May 2018 News
A warm welcome to the Millhouse Community and to other readers.
Winter is here with colder days and the expectation of more wind and rain. I hope you caught up with last month's newsletter with pearls of wisdom on how to lessen the risk of getting winter coughs and colds.
Remember to enhance your protective barriers.
The skin - by washing hands, using hand sanitiser and wearing gloves to reduce exposure to viruses and bacteria,
The nose and lung lining membranes – by taking added vitamin D, especially if you missed out on the summer sun, which increases the excretion of protective antimicrobial peptides in the mucus.
In this issue...
- Advice for winter health protection
- Flu and shingles vaccinations
- Repeat prescriptions
- Recalls
- Dr Joe Lim returns
This month Dr Ric writes about the Calcium CT score in diagnosing Heart Disease.
The immune system – by pre-preparing your immune response with flu vaccination to the expected flu viruses and consider adding Vitamins D & C, zinc and turmeric to boost your immune response. Remember too that quality sleep and avoiding added stress maintain a strong immune system.
MILLHOUSE NEWS
Flu vaccination is available now. Just make an appointment with the Practice Nurse Team to receive the injection. Zostavax immunisation, for the prevention of shingles, and specially shingles neuralgia, is also available, free for those over 65 years. Just make an appointment to see our Practice Nurses.
Repeat Prescriptions. The Practice Nurses now have responsibility for repeat prescriptions and will follow best practice guidelines when performing this task. These guidelines include, for those with stable medical conditions, seeing your family doctor at least once a year but being able to request three-month repeat prescriptions at other times. Please don't be offended if the Practice Nurse asks you to see your doctor or a Practice Nurse for review. If there are difficulties in visiting, we will advance one month's medication until you can be seen.
The Practice Nurse will also review whether you are due for a mammogram, cervical smear, blood pressure, or blood test (cholesterol, diabetes & PSA-prostate) investigation and any other recall your doctor has made.
Community Services Cards: One of the Labour Party's election promises was to lower the patient co-payment for those with Community Service Cards (CSC). The Government has decided that, from 1 July 2018, those with CSC will be eligible for reduced doctor co-payment. We have a number of CSC on file but reception will also enquire, after your consultation has ended, if you have a CSC. You may be entitled to a CSC. Please check Work & Income online to see if you qualify for a CSC.
Don't forget appointments online are a convenient way of booking a doctor consultation.
Dr Joe Lim returns as Dr Ric's locum while he is on annual leave from the end of May.
This month Dr Ric tells a true story of an older man with no history of heart disease, requesting a Calcium CT test because his wife was having one. The specialist test revealed he had such serious cardiac disease that he needed two stents.
The rest of the article describes the purpose of the Calcium CT score and why it is becoming a very useful adjunct to the cardiovascular questionnaire used by our doctors and nurses.
Want to read the full newsletter?Download the full May newsletter....
Want to read other articles by Dr Ric and the team?Check the archives.....
Yours in good health
Dr Ric Coleman and the Millhouse Team