NEWSLETTER FOR THE GENERAL PRACTICE LINK OFFICE
JANUARY 1999 ISSUE 57
The General Practice Link Office is always looking for articles to be included in Link News. If there is anyone out there involved in General Practice who would like to submit an article, please contact us with any contributions, which will be warmly welcomed.
STOP PRESS
CONTENTS
UPDATE ON CROYDON PRIMARY CARE GROUPS
SOUTH EAST CANCER HELP CENTRE (SECHC)
FIRST NATIONAL SEMINAR OF THE RECENT ADVANCES IN MANAGEMENT OF SEXUAL DISORDERS
REORGANISATION OF LDN LOCALITIES
INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY CONFERENCE
FEEDBACK FROM PRACTICE NURSE MEETING 8 DECEMBER 1998NEW MACMILLAN BREAST CARE NURSE AT MAYDAY
INVESTIGATION OF SYMPTOMATIC TRAVELLERS RETURNING FROM ABROAD
CROYDOC CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR
AMBASSADOR HOUSE ONE-STOP ADVICE CENTRE
Update on Croydon Primary Care Groups
Following election/selection processes for the various categories of PCG Board Members, Board appointments were confirmed at a meeting of Croydon Health Authority on 1 November 1998, with the following table listing Board members of Croydon Primary Care Groups appointed at the CHA November Board meeting.North |
Central |
Croydon South |
|
GPs |
Ravi Sondhi Kevin Tarrant Chandra Patel Damal Suganthi Noreen Chaudery Jasjeet Dhoat Agnelo Fernandes |
Alex Trompetas Jeremy Shindler Paul Charlton Nick Ford Oscar Salerno Guhendran Ravi – Shankar |
Pat Phillips John Linney Jamil Khan Sally Found Fiona Collins Subbash Chitkara |
Community Nurses |
Margaret Ioannou |
Maree Jones |
Lisa Eve Sarah Baker |
Social Services Nominee |
Delroy Pommell |
John Duggleby |
Jane Doyle |
Lay member |
Mary Bond |
||
HA non-executive |
Cedric Briscoe |
Jill Godfrey |
Toni Letts |
Chief Officer |
The Boards of the North Croydon and Croydon South PCGs held their first seminar meetings during December. During the preparatory period each of the shadow Boards will be holding a public meeting, with dates for meetings as follows:-
| North Croydon | Croydon South | Central Croydon |
| 12 March 1999 | 24 March 1999 | 16 March 1999 |
Discussions are continuing with the three shadow PCGs about commissioning arrangements and functions to be delegated to PCGs from 1 April 1999. Decisions about PCG Levels from April 1999 will be finalised shortly in line with national time scales. As part of the preparation for live operation from April, a programme of organisational development workshops has been organised reflecting the key areas of work for the shadow PCGs. To date workshops have been held for PCG Boards covering PCG Finance, Accountability and Clinical Governance. Work is continuing in a number of key areas, with PCG Leads now identified for the following topics:
In line with national guidance, priorities to be addressed during 1999/2000 have been identified for the areas marked ** above, and detailed action plans are currently being developed for all topics. |
SOUTH EAST CANCER HELP CENTRE (SECHC)
NEW at PORTLAND ROAD MEDICAL CENTRE
1st and 3rd WEDNESDAY EACH MONTH 14:30 – 16:30
STARTING January 6th 1999
In reply to our recent advertisement in LINK NEWS, we are grateful to the Portland Road Medical Centre, for providing a base to offer a service to those patients, family and friends, affected by cancer, from all of the North of Croydon, and not just those attached to this Practice. This will be a drop-service – no appointment is necessary.
Staff from the SECHC will be available at the Portland Road Medical Centre to meet people and to provide links with the Centre in Purley. They will offer general cancer-related information and support, and will give an opportunity to explore ways, alongside conventional medical care, which may help them to cope better with their situation.
For further information, contact either Kathleen Behan, South East Cancer Help Centre, Tesco Development, Purley Cross, Purley, Surrey CR8 2HA. Tel: 0181 668 0974; or The Practice Manager, 184 Portland Road, South Norwood, SE25 4QB Tel: 0181 662 1233.
FIRST NATIONAL SEMINAR OF THE RECENT ADVANCES IN MANAGEMENT OF SEXUAL DISORDERS
BRIEF SUMMARY
Improvement in sexual functioning is accompanied in mental and social health scores. The incidence of complete impotency is 5% at the age of 40 and 15% at 70 years, none with diabetes and over prevalence of about 33%.
History is important to exclude psychogenics or organic causes.
