Blidworth GP reflects on today’s community spirit as we mark VE Day

Seventy-five years ago our friends and families marked the end of the Second World War in Europe, ending six years of war.

It makes me feel very humble when I think of it, and like many I was looking forward to helping remember this day on the Bank Holiday this Friday but many of the plans to spend the time with loved ones have had to be put on hold.

However I will be using technology to catch up with my family and will be joining in with the two minute silence at 11am on May 8 to remember all those affected by the war.

I will also be taking the time to reflect on the community spirit I have seen over the last six weeks with volunteers, charities, businesses, councils and care workers coming together to support the most vulnerable. Thank you all for your kindness.

Hopefully you will be able to take some time just for yourself on the VE Day bank holiday. Although it is a bank holiday there will still be pre-bookable appointments available by calling to arrange one with your GP practice and all over the weekend by calling 111 or using 111 online advice and booking service.

One disease in particular I would like you to be aware of is stroke as this is one of the conditions that we have seen fewer people come to hospital with.

You can spot the symptoms of a stroke by using the FAST test:

• Face – is the face drooping / fallen on one side? Can they smile?
• Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there?
• Speech – is it slurred?
• Time to call 999 if you see any of the above signs

If you think you or a family member are suffering with the symptoms of a stroke you must dial 999 immediately. Do not hesitate and do you feel you are adding a burden to the NHS – you are not, we are here to care for you.

Please stay safe, stay home and if you have any questions check the official advice first at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

New digital measures will help keep vulnerable Nottinghamshire residents safe by allowing them to access the information and professionals they need from home.

Nottinghamshire residents will soon be able to access their test results, track symptoms and easily share their health data with family, carers or any health and care professionals anywhere if they choose to from the comfort of their own home.

Those who have already downloaded the free NHS App will soon have access to a host of new features that are being pushed out in Nottinghamshire through NHS and care partners across the Nottingham and the Nottinghamshire Integrated Care System.

Connected Nottinghamshire is the digital programme which works across all health and care organisations in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and has been working on a new product called Patients Know Best, which works alongside the NHS App. It means that if you live in Nottinghamshire and download the NHS App, you will soon be able to access additional features including:

• the ability to virtually access care plans
• a library of local information resources to help manage your condition(s)
• consultations virtually via a questionnaire, video, voice or messaging
• the ability to self-monitor, track symptoms and test results
• attach medical and fitness devices to pull information into your app without having to re-enter your information
• seamlessly share data with health and care professionals

Alexis Farrow, Head of Transformation and Strategy for Connected Nottinghamshire, said: “With the unprecedented increase in demand on the NHS and care settings due to the outbreak of Coronavirus, and the reduction in face to face contact not only with friends and family, but also health and care professionals, we are putting in place additional measures in order to treat people remotely, where it is safe for them to do so.”

The NHS App is a huge step forward helping patients and GPs by providing basic tasks. However, in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire the NHS wanted to provide its residents with a single application to help them manage their health and care needs; whether that be with their GP Practice, hospital or community services, in one place in the palm of their hand.

Eastwood resident, Teresa Burgoyne said: “The NHS app is a must have on your phone, tablet or computer. You get reliable information with all the latest updates on the current situation, an excellent symptom checker for any condition, giving you peace of mind or advice.”

Teresa supports the running of Eastwood’s Breathe Easy Group, part of the British Lung Foundation. She shares how the group has embraced technology and is using the NHS App to support its members: “Our British Lung Foundation support group have found that the app makes ordering a prescription   so easy and straight forward, reducing the need and stress of trying to get through to the  GP Surgery.

There is lots of support to get you going and lots of safety checks to ensure all your personal details stay in safe hands.”

There has been an increasing demand on health and care services due to Coronavirus but putting in place digital self-serve and remote interactions such as appointment via the phone, video and messaging, is reducing the demand on NHS services as well as providing access to the key health services that people need. It also helps keep the public and their workforce safe and well by reducing the number of face to face interactions people have with each other where it is safe to do so.

Alexis went onto explain: “We know there are groups of people that are vulnerable and have been advised to stay at home for 12 weeks which is also creating problems for them in accessing things like the medication they need. By enabling them to do this digitally through the app we are able to get them the medication they need without having to wait in lengthy telephone queues or having to leave the house.”

For those people that don’t have the skills or confidence to use technology there is a support service run by the NHS called ‘Get Nottinghamshire Connected’ which has developed some easy how to guides to get people started and will provide support if people need it via email or telephone.

If people want to find out more information visit www.nottsnhsapp.nhs.uk

If people have not downloaded the App yet they can do it easily by going to the App Store  or  Google Play. It can be used by anyone who is registered with a GP surgery across the country.

