Dr D A Ware · Dr G V Price · Dr J A Crane · Dr G A Preest· Dr O Thomas

This page was last amended: 14/01/10

Bad weather update    January 14th 2010 - 07:30hrs
Unfortunately, we are continuing to experience difficulties with access and will be running with reduced staffing levels this morning. The hill and car park adjacent to Llanharan surgery continues to pose problems and we are concerned that patients will have difficulty accessing the Llanharan surgery. We are attempting to run doctors appointments as usual but will be operating out of Pencoed medical centre. Llanharan surgery building will be closed and all telephone calls will be diverted to Pencoed. If you have an appointment in our Llanharan surgery this morning, you will be contacted to relocate your appointment to Pencoed. We are more than happy to reschedule your appointment if you desire, but will attempt to see any patients who wish to be seen in addition to emergencies, but patients will be seen at Pencoed, not Llanharan. Unfortunately, house calls continue to present difficulties for us due to the state of side roads, but all urgent house calls should be requested as early as possible so that we can allocate resources accordingly.

Bad weather update    January 13th 2010 - 07:30hrs

**The Llanharan surgery building will be closed today and all medical services (emergencies only) for both Pencoed and Llanharan will be operating out of the Pencoed surgery building**
ALL NON URGENT BOOKED APPOINTMENTS FOR TODAY ARE CANCELLED FOR BOTH PENCOED AND LLANHARAN

Stay away if you do not need to contact us urgently. Please remember that we are likely to be dealing with emergencies from the morning through into the afternoon. All non urgent appointments are cancelled for this morning and possibly this afternoon. There will be no pathology collection for the hospital, so if you have a blood test booked, you will need to rearrange. Unless there are urgent reasons for coming to the surgery, you should rearrange your visit for a later time. We would ask that you try to keep phonelines free in the first half of the morning for urgent cases. If you require a home visit due to a medical emergency, please let us know as soon as possible so that we can allocate resources effectively. We may need to deal with you over the phone and visits may only be for ambulance cases only. The doctors will be making their way to the surgery in 4x4 vehicles and are currently experiencing difficulty simply getting to the surgery. If they are unable to attend in the early part of this morning, they will be contacting patients en-route by phone to offer advice. Dr Preest's minor surgery clinic this afternoon will be cancelled and new appointments will be sent for another time.

Bad weather update    January 12th 2010 - 17:00hrs
We are expecting heavy snowfall overnight and have been warned to expect difficulties in the morning. If you have an appointment tomorrow or anticipate contacting the surgery by phone or in person in the morning, please check this website first. We will post updated information here tomorrow morning at 7.30am. If weather conditions are very poor again, we may need to cancel all non urgent appointments to concentrate on urgent cases. In the unlikely event of exceptional weather, we may close the Llanharan surgery building and run all services (for both Pencoed and Llanharan patients) from the Pencoed surgery building due to the easier access at this site.
 

Bad weather    January 6th 2010 - 6.30am
Due to the bad weather we would urge patients not to attend surgery this morning unless their appointment is urgent. Try not to phone the surgery in the morning unless your call is urgent to keep lines open for patients requiring urgent medical attention. Due to the difficulty getting to patients, we would request that housecalls are for very urgent cases only but we would prefer to know about housecalls before 10am if at all possible to that we can allocate resources accordingly. Should there be difficulty in doctors and medical staff attending surgery (especially in Llanharan), your request is likely to be triaged by medical staff over the phone and you may be given advice over the phone. As the weather conditions change, we would advise that patients with routine appointments this afternoon phone before they attend (but please leave any non urgent calls until later in the morning). Patients attending Dr Preest's minor surgery session in Llanharan should phone before coming. If there is increased demand for emergency cases (bear in mind that 10 minute housecalls for doctors can take over an hour in bad weather, if at all) the minor surgery session will be cancelled. If your appointment is non urgent, it should be rescheduled, but please keep phonelines open for urgent problems only in the first half of the morning at least. Many thanks for your cooperation and we would like to reassure you that we're doing our best. If your problem is non urgent, please keep away and please do not phone.

Christmas and New year opening hours    December 15th 2009
Click here to download Christmas and New Year opening times for both Pencoed and Llanharan Medical Centres (Microsoft Word document)

SWINE FLU UPDATE    September 2009
We have seen a dramatic decline in cases of swine flu in the area over the past couple  of weeks and services at the medical centres are continuing as normal. We anticipate that cases will rise again in the autumn and will keep our patients informed of the situation locally via this website. However, for the time being it's "business as usual"

