News

New school and university term prompts GPs to remind parents about vaccinations and hygiene

With the start of the autumn term imminent for Sheffield’s school, colleges and universities GPs in the city are reminding parents of young pupils and older students to check their vaccinations are up to date as part of the “Healthy Start, Bright Future” campaigns.

Children are offered different vaccines by the NHS at different stages of their childhood to protect against the most serious diseases.   Children aged 3 years, 4 months old are offered the MMR booster and the 4-in-1 pre-school booster to protect against serious illnesses from polio, tetanus diphtheria and whooping cough.

At secondary school parents are asked to consent for their children to have the HPV vaccine from 12 years to protect against future cancers, such as cervical or penile cancer, and against genital warts.

The Td/IPV vaccine, or 3-in-1 teenage booster, protects against tetanus, diphtheria, polio, and the MenACWY vaccine protecting against meningitis strains is offered too.

University and college students are reminded to ensure they are up to date with their vaccines to protect against meningitis, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and cancers caused by HPV.

For the newest pupils going into Reception GPs stress the importance of teaching children about basic hygiene, washing hands or using the toilet independently before school starts

Dr Lucy Cormack, GP and Medical Director at Primary Care Sheffield said:

Vaccination is one of the most important things we can do to give children the absolute best start in life. Therefore, it is important that your child is up-to date with their vaccinations before they start school.  That is whether they are going for the first time, returning after the holidays, or even moving to college or university.

A recent survey from UKHSA (UK Health Security Agency) shows most parents have confidence in the NHS vaccination program, with 89% agreeing that vaccines work, are safe (84%) and trusted (82%). Yet the rate of childhood vaccinations has fallen to worrying levels in the last 10 years putting individuals, families, and communities at risk.  We know cases of measles and whooping cough have been increasing and are having a devastating impact on some vulnerable children.

If children are not vaccinated, whether aged 3 or 18, they are just not protected.  If they are not protected, nor are other children who are yet to have their vaccinations, therefore you will be protecting not only individuals but the community from serious illness and protecting the NHS from unnecessary hospital admissions.

I ask parents, and students soon off to university or college, to take a moment, check their Red Book or contact their GP to see if their children's vaccinations are up to date.  If there are any gaps, then please call your GP practice or use the NHS App to arrange a vaccination appointment today.”

As well as protecting your children through vaccination, I ask parents to teach their children about basic hygiene steps before school starts. Young children are unlikely to understand the importance of personal hygiene so teaching them how and when to wash their hands properly, particularly before and after eating and after using the toilet will be invaluable in keeping them safe from catching illnesses at school.

As a GP and a busy mum, now of older children, I remember and know that there are many things to think about before the new term starts. Vaccination and teaching basic hygiene are important ones on the list.

HSJ Award Shortlist

Primary Care Sheffield is delighted to announce that an innovative project delivered by its PCS|Practice team has been named as a finalist in the Digitising Patient Care category at this year’s prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Awards.

The HSJ Awards recognise an outstanding contribution to healthcare and Primary Care Sheffield is proud to announce that the work the PCS|Practice teams have done to make it easier for patients to get the care they need has been selected as a finalist from over 1350 entries for this year’s awards.

Primary Care Sheffield runs nine practices – PCS|Darnall, PCS|North Darnall, PCS|Highgate, PCS|Mulberry, PCS|City, PCS|Heeley, PCS|Sothall, PCS|Buchanan and Harold Street – which had previously been financially unviable or had other issue which might lead them to close.  These practices are largely in areas of high deprivation, with a large number of patients for whom English is not their first language. The practices have been working hard over the last year to change the way they work and introduce a brand new system to get rid of the 8am appointment rush and make it easier for patients to get access to the care they need.

Lynsey Hughes, Primary Care Sheffield’s Director of Operation’s said “We’re delighted to be shortlisted for at the HSJ Awards 2024. The practice teams deserve this for the work they have done. They are hugely dedicated to their patients and have worked so hard to make improvements to services. I am so proud that their work has been recognised at a national level.

“Whatever the result ‘on the night’, we already feel like winners for getting this far and want to make sure we share everything we have learned with other practices who want to take the same journey.”

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan, adds; “The judges picked out PCS|Practices with their work standing out as a real ‘success story’ worthy of a prized place on the panel’s shortlist. We can’t wait to welcome Primary Care Sheffield to the awards ceremony in November and to recognise and applaud such impressive achievements across the sector.”

