WOODSIDE MEDICAL GROUP PATIENT NEWSLETTER. (see end of newsletter for changes to vaccination programmes) Welcome to the summer edition of our quarterly Patient Newsletter. We have had some lovely sunny days so far and hopefully the rest of the summer will be as good. Avoiding and Treating Sunburn/Prickly Heat We don’t see the sun all that often in Aberdeen but when we do it is important to protect yourself from the effects of it. To help avoid getting sunburn make sure you use a high factor of sun protection and try to avoid being in the midday sun. Wearing a hat and sunglasses will also help and make sure you drink plenty of fluids. Should you have sunburn, cool the skin with lukewarm water and if your sunburn is mild, apply an after sun moisturising lotion. If your burns are severe or if your baby has sunburn then seek medical attention. Ensure you also drink plenty of fluids. Prickly heat is an itchy rash that occurs in hot, humid weather. As well as itchiness it can cause a sensation of burning. The rash itself lasts for several days then resolves itself. There is no specific treatment but certain things can help: • Wear loose clothing and natural fibres such as cotton • Antihistamine creams or medications may help alleviate the itch and can be bought over the counter. Website If you haven’t had the chance yet, please take time to have a look at our practice website. It is full of useful information about the practice, links to self-referral forms and up to date details on the progress of our new building. We welcome any comments/feedback on the site and any ideas for things you might like to see included. woodsidemedicalgroup.co.uk Congratulations Congratulations to our registrar Dr Leena Lekkala on the birth of her twins, a boy and a girl on 6 June. All are doing well. Practice Hellos and Goodbyes The Practice looks forward to welcoming Dr David Earley as our new partner. Dr Earley will start on 7 August and will be working as a full-time partner. Dr Linda Mackay will be leaving Woodside on 2 August after 13 years with the practice. We wish her well and hope she enjoys her new career as full-time mum. New Premises Anyone who has been in the vicinity of the Woodside Community Centre on Great Northern Road, will have noticed that our new building is well under way. Our Turf Cutting ceremony was held on 29th May when Dr Julia Wallace and Mrs Freda Daly from the practice carried out the ceremonial cutting of the turf. Both ladies were presented with an engraved trowel as a memento. See our practice web-site for more details and up to date photographs. Patient Participation Group What is it? – a group of patients of the practice who meet 3 times a year with Shonagh Swan, Practice manager. The group meets for about on hour at 6.00pm on a Monday evening in the practice. Why? – the practice needs patient feedback and input to help us progress current issues, provision of services and any future developments that the practice becomes involved in. Who can join? – anyone who is a registered patient of Woodside Medical Group. How can I get involved? – complete an enquiry form available from the practice reception and Shonagh will be in contact with you. The number of members of the group is not fixed but we try to keep it quite small. If you would like further information about what might be involved, please contact Shonagh at the practice. Going on holiday? If you are going away for more than 3 months and need regular medication, there may be a charge involved. Doctors can only provide a prescription for a maximum of 3 month’s supply of your medication at any one time. If you require more you will need to be given a private prescription, which incurs a fee per item required, and also pay for the medication at the pharmacy. Changes to Vaccination programmes Rotavirus vaccination – Rotavirus is a virus that infects the tummy, causing severe diarrhoea and vomiting in babies and young children. This can lead to dehydration (loss of body fluids) requiring hospital treatment. This vaccination is given by mouth in the form of a liquid and babies will be vaccinated at 2 months and 3 months. This will be for children born after 1 May 2013. There will not be any catch-up programme for older children. Flu vaccination – Over the next 3 years, a phased introduction offering the flu vaccination to children aged 2 to 17 will take place. This vaccination will be given as a nasal spray. Plans have yet to be finally confirmed but it is thought that in the first year, all 2 and 3 year olds will be offered vaccination at the GP surgery and that Primary 6 & 7 pupils will be offered it through their school. Final details have yet to be received. Shingles vaccination (Herpes Zoster) – Shingles is an infection of a nerve and the area of skin supplied by the nerve. It is caused by a virus called the varicella-zoster virus. It is the same virus that causes chickenpox. Anyone who has had chickenpox in the past may develop shingles. Shingles is sometimes called herpes zoster. About 1 in 5 people have shingles at some time in their life. It can occur at any age, but it is most common in people over the age of 50. It is uncommon to have shingles more than once, but about 1 person in 50 has shingles two or more times in their life. Due to limited availability of this vaccine, it will first be offered to patients aged 70 and 79 years as at 1 September 2013. We will be unable to offer it to patients out with this group. Meningitis C (MenC) – The current dose of the MenC vaccination given at 4 months is being withdrawn. There is also in introduction of a MenC booster in Secondary 3 (approximately 13-14 years). The reasons for the change are that recent research into the MenC vaccination has shown that one dose of the vaccine at around 3 months now provides sufficient protection to cover children until the booster dose at 12-13 months of age. Protection from the booster declines by the teenage years and so another booster dose is being added in early adolescence to extend protection later into life.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Jul 2013 09:22:58 +0000
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