Practice News

January 2025

Introducing Anima

Anima is an online service, which will replace the system we currently use called eConsult.  Anima will be available from Monday 27th January and can be used for non-urgent queries or routine matters. If you need immediate assistance, please contact the practice by phone on 01728 723627.

This service allows you to submit your symptoms, general requests and inquiries to our practice. Our team will review your information, so we can assess and guide you appropriately. 

To access this service, patients will need to register with Anima. You can do this by clicking here or on the link below and following the instructions. If you have any problems or require assistance with registering, please contact the surgery.

For repeat prescription requests, please use the NHS App.

Anima | The integrated care platform | Patients

Thank you

Anima FAQs

What are the opening times for Anima?

We aim to have Anima open every weekday. Occasionally we may have to close Anima early, as sometimes the demand for a GP appointment far outweighs the safe capacity we can provide. On these days, we may have to turn anima off early because we are full. If you have an emergency in these situations, please call the reception team who will be happy to help.

How soon will I hear back?

We aim to respond to all queries as soon as possible.

Some more routine queries may take us a few days to get back to you. You can always check the status of your query via your Anima dashboard.

What happens if I can’t access the internet or don’t feel confident using it?

Our reception team are always happy to help.

They are able to submit requests for you and can call you back to inform you of the outcome of your request and book you in for the necessary appointment.

Can I use Anima to request a repeat prescription?

We would recommend you use the NHS app to request your repeat prescriptions.

Is Anima an App?

No, Anima is not an app currently. It can only be accessed through the website. The Anima team are working on integration with the NHS app and we will update you when this has happened.

You can log into Anima using your NHS app login credentials, or create your own unique Anima username and password.

Can I contact Anima directly?

Yes! We would encourage you to email Anima’s support team on support@animahealth.com if you have trouble using the website.

NHS App

Did you know you can request repeat prescriptions in the NHS App?

You can order your prescriptions at any time that suits you, there's no need to join a telephone queue or wait until the surgery opens.

You can easily choose where your prescriptions are sent.  So, if you know you'll be away from home, you can change your nominated pharmacy from within the app. 

Using the NHS App to request your prescriptions is also the most streamlined, efficient and quickest way for our dispensary staff to process your requests.

Some of our PPG members will be in the practice reception waiting area during October (please see the Patient Group page for specific dates), where they will be able to speak with you about the App, help you with getting set up and assist with any issues you may have using the App.

They will also be handing out a patient survey regarding communication with the practice.  Your feedback is important to us, so please do pop in to have a chat with them.

To find out more about the app and how it can benefit you, or for help with using the app, visit NHS App and your NHS account.

 

Parking

As well as our own on site parking, we are fortunate enough to have plenty of on street parking available too, so when visiting the practice, can we ask that you are considerate of our neighbours and please do not park across or block driveways.  Thank you.

 

Flu & Covid

We will be running flu and covid vaccination clinics from the week beginning the 7th October 2024. 

If you are eligible and have not received an invitation, please contact the practice to book an appointment.

 

Dispensary

From Monday 2nd September 2024 our Earl Soham dispensary will be closed until further notice due to staff shortages.  Patients that need acute and repeat prescriptions can collect them from Framlingham Dispensary.  Framlingham Dispensary is open from 08:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:30.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

 

Right Care, First Time.

General practice is facing unprecedented pressure. Demand is exceeding capacity, patients are facing longer delays and abuse in practice is rising as a result.

Right Care First Time #RightCareFirstTime - YouTube

 

Measles

There has been a recent rise in measles cases in the UK (Dec 2023). Measles is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can spread very easily.

You can protect your child by making sure they get 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. Normally the 1st is given at 12 months and the 2nd around 3 years 5 months old. Even if you or your children have missed these vaccines, it’s not too late to get them. Contact your GP practice today.

If your child has had both doses of their MMR vaccine, there is almost no chance of them getting unwell with measles (unless they have a severely weakened immune system).

For more information click this link

 

 

Op COURAGE

Op COURAGE provides specialist care and support for UK Armed Forces veterans, service leavers and reservists who are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing. Available across England, visit www.nhs.uk/opcourage for more information.

 

Join Dementia Research

Dementia affects more than 850,000 people in the UK.

