The most complete record of a patient's care is kept by their GP. Sometimes, doctors out-of-hours need quick access to that vital information, but it's not available because the GP's surgery is closed for the evening or weekend. Working closely with health professionals, Informing Healthcare has developed the Individual Health Record (IHR). This new electronic bridge between urgent and primary care settings gives doctors and nurses the information they need to help them make important decisions about how you are treated. 

This is now ready to go live for Ashleigh Surgery. More information is available in the waiting room or on the Informing Healthcare website.

Are you planning a foreign holiday?

It is important to ensure that you have discussed your travel arrangements with our nurse in good time. A travel form is available from the receptionist to complete before your appointment to assist the nurse in planning your vaccination schedule. Alternatively you can print off the form here.

Many thanks to those patients who completed the access survey this month.

The results and analysis can be reviewed here.

It was encouraging to find that 94% of patients responded that their overall satisfaction with our services was good or excellent. 93% answered that the timings of appointments and clinics was generally convenient to them.
We are looking at ways to further improve our service to patients. Our action plan for 2008/09 has now been completed.

From Monday 8th October the surgery can no longer book hospital transport for you. This is happening across the country due to changes to the GP national contract.

Hospital transport should now be booked on 0845 840 1234

For full details see the information on this LHB leaflet which is also available in the surgery.

Thank you to those patients who completed this survey over the last couple of weeks.
Your answers will be used to help us evaluate our current service and to produce an action plan for the future.

If you were not asked to complete a survey but would like to make a comment about any aspect of our service you can email our Practice Manager here or complete a suggestion slip. There is a box for these in the waiting room.

Would you like to learn how to manage your long-term health condition more effectively?
If the answer is yes, then the next Expert Patient Programme course is for you. The Expert Patient Programme is a lay led NHS self- management course for people living with any long term health condition. The course provides an excellent opportunity for people to learn new coping skills which can significantly improve their quality of daily life.

The next course was to have been held in June. Unfortunately due to lack of response from patients it has had to be cancelled.

If you would like to find out more about it and when the next course is likely to be please telephone Terry, Claire or Caroline on 01554 744492 or email
epp@camarthenlhb.wales.nhs.uk .

Our new telephone system has arrived. Hopefully it is making it easier for you to contact us. At present, if all of our receptionists are busy you will just here the ringing tone even though you are in a queue. Don't put the phone down thinking that your call will not be answered. Teething problems are still being sorted out!

From 7th August 2006, this will be a nurse led unit. It will be open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12 midday on Saturdays. For more information read the Ceredigion & Mid Wales NHS trust report here.
Any patient with minor injuries should attend this unit and not the surgery.