Local GP reminds residents NHS is here to care for you for all health concerns

I want to start with a thank you. Despite the disruption the social distancing measures have caused to all of our lives, the response from the public has been phenomenal.

It has allowed the NHS to focus on creating capacity for those who are sickest with coronavirus and meant that we have not been overwhelmed. This has undoubtedly saved lives and you should all be proud of your part within that.

But if you have noticed other health issues, please know that if you need medical help, your NHS is here for you. You are still able to book appointments with your GPs if you need one. This is not adding a burden onto the NHS, this is allowing us to care for you.

In particular I am concerned about the drop in people coming to us with symptoms of cancer as the number of referrals for people with potential signs of cancer have fallen at Sherwood Forest Hospitals (SFH), from 60 to 25 a day.

As the cancer lead for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG, I see time and time again how catching cancer in its early stages is the best way to minimise illness from it. Most cancers are more easily cured or treated in the earliest stages of the disease. Sadly, diagnosing it later can mean fewer options for treatment and people losing years of their lives.

So I would say to you, please don’t ignore the signs. If there is something you have been putting up with since the lockdown, for example a cough, a bump, a change in toilet habits, a mole – you definitely need to speak to a GP.

Please do not ignore it if you are concerned about with your health – as well as mental health – we do not discourage people just because it’s not related to Covid-19.

This same is true if you or your baby or child need routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community. You can still contact us to have these and if the person needing vaccination has coronavirus symptoms or is self-isolating because someone in the household is displaying symptoms, please contact your GP practice for advice. We’ll give you the care you need.

Please stay safe, stay home and if you have any questions check the official advice first at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Local GP Thilan Bartholomeuz urges residents to focus on their mental wellbeing

Last week I talked about the importance of continuing to use the NHS with non-Coronavirus issues like heart attacks, strokes and poorly children. This week I’d like to focus on the importance of mental wellbeing too after it was announced that we have at least another three weeks with social distancing measures in place.

Some of us will be ok with this – we have got some routines in place and are adjusting to a new ‘normal.’ We may be enjoying the lack of a commute or the opportunity to spend more time with partners and children.

But there will also be many of us that are feeling alone or scared or anxious with a feeling that everything is different. This is normal too. To help the NHS’s Every Mind Matters campaign, which aims to help everyone’s mental health, has been updated with tips around how to have good mental health during coronavirus. It has been launched after new data showed more than four in five (84.2%) Brits were worried about the effect that coronavirus was having on their life, with over half (53.1%) saying it was affecting their well-being and nearly half (46.9%) reporting high levels of anxiety.

On its website www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters it has tips to help if you’re worried about coronavirus, if you’re looking after children and young people, if you’re trying to work from home and how to look after your mental wellbeing while staying at home.

If you are really struggling you can also call colleagues at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust for mental health help and advice anytime of the day or night. They have launched a new helpline 0300 303 0165 which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is available to anyone of any age in mental health crisis anywhere across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

You can call for mental health help and advice and they can arrange for you to speak with a mental health professional and can also advise you about other services which can help you. For more information about mental health support in Nottinghamshire and in a crisis you can go to their website: www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/help-in-a-crisis

If you are not in crisis but feel speaking to someone would still help you can contact Insight Healthcare who provide talking therapies for concerns including anxiety and low mood across Mid Nottinghamshire. You can find more information on their website at www.insighthealthcare.org/our-services/talking-therapies/find-a-service/mid-nottinghamshire/. This is an NHS service, so you don’t have to pay.

Please stay safe, stay home and if you have any questions check the official advice first at nhs.uk/coronavirus.

In his latest column GP and ICP Clinical Lead Thilan Bartholomeuz reminds us that services are there for non-coronavirus needs

Understandably a lot of our health services are focused on the response to coronavirus but that doesn’t mean there isn’t support for other people with other conditions too.

On the minor side, with warm weather comes the high pollen count which causes hayfever, more insects that can cause bites and stings and the risk of dehydration from not drinking enough.

If you know you are likely to suffer from hayfever you can take some simple steps such as:

• put Vaseline around your nostrils to trap pollen
• do not dry clothes outside – they can catch pollen

There are more tips here. If you need help with the symptoms, speak to your pharmacist. They can give advice and suggest the best treatments, like antihistamine drops, tablets or nasal sprays.

If you’re planning on spending some time in the garden be careful you don’t get bitten or stung by our insect friends who come out when the sun’s out. If you do you can find advice here. The pain, swelling and itchiness can sometimes last a few days. Ask your pharmacist about medicines that can help, such as painkillers, creams for itching and  antihistamines.