The winner of the Digitising Patient Care Award will be announced at the official awards ceremony to be held in London on 21st November 2024.

The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ awards can be found at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/ alongside details of the Awards partners at https://awards.hsj.co.uk/partners.

Ongoing violent disorder

We are aware that the ongoing violent disorder orchestrated by the Far Right is causing a great deal of anxiety for many patients. I you would like a telephone call instead of face-to-face appointment please let us know and we will facilitate this if we can. There are some conditions where we will need to examine you.

If you are struggling to sleep or feeling increasingly anxious please go to NHS Sheffield Talking Therapies or call 0114 2264380 to access psychologically informed help. They have self help guides but you can also refer yourself for an appointment.

BMA Collective Action: Practices Open As Usual

GP partners have voted in favour of taking part in collective action. This difficult decision has been taken because funding for GP services no longer matches the increased demands on the system. This has led to practices becoming overstretched and unable to offer the care that our patients deserve.  

This action is necessary because the system is broken with fewer doctors seeing more patients, without the resources they need. General Practice currently provides over 1.5m appointments per month and 65% of those are face to face - a significant increase from pre-pandemic levels. Overall practices receive around 7% of the NHS budget whilst providing over 90% of the patient contacts.  

Please note that practices will remain open during the period of collective action and will continue to provide appointments to patients. However, GPs will stop doing some of the unfunded additional back office work that they have had to take on to keep the wider health service running.  

Whilst the disruption to patient facing services will be kept to a minimum you may find that you are given an appointment by other healthcare professionals like nurses, physios, and pharmacists or be directed to other services if that is the most appropriate way to deal with your problem. This is to ensure that we deliver safe and effective care for those that need it and we use other services where it is safe and appropriate to do so.  

Our GP Patient Survey Results

We are really pleased to have received our results from this year’s national survey of GP patients. The survey is one of the ways we engage with patients, and we use the information it provides to help us improve the services we provide. Find out more about the all the different ways we get feedback from patients here. 

This year results show some areas for improvement, which we will be working on and report back in the coming weeks. However, the overall practice satisfaction score has increase by 2% and more patients felt involved in decisions than the averages seen nationally. We are also keen to support more patients to engage in future as very few patients engaged.

Read the full results by clicking the link below: 

GP_Infographic_Clover.pptx.

Industrial Action

Unions representing doctors in training have announced a number of strikes. Ambulance services, patient transport and NHS111 are not part of this industrial action.

• The NHS is working hard to keep patients safe during strikes, while delivering the best care possible, and patients should continue to attend appointments as planned unless contacted to reschedule.  
• Nobody should put off seeking only urgent or emergency care during the strikes, with key services continuing to operate. Please continue to call 999 in an emergency.  
• Anyone who has an appointment which is affected by the industrial action will be contacted.  
• We are asking people to attend any of their health and care appointments as usual if they haven’t been contacted.  
• Please continue to use or contact NHS111 first for general guidance, advice and urgent care needs, this is a free service available 24 hours a day. 

Thank you.

Cervical Screening Guide Video

This video is a useful watch for anyone nervous about attending a smear, it gives a walk through of what will happen.

Watch Here

Cervical Screening Awareness Week 17 - 23 June 2024

Cervical screening is an important tool in the fight against cancer. With nearly 1 in 3 not attending their cervical screening test we want to share where to find information and support if you’re worried about cervical screening or your screening results.

What is cervical screening?

Cervical screening is a way of preventing cervical cancer (cancer of the cervix). It uses tests to find abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix.

The first part of cervical screening is to have a smear test. This is also called the cervical screening test.

We have more information about having a smear test.

How painful is a cervical screening (smear) test? Does it hurt?

A cervical smear test should not hurt, but sometimes it can feel uncomfortable. If you're worried about the test causing you pain, your GP or practice nurse can explain ways they can make the test easier for you.

What is a cervical screening (smear) test looking for?

A cervical screening test checks for abnormal cell changes in the cervix. Cervical cell changes are common, and often improve naturally. But sometimes these changes need treatment because there is a risk they may develop into cancer.

In England, Scotland and Wales, the sample is tested for a virus called HPV first. Samples that show high-risk HPV are then checked under a microscope for abnormal cells. 

