Posts Tagged ‘ccg news’
Hay fever: CCG recommends ‘over-the-counter’ remedies for sufferers
Published on Apr 19, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) says patients who suffer from hay fever should initially visit their local high street community pharmacy for help and advice, rather than make an appointment to see their GP.
Pharmacists are well placed to offer their expertise to help hay fever sufferers manage their condition.
A number of effective over-the-counter remedies are available from pharmacies, as well as supermarkets and smaller grocery stores, including antihistamine tablets, nasal sprays, eye drops and decongestants.
Dr Greg Black, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG’s clinical lead on prescribing, said: “We are keen to encourage patients to visit their community pharmacy for advice and to purchase treatments ‘over-the-counter’, rather than make an appointment to see a GP and obtain a prescription.
“Patients do not always realise that a wide range of effective hay fever medications can be purchased from community pharmacies, supermarkets and even corner shops without seeing their doctor and that these medications are often cheaper than NHS prescription fees.”
Ekaitz Unanue, Pharmacist Manager at the Lincolnshire Co-op in Aberdeen Walk, (pictured) said: “There’s no cure for hay fever but most people can tackle their symptoms with over-the-counter medication. Treatments come in many different forms such as tablets, capsules, liquids, nasal sprays and eye drops. Your local pharmacist can recommend the most appropriate medication for you for free.
“We’re here to care for people’s health and wellbeing and offering free advice to our customers suffering with hay fever is one way we try and make life better in our communities.
“Our branches have private consultation rooms and best of all, there’s no appointment needed. If you are suffering with hay fever, just pop in and speak to a helpful member of our expert team.”
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG says there are a number of measures hay fever sufferers can also take to help themselves:
- Keep windows shut in the house and car, especially when pollen counts are high
- Avoid cutting the grass, grassy areas, woodland, pollutants and car fumes
- Wear wrap-around sunglasses
- When you get indoors wash your hands, face, hair, rinse your eyes and change your clothes
- If possible, stay indoors when the pollen count is high
- Use petroleum jelly inside your nose to block inhalation of pollen
- Keep your house clean and wear a mask and glasses when doing house work
- Don’t dry washing outside to avoid pollen sticking to your clothes
- You could buy a pollen filter for the air vents in the car
Patients are advised to see their GP if:
- They are experiencing wheezing, breathlessness or tightness in their chest
- They are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Their symptoms are not relieved by over the counter treatments in combination with measures to reduce exposure to pollen
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG spends more than £1 million a year on prescriptions for basic medicines that patients could buy themselves, over-the-counter, including around £50,000 a year on antihistamines.
Read MoreCCG welcomes new GP Partnership in Scarborough
Published on Apr 4, 2018
(footage, above, courtesy of That’s North Yorkshire, Freeview Channel 7)
Four GP practices in Scarborough are set to merge on 9 April, benefiting around 30,000 patients.
Belgrave, Falsgrave, Peasholm and Prospect Road surgeries will come together to launch a new partnership called Central Healthcare.
The new organisation will be headed up by six GP partners, Dr Faisal Baloch, Dr Deepankar Datt, Dr Ron Diffey, Dr Simona Gheorghiu, Dr Ruth Guest and Dr Omnia Hefni.
The four surgeries will continue to operate from their current premises and patients will still be able to see the doctor they’re used to seeing, if they wish.
In time, the merger will mean patients having access to more specialist care in a surgery setting which will be brought about “from enhanced training of staff and alignment of resources to better meet the needs of patients with long term conditions”.
Speaking on behalf of the six partners, Dr Ruth Guest said: “This exciting merger will not just allow the four existing practices to survive, but will allow GP services to thrive.
“There’s enormous pressure in primary care at the moment and if we were to continue working as we were, as small isolated practices, we would struggle to provide a high quality, responsive, and safe service to patients.
“This merger gives us the opportunity to provide patients with an enhanced service which makes the best use of equipment, experience, expertise and other resources, while keeping administrative costs down.
“A larger entity should also make it easier to recruit doctors and nurses, with better training and career development on offer.”
