Long term conditions

As part of our commitment to high quality care and to helping you to improve your health, the practice invites certain groups of patients in for an annual review of their condition and medication.

We invite patients by text message (or by letter if you do not have a mobile phone) on or around their birthday month, to book an appointment to attend one of our nurse led clinics.

For most conditions we will require you to attend for blood tests, weight and other investigations before being invited to book into a group consultation or an appointment with the practice nurse or pharmacist. Please tell the reception team what condition you suffer and they will book you into the correct clinic.

While we encourage patients to attend these reviews, if you can’t, or don’t want to attend, we would be grateful if you could notify us so that we do not send you any more reminders until the following year.

If you are housebound and unable to attend the practice, you can phone the practice and request a home visit.

Asthma

Asthma is an ongoing disease of the airways characterised by cough, wheeze, shortness of breath or chest tightness. With treatment someone with asthma should be able to carry out activities as comfortably as those who do not have asthma.

Once a year, during the month of your birthday we will send you a text asking you to complete a questionnaire at Asthmacontroltest.com. Please reply to our text with your score and then call to book a telephone appointment with our practice nurse.

At the review the practice nurse will check your symptoms, peak flow reading, inhaler requirements, and your technique in taking your inhaled drugs (so do remember to bring along all the inhalers and spacers you currently use to your appointment). You may also wish to discuss any asthma-related concerns you have at this time.

Asthma reviews usually take around 20 minutes, so please remember to tell the receptionist the type of appointment you wish to book when you phone to make your appointment.

For an informative source all about asthma, you can check out the following websites:

COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)

COPD is a long-term condition of the lungs where the flow of air to the lungs is restricted (obstructed). Symptoms include cough and breathlessness. The condition is most often caused by smoking and the most important treatment is to stop smoking. Inhalers are commonly used to ease symptoms.

Once a year during your birthday month we will invite you to book an appointment with the practice nurse to review your COPD. Prior to your appointment please complete the COPD assessment test.  If you suffer from other long term conditions you will need to book in for some blood tests with the treatment room before seeing the practice nurse.

During your appointment the practice nurse will ask you how your breathing is and whether you have been unwell with it during the last year.   It may be necessary to do some further breathing tests or change your medications slightly.

For further information please visit:

Long term heart conditions

If you suffer with a long term heart condition such as heart failure, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease or atrial fibrillation you will be invited once a year on your birthday month to book an appointment with the treatment room nurses.  They will perform various investigations including bloods tests, blood pressure and weight. At the end of this appointment you will be offered an appointment with the practice nurse or pharmacist.

The appointment with the practice nurse or pharmacist is 20 minutes long but if you suffer with other long term conditions we may offer you a longer appointment. At this appointment the practice nurse or pharmacist may adjust your medication or refer you for further treatment if necessary.

It is important that you attend these appointments so that we can make sure we are doing everything we can to reduce the risk of your condition progressing. We also want to help you minimise side effects from your condition.

While we review your condition once a year, if at any point you are struggling with symptoms please book into see us as soon as possible.

For further information about these conditions please visit the following links:

Heart failure

Heart failure means that the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly. It usually happens because the heart has become too weak or stiff.

Find out more about Heart failure.