An Afternoon of Tea and Chat

The next Carers' event organised by our Social Prescribing team will take place 

Did you know that approximately 1.6 million medicine items are wasted unnecessarily in Dorset every year?  We are asking the patients in our network for help to reduce this.

We and the GP Practices in our network want to do all we can to help you with your well-being needs. 

From November 2023 all patients in our network who are over 16 will be able to view notes and health records. This includes notes from GP surgery appointments, test results, medications, and letters we receive from hospitals. These can be viewed online via the NHS App, NHS website, SystmOnline or the Airmid app. If you don't want your record to be available online, please speak with the Reception or Patient Services team at your surgery. For more, please visit our information web page here>>

SAD is a kind of seasonal depression triggered by shorter daylight hours and worsening weather. It impacts one in twenty people every year in the UK. Those who experience SAD often: 

• lose interest in everyday activities or hobbies
• find it hard to stay connected with family and friends
• feel anxious or irritable or struggle to go outside

Sound familiar? Then you could be experiencing SAD.

With the clocks going back this weekend and the sun setting earlier, we want to help you care for yourself or someone else experiencing SAD.  Healthwatch England have helpful information about SAD and how you can manage it on their website here>>

The Crane Valley PCN team are working tirelessly to reach housebound patients and administer their Winter Flu and COVID-19 booster vaccines as soon as possible.  However, when our healthcare team visit a housebound patient, they do not offer vaccines to those living with them unless they are also housebound.  We ask those who can to receive them at their GP surgery or local vaccination centre.  Vaccine supplies are limited, as is our healthcare professional’s time.  We must ensure that all eligible housebound patients receive their booster without delays, as they are amongst the most vulnerable.  Thank you for your understanding and patience, and be assured that we are dedicated to doing everything we can to protect our community’s health.

Following the recent decision by the DHSC to bring forward the COVID Booster vaccination programme, the Crane Valley Primary Care Network (PCN) programme plans are for housebound patients and residents in older adult care homes to be offered flu and COVID vaccinations from mid-September, which aligns with expected flu vaccination supplies.  The PCN Care Co-ordinators will contact residential care homes to offer appointments to those patients, while the GP practices in our network will contact their housebound patients directly.  

SWAN (South West Advocacy Network) is a leading independent advocacy charity – providing advocacy services throughout the south west and bordering counties since 1999.  SWAN now offers an Advocacy Service across the county of Dorset. 

This integrated adult advocacy service includes statutory and generic advocacy elements including:

• Independent Mental Capacity Advocacy  including Safeguarding Advocacy, Litigation Friend and Relevant Persons Representative

• Independent Mental Health Advocacy
• Care Act Advocacy
• General / Generic advocacy
• Continuing Healthcare Advocacy
• Advocacy for parents during care proceedings

• Carers Advocacy

For more information, please follow this link to download and view a leaflet which sets out the advocacy services that they currently offer across Pan Dorset. 

Or visit their website here>>

People who regularly look after a family member or friend can now explore resources to support them using an online tool known as Bridgit.  It's quick and easy way for carers or cared for people  to learn about health conditions, get personal advice and find local events and services.

Brought to you by Dorset Council, Bridgit allows people to explore free well-being, employment, finance and care advice and events, local and national support services and training opportunities. People can also build their own ‘self-care plan’. It’s all available any time of day and without registering first.

While registering as a carer unlocks more support, a listening ear, offers and discounts, we recognise people can be worried about requesting outside help. With Bridgit, people can discover the resources first, then sign up for more support if they choose to, and this can include an online carer’s assessment.

Designed by carers and care experts, Bridgit resources are tailored to the busy and often stressful lives of people who regularly care for others. It is also designed to be user-friendly, with simple navigation and a clean layout so people can explore comfortably, even with limited digital skills.

Visit www.bridgit.care/support/dorset to access the Bridgit tool.  People who prefer not to, or cannot go online, can call Carer Support Dorset on 0800 368 8349 to discover the free support and help available.

5 July 2023 marks 75 years of the National Health Service. Treating 1.3 million people a day in England, the NHS touches all our lives.  The PCN and the GP Practices in our network are proud to be a small part supporting the people in our local community to obtain, regain and maintain a healthy quality of life. 

Read more about the NHS and how its met the health and wellbeing needs of successive generations>>

More information about this closure is available on our website by following this link>>

The information has been provided by the NHS South West and provides details of how you can nominate a new pharmacy to receive your prescription.

GP Practices in the network are introducing a new service which allows people to carry out a urine test at home with a smartphone and a simple urine test kit, which will be sent to their home address.  

The Minuteful Kidney service has been commissioned by NHS Dorset to improve the uptake of recommended urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) testing for people living with diabetes and/or patients living with hypertension. 

The service allows people who wish to do so to complete essential screening tests without needing to come into the Practice.  For anyone who does not wish to use the new service, your GP will continue to manage your care within the Practice.  

Patients self test using the kit and the Minuteful Kidney app, which guides them through the process.  Test results are seamlessly imported to the patient record in SystmOne via a secure NHS messaging protocol.

Find out more about this project and others being undertaken by the Primary Care Network to work with people to better manage the health of their loved ones and themselves here>>

The Healthier You NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme is a free programme for those at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.

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