In Northern Ireland, the sample of cells are now also first tested for HPV.

The aim of cervical screening is to check for certain types of HPV and any abnormal cell changes early that might develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.

Do I need cervical screening if I’m a virgin or from the LGBTQ+ community

Cervical screening is for anyone who has a cervix, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The aim of cervical screening is to check for certain types of HPV and any abnormal cell changes early that might develop into cervical cancer if left untreated. You can get HPV through:

• vaginal, oral or anal sex
• any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area
• sharing sex toys

You're still at risk of cervical cancer if:

• you've had the HPV vaccine – it does not protect you from all types of HPV, so you're still at risk of cervical cancer
• you've only had 1 sexual partner – you can get HPV the first time you're sexually active
• you've had the same partner, or not had sex, for a long time – you can have HPV for a long time without knowing it
• you're a lesbian or bisexual – you're at risk if you've had any sexual contact
• you're a trans man with a cervix
• you've had a partial hysterectomy that did not remove all of your cervix

If you've never had any kind of sexual contact with a man or woman, you may decide not to go for cervical screening when you're invited. But you can still have a test if you want to. If you would be happy to discuss it, making the practice aware of your decisions and reasons is helpful in ensuring we stop keep contacting you, and that we can understand the reasons people chose not to have screening.

If you're not sure whether to have cervical screening, please book an appointment to talk to our nurse.

If you are a trans man or non-binary person and have a cervix, you should have screening too. But, you may not be sent an invitation if you are registered as male with your GP. Tell your GP if you want to have cervical screening, so they can arrange regular tests for you.

You do not need cervical screening if you are a trans woman or were assigned male at birth.

Places to find out more

Cervical Screening Awareness Week (macmillan.org.uk)

Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust | Cervical Cancer Charity (jostrust.org.uk)

Cervical screening - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

#MentalHealthAwarenessWeek

Tell us what you think - new appointment system

We would like feedback from our patients around our new appointment system.

Please use the link below to let us know if you were able to get to see the person you wanted to at your last appointment.

Take the survey

We are making changes which will make getting an appointment easier and fairer

We want to put an end to the 8am appointment lottery and to make it much easier for you to get the help you need.

That’s why we are making changes which will make getting an appointment easier and fairer.

What is changing?

We are always looking for ways to improve the experience of our patients. 

At the moment some of our appointments are given out on a “first-come, first-served” basis to those who can call the practice each morning at 8am. It’s definitely not the best way of doing things.

That is why we are introducing a new booking system which will get you the help you need more quickly and conveniently. To make this happen we are introducing a new computer system called “Anima” and putting in place a specialist team of health professionals whose job will be to improve the process of getting an appointment at the practice.

We will be texting patients on the evening of 19^th April or over that weekend to allow patients to register. The service will go live on 22^nd April 2024.

How will things change for me?

You will have some new ways that you can book an appointment with us through our website but, don’t worry, you can still telephone us if that is what you would prefer.

The biggest benefit is that these changes will mean there will be no more “morning rush” to queue on the telephones. No matter what time you contact us all our appointments will be prioritised by our clinical team based on medical urgency.

Other changes will include:

• More ways for you to request an appointment.
• Your case will be assessed by our clinical team who will decide the best plan is for you.
• If you care for others, you can complete an online request for them quickly and efficiently.
• You can easily log in to see the status of your request and the outcomes of your current and past appointment requests.
• You will be asked questions without medical jargon.
• You don’t need to discuss any medical issues over the phone - you can send an online request helping to improve confidentiality.
• The system is easier to use if English is not your first language, if you are deaf, or have hearing difficulties.
• Sometimes a GP is not the best person to help you with your medical concern.  Our clinical team is made up of lots of different specialties and the new system will offer you the best – and earliest appointment for your individual needs.
• If you do not need to be seen urgently, you will be able to easily choose the most convenient appointment from those available.
• You will get a text message and email to keep you updated about your appointment times.

Wishing all our staff, patients and those celebrating a Happy Eid! 💙

Published on 10th Apr 2024

Answers to some of your questions about the new booking system

We have made changes to the way you book an appointment. The aim is to make it easier to get an appointment and to do away with the 8.30am rush for appointments which is neither fair or clinically appropriate.

Now, to get an appointment a team of clinicians will go through your symptoms and will make sure you get the help you need as fast as possible.

