Why a new parking system?

Introduced on 20^th August 2024, the new system ensures free parking for patients with appointments at the health centre and visitors to the dentist and Reena Café, while maintaining access for ambulances and emergency vehicles.  A ten-minute grace period allows for those dropping off a patient or prescription request.  This grace period begins when you enter the car park and ends when you leave, allowing you to do so safely.

How did we inform patients?

Patients were notified on 6^th August.  Additionally, we posted updates on our website and Facebook page.  The car park has 19 signs outlining the rules, and considerable additional signage is placed throughout the building, including at reception, check-in screens, and in clusters.  Staff also remind patients to sign in when possible.

What if I get a PCN?

If you forget to enter your car registration, you need to follow the instructions on the PCN notice as appeals are handled by an external company.  You can however contact us for an appointment printout to support your appeal. 

We are unable to intervene further, however we hope you can see that this system has been introduced for the right reasons and we have made every effort to keep patients informed.

Have you considered a career as an Allied Health Professional (AHP)?  There are 15 unique roles that make up the AHP community, including emergency response, podiatry and physiotherapy amongst others.  We are allied health professionals | Health Careers

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can be debilitating for those who experience it.  OCD is an anxiety disorder.  Support and understanding can help to make this condition easier to live with.  OCD Awareness Week (rethink.org)

Putting your mental health first is important!  If you need additional support, you can find the help you need here: Mental health services - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

'No mind left behind' is the theme of this year's World Mental Health Day, ensuring that anyone experiencing poor mental health gets the support and treatment they need.  World Mental Health Day - Mind

Losing a baby at any stage of pregnancy can be devastating. Baby Loss Awareness Week aims to highlight the number of people that loss affects, and to ensure that the impact is not forgotten.  Baby Loss Awareness Week – Break the silence around baby loss (babyloss-awareness.org)

Stopping smoking is one of the most important things you can do to improve your overall health, reducing your long-term risks of many health conditions. Ex-smokers report having more energy, feeling healthier and benefitting from improved breathing after just two weeks! https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

Did you know that if you stay smoke free for just 28 days, you're five times more likely to quit for good? Why not try it this October? You can find a local stop smoking support service here: https://www.nhs.uk/.../find-your-local-stop-smoking-service/

Have you ever thought about going sober for October?  Giving up alcohol for a short period can be beneficial, and longer term an overall reduction in the amount of alcohol you drink can have health benefits.  Go Sober | Macmillan Cancer Support  Why not try giving up alcohol for the next 31 days?  You may find you benefit from better sleep, improved immunity and a sharper memory.

Dyspraxia is a condition that can affect fine and/or gross motor skills.  Intellectual ability is in line with the general public, but individuals may have physical challenges that affect their daily lives.  Dyspraxia (DCD) - British Dyslexia Association (bdadyslexia.org.uk) 

Your life, your choices. No one else should have any input regarding what contraception you choose, and choosing the right one for you can be difficult. Hormonal contraception, barrier methods and more are available to you, and it’s important that you choose the right one. Your GP or local sexual health clinic can help you decide what might be right for you, and they can discuss possible outcomes with you.
https://www.your-life.com/en

A woman’s right to choose the number, timing and spacing of her children is fundamental. World Contraception Day aims to ensure that women all over the world are given access to methods of contraception.
https://www.unfpa.org/events/world-contraception-day

This year is the 30th year of the Organ Donor Register, so the focus is on the impact that organ donation has had on so many lives so far, and to say thank you to all the people who have donated organs. This Organ Donation Week, the theme is ‘paint the sky pink’ and pink lights will represent organ donation to say thank you to those who have donated. Recognising the importance of organ donation is crucial, and organ donation will continue to save many lives in the future.
https://www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/how-you-ca.../turn-the-skies-pink-for-organ-donation-week/

Two million people in the UK are struggling with sight loss that’s severe enough to impact their daily life. Making sure you’re attending your eye tests and regularly checking on your eyesight can prevent it from getting any worse. Sight issues can cause eye strain and headaches, and can cause issues more complex than just your eye health. Making sure you’re taking care of your eyes is important, and if you’re often in front of screens, you could try buying blue-light glasses, which can help to preserve the health of your eyes.
https://www.visionmatters.org.uk/

1 in 7 people live with migraines consistently. Often being thought of as ‘headaches’, migraines are actually a neurological disorder. Migraines can affect not just your head but also your vision, awareness and ability to complete day-to-day tasks. Migraines can also affect your stomach, and cause vomiting and nausea. Migraines are painful and there isn’t really a cure, but taking pain medication and over-the-counter painkillers can help.
https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/what-do-we-currently-know-about-migraine/

In order to improve our services, staff training will be taking place on Thursday 19th Spetmeber, from 1pm.  The surgery will be closed.  For urgent help between 1pm and 8am plesae go to www.111.nhs.uk or call 111.

