Ask for ANI’ domestic abuse codeword scheme to help victims access emergency support in the community.

The scheme was launched in conjunction with Boots Pharmacies, however Lindfield Medical Centre is also committed to providing this service too.

How does Ask for ANI work?

When a someone uses the codeword or asks for help, the member of staff will ask the victim to accompany them to a consultation room. They will then check whether the victim is in danger and wants the police to be called. If so, the staff member will offer the use of a phone to dial 999 or make the call on the victim’s behalf. This may be the only opportunity for a victim to contact the police and get immediate help, but in some cases the victim may not need emergency help and the staff member will assist them to contact a national domestic abuse helpline or local support service. They may also contact the police via 101.

Every day General Practice staff across the UK receive verbal, and sometimes physical abuse from the very people they are trying to help. This abuse must stop. It is not ok for our staff to be subjected to aggressive and abusive language when they are doing their job. The words that patients use stay with our staff long after they have finished their shift. Some become hardened to it, some think it’s part of the job. Others go home and cry, some might leave because they just can’t face another day of rude and aggressive language.

The video below is from the national campaign to raise awareness of this issue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ru4QhVZ2a8

Lindfield Medical Practice takes it very seriously if a member of staff or one of the doctors or nursing team is treated in a rude, abusive or violent way.

The Practice supports the government's 'Zero Tolerance' campaign for Health Service Staff. This states that GPs and their staff have a right to care for others without fear of being attacked or abused. To successfully provide our services a mutual respect between all the staff and patients has to be in place. All our staff aim to be polite, helpful, and sensitive to all patients’ individual needs and circumstances. They would respectfully remind patients that very often staff could be confronted with a multitude of varying and sometimes difficult tasks and situations, all at the same time. 

Our staff understand that ill patients do not always act in a reasonable manner and will take this into consideration when trying to deal with a misunderstanding or complaint. However, rude or aggressive behaviour, be it intimidating, violent or abusive, will not be tolerated and may result in you being removed from the Practice list and, in extreme cases, the Police being contacted.

In order for the practice to maintain good relations with their patients the practice would like to ask all its patients to read and take note of the occasional types of behaviour that would be found unacceptable:

• Using insulting language, bad language or swearing at practice staff
• Any physical violence towards any member of the Primary Health Care Team or other patients, such as pushing or shoving
• Verbal abuse towards the staff in any form including verbally insulting the staff
• Racial abuse and sexual harassment will not be tolerated within this practice
• Persistent or unrealistic demands that cause stress to staff will not be accepted. Requests will be met wherever possible and explanations given when they cannot
• Causing damage/stealing from the Practice's premises, staff or patients
• Obtaining drugs and/or medical services fraudulently
• We ask you to treat your GPs and their staff courteously at all times.

Patients should be mindful that our staff are following the rules, regulations and guidance as dictated by NHS England and the Management of the Practice. It is not in their power to change or alter these.
If you feel that you need to make a complaint, please refer to our complaints procedure detailed under the feedback and complaints section on the homepage.

Removal from the practice list

A good patient-doctor relationship, based on mutual respect and trust, is the cornerstone of good patient care. If any of the behaviours listed above are reported by a member of staff, a review will be held internally and a decision made if the patient should receive a warning letter. If and when trust has irretrievably broken down, it is in the patient’s interest, just as much as that of the Practice, that they should find a new practice. An exception to this is on immediate removal on the grounds of violence e.g. when the Police are involved.

Removing other members of the household

In rare cases, however, because of the possible need to visit patients at home it may be necessary to terminate responsibility for other members of the family or the entire household. The prospect of visiting patients where a relative who is no longer a patient of the practice by virtue of their unacceptable behaviour resides, or being regularly confronted by the removed patient, may make it too difficult for the practice to continue to look after the whole family. This is particularly likely where the patient has been removed because of violence or threatening behaviour and keeping the other family members could put doctors or their staff at risk.

PCN stands for Primary Care Network. PCNs are groups of GP practices working closely together - along with other healthcare staff and organisations - providing integrated services to the local population.

PCNs are based on general practice registered lists, typically serving natural communities of around 30,000 to 50,000 patients. They should be small enough to provide the personal care valued by both patients and healthcare professionals, but large enough to have impact and economies of scale through better collaboration between general practices and others in the local health and social care system, including community pharmacies.

Here is a short animation which explains what a PCN is:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W19DtEsc8Ys&feature=youtu.be

At Lindfield we have formed a PCN with Cuckfield Surgery and Ouse Valley Practice covering a population of just over 30,000 patients.

We have several additional roles staff working in our practices, most of whom rotate around the three practices. We hope you will welcome them and we look forward to them improving patient care for our population. These are the staff you may be offered an appointment with at Lindfield.

Jacky Bannerman – Senior Clinical Pharmacist

Julie Miller – Social Prescriber/Link worker

Georgina Tasker – First Contact Practitioner for musculo-skeletal problems