Information for Patients
Patient Information Leaflet
Click on the link below to see our Patient Information Leaflet;
Prescribing of over the counter medicines
BANK HOLIDAY CLOSURES:
- Monday 2nd May
- Thursday 2nd – Friday 3rd June 2022
Patient guide: Steroid Emergency Card (SEC)
Why have I been given this card?
You have been given the NHS Steroid Emergency Card as you are taking long-term steroid treatment. It is important that any healthcare professional who treats you knows you are on long-term steroids. You should not stop suddenly taking your steroid treatment, as you may feel very unwell if this happens. You could have weakness, dizziness, tiredness, feeling or being sick, poor appetite, weight loss and stomach pain.
What do I need to do?
You must complete the card with your own details. Keep it safe in your purse or wallet.
Have it ready to show any healthcare professional you see.
Please let your family know that you carry a NHS Steroid Emergency Card. Ask them to remind you to show your card at every chance when getting treatment. This is very important if you need emergency treatment, they can tell the emergency services for you.
Do I still need to keep the blue Steroid treatment card too?
Yes, you will need to keep both, however the new NHS Steroid Emergency Card is very important. Also still wear your medic alert bracelet or necklace, and keep any other emergency cards you may have.
I have lost my new card, where can I get another one from?
New or replacement NHS Steroid Emergency Cards can be obtained from your community pharmacy, hospital or GP practice. You can have more than one card if you would like to store them in different places. Please make sure the details on both cards are the same. You can also screen shot the NHS Steroid Emergency Card and save your card. Then you can have it as screen saver on your smart phone. See further advice on how do this at: Steroid Emergency Cards | Addison's Disease Self-Help Group (addisonsdisease.org.uk)
Steroid Emergency Card (SEC) – what it looks like:
The link below is a direct link to the online steroid card.
How to access us and ask for help?
We are still open and here for you. We are continuing to provide services as we have been doing throughout the pandemic, and prioritise delivering care and services based on clinical needs.
If you need medical advice or treatment, please call us on 0121 705 1105 or, for non-urgent advice or treatment, visit our website or one of our surgery sites.
By Phone
You can call us on 0121 705 1105. Our telephone lines are open from 8am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).
You will be asked to first discuss your condition/s over the phone with a trained Care Navigator to assess the most appropriate way to provide your care, which may include a face-to-face consultation, and ensure it is provided by the most appropriate person.
In person
You are able to access us face-to-face by visiting one of our surgery sites to ask in person about booking an appointment, repeat prescription requests and for general queries.
From Monday 8th November 2021, our sites will be open from 8:30am to 6:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays):
- Shirley Medical Centre
- The Jacey Practice
- Haslucks Green Medical Centre
- Grove Surgery
- Monkspath Surgery
- Dickens Heath Medical Centre
This ensures we are able to prioritise our focus on patients being able to access us through our telephone system when the demand is at its highest and support improving patient access for the majority of patients.
All sites will continue to be closed on Wednesdays from 12:30pm to 1:30pm, as part of our ongoing staff training and development, which is a priority to ensure we continue to improve service delivery and patient care. We are also dedicated to continuing to further upskill our Care Navigators with a programme of additional training and development to support our clinicians, and to ensure our patients see the right healthcare professionals at the appropriate time.
Our telephone lines remain open throughout the training and in the event of urgent patient needs, we can still be contacted. There is minimal impact on service delivery and no impact on appointments. This time has been chosen to coincide with the period of the day when our Doctors and healthcare professionals are conducting essential face-to-face appointments with housebound patients.
We continue to have a range of measures in place to keep you safe from COVID-19, including regular cleaning of patient areas and social distancing. Please ensure you wear a face covering when visiting us at one of our sites. If you have a disability or condition which means you cannot wear a face covering or cannot communicate with someone who is wearing a face mask, or require other adjustments before your appointment, please let us know ahead of your arrival.
Individuals with cough, cold or flu like symptoms, COVID-19 symptoms or who meet criteria for self-isolation, should not attend our surgeries and stay at home. You should continue to follow public health guidance and if you have a clinical need your appointment will be by telephone or video, for patient and staff safety.
Please be polite and respectful, our GPs and practice teams are available and working hard to support you, your family and friends health and care needs.
Go online
Online services currently provide patients with access to their medical records, repeat medication ordering and COVID-19 vaccination status. Using the service will help you to manage your own health and access healthcare features whenever you need to.
You can visit our web site, and order repeat prescriptions and access your medical records on the NHS App and Patient Access – To access and find out more visit: https://solihullhealthcarepartnership.nhs.uk/online-services/
Our Online Consult facility is currently unavailable for patient safety online and clinical governance reasons. We are in the process of reviewing our online services to improve patient access and services, and will keep patients updated via our web site and social media.
Did you know?
You can visit your local pharmacy (Find a pharmacy - NHS (www.nhs.uk) for clinical advice on minor health concerns.
And for urgent issues or out of hours, you can also call the NHS on 111 or go online to seek NHS advice 111.nhs.uk (NHS 111 online)
Our staff are continuing to work extremely hard to provide services and care, and we would like to thank our patients for your continued support.
#HelpUsHelpYou
NHS Make the right choice...
It's important to know which service to contact if you, your child or family member is unwell…
Why was SHP formed?
Solihull Healthcare Partnership (SHP) was formed in October 2018 and moved to a single registered practice in October 2019. In line with the NHS long-term plan, SHP was created as a single site primary care network (PCN). There are countless benefits to being a PCN, if you would like to read more, please visit: https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/publications/primary-care-networks-explained#what-does-it-mean-for-patients
How do I access help from the surgery?
You can access the services SHP offer by:
Visiting our surgery sites: Patients are able to visit any of our sites and speak to a member of the team. You will be able to book appointments, request your medication and ask your queries in person.
Telephone: All of our surgery phone numbers are still active. SHP have had unprecedented telephone activity during COVID-19 and we apologise to all patients who have experienced long wait times.
SHP continue to work hard and are committed to improving call waiting times, to ensure when patients contact us via telephone they are dealt with as efficiently as possible.
If you do choose to phone us, our Care Navigation team will ask you questions about the nature of your call to assess the best way to handle your request and get you to the right healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Prescription requests- how can I order these ?
Please refrain from phoning us to request your medication (including the contraceptive pill) unless previously authorised to do so by a GP.
There are methods you may use to order your prescription:
- You are able to order a prescription through your online patient account Patient Access (if you have registered to the website).
- We have a post-box outside every site (apart from Blossomfield Surgery) where you may post a written request for your medication.