Examination of the testes for hypogonadism; examination of the penis for fibrosis of the shaft; checking the foreskin is retractile or not and B/P check is important. Investigations – Glucose in the urine or blood and testosterone. If testosterone is low LH/FSH/Prolactin should be done.
Some of the investigations done at the hospital will be stamp test, snap gauge test and regiscan.
Treatment: patient choice for selection. At present Viagra is not available on NHS except in some special circumstances. Intracavernosal alprostadil are available though. Mechanical devices are not available in the hospital.
NB. Viagra does not improve libido but decreases refractory time a major factor in making it liable to be misused, as a leisure drug. Priapism (2% incidence) is a urological emergency and should be despatched to the A & E Dept.
Dr Sarjit Handa
Reorganisation of LDN Localities
There have been a couple of changes to the Locality Nurse areas recently, so to enable the practices to contact the Locality Nurse in their area, we have listed the changes below with the telephone numbers and the days they are available.
Janette Swift In addition to the Nurse Adviser duties she will continue in C3G with the addition of New Addington. She works full time and can be contacted on 0181 401 3994.
Sue Baden has changed to the North Locality (Norbury and Woodside). She works Monday, Wednesday and a Friday morning and can be contacted on 0181 401 3897.
Debbie Chamberlayne has changed to the South Locality (Purley). She works Wednesday, Thursday and a Friday afternoon, and can be contacted on 0181 401 3897.
Sally Walters will continue as the training support nurse based in Sanderstead and can be contacted on 0181-657-8040.
Please note that telephone no. 0181 401 3995 no longer exists.
We have also set up the lunchtime teaching sessions again. They will be every other week and cover subjects such as ear syringing, smoking cessation, phlebotomy, testicular and prostate cancer and many more. Please note that lunch will be provided at these sessions and that fliers will be despatched, so look out for them! If you have not received any fliers, please call us and we will ensure that the information reaches you.
The Institute of Psychiatry, London & HM Prison Service
Improving Healthcare for Young People in Prison: Working Together with the NHS.
This conference will address the broad range of issues that relate to the health care of young people in prison. In light of the current Government review, particular emphasis will be given to the relationship between the NHS and Prison health care. Plenary sessions followed by workshops will bring together examples of good practice, research and partnerships with community services. The Conference will be relevant to all professionals working with young offenders and those with responsibility for service development.
Topics: Prevention of suicide and deliberate self-harm: Anti-bullying strategies: Mental health care and promotion: Medical care, sexual health: Therapeutic work with families, creative therapies: Special needs of young women in custody: Reducing re-offending: offender treatment programmes: Services for substance misuse: Contracting and commissioning services: Health improvement plans and primary care groups.
Opening Address: HM Chief Inspector of Prisons, Sir David Ramsbotham
Venue: Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Camberwell, London SE5 8AF.
Course Fee: �60 (including buffet lunch and refreshments)
Application Forms from: Ms Lee Wilding, Conference Office, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. Tel: 0171 919 3170 Fax: 0171 740 5172 Email:[email protected].
Institute of Psychiatry, London: and Division of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto
Interpersonal Therapy (IPT) Course. London, 7 to 10 June 1999
The course is a basic four-day workshop on interpersonal therapy aimed at qualified health professionals. It gives participants the option of seeking further training with two or four supervised cases, depending on experience, in order to receive joint accreditation by the two institutions as having received intense supervised training in IPT. Last year, the Royal College of Psychiatrists awarded the four day course 23 credits for consultant psychiatrists’ continuous professional development. A similar award from the Royal College of Psychiatrists for this year and a British Psychological Society recommendation are being sought.
Closing date: 15 March 1999. The course is limited to a maximum of 30 participants.
Venue: Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF.
Fee: �500 to include buffet lunch and refreshments.
Further information and application forms from: Ms Lee Wilding, Conference Office, Institute of Psychiatry. De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF. Tel: 0171 919 3170 or 0171 740 5125. Fax: 0171 740 5172. Email: [email protected].
FEEDBACK FROM PRACTICE NURSE MEETING 8 DECEMBER 1998 Administration of depo-neuroleptics
e.g. Depixol, Modecate etc.
Ref – Practice Nursing. 1998 Vol 9 No. 4 RCN – Issues in Nursing and Health. Jan. 96 No. 37. Update – PCGs – Educational needs currently being met by Croydon
Health for all members of each area PCG. Update – Discussed future developments of Practice Nurse educational needs.
Please forward any "burning desires" that you wish to be considered to your LDN. Lise Eve
Practice Nurse training does not adequately equip nurses to administer safely these
drugs. It is important that nurses are fully aware of the potential irreversible side effects. In order to identify these side effects, patients should be referred to the Community
Psychiatric Nurse attached to your practice. Further information available for your attention.