We have been asking for feedback from patients to make sure that this new approach is meeting your needs.

Here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions we have received from patients about this new system.

Staying safe with diabetes during Ramadan

If you're living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and plan to fast during the holy month of Ramadan, this free online course will help you to prepare and support you to stay healthy and manage your diabetes safely during this time.

Diabetes UK also has lots of really helpful information on their website to support you during Ramadan (available in Urdu, Bengali, Arabic and English).

Anyone experiencing diabetes-related complications should seek urgent medical advice when they need it.

Making it easier to book an appointment

We want to put an end to the 8am appointment lottery and to make it much easier for you to get the help you need.

That’s why we are making changes which will make getting an appointment easier and fairer.

What is changing?

We are always looking for ways to improve the experience of our patients. 

At the moment some of our appointments are given out on a “first-come, first-served” basis to those who can call the practice each morning at 8am. It’s definitely not the best way of doing things.

That is why we are introducing a new booking system which will get you the help you need more quickly and conveniently. To make this happen we are introducing a new computer system called “Anima” and putting in place a specialist team of health professionals whose job will be to improve the process of getting an appointment at the practice.

We expect to make these changes by the end of this year and will keep patients updated as to our progress.

How will things change for me?

You will have some new ways that you can book an appointment with us through our website but, don’t worry, you can still telephone us or visit the practice if that is what you would prefer.

The biggest benefit is that these changes will mean there will be no more “morning rush” to queue on the telephones. No matter what time you contact us all our appointments will be prioritised by our clinical team based on medical urgency.

Other changes will include:

• More ways for you to request an appointment.
• Your case will be assessed by our clinical team who will decide what the best plan is for you.
• If you care for others, you can complete an online request for them quickly and efficiently.
• You can easily log in to see the status of your request and the outcomes of your current and past appointment requests.
• You will be asked questions without medical jargon.
• You don’t need to discuss any medical issues over the phone - you can send an online request helping to improve confidentiality.
• The system is easy to use if English is not your first language, if you are deaf, or have hearing difficulties.
• Sometimes a GP is not the best person to help you with your medical concern.  Our clinical team is made up of lots of different specialties and the new system will offer you the best – and earliest appointment for your individual needs.
• If you do not need to be seen urgently, you will be able to easily choose the most convenient appointment from those available.
• You will get a text message and email to keep you updated about your appointment times.

When will the new system be launched?

We plan to launch Anima from December 2023.  As with any new system we may experience teething challenges, but we aim to keep those to a minimum. For more information on Anima please visit https://www.animahealth.com/patients.

Do I need to do anything?

You will need to register to use Anima

https://patients.animahealth.com/signIn

We will send you a message close to when the new system is available to use.

Visit https://www.animahealth.com/patients

To register you will be sent a text message by the practice with a link to Anima. By clicking the link, you can set up an account by using an email address and creating a password. You will then be asked to verify email via the link sent. Then simply enter your own details Name, DOB, Sex, Postcode, Telephone Number, GP practice and NHS number if known. Once an account is created you can then submit you request to the practice.

Tell us what you think.

We believe that this new way to book an appointment will improve the experience for patients.

However, we want to understand your views so please take our short survey for patients.

Take the survey

Patient Notice Jan 2023

Dear patients,

We are aware of the ongoing pressures facing General Practice in England and acknowledge our patients’ frustrations in accessing appointments at Highgate. We share your frustrations and wish to apologise to those that haven’t received the service they clinically need. Many of our team have worked in General Practice for several years and have never experienced pressure like this in the NHS across this time. This is a national problem and is due to an ageing patient population with complex health issues, a lack of GPs and other clinicians, causing understaffing and extreme winter illnesses including Covid, Flu and Strep A resulting in increased demand from patients. We want to reassure you that we are working extremely hard and are constantly exploring options to try to create additional capacity. We continue to consult patients face-to-face and over the telephone and manage all the administrative work that comes with it, such as requesting tests, making referrals, reading hospital correspondence and liaising with patients as necessary, which is outside of the clinic time. As an example of the additional pressure the system is facing, Highgate call volumes have increased by 25% in the last 2 months.

Practices and the Sheffield’s NHS are working together to try to address access issues by putting on more centralised appointments in places like Darnall for patients to access. We continue to attempt to recruit more clinical staff, particularly GPs. We have engaged locum GPs to ensure continuation of service for patients, this is at an increased cost to the practice.

