Bottisham Medical Practice

The flu vaccine helps protect against flu, which can be a serious or life-threatening illness. It's offered on the NHS every year in autumn or early winter to people at higher risk of getting seriously ill from flu.

You can get the free NHS flu vaccine if you:

• are aged 65 or over
• have certain long-term health conditions
• are pregnant
• live in a care home
• are the main carer for an older or disabled person, or receive a carer's allowance
• live with someone who has a weakened immune system

Frontline health and social care workers can also get a flu vaccine through their employer.

Most eligible adults including those over 65 years will be able to get the flu vaccine from 3 October 2024 to give the best protection when flu is most widespread.

Some people may have their vaccination from September 2024, including if:

• you're pregnant (especially if you're near to your due date) – it's important to get vaccinated before giving birth to help protect yourself and your baby for the first few months of their life
• you're due to have treatment that will weaken your immune system (such as chemotherapy) – the vaccine may be given before treatment starts because it works better if given when your immune system is stronger

More information on the NHS Flu Vaccination can be found at https://www.nhs.uk/vaccinations/flu-vaccine/

From 1 September 2024, those who turn 75 and those age 75 to 79 will be eligible for a free vaccine to protect them from respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

RSV is an infectious disease of the airways and lungs. RSV infection often causes symptoms similar to a cold, including:

• cough
• sore throat
• sneezing
• a runny or blocked nose

It can also make you become wheezy or short of breath and lead to pneumonia and other life-threatening conditions. There is no specific treatment, and most infections will get better by themselves. Every year thousands of older adults need hospital care for RSV, and some of them will die. RSV can be more severe in people with medical conditions such as heart or lung disease or a weakened immune system.

More information on the RSV Vaccination Programme

Have you recently found out that you're pregnant and would like to have your care with the Rosie Hospital?

A new mental health free text messaging support service has launched in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to help those who are struggling to cope.

Launched by NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and in partnership with the national service SHOUT, the free to use text service HEAR 85258 provides real-time support to people of all ages who are struggling with their mental health.

When texting the word HEAR to 85258, the person will be connected to a mental health clinician who will take them from a place of crisis to a place of calm. During the confidential and anonymous conversation, the texter will be supported and signposted to local and national mental health services.

Texting HEAR to 85258 is free, discreet and it runs 24/7. It won’t appear on any bills and requires no app, password or registration. It is available for anybody who lives, works, or studies in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

For more information about what mental health services are available in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, visit www.keep-your-head.com.

If you feel your or somebody’s life is at risk due to their mental health, dial 111 and listen for the option for the mental health crisis team.

Did you know that, in addition to your GP, there are other health professionals in general practice who can help you get the right care?  Additional staff have been recruited into healthcare roles at general practices including pharmacists, paramedics and physiotherapists.  This means that at Bottisham Medical Practice we now have an expanded team of health professionals to help you get the right care when you need it, in addition to seeing your GP or practice nurse. 

If you need to see a GP, you will always be offered an appointment, however having a range of health professionals at your general practice means you can receive the most appropriate care for your condition as quickly as possible.  Here at Bottisham Medical Practice the team now includes the following roles:-

First Contact Physiotherapists provide patients with expert diagnosis and treatment for musculoskeletal conditions and can prevent the need for referral to hospital.

Clinical Pharmacists  provide expert advice around medicines. If you are experiencing side effects from your medicines, your clinical pharmacist will work with you to find a solution. If you are taking several different medicines, the clinical pharmacist can help make sure they are working well together. Clinical Pharmacists can manage chronic diseases and support patients with the medication for these conditions.

Social Prescribers specialise in referring people to services outside the NHS which offer the opportunity for health, wellbeing, and practical and emotional support. In a general practice setting a social prescriber can take the time to talk about what matters to you and support you to find suitable activities that are a better alternative to medication. They connect people to community groups and services for practical and emotional support.

Paramedics can provide advice, help assess and triage calls from patients, make home visits for urgent assessment and manage minor illness.

Visit www.nhs.uk/GPservices to find out more.

Bottisham Medical Practice

Patient data from GP medical records kept by GP practices in England is used to improve health, care and services through planning and research, helping to find better treatments and improve patient care. The NHS is introducing an improved way to share this information – called the General Practice Data for Planning and Research data collection.  

You can use this online service to:

• choose if your confidential patient information is used for research and planning
• change or check your current choice

Any choice you make will not impact your individual care.

The latest information on the GPDPR, including what information is obtained and how to opt-out of sharing your information, can be found here.