Research offers hope. Only through research can we understand what causes dementia diseases, develop effective treatments and improve the care of those living with dementia.

But for research to make progress we need more people with and without dementia to take part in vital studies. Help beat dementia by signing up today. 

Please click here

 

GP Staff Campaign

With the majority of GP Practice Staff (78%) facing threatening behaviour, racist or sexist abuse from patients, and 83% reporting having called the police for help, the Institute of General Practice Management (IGPM) launches a campaign to end all abuse towards general practice staff.

If I die it will be your fault - YouTube

 

 

Online Access

Accessing your GP held records via the NHS app or NHS website.

 

Call Statistics

In January 2023:

• The Practice received 7309 inbound calls, up from 5928 in December.
• The average queue time was 5 minutes 13 seconds.
• The main pressure on phone lines was on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays 8am to 11am

If you are trying to book a non-urgent appointment, we recommend phoning outside of these times to reduce pressure on the phone lines and to decrease your queue time.

Please remember you can also use our call back feature so you don't have to hold and wait.

 

Feel Good Suffolk

Feel Good Suffolk is a completely new approach to support people in Suffolk to improve their health and wellbeing.

Services include support to stop smoking, manage weight and be more active.

Self referral can be made on the Feel Good Suffolk website.

 

Services you can access directly

Most health and care services are accessed via your GP team, who will either treat you or refer you to a hospital or other medical service. However, some services allow you to refer yourself to them directly. Use this page to find services you can access directly.

Services you can refer yourself to - NHS Suffolk and North East Essex ICB

• Carer support Services
• Dementia services
• End of life, palliative care & bereavement services
• Healthy lifestyles and diabetes managment services
• Home from hopsital & home nursing services
• Learning disabilities and autism services, and neurodevelopmental services
• Maternity, reproductive and sexual health services
• Mental health services
• Ophthalmology and audiology services
• Physiotherapthy services
• Podiatry services
• Respiratory services
• Social prescribing and community outreach services
• Specialist paediatric services

 

NHS East of England Gambling Service

The NHS East of England Gambling Service launched 24th July 2023 to support people living in the region who are experiencing the negative impact of gambling. The service, which is a collaboration between the Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and Inclusion (Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust), brings together two NHS trusts with extensive experience and expertise in providing specialist gambling treatment. The service is keen to offer an ‘open-door’ approach and welcomes both self-referrals

 

Email Requests

There has been a recent rise in email requests for clinical advice or queries.

Unfortunately we are unable to accept email requests for GP advice or queries. Please use Anima or phone into Reception to make an appointment with the GP.

 

Missed Appointments (DNA)

Missed appointments waste NHS resources and can cause serious delays in treatment for other patients.

Between 1st January & 31st January there were 162 missed appointments at Framlingham Medical Practice.

Added to the 178 in December, 213 in November, 286 in October, 157 in September, 142 in August, 142 in July, 176 in June, 121 in April & 147 in May that’s 1724 in 10 months.

This equates to 300 hours of clinical time over 10 months averaging 30 hours of missed appointments every month.

 

Chickenpox

 

How to contact us

 

 

Care Navigators

 

Incoming / Outgoing Calls

Please be aware all incoming and outgoing calls are recorded for training and monitoring purposes.

 

ReSPECT

 

Compassionate Companion

 

Guidance Regarding Strep A

Group A Strep (GAS) is a common bacteria which causes a range of infections including scarlet fever. These infections are usually mild. However, it can cause a rare, more serious infection called Invasive Group A Strep (iGAS). This occurs when GAS bacteria gets into part of the body where it causes serious disease, like the lungs or bloodstream. For more information regarding Strep A please see the posters below and the link to the NHS guidance and the UK Health Security Agency guidance 

 

Online Access to Medical Records

The BMA says a decision by NHS England to halt the automatic, blanket roll-out of a scheme that would have given all NHS patients in England prospective online access to their GP-held records by the end of the month, is the ‘right thing to do’ for patient safety.

The decision comes after a series of talks between the Association and NHS England, in which the BMA made clear many practices would not be ready to roll out the programme in a safe way for patients, and that it didn’t comply with their data protection obligations.

