General Practice teams:Working hard to provide the right care by the right professional as demand for services continues to rise

As demand for appointments significantly increases by up to a third. Whether patients get in touch on the phone or call into the Practice to speak with reception, our Practice team are working incredibly hard to respond to all patient contacts as quickly as possible. All enquiries are clinically assessed on the same day with the most urgent cases prioritised, and where appropriate face to face appointments are offered to patients. However, with demand for appointments on the rise, patients with less urgent needs may have to wait a little longer and for some health concerns, patients may also be signposted to other options or services, such as Pharmacy First or Respiratory Hub, NHS 111, if this is more appropriate for their need.

Patients are encouraged to consider all health and care options to get the most appropriate care in the quickest time, this might include:

• Checking our website section 'Self Help and Wellbeing' which has lots of information on where to access help (NHS 111, Pharmacy First, Dental, Minor Eye Conditions Service), local support and social prescribing team, advice and help with mental health, drug and alcohol support, pregnancy support, sleep health, blood pressure and weight monitoring, get help to quit smoking, help us, help you! Find out more and get the right advice and support today by clicking HERE

• Patients wanting to order a repeat prescription can request this via Patient Access or the NHS App.

• Your local pharmacy can now give clinical advice, prescription medication for seven common conditions and over the counter medicines for a range of other minor conditions. The Practice can refer you to the Pharmacy First Service or you can access the service by visiting your local pharmacy. For more information see Pharmacy First

• There is access to evening and weekend appointments with doctors and nurses at one of the following locations: Fairfax Group Practice, Radcliffe Primary Care Centre, Moorgate Primary Care Centre. Ask one of our staff to book you in.

• NHS 111 online 24/7 or on the phone (dial 111), for urgent medical problems when you’re not sure what to do. You’ll be signposted to or connected with the most appropriate service for your needs.

• www.NHS.uk a complete guide to conditions, symptoms and treatments, including what to do and when to get help.

• Patients seeking support whilst they wait for hospital treatment have access to the While You Wait website.

• The Bury Directory has information about services, activities and events right across Bury.

 Please also download the following booklet 'Get to know, where to go' which is helpful signposting when you have a health complaint:

To download, click on the following link Get To Know Where To Go Booklet A6.pdf

Our Practice team is working hard to provide all of our patients, the advice, support & care in the shortest possible time

It’s a really busy time -but your Practice is here for you

Thank you for your patience during this busy time!

The local pharmacy can offer advice and treatment for lots of minor illnesses, ailments and allergies - without the need for an appointment. Many will still be open over the bank holiday, but some will operate with reduced hours.

Dental support can be accessed via the Greater Manchester dental helpline (0333 332 3800), which is available from 8am to 10pm every day, including weekends and bank holidays for those who need help urgently when their practice is closed, or do not have a regular dentist.

Greater Manchester’s Urgent Eye Care Service can provide assessments and treatment quickly if a sudden change in vision, red or painful eyes or new flashes or floaters are seen. This is a free NHS service, made up of local optician teams. Available to anyone registered with a Greater Manchester GP. To find out more, visit www.primaryeyecare.co.uk

Mental health crisis support

Free 24/7 mental health crisis support is available across Greater Manchester.

For Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Trafford and Wigan residents, call 0800 953 0285.

For Bury, Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale, Oldham, Stockport, Tameside and Glossop the number is 0800 014 9995.

Free digital mental wellbeing support

Access free, safe, and anonymous professional support online. There are no waiting lists for support and no referral needed. Access to these platforms is available instantly 24/7. Support available includes: Live chat or messaging with qualified mental health professionals; self-help tools and activities; Visit Kooth (for ages 10 to 25) www.kooth.com or Qwell (for ages 26+)  www.qwell.io/, Living Life To The Full and SilverCloud for adults 16yrs +

In addition to the above digital support offers, there are now two other free programmes available: SilverCloud’s programmes for parents and carers.

• Supporting an Anxious Child (for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11)
• Supporting an Anxious Teen (for parents and carers of teenagers aged 12 to 18)

You can access these programmes here gm.silvercloudhealth.com/signup.

Services you can self-refer to

Find out about the range of mental health and wellbeing support services in Greater Manchester that you can self-refer to. There’s information on this page for children and young people and adults. Visit https://hub.gmintegratedcare.org.uk/mental-health/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-greater-manchester-that-you-can-self-refer-to/

Alcohol addiction
Support is available to those who may need it. For services in your local area, visit www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/find-alcohol-addiction-support-services

Foodbanks

There are lots of foodbanks across Greater Manchester. Many of these services offer more than just food, some may offer support around mental health and wellbeing, food parcels, financial advice and support, community ran groups and much more. For help in your local area, visit www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/helping-hand/food.

As always the first port of call for non-emergency health needs should be  NHS 111 Online or call 111.

Summer and school holidays can be a busy time, and with so much going on in the run up to the August bank holiday it’s easy to forget the smaller things like making sure you get your repeat prescription to the pharmacy in good time and ensuring your child is up to date with their vaccinations prior to starting the new school year. By thinking ahead and re-stocking medicine cabinets, people can make sure they make the most of the bank holiday and are well-prepared for the busy period.

Although it can be great fun to bask in the sun and enjoy a BBQ with friends or family with a drink or two, there are a few simple things we can all do to stay safe. This includes looking out for those who may be struggling with the heat, taking precautions to protect your skin from harmful UV rays, staying cool indoors and avoiding physical exercise at peak times of the day (between 11am-3pm). It’s important to remember that although as summer draws to a close, the pollen count remains high so knowing where to go for allergy advice is vital.

It’s also crucial during this time of year to recognise the potential impact on mental health and alcohol related concerns. Summer can be a difficult time for people and whilst some enjoy time with friends and family at social gatherings or on holiday, others may experience feelings of loneliness, worry or anxiety. It’s important to look after yourself and others – remember that support is available to those how who may need it.

As pressure surrounding exam results builds, people are also reminded of the wealth of mental health support available for young people and their parents or carers. If either yourself or your child is finding the upcoming exam results period overwhelming, help is available. Whether it’s to help build resilience and stay mentally healthy when things are feeling challenging, to talk to someone about how you’re feeling, or to find out how best to support your child, lots of help and advice can be found from services such as Kooth, Silvercloud or Qwell