Services

Our practice hosts the following services and clinics:

Clinical Pharmacist

With: Mobeen, Georgia

Clinical pharmacists are experts in medicines and how they are used in the treatment for specific disease areas. Their role is invaluable in helping our doctors and nurses to be able to spend more time with patients while they deal with the majority of medicine-related queries.

Our clinical pharmacists deal with repeat prescriptions, reviews, common minor ailments, urgent medication requests and deal with medication for patients recently discharged from hospital.

Our GPs may ask the clinical pharmacist to get in touch with you if you take lots of medications from time to time. This is to review your symptoms and check they’re still the best medications to be on. Where better, newer alternatives are available, they’ll discuss this with you and your GP.

Requires GP Referral? No

Health and Wellbeing Coach

With: Luke and Wendy

Day: Thursday

Health and Wellbeing Coaches support people to take pro-active steps to improve the way they manage their physical and mental health conditions, based on what matters to them. They support patients in identifying, setting and achieving their health goals and encouraging proactive prevention of new and existing illnesses.

This approach is based on using strong communication and negotiation skills and supports personal choice and positive risk taking. Some of the things they can help with include; managing weight, introducing healthy habits and managing low mood and/or anxiety.

Health and Wellbeing Coaches are expected to adhere to a code of ethics and conduct in line with the NHS England and NHS Improvement Health coaching Implementation and Quality Summary Guide.

Our Health and Wellbeing Coaches will also be doing work supporting our patients in the community.

A health and wellbeing coach supports patients to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to manage their own health and wellbeing effectively.

Support offered

Veterans

Socialisation back into civilian life
Motivational talk around new purpose
Career searching and roles that can link to their skill set.
Low level mental health support and signposting
Managing high activity levels and weight management to increase wellbeing

Carers

proactive ways into supporting the people they care for
Nutrition guidance in preparing food for people they support.
Activity guidance for the people they support.
Signposting social groups and community projects to involve themselves in

Chronic pain

Behavioural coaching
Motivational coaching
Live well with pain guidance and course structure
Encouragement to engage in normal activities and managing symptoms when doing so
Signposting social or community projects with people in similar situations
Weight management when less active

ADHD

Managing symptoms whilst awaiting diagnosis.
Proactive tasks to improve focus and reduce impulse.
Behavioural coaching
Motivational coaching
Signposting information and community groups
Exercise and nutritional guidelines to increase wellbeing

Menopause

Motivational coaching.
Help with lifestyle changes that can affect general health and wellbeing.
Diet and fitness (help and advice on aerobic and weight bearing exercises, strength training.
Signposting out into community groups.

COPD

Behavioural coaching.
Signposting community exercise groups.
Motivational coaching.
Education, managing and living well with COPD.
Help with resources or websites.

This role will play an increasingly important role with Primary Health Care teams, supporting patients to make positive choices that will enable them to live healthier lives and therefore relieving the burden of ill-health within the practice population. They work closely as part of the team, and in particular with social prescribing link workers.

First Contact Physiotherapist

With: Sam and Daragh

First Contact Physiotherapists (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 Physiotherapists 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 physiotherapist via the surgery receptionists, which means they won’t need to wait for a referral from a doctor.

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

https://firstcontactpractitioner.org.uk/

https://www.england.nhs.uk/gp/expanding-our-workforce/first-contact-physiotherapists/

Requires GP Referral? No

Dietician

With: Emma

The role of Primary Care Dietician is new within this PCN. They are qualified health professionals that assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritional problems at an individual and wider public health level.

Diet impacts every aspect of our health, but there is so much unreliable and conflicting information in the news and social media about diet, it can be difficult to know what the best choice for you is.

Primary care dietitians use the most up-to-date public health and scientific research on food, health and disease which they translate into practical guidance. They utilise behaviour modification methods and motivational interviewing techniques as well as innovative digital practice to enable service users to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices to manage their own conditions and so have a significant impact on clinical outcomes e.g. obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Patients who are able to manage their own conditions at home are likely to experience better quality of life and satisfaction with the GP service.

The primary care dietitian will be able to support a range of people with different medical conditions. They have a role to play in increasing capacity in practice through offering individualised tailored advice to help patients with specific dietary conditions such as; IBS, oncology, diabetes, nutrition support and some paediatric conditions. They are at the front of pathways for patients presenting with gastroenterology conditions and food allergies.

The dietitian will offer first-line advice and refer onto specialist services where appropriate. For all other conditions, the dietitian will refer to the appropriate healthcare professional. Working within Primary Care Networks provides significant opportunities where dietitians could help improve patient care in both adults and children with early advice and interventions.

The primary care dietician works directly for the PCN, so no referral is required and no long wait for your first appointment. Any clinician at your surgery can refer you to the dietician.

