Noticeboard

Tuesday 23rd January 2024

Please be aware that the surgery will be closed between 12.00 and 15.00 on Tuesday 23rd January for Staff training. all calls during this time will be forwarded to BADGER (Birmingham and District General Practitioner Emergency Rooms). For all non-urgent enquiries please call before 12.00 or after 15.00.

THE SURGERY REMAINS OPEN MONDAY - FRIDAY 08.00 - 18.30, FOR BOOKED TELEPHONE/VIDEO CONSULTATIONS/FACE-TO-FACE CONSULTATIONS. THERE ARE SOME LIMITED APPOINTMENTS (TELEPHONE/VIDEO CONSULTATIONS ) AVAILABLE BETWEEN 18.30 - 20.00 WHICH NEED TO BE BOOKED BY THE SURGERY.

Alternative services:

Improved Access Scheme Urban Health Primary Care Network is launching the IAS (Improved Access Scheme) to extend the hours available to patients to be seen by a GP for its member practices. As Halcyon Medical is a member of Urban Health, patients will be able to book to see a GP for the following extended hours: Monday to Friday: 18:30 – 20:00 (6:30pm till 8pm) Saturday: 09:00 – 13:00 (9am till 1pm) Your local Hub is Broadway Health Centre Group Practice, Cope Street, Ladywood, Birmingham, B18 7BA.  To book please call the Surgery, Tel. No. 0121 203 9999.

NHS 111:  Call 111 for confidential healthcare advice 24 hours a day. 

Urgent Care Centre:  The nearest Urgent Care Centre is Summerfield Urgent Care Centre, 134 Heath Street, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 7AL, tel. 0121 389 1100.

Accident & Emergency Departments:  HOSPITAL A&E DEPARTMENTS ARE FOR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES NOT MINOR INJURIES OR HEALTH PROBLEMS.  The nearest hospital is City Hospital, Dudley Road, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 7QH, tel. 0121 554 3801. 

Cancelling your Appointment

If you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone or use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

By giving us as much notice as you can you are helping us to make sure that someone else is given your slot.

Where to go for other local services:

Birmingham NHS Walk-in Centre, lower ground floor, Boots the Chemist, 67-69 High Street, Birmingham, B4 7TA, tel. 0121 255 4500.

NHS 111:  Call 111 for confidential healthcare advice 24 hours a day. 

Urgent Care Centre:  The nearest Urgent Care Centre is Summerfield Urgent Care Centre, 134 Heath Street, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 7AL, tel. 0345 245 0769.

Accident & Emergency Departments:  HOSPITAL A&E DEPARTMENTS ARE FOR SERIOUS ACCIDENTS AND EMERGENCIES NOT MINOR INJURIES OR HEALTH PROBLEMS.  The nearest hospital is City Hospital, Dudley Road, Winson Green, Birmingham, B18 7QH, tel. 0121 554 3801.

Latest GP data shows increase in appointments

Thousands more GP appointments are available in the Black Country and West Birmingham today than before the pandemic, new data has revealed.

 The latest figures for GP access show that 570,191 appointments were booked during August 2021, up from 547,384 in August 2019. Of these, 57% were carried out face-to-face and 49% took place on the same day they were requested (up from 41% in 2019).

 The additional appointments are the result of an increase in digital consultations, which is part of the NHS’s long-term strategy for primary care but was accelerated during the pandemic so GPs and their clinical teams could continue to see patients safely.

 The new statistics have also revealed that DNAs – where a patient fails to attend an appointment but does not cancel so it can be rebooked by the practice – are down, from 7% of all appointments in 2019 to 5% today.

However, this means there are still more than 25,000 GP appointments being missed in the Black Country and West Birmingham each month, so people are being urged to contact their practice if they cannot attend, and the slot can then be offered to someone else who needs it.

 While digital and telephone consultations now make up more than 40% of patient contacts, GPs will always examine a patient in person if medically necessary, while face-to-face appointments are still available for anyone unable to use technology. All patients have the right to request a face-toface appointment, although this may not be the fastest way to be seen as priority must be given to the most vulnerable.

Rabies: What every traveler needs to know 

Rabies is one of the most deadly diseases known 
to man.

It is caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system, and 
once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal. Any 
warm-blooded mammal can be infected by rabies and can 
transmit the infection to humans. 
 Domestic or feral (wild) dogs are the most common source of rabies in 
humans in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In North America and Europe the 
disease is mainly confined to wild animals (particularly bats, raccoons, foxes, 
coyote, and skunks). 
 You can catch rabies when the saliva of an infected animal is introduced into 
your body. This is usually through a bite, but there have been occasions 
when infected saliva has entered the body via a mucous membrane (eyes, 
nose or mouth), or via a wound or scratch as the result of being licked. 

How do you know if you will be at risk? 

Talk to your doctor or nurse about your travel plans. 
 You might be at particular risk if: 
  • you are going to a high risk area 
  • you live or travel (frequently or for long periods) to countries with a risk of  rabies 
  • you are travelling to remote areas with limited access to medical care,  even for a short period of time 
  • you intend to take part in activities such as cycling and running, which can  attract the attention of animals 
  • you intend to work with animals. 

Book an appointment with your nurse or doctor for a pre-travel 
consultation at least 6 weeks before you are due to travel.

 

 What if you don’t get vaccinated before travelling? 

If you do not have rabies vaccination before travelling, you may need more 
intensive treatment in the event of a potential exposure to rabies, including a 
treatment called immunoglobulin, which will be followed by some doses of the 
rabies vaccine. 
 Rabies immunoglobulin is vital for immediate protection but it can be hard to 
obtain in some countries. In such cases you may need to quickly travel to a 
nearby country or home to the UK for immediate treatment. 
If you are bitten, scratched, or licked on an open wound (such as a cut 
or a patch of eczema) or mucous membrane (eyes, nose or mouth) you 
must seek medical attention immediately. 
 
NEVER think that a wound is so small it can’t be a risk. If the skin is 
broken then the virus may be able to enter. 
 

What should you do if you are exposed to rabies? 

 Remember, this is an emergency: seek medical advice without delay, 
even if you had the rabies vaccine before you travelled. 
  • immediately flush the wound with plenty of soap or detergent under running tap water for at least 15 minutes. 
  •  do not scrub the wound. 
  •  if possible apply an iodine solution or neat alcohol (40-70%). 
  • do not cover the wound or apply a pressure dressing.
  • wash any animal saliva from your face immediately with plenty of water to stop it from getting into your eyes, nose or mouth. 
  • seek urgent medical attention with out delay (even if you have had a course of rabies vaccine previously). You might also need antibiotics to prevent the wound becoming infected. 
 
Further information for travellers regarding rabies is available from the Health 
Protection Agency at http://www.nathnac.org/travel/factsheets/index.htm
 

Malaria

Malaria is a serious tropical disease spread by mosquitoes. If malaria is not diagnosed and treated promptly, it can be fatal.
A single mosquito bite is all it takes for someone to become infected.
Symptoms of malaria

It is important to be aware of the symptoms of malaria if you are travelling to areas where there is a high malaria risk (see below). Symptoms include:

  • a high temperature (fever)
  • sweats and chills
  • headaches
  • vomiting
  • muscle pains
  • diarrhoea
Symptoms usually appear between seven and 18 days after becoming infected, but in some cases the symptoms may not appear for up to a year, or occasionally even longer.
 
 
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