We will re-open as usual at 8am on Friday 20th September. 

Thank you for your understanding.

Please click the link for infomration and guidance regarding your Blood pressure.

Blood Pressure Poster due 9.09 1.pdf

🌎 Did you know? 🌍

All used inhalers need to be returned to a pharmacy to be disposed of safely. Inhalers should not be put in waste bins as they can be harmful to the environment. 😞

In some cases, pharmacies have access to inhaler recycling, which means the plastic and gases can be recycled. 👍

"Don't forget to return your used inhaler to your pharmacist"

Important Announcement from Berrycroft Community Health Centre regarding withdrawal of unfunded service.

For some time, we have been providing an unfunded post-operative wound care service for the convenience of our patients, despite the funding to provide post operative care being received by the hospitals. This service has been especially valuable for those who need regular care but struggle to get to Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

We regret that due to increasing demands on our nursing team and financial pressures on NHS General Practice overall (https://www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-centre/responding-to-the-new-gp-contract-for-202425

We can no longer continue to provide this service for which the hospital receives payment as continuing to do so compromises our ability to deliver our core General Practice Services.

What does this mean for you?

• From 9^th September 2024 we will no longer offer post-operative wound care to any new patients. This includes post operative care from all private and NHS services, including dermatology, surgery and urgent care. Patients will be required to receive ongoing wound care from these services and departments directly.
• We cannot offer dressings or wound care for wounds obtained via trauma or other injury, as the hospitals receive funding for this whereas GP Practices do not.
• Patients currently receiving wound care will continue to be offered a maximum of 2 dressing changes per week until they are healed and discharged
• Patients who are housebound will be able to receive post-operative wound care from the local District Nursing service. This should be arranged by the hospital service directly at time of discharge.
• We will continue to offer post operative clip and suture removal as well as wound care for leg ulcers, as these are separately contracted services.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

 We have recently become aware of concerns raised by two patients on Facebook regarding their experiences at our health centre. As we do not have the capacity to actively monitor social media, these concerns only came to our attention when a very positive thread, featuring many supportive comments from our patients, was shared with us.  We are grateful for these encouraging remarks, which have been shared with our team.

We greatly value all feedback and use it to enhance patient experiences.  However, social media platforms like Facebook are not suitable for addressing individual concerns or complaints.  Even when comments come to our attention, these platforms may not fully capture the complete context and are written subjectively.  Due to the importance of patient confidentiality, we are unable to engage in any discussion on such public platforms. 

Such communications can strain the relationship between the Health Centre and the patient.  We trust you understand the challenges of providing care when there is uncertainty about what might be shared on social media.  It is important to use the appropriate channels to address and resolve concerns and complaints effectively.

We acknowledge that we may not always get everything right and, if you have encountered an issue, we encourage you to let us know directly so that we can use any learning to improve our services and your patient experience.  For more information about how to raise a concern or complaint, please ask for a leaflet in our health centre or search ‘How to raise a concern or make a complaint’ on our website.  You will also find information there detailing what to do if you are unhappy with our response.  

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease (a disease with an unclear cause that is characterized by inflammation caused by dysfunction of the immune system) that causes inflammation in the body. 

Lots of information can be found on the National Psoriasis Foundation website, please use this link The National Psoriasis Foundation.

We experienced a nationwide IT outage yesterday that was beyond our control.  Unfortunately, this also impacted our ability to update and communicate with you through our website.  We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we worked to resolve the issue.

Please note that parking restrictions apply to all visitors to our site, including customers of Reena Cafe and Berrycroft Dental.  Please read the parking notices on display from 20th August and ensure you enter your vehicle details on the touch screen devices provided before you exit the Health Centre, including your full, correct vehicle registration.

Further to our communication yesterday, please be advised that our new car parking system includes a ten-minute grace period for dropping off a patient or prescription. This grace period begins when you enter the car park and ends when you leave, allowing you to do so safely.

For those with multiple appointments requiring a longer stay, our system accommodates extended parking as long as those attending our health centre have registered their vehicle details.

PLEASE NOTE

With effect from Tuesday 20th August, Berrycroft Community Health Centre is implementing a car park monitoring system. This scheme is managed by Creative Car Parks. All vehicles will be photographed upon entry and exit.

Why are we doing this?

To ensure patients with appointments at Berrycroft Community Health Centre have ample parking space and to guarantee access for ambulances and other emergency vehicles.  Please note that Berrycroft Community Health Centre do not receive any income from this initiative.

Patients and Visitors:

• You must register your vehicle details on the touch screen devices provided before you exit the Health Centre.
• Enter your full, correct vehicle registration.

General Public:

• Parking is not permitted.