And of course you should always make sure you drink plenty of fluids and keep hydrated. Babies, children and the elderly are more at risk of dehydration. Make sure you drink enough during the day so your pee is a pale clear colour. There’s more information here

There are also some worrying reports coming out nationally that people with non-coronavirus but still serious illnesses are avoiding health services. In particular conditions such as strokes and heart attacks and those with poorly children have been highlighted. It seems they think they are either helping support the NHS by staying away or are worried that they may get coronavirus while in hospital. On both of these they are wrong. If you are seriously ill and it’s not coronavirus related the NHS partners are still here to look after you.

You can also help by keeping yourself as fit and healthy as possible by using your hour of exercise a day to keep fit. If you are unsure how to or feel a bit daunted there are exercises you can do at home on the We Are Undefeatables website here which are aimed at people with long term conditions like arthritis and asthma and supported by Sport England.

Please stay safe, stay home and if you have any questions check the official advice at nhs.uk/coronavirus first.

In his latest column Thilan Bartholomeuz, local GP and ICP Clinical Lead, urges us to resist the warm weather and stay home

First of all, let me thank you for continuing to stay at home. I know it can be tempting when the sun is out to think about driving somewhere for a walk or picnic but we must resist this.

All of our planning tells us that these next two weeks will be the peak of when we can expect to see very poorly people with coronavirus being admitted into our hospitals. In order that we have enough staff and equipment to care for them it is crucial that everyone stays at home now to prevent the Coronavirus spreading.

As part of this planning and to help further support GPs, four Clinical Management Centres (CMCs) will go live this week across Nottinghamshire; three will be in Nottingham and one in Newark. They will operate within an existing GP surgery but will be dedicated for assessing suspected Coronavirus cases only and give resilience and support for neighbouring practices should the need arise.  There will be no change for how patients will access GPs – you can still contact your usual GP surgery in the normal way and out of hours can use 111 online or phone 111 as needed.

As well as this we have changed Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday to be normal working days for GPs, meaning they will be open and operating as normal. This should help reduce the pressure on the hospitals but we would still ask you to try and see if you can look after yourself in the first instance or try 111. Remember do not turn up to your GP surgery – you must ring first.

And I have another plea this week. So far on Thursdays at 8pm people have been kind enough to clap mainly for NHS workers and show their support. This has been humbling and truly appreciated. However I would ask that this week when you clap you also do it for our colleagues in social care, those who emptying the bins, the teachers keeping schools open for key worker children and the supermarket staff keeping shelves stacked. Please clap for everyone who is helping us fight this virus because we will beat it by all of us pulling together and playing our part.

Which includes for most people staying at home to save lives and protect the NHS. Please stay safe and if you have any questions check the official advice at nhs.uk/coronavirus first.

In this week’s column ICP Clinical Lead and local GP Thilan Bartholomeuz highlights the importance of protecting vulnerable patients

Many of you will be starting your second or third week at home this week. This may be because you have to stay at home with children or your work has shut.

But it may be that you are one of the vulnerable patients that we are particularly keen to shield from Coronavirus. There are 1.5 million across the country and they include people with organ transplants, certain cancers and severe respiratory conditions. They will all start to receive letters clarifying that they are in this group.

Because they are vulnerable we want to shield them from contact with Coronavirus any way we can. So our advice for them is to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact for at least twelve weeks.

However we know that this can be difficult to do practically, especially if you live at home by yourself. This is why last week the Government and NHS asked for 250,000 volunteers to come forward and help our shielded residents. So far more than 500,000 have responded which is fantastic. They will be used for simple but vital tasks such as:

If you are a member of the public and want to be a NHS volunteer, you can still sign up to help here: https://www.goodsamapp.org/NHS

GPs and other NHS and social care staff will all be able to request help for patients who need shielding via a call centre run by the Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), who will match people who need help with volunteers who live near to them. This will not replace local groups helping their vulnerable neighbours but work alongside them.

For those of you who need shielding, or have loved ones that do, I hope this reduces some of your anxiety.

But remember that given everything that is happening it is normal that most people reading this will be experiencing some form of anxiety. If you are, there are lots of helpful hints from the NHS Every Mind Matters campaign specifically for staying at home during the coronavirus. This includes finding time to relax, thinking about a new daily routine and looking after your body. There’s more information here.

Thank you for continuing to stay at home, as we’ve been able to use this time to prepare the NHS and care services for the expected increase in patients.

Please stay safe and if you have any questions check the official advice at nhs.uk/coronavirus first.