New Macmillan Breast Care Nurse at Mayday
Christine Chu has been appointed Macmillan Breast Care Nurse at Mayday University Hospital, taking over the post from Mary Pole who recently joined Breast Cancer Care.
Christine can be contacted on:-
0181 401 3652
or
0181 401 3000 Bleep 418.
Investigation of Symptomatic Travellers
Returning from Abroad
Management depends on the symptoms and nature of the problem
Fever
Malaria must be excluded urgently in all cases of febrile illness in travellers
returning from Malaria endemic areas. Malaria can mimic other diseases, for example influenza and therefore should always be
considered in an unwell patient who may have been exposed to the disease
Investigations
Prepare thick and thin blood films without delay Remember that Plasmodium falciparum Malaria imported into the U.K. presents within the
first three months, although presentation can be delayed for up to one year. Other causes
of fever to consider.
Enteric Fever
If diagnosis is unclear then advice should be sought from physicians
with experience in tropical and infectious disease. This information has been brought to you via the Practice Nurse Group Committee and in
part from the Health Information for Overseas Travel 1995 Edition – Page 98.
Pneumonia – including Legionnaire’s Disease Hepatitis Schistusomiasis
Croydoc Christmas and New Year
Croydoc saw its busiest period ever. From 1300 hrs on 24 December until 0700 hrs on 4 January 1999, 3,161 patient consultations were completed, this is nearly 69% up on the same time last year.
During this period over 700 home consultations and 900 base consultations were conducted, with over 1500 callers receiving telephone advice.
Despite this large and unprecedented caller demand, both staff and doctors worked well supporting each other in the spirit of the Co Op.
Ken Johnson
Croydoc
Ambassador House One Stop Advice Centre was
one year old on 18 December 1998
The Centre, which gives advice and support to people experiencing Hate Crimes and Domestic Violence, Racial Harassment and homophobic attacks, has undergone changes to improve the service delivery.
Volunteers welcome clients to the Centre where professionals are also on hand to give advice and support. These include police, solicitors and housing and benefits officers.
From December 97 to November 98, 441 referrals have been dealt with, mainly Domestic Violence cases.
3% of these referrals have come from Health professionals, which suggests that the One Stop has not made itself visible enough in the "Health" setting.
Further publicity is planned. Meanwhile to refresh memories, Ambassador House is open for :-
Domestic Violence - Monday and Tuesday 10am to 5pm
Racial Harassment - Wednesday 10 to 5pm
Homophobic attacks - to be developed
Access is by telephone 649 – 1707
Opposite Thornton Heath Health Centre
Briony Ladbury
Child Protection Adviser
Smoking Cessation 27th January 12:30-2:00
Leg Ulcer/Wound Management 3rd,10th & 17th Feb. St.George’s
Distance Learning Dip. in Allergy 4th & 5th Feb. 9:30-4:30
Depression in Young People & Postnatal Women 9th Feb. 9:30-4:30
The Red Book for Practice Staff 23rd Feb. 9:30-4:30
Coronary Heart Disease 16th March 9:30-430
Coronary Heart Disease Prevention in General Practice 25th March Introductory session 1-5pm
Two final study days with written examination on 22nd and 23rd September 1999.
All training is held at the GPLO, Croydon Postgraduate Medical Centre, Mayday University Hospital with the exception of Leg Ulcer.
The GPLO does not necessarily endorse or support any of the positions, products or people advertised herein.
Full time Practice Nurse
required with Cytology skills. Please contact Dr D Pattani, 172 Croydon Road, Croydon, CR0 4PG. Tel No: 0181 688 8486.Locum Practice Nurse required. Family Planning trained for 6-8 weeks from 25.1.99. 15-20 hours per week, flexible sessions.
Medical Receptionist required to work part-time in a busy, friendly Doctors’ surgery in Purley. Working approximately 20 hours per week and one Saturday in eight. Good communication and keyboard skills essential. Previous experience desirable. Apply in writing with CV to: Graham Merry, 70 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 2LJ.
Part Time receptionist required for 20 hours a week in Thornton Heath. Afternoons and evenings and one Saturday morning in four. For more information please contact Maureen Bouthemy, Practice Manager, North Croydon Medical Centre, 518 London Road, Thornton Heath (next door to Mayday on the London Road).
Telephone 0181 684 2190.
FOR SALE:
Three piece suite. Walnut wood surround. Navy Blue Scotch Guarded fabric. Very Good Condition. �200.00 o.n.o. Telephone 0181 660 7064 evenings
.