Creative Car Parks Terms and Conditions:

• If you breach any of these terms, you will be liable for a parking charge of up to £100.
• Additional costs and debt recovery charges will apply if the parking charge is not paid within 28 days.
• These parking terms are enforced at all times.
• Blue badge holders are not exempt from these terms.

We use ANPR, CCTV, and manual patrols to monitor this private property. We may contact the DVLA to request the Registered Keeper’s details to issue a Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

There are different types of alopecia, and various medical conditions that cause hair loss. More information on some of the most common hair loss conditions can be found on the Alopecia UK website.

To learn more please use this link https://www.alopecia.org.uk/ it offers support and advice, research information, news and events, ‘how to get involved’, FAQs page and much more.

Please click the link to watch the video on GP's are on your side: GPs Are on Your Side: a message for patients in England | British Medical Association (youtube.com)

Ensuring your skin is kept safe whilst in the sun is very important to prevent issues like cancer. The most effective ways of keeping yourself protected are using suncream, staying in the shade and wearing covering clothing. It’s important that your sun cream is at least SPF30, and UVA approved with 4 or 5 stars. It’s also important to remember that it’s not just hot weather that can burn you, and even if it doesn’t look sunny outside, the UV may still be high.
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/sunscreen-and-sun-safety/

We have been notified that our IT systems are now back up and running. However, due to the outage on Friday and over the weekend, we have a backlog of appointments and prescriptions to catch up on. It may therefore take slightly longer to process prescriptions and this may also affect appointment availability so we would appreciate it if you could contact us with anything less urgent later on in the week. Thank you to all our patients for your understanding and we apologise for any inconvenience the national IT issue may have caused.

In order to improve our services, staff training will be taking place today, Wednesday 10th July, from 1pm.  The surgery will be closed.  For urgent help between 1pm and 8am plesae go to www.111.nhs.uk or call 111.

We will re-open as usual at 8am on Thursday 11th July.

Thank you for your understanding.

The health centre will be closed on Wednesday 5th June, from 1pm, for our monthly training afternoon.  If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  We will re-open as usual on Thursday 6th June.

Our next training afternoon will be Wednesday 10th July.

Thank you for your understanding.

The health centre will be closed on Tuesday 14th May, from 1pm for our monthly training afternoon.  If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  We will re-open as usual on Wednesday 15th May.

Our next training afternoon will be Wednesday 5th June.

Thank you for your understanding.

You can give feedback on your care, whether good or bad, in a number of ways.

CQC have a facility on their website at cqc.org.uk/give-feedback-on-care.  You can easily locate it by searching 'CQC give feedback on care' on google.

We are now able to process prescriptions to the new Jardines Pharmacy on Berryfields.  If you would like to change your nominated pharmacy, you can do this on the NHS app, or you can let us know when you order your next prescription.  Our team are currently working through our list of patients that have already advised us that they would like to change to this new pharmacy.  

Berrycroft Community Health Centre is not offering the Covid-19 spring booster vaccine. However, there are other ways to arrange a vaccine:

• You can call 119 free, and someone will help you book an appointment.
• Or, you can book online using this link: Book, cancel or change a COVID-19 vaccination appointment - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
• Local pop-up clinics and offers can be found here, more dates added regularly: Covid-19 spring boosters 2024 - Stay Well (staywell-bob.nhs.uk)

Remember: If you are aged 75+, or are at high risk due to being immunosuppressed, you don't have to wait for an NHS invite to book a Covid-19 spring booster vaccine: You can book now using the above telephone number and link.

Community pharmacy opening hours for the 6 May Bank Holiday have now been published. Please see the documents for further details:

• Buckinghamshire
• Oxfordshire
• Berkshire West

Pharmacies are only listed if they have notified NHS England that they will be open.

A map of the pharmacies that will be open on the Bank Holidays can be found here.

The new Jardines Pharmacy on Berryfields is not currently showing on the NHS England site and the linked computer system.  We are therefore currently unable to forward prescriptions to this location.  We have notified the pharmacy in order that they can take any appropriate action and we will action any change of pharmacy requests as soon as their information is accessible to us.  In the meantime, please continue to request and collect your prescriptions from your current pharmacy.  Thank you for your patience and understanding whilst the pharmacy works to resolve the issue.  

Thank you for your patience yesterday whilst we experienced issues beyond our control with our telephone system.  Please be assured that we are actively monitoring the situation today.  It appears that the problem has been resolved at present. 

We are currently experiencing issues with our telephone system which are beyond our control.  Incoming calls are now being diverted to a temporary number which may cause some delays for callers.  If you select the call back option, we will contact you as soon as we can.  We appreciate your patience and understanding whilst we work hard to resolve this issue.

We have released a statement which details the reasons for the current appointment issues, what we are doing about the problem and what patients can do to help.  This can be found in the drop down menu on the front page of this website, under Patient leaflets & Newsletters.  

