Nightingale News - Summer 2024

Pharmacists also know about medication side-effects, licensing, availability and contraindications. ‘Contraindication’ means where a medicine should not be used because it may be harmful to the patient – for example, where two drugs react badly together. 

The pharmacy team also action hospital letters. Sometimes a hospital discharges someone with a prescription, not realising the drug they have specified may clash with something else that the patient’s GP, or another hospital, has prescribed. Nideya says: “When this happens, we involve the hospital consultant and the GP to find a medication combination that works.”

As well as advising the GPs, the team makes sure all patients have an annual medication review. (This is separate, and additional to, the annual medical reviews that patients with long-term conditions have.) Patients don’t need to make the appointment for their annual medication review. The anniversary will flag up automatically when the patient orders his or her medicines. 

But if you have a query or concern about your medication, you don’t have to wait for your annual review. You can request a pharmacist appointment at any time – either through the online booking system or at the reception desk. An online request will result in a call back the same day. And you don’t have to speak to your GP first. The Nightingale GPs and the pharmacists work as a team.

The pharmacy team appreciate that people are increasingly trusting the pharmacy profession, recognising the valuable contributions pharmacists bring to their care.

There was a time, says Nideya, when pharmacists were seen as just 'chemist shop assistants.' However, the profession has evolved significantly and, today, pharmacists are rightly recognised for their specialised knowledge and essential role in healthcare.

At the time this article was written, Nideya Sharif was preparing to leave us, for new challenges, and Jennifer Waterfield was in the process of taking over as our Senior Clinical Pharmacist. We thank Nideya for all her hard work in Hackney and we wish both her and Jennifer all the best in their new roles.

Do you need help finding a job?

Do you live with a physical and/or mental health condition? Are you looking for a job? If so, the Individual Placement Support in Primary Care (IPSPC) programme may be able to help you. 

The IPSPC provides personalised employment support to help Hackney residents experiencing physical and/or mental health conditions into work. This is whether you’ve had a break from work (sick leave, sabbatical, etc.) or you’ve not started working yet.

Who can access IPSPC support?

Hackney residents of working age with a physical or mental disability who are engaged in primary care services – that means, you must be getting support from your GP for your condition. If you are eligible, there are a number of services you can access. Some of these services are listed below.

Help to find and progress in work

• Personalised one-to-one employment support
• Help with CVs, job applications and interview techniques
• Access to IT facilities and unique job opportunities
• Support explaining your health condition to employers

Support to stay in work

• Personalised in-work support
• Help to resolve workplace challenges
• Advice on managing your health condition in the workplace.

Can I access IPSPC services at the Nightingale?

The good news is, yes, you can – or, you will be able to shortly. Senior IPSPC Supported Employment Officer Sarah Smith, from Hackney Council’s Employment, Skills and Adult Learning Service, hopes to start seeing any Nightingale patients who need her help and support in the surgery on Thursday mornings. 

If you would like to be referred to IPSPC, ask your GP for advice. Or you can self-refer via the Hackney Opportunities website.

Are you IT bamboozled and App confused?

These days, there are lots of different ways for patients to access their medical information online or contact the surgery electronically. There’s the NHS App, for example, and also something called ‘Patients Know Best’. It’s all a bit confusing, so we asked the surgery’s Senior GP IT Facilitator Raymond Berry for clarification. We started by asking Raymond to tell us about the various tools that are available - and this is what he told us.

“There are lots of apps for patients to choose from to access their medical information and/or to contact the surgery. More seem to pop up all the time. NHS England originally said practices shouldn’t promote any one app above another. However, they are now invested in the NHS App and they encourage practices to promote this one. 

“The good thing about the NHS App is: they have a reasonably good contact facility if things stop working or if there are problems accessing it. Other apps do have contact options for problems but, in all honesty, I can’t verify if they will resolve the problem for the patient. There is also an app called ‘Patients Know Best’ but I am aware there is a known bug with that one. (And some people might have heard of ‘Patient Access’ but the Nightingale don’t use that system.) If I had to recommend to people what to do, I would put the NHS App as first choice.”

What are the benefits of accessing information online, as opposed to telephoning the surgery?

“Using the NHS App means you can view your recent medical records whenever you want to, without the need to contact the surgery. (By the way, the surgery sets the limits of how much information you can see online.) 

“If you are waiting for blood or other test results, you can view them once they are returned from the hospital and the doctor has checked them. Again, you don’t have to call the surgery (and you can rest assured the surgery would contact you if there is anything of concern in the tests). 

“You can also order repeat medication online and/or book (or cancel) an appointment at your convenience, without the need to contact the surgery. So, the key benefit for going online as opposed to calling the surgery is that most things can be done at a time that is convenient to you, without waiting on the phone, or done outside surgery hours.”

If the details in my online records are wrong, or not up to date, can I get things corrected?

“If you see something wrong with your medical record or something that’s not up-to-date online, you can contact the surgery to discuss this. Changes can be made at the surgery’s discretion. 

“However, if you are disputing information that was put on your record by a previous GP’s surgery, your current surgery is not obliged to change anything. This is due to data protection and because the current surgery was not responsible for any incorrect information. However, they can make a note on your record to reflect what you are disputing. Sadly, the previous surgery responsible for any error can’t change the medical record either, as they are no longer the current holders of the record.”

Is it OK if I ignore technology and just telephone the surgery or pop in, in person, as I always did?

“Absolutely! Having online access to your medical records and to the surgery’s appointment booking system vs continuing to do it in person or on the phone is your choice. However, we really encourage those patients who ARE able to use online services and the NHS App to do so. This helps us to help those patients who genuinely can’t access online facilities for whatever reason.” 

If you need help with understanding how to use the NHS app or the online appointment booking system, please ask at the surgery and we can help you.

Self-refer for contraceptive implants, coil fitting or removal

From 1 June 2024, the Nightingale Practice has been running a pilot scheme to improve access to contraceptive services in City and Hackney by allowing patients to self-refer for implant and coil fittings, or removal.

The doctors get the referrals and then schedule a telephone appointment with the patient. Patients are asked to complete a pre-assessment questionnaire and, if they meet the criteria, they will be able to book an appointment online or be booked into the next available slot of their choosing.

The referral form to allow you to self-refer is on the Nightingale website.

What’s happening with Together Better?

Together Better is a community project that provides a wide variety of free activities at, or near, the Nightingale Practice every week. It also provides companionship and friendship for a growing number of local people. Here we tell you about some of our latest news.

Published: Jul 15, 2024