Requires GP Referral? Yes

Mental Health

With: Sian and Andy

Held bythe Primary Care Specialist Mental Health Worker

Days: Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays

A primary care specialist mental health practitioner is an experienced professional who can support patients with either a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health concern. Their role is to work across the North Arden PCN’S to provide early assessment and treatment interventions for people with mental illness as well as providing additional signposting advice and information as needed.

Acting as initial points of contact for adults who are experiencing mild to moderate mental health illnesses, they will endeavour to enhance the patient journey and create better joint working across Primary Care and adult Specialist Community Mental Health Services (SCMH) making it easier for patients to access the help they need at the right time with the right practitioner.

They will offer an in-depth assessment and initial support as well as refer patients on to local services for longer term treatment. They can also liaise with the GP about starting any medication without patients needing to speak to them.

The primary care specialist mental health practitioner works closely with other PCN-based roles to help address the potential range of biopsychosocial needs of patients with mental health problems. This will include the PCN’s MDT, including, for example, PCN clinical pharmacists for medication reviews, and social prescribing link workers for access to community-based support. They are also responsible for the clinical leadership and management of mental health provision within the North Arden PCN and will be managing any day-to-day operational / clinical issues arising within the mental health service delivery.

Patients that are referred to them can be provided up to 4-5 face to face sessions, these will to be deliver interventions such as psychoeducation for common mental health disorders, sleep hygiene, relaxation, coping strategies, emotional regulation, compassion focused interventions for trauma, depression and anxiety management or signposting to an appropriate third sector service.
Patients who are suitable to be seen by the primary care specialist mental health practitioner:

Mild to moderate mental health problems
18+
Depression, anxiety, stress, panic, difficulty with emotions, feeling suicidal, feeling overwhelmed
Those who are on a waiting list for treatment but feel they need their mood reviewed
Anyone feeling their mental health is relapsing
People unable to follow a structured treatment model

Requires GP Referral? Yes

Pharmacy Technician

With: Jennifer

Pharmacy Technicians primary role is in supporting the Clinical pharmacists in the delivery of clinical pharmacy services including Structured Medication Reviews and liaising with clinicians and administrative staff to resolve medicine-related queries.

Requires GP Referral? No

Social Prescriber Link Worker

With: Jenny

Social Prescribing is a non-medical approach to improve people’s overall health and wellbeing.

Social Prescribers support individuals through a holistic, person-centred approach, to access services that are important for that individual. Such as community groups and statutory services which might be run by the council or a local charity, activities and advice services such as housing, financial hardship, isolation and loneliness, bereavement, substance misuse, employment, carers’ support and the management of their physical health.

They connect people to community groups for practical and emotional support. For example, signposting people who have been diagnosed with dementia to local dementia support groups.

Requires GP Referral? No

To attend one of these clinics please ring our reception on 01676 540395.

Other Services

Enhanced Access based at Atherstone Surgery
Minor Surgery
Joint Injections
Cryotherapy
Midwifery
First Contact Practitioner
Retinopathy
Vasectomy services
Contraception
Continence
AAA clinic
Clinical Pharmacists
Social Prescriber
Health and Wellbeing Coach
Primary Care Specialist Mental Health Worker
Dietician
First Contat Practitioner
LARC (implants and coils insertions and removals)

Emergency eye appointments: new booking system

If you have an urgent eye problem, you can now book an on-the-day telephone consultation via the Eye Emergency Referral service (EERS).

Visit uhcw.nhs.uk and search Eye Emergency Referral Service to book a telephone consultation.

This is a telephone appointment service for eye emergencies provided by University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire.

You will be spoken to by an expert clinician who will give you specialist advice on the next steps to take.

Please provide a phone number which you can be contacted on for the consultation.

Please also be aware that you will be phoned as close to the allotted time as possible, although at busy times unfortunately there may be a delay.

Please also consider emailing a photograph of your affected eye(s) to EERS@uhcw.nhs.uk so that this may be used during your telephone consultation.

In the event that you feel you cannot wait to speak to someone then you may call 0247 696 4800. This phone line is open 9.00am to 1.00pm; 1.30pm to 5.00pm (Monday to Friday excluding bank holidays) and 9.00am to 12.00pm (Saturday). Waiting times may vary.

In the event of an eye emergency out of hours, please attend the Minor Injuries Unit/Emergency Department.

Travel Vaccine Triage System

If you are planning to travel please give at least weeks' notice.

How do you access travel advice?

Come in to the surgery and collect a travel questionnaire.
The nurse will review your questionnaire and will call you to book an appointment or give you the necessary advice.

This service is available at Springhill and Galley Common.

Please allow 5 working days for the nurse to contact you.

If you have vaccine records from private clinics please give this information on your questionnaire.

This change has been made to ensure that you're given the correct advice and appointment time for your needs.

NHS Talking Therapies

Talking Therapies is a free NHS service providing a range of support to help you with symptoms of panic, anxiety or low mood. This website can be accessed by clicking on the link below where you will find more information and the option to self refer.

https://www.talkingtherapies.covwarkpt.nhs.uk/