Please remember that your local pharmacist can help with seven common conditions, which are:

• Sinusitis
• Sore throat
• Earache (children)
• Infected insect bite
• Impetigo
• Shingles
• Urinary tract infection (women)

The health centre will be closed on Wednesday 7th February, from 1pm for our monthly training afternoon. If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  The practice will re-open as usual on Thursday 8th February. 

Wednesday 13th March 2024

Wednesday 17th April 2024

Tuesday 14th May 2024 

Thank you for your understanding.

Please be aware that we are currently experiencing a high volume of calls from patients seeking appointments for cough and cold viruses. This surge in demand is limiting the availablity of appointments for those with urgent medical needs. 

In line with guidance from the Royal College of General Practitioners, we kindly ask that you consider three important questions before requesting an appointment: 

1: Can I manage my symptoms through self-care measures?

2: Is it possible to find relevant information and advice on the NHS website?

3: Have I consulted with a pharmacist for guidance on managing my symptoms?

By asking yourself these questions, you can help ensure that our limited appointment slots are reserved for patients who truly require immediate medical attention. 

If your condition is urgent or worsening, please dont hesitate to contact us, and we will do our best to accommodate you. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this busy time. 

We currently have significant GP shortages due to sickness.  This means that we have very limited appointments today which will only be allocated to those with urgent need.  Please consider using other services such as Ask First, NHS 111 or your local pharmacy wherever possible.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

The health centre will be closed on Wednesday 17th January, from 1pm for our monthly training afternoon. If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  The practice will re-open as usual on Thursday 18th January.

Wednesday 7th February 2024

Wednesday 13th March 2024

Wednesday 17th April 2024

Tuesday 14th May 2024 

Thank you for your understanding.

Please see this link for expert advice from the NHS, on helping babies and young children when they are unwell. CCG_Booklet_21_v1.1_g (icb.nhs.uk)

Thank you for your understanding this lunchtime as we checked reasons for accessing the health centre car park.  This was to ensure those parking were patients with business at the health centre.  This followed on from a previous experience where there was gridlock, with patients missing appointments, others queueing for up to an hour to leave the car park and no ambulance access should this have been required.  We did have spaces remaining today, however this would not have been the case had we not turned away approximately 75 cars.  Thank you once again for your understanding.  

Due to clinical staff sickness, we are currently having to operate a limited service with skeleton staff and believe this may continue throughout this week.  Our remaining staff are doing everything they can to see as many patients as possible.  Please consider using other services such as Ask First, NHS 111 or your local pharmacy wherever possible.  We apologise for any inconvenience.

Following recent incidents of aggressive behaviour towards staff, we have taken the decision to change our door opening policy.

Our NHS contract requires us to be available to the public between the hours of 8am and 6.30pm, either in person or by telephone.  At present the health centre is open from 7am for pre-booked nurse appointments only.  However, we are experiencing an increasing number of patients arriving from this time with other enquiries or waiting to join the appointment queue.

From Monday 27th November 2023 the main doors will remain closed until 8am.  Only patients with pre-booked nurse appointments will be admitted to the building before 8am.  Access for these patients will be possible by pressing the intercom buzzer located at the small entrance door to the left of the main surgery entrance.

The receptionist will only permit access, before 8am, to patients with a pre-booked nurse appointment.

On this day, we will also be changing the time we open our phone lines from 8.30am to 8am.

Therefore, all appointments will be available to be booked at the same time each day, whether in person or on the telephone, which means our current ticketing system will no longer be used.

Paper prescription requests can be posted in the drop-off box to the right of the main door throughout the day at any time, however we encourage, where possible, that patients request their prescriptions electronically via the NHS app.

Appointment requests and all other enquiries will be dealt with from 8am onwards.

We have listened to your feedback regarding the appointment booking system and we hope that these changes will solve the current issues.

We thank you for your understanding.

The practice will be closed on Wednesday 15th November, from 1pm, for our monthly training afternoon.  If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  The practice will re-open as usual on Thursday 16th November. 

There will be no training afternoon in December.  Future training dates are as follows:

Wednesday 17th January 2024

Wednesday 7th February 2024

Wednesday 13th March 2024

Thank you for your understanding. 

The practice will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday 11th October from 1pm, for our monthly training afternoon.  If you require assistance after this time, please contact 111.  The practice will re-open as usual on Thursday 12th October.  Thank you for your understanding.

We are now offering all patients an option of support in getting set up and using online apps.  AskFirst and the NHS App allow you to complete tasks online without having to ring the surgery, like looking at your medical record and test results, requesting prescriptions, checking your referral and many more!

By using the digital assistant, you will be able to access step by step guides on how to download and/or use functionalities within our online apps.

Due to high levels of sickness within our clinical team, we apologise that our appointment slots were very limited today.  Please consider using other services such as Ask First, NHS 111 or your local pharmacy wherever possible.  We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding during this challenging time.