The merger of the four practices is not resulting in any redundancies. All existing staff are being retained, though some will be undertaking different roles.
There will be a new website which will make it easier for patients to order medicines and manage appointments. The four existing websites will run alongside this for a short time until they are phased out.
Sally Brown, Primary Care Lead for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “The merger will bring about significant benefits for patients, including greater access to different health and social care professionals.
“There’s scope for more specialisms to be introduced, as well as additional clinics and appointment slots at evenings and weekends.
“This is a welcome step that secures the provision of GP services in Scarborough.”
Read MoreCustomer Service Excellence award for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG
Published on Feb 26, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group has secured the prestigious Customer Service Excellence Award for the third year running.
The highly-prized accreditation, awarded through the Cabinet Office, was given to the CCG following rigorous independent scrutiny against more than 50 separate criteria relating to how well the CCG engages with patients.
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG scored “compliance plus” in 12 areas and was judged to be “compliant” in a further 42 areas.
The report published by the Customer Service Excellence Body shows continual improvement with more “compliance plus” awarded to the CCG than ever before.
Sally Brown, Associate Director of Corporate Affairs for NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG said: “We are thrilled to have received the Customer Service Excellence award for the third year running – it’s testament to the hard work we put in to ensure the priorities and needs of our patients are considered as part of the process to commission local health services.
“It’s particularly pleasing that CSE assessors have recognised our efforts to consult, listen and engage with residents from a range of backgrounds.”
Andy Hudson, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG Governing Body Lay Member and chairman of the CCG’s Communications and Engagement Committee, added: “We are extremely proud to have secure the Customer Service Excellence accolade for the third time and it’s particularly pleasing to have done it with more ‘compliance plus’ marks than ever. It’s huge credit to our staff and shows how much we value patient input in the decision-making process.”
In their evaluation, CSE assessors praised NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG for the commitment to putting patients first and the ethos of openness focused around delivering services that patients and communities want and in ways that best suit their needs.
Assessors also credited the CCG for “identifying the needs of disadvantaged groups and to commission appropriate services”, with mental health service users, the LGBT community, young people and older people’s forums among the groups actively engaged by commissioners in the last year.
Read MoreNHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG backs Stay Well Pharmacy campaign
Published on Feb 26, 2018
NHS Scarborough and Ryedale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is backing a national campaign to encourage people to make more use of their local pharmacy to free up GP time for sicker patients and potentially save the NHS around £850 million a year.
Stay Well Pharmacy is a campaign from NHS England which encourages people, especially parents and carers of children under the age of five, to visit their local pharmacy team first for clinical advice for minor health concerns such as sore throats, coughs, colds, tummy troubles, teething and aches and pains.
Dr Greg Black, NHS Scarborough and Ryedale CCG’s clinical lead for medicine, said: “Pharmacists are available to provide expert health advice and in most cases are conveniently located and easy to access within local communities.
“Pharmacists are able to provide help in managing minor illnesses and give health and wellbeing advice, so they are a useful person to see for minor health concerns.”
Community pharmacists and pharmacy technicians are qualified healthcare professionals who are the right people to see if you need clinical advice or over the counter medicines to help safely manage a wide range of minor health concerns.
Pharmacists are trained in managing minor illness and can assess symptoms and recommend the best course of treatment or simply provide reassurance, for instance when a minor illness will get better on its own with a few days’ rest. And if symptoms suggest it’s something more serious, they have the right clinical training to ensure people get the help they need.
With most people living within easy reach of a pharmacy and with many pharmacies offering extended opening hours in the evenings and at weekends, pharmacy teams offer fast and convenient clinical support with no appointment needed. Most community pharmacies (over 90%) now offer a private consultation room, suitable for a confidential conversation, should it be requested.
Using a pharmacy for minor health concerns will help free up GP time for more urgent appointments and help reduce non-emergency A&E visits.
Search www.nhs.uk/staywellpharmacy for more information and to help you find your nearest NHS pharmacy services and opening hours.
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