To try to understand how we can improve the experience for patients in Highgate we have listened to patient and staff feedback and have spent time listening to incoming calls and observing reception. From this there are several changes we intend to make but we also need patients help to make it work. We are going to :-

• Move to mainly face-to-face appointments in response to patient request. Emergency appointments may still be over the phone to allow us to squeeze in more capacity
• Increase the number of pre-bookable appointments again in line with patient feedback.

Increasing pre-bookable appointments will reduce the number of on-the-day appointments, so to make sure patients with urgent needs are seen, we are asking patients to consider whether they need an appointment. Highgate has an unusually high number of appointment requests for new onset cough, colds, blocked noses and headaches. Many of these ailments will resolve by themselves without treatment and therefore do not require an appointment. Please do not call with a new cough and cold symptoms unless you are seriously unwell. There are many resources to help patients decide what they need these include Health A to Z - NHS (www.nhs.uk),  or 111 which can be called or used online at Get help for your symptoms - NHS 111 . We are exploring how we ensure patients with conditions that require self-care don’t book all the appointments, preventing those that need treatment seeking help. Highgate also has a high number of requests for over-the-counter medications or medications which are not already being prescribed. All of these requests take GP time away from seeing patients, therefore we are asking patients to also consider purchasing cough syrup and paracetamol from pharmacies or supermarkets. Sheffield NHS also provides the Minor Ailments Scheme, anyone who doesn’t normally pay for prescriptions from their GP, for example because they’re under 16, over 60 or on benefits is eligible for the scheme and will not need to pay for the medicine that the pharmacist suggests.

For example, the pharmacy can deal with:

• Mild skin conditions, such as acne, eczema, psoriasis, impetigo, athlete’s foot
• Coughs and colds, including blocked nose (nasal congestion), and sore throats
• Bruises, sunburn, and minor burns and scalds
• Constipation and piles (haemorrhoids)
• Hay fever, dry eyes and allergies (including rashes, bites and stings)
• Aches and pains, including earache, headache, migraine, back pain and toothache
• Vomiting, heartburn, indigestion, diarrhoea and threadworms
• Period pain, thrush and cystitis
• Head lice (nits)
• Conjunctivitis, cold sores and mouth ulcers
• Warts and verrucas
• Nappy rash and teething

We continue to experience patients that do not attend their appointments, even urgent appointments which are booked on the day. We ask that if an appointment is booked, patients attend as planned or let us know so we are able to offer the appointment to someone else.

One final area of concern has been the increase in verbal aggression towards practice staff. We are therefore reinforcing our zero-tolerance policy will not tolerate aggression towards staff, and patients will be removed from the practice register where applicable.

We hope the above actions help patients in the most need to get to the service they need and improve the communications between the practice and patients but we will continue to work with the community and NHS leaders to develop our response. If you want to get involved, please consider joining our patient participation group (PPG) by contacting the reception team.

Enhanced Access

We as NHS settings with many vulnerable patients accessing our surgeries ask that patients continue to wear a face covering, maintain social distance and sanitise hands regularly when in the building. 

Our Patient Charter

Our charter has been jointly created with our amazing patients, to help us all work together to improve the care our practice can provide.

Our aim is to provide patients with the best possible care within the resources available to us, and to deal with any problems as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Survey update

After conducting a survey earlier in the year and listening to patient feedback we have introduced a new telephone system across all the Clover Practices. One of the issues that was raised by patients was waiting on the line for the call to be answered. One of the improvements is there is now a queue buster where patients can request to be called back when they reach the front of the queue. This means there is no longer the need to wait on the line, we will call you. Sometimes it takes longer for the receptionist to answer the calls as they are dealing with complex patient queries and this can take longer to resolve. If a query isn’t urgent it is better to call the practice after 10.30am when it is less busy.  All calls are recorded for training and monitoring  purposes and this helps the practice to monitor how busy the telephones lines are. We are then able to move staff to where they are most needed. If you have any feedback about the new telephone system please let reception know or complete a friends and family questionnaire.

Smokefree Sheffield links

English https://youtu.be/f1G4lyR8r-M
Slovak https://youtu.be/619x_nmax9I

Useful Posters

Flu Facts

Sacmha lnfomation leaflet

SCCCC inclusive community care leaflet

Call and Chat Poster