Before now, every practice in England would have seen the mass roll-out occur on October 31st, which gives patients the ability to view their prospective GP medical record via the NHS App. While some practices were ready to implement this, many expressed concerns over safety aspects and that it wasn’t fit for purpose at the present time.

As data controllers of the patient record, GPs need to be sure the right safeguarding measures are in place to protect certain vulnerable patients who might access their records – for example, for those living with an abusive partner, or patients with particular health conditions.

Practices that have written to their IT clinical software supplier to ask that they do not turn on the functionality, will not see the programme switched on automatically on the October 31st, as had been planned.

Those that have not sent such a letter will be contacted by their system supplier to discuss what happens next, and when switch on will occur for them. These practices can still opt-out at this stage by sending a letter to their suppliers. The BMA will be in dialogue with IT clinical software suppliers on the next steps.

Patients can still request access to their digital records on an individual basis, as is the case now.

The BMA’s GP England committee (GPC England) is committed to working with NHS England over the coming months to ensure that progress on the programme going forward will be safe for patients, streamlined for practices and comply with data protection regulations.

Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of GPC England at the BMA, said: “We’re pleased to hear that NHS England has decided to review the pace and timing of the automatic, mass roll-out of the Citizens’ Access programme. This is, without doubt, the right thing to do for patient safety.

“We want patients to be able to access their GP medical records, but this must be done carefully, with the appropriate safeguards in place to protect them from any potential harm. The deadline of November 30th was, for many practices, just too soon to do this, and removing it will come as a huge relief to GPs and their teams across the country.

“We’re pleased that our members’ concerns have been listened to and are open to working with NHS England to revise the programme accordingly to find a way forward that works for everyone.”

 

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

You can self refer to pulmonary rehabilitation when:  

• you have a diagnosed respiratory condition
• you experience breathlessness as part of your everyday life
• you are registered with a GP in Suffolk or North East Essex
• you are able to commit to a twice weekly course of education and exercise

Call 0333 0433 966

 

Online Services

To use our online service to book appointments, order medication and access your coded medical record please click on the link below. Please note you must have registered with reception to use these services.

 

Serving You

Our dedicated team are here to treat those minor ailments that occur as well as providing specialist management of long-term conditions and clinics covering a wide range of healthcare issues. The technology also means you can now do a lot of things from the comfort of your home such as order a repeat prescription or cancel an appointment.

 

Partners in Care

Once registered, patients and healthcare professionals work together to ensure the most appropriate care is provided. This partnership philosophy extends even further and our active patient group exists to make sure that patient needs and the practice offering are always heading in the same direction.

Opportunities at the Surgery

Please look on our recruitment page.

 

Fitness to Work (Sick Note) Updates

Fit notes are available after 7 days of self-certification and are requested by completing an Anima request.

For more information, please visit the GOV.UK website.

 

Armed Forces Veterans

Framlingham Medical Practice is an armed forces veteran friendly accredited GP Practice. The Veteran Gateway puts veterans and their families in touch with organisations best placed to help with the information, advice and support they need – from healthcare and housing to employability, finances, personal relationships and more. Please click this link to access the gateway.

 

Correspondence

All correspondence sent to the surgery or handed in at the surgery is opened by staff, including letters addressed to a particular GP.  This allows correspondence to be scanned onto the patient record and forwarded to the most appropriate clinician.   It also ensures that any urgent matters are dealt with immediately.  

All our staff are required to preserve the confidentiality of patients and all matters connected with the Practice at all times.

 

Additional Hours Appointments

Don’t forget that you can now book a routine GP appointment to be seen at Wickham Market as part of the Enhanced Access service which offer appointments as follows:

• Weekdays: 6:30pm – 9.00pm
• Saturday: 9:00am – 13.00pm
• Bank Holidays: 9:00am – 13:00pm

To book an enhanced access appointment please contact Framlingham Medical Practice Reception during our normal surgery opening hours.

 

Patient Participation Group

Have your say – join our Patient Participation Group

 

Feedback

We value your feedback - take the Friends & Family Test

 

Contact Details

Do we have your correct contact details? Are you happy to share your email address and or mobile phone number with us?  Please complete a slip at reception if so to consent us to communicate with you in the most appropriate way.