SWINE FLU UPDATE July 21st 2009
Keep calm and carry on.....
The numbers of suspected cases of swine flu continue to rise in our area, but the greatest demand on services at present appears to be from the "worried well". We would like to remind patients that this is a mild illness for the vast majority of patients. If you have symptoms of flu and do not belong to a high risk group, you should have no reason to contact the surgery unless you are particularly unwell - paracetamol, fluids and rest should suffice - "Tamiflu" is only being issued to high risk groups (see below).
Tamiflu prescriptions:
From Monday 20th July patients in receipt of prescriptions for antiviral medication should go to their nearest /usual pharmacy to collect their medication. All pharmacies within Bridgend have received their stock and arrangements have been made to re-stock them as required. Please remember that patients should get a 'flu friend' to collect their prescription on their behalf, when issued following telephone consultation, and to collect their antivirals from their pharmacy. Prescriptions for suspension for children (under 1s) can only be dispensed from hospital pharmacies - Princess of Wales Hospital - in the Bridgend area.
Young children
Children young enough to be carried are being seen and assessed in their parents' cars in the car park after surgery. When you phone the surgery, you will be asked for details and if the doctor or nurse feels that face to face assessment is necessary, you will be asked to attend by car after surgery when the car park is less busy. Simply phone or send in a symptom free representative to let us know when you arrive. You will be asked for your car registration number and the doctor or nurse will come out to assess you. This helps us a great deal because each house visit can take up 30 minutes of a doctor's time, whereas 4 patients can be seen in the same time if assessed in their car. Our main reason for assessing the under 5s is not because of concern about swine flu, as most most cases are mild anyway - these children are being assessed mainly to exclude other conditions (such as bacterial infections) that may require a different form of treatment. Diagnosis is often less clear cut in young children because they can't give an accurate description of their symptoms and this is the main reason why we ask to see them, not because of any concern about swine flu per se.

SWINE FLU UPDATE July 16th 2009
Enquiries about swine flu have increased tremendously over the past week and we are now beginning to see a big increase in the numbers of suspected cases. As these enquiries increase, so the doctors and nurses are having to deal with a considerable increase in additional workload whilst trying to manage "business as usual" with routine appointments. We have discouraged patients from coming to the surgery if they are ill enough to need to be seen and have symptoms of swine flu. Most, but regrettably not all, patients are adhering to this advice. As a result, we are dealing with a big increase in telephone consultations and home visits. This means that, inevitably, there are unavoidable delays during our booked surgeries. Unfortunately, as is human nature, staff at the medical centres (receptionists, nurses and doctors) are experiencing abuse from some individuals because they have been waiting longer than anticipated. We would ask that you bear with us during this period - we are doing our best, but delays may occur despite our best efforts.
We would like to highlight the following points:
Swine flu, for the majority of cases is a relatively mild disease and most patients should recover without need to contact the surgery. Simply having the flu is not a reason to contact the surgery provided you are not seriously unwell and do not belong to a high risk group.

Common queries and answers as of 16th July:

Do I have swine flu?
Your first action should be to contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 for advice.

Suspect swine flu if:

Sudden onset fever (>38°) and TWO or more of the following:

Unfortunately, these symptoms are not unique to the flu and many patients with simple viral infections may have very similar symptoms.

What should I do if I have the symptoms of flu?

Provided you do not belong to one of the high risk groups (below), you should stay at home until you are well. Take paracetamol regularly and plenty of fluids. Do not attempt to go into work or "soldier on". It is foolish to go to work with the flu and you will only spread the virus amongst your colleagues. If you do not belong to a high risk group, you will not be given Tamiflu and will be treated with paracetamol and fluids alone. Unless you are seriously unwell and in need of urgent medical attention, you should not need to contact the surgery.

I've had contact with somebody who has swine flu

Wait and see. We are not giving Tamiflu to patients who do not have symptoms and in any case, Tamiflu will only be given to high risk patients who currently have symptoms of flu (as detailed above)

Who is eligible for tamiflu?

Only patients who belong to the following "High risk" groups will be offered Tamiflu:

Tamiflu is only given if you have symptoms of swine flu as defined above. It is not being given any more if you've simply had contact with somebody who may have had swine flu. Tamiflu can be started within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms. At present, if you need Tamiflu, doctors are deciding based on the information given over the phone. If the Doctor decides that you have swine flu and belong to a high risk group you will be issued with a prescription. You should send a SYMPTOM FREE representative to collect the prescription from the surgery. At present, you have to take the prescription to the HOSPITAL pharmacy (i.e. Princess of Wales hospital) to collect your Tamiflu. However, this situation may change and there may be a time when this may become available at local Pharmacies - but we will keep you informed via this website

How is it spread?

This is a very important consideration. Not only is it desirable to avoid influenza in the first place, but if you have it, you have a duty not to pass it on to others! Bear in mind that if you pass it on to healthcare professionals - who are no more immune to it than anyone else - then there will be fewer doctors and nurses available to help out! Never has the phrase "coughs and sneezes spread diseases" been more important!

How are the doctors dealing with swine flu?

We are dealing with swine flu in the following ways:

Receptionists have been issued with guidelines to identify which patients have the symptoms of swine flu. If a patient has symptoms of swine flu, they do not belong to a high risk group and they are not seriously unwell, they will be advised to stay at home and take plenty of paracetamol and fluids until they are better.

SIMPLY HAVING SWINE FLU IS NOT IN ITSELF A REASON TO SEE THE DOCTOR.

WE ONLY WANT TO HEAR FROM THOSE WHO BELONG TO HIGH RISK GROUPS OR ARE SO SERIOUSLY UNWELL THAT THEY NEED TO SEE A DOCTOR

If a patient has symptoms of swine flu and are either seriously unwell or belong to a high risk group, they are placed on a "swine flu callback list" where they will be phoned back by a triage nurse or doctor to decide on the best way of dealing with them. If a patient has swine flu and is seriously ill enough to need to be seen, they will be seen at home and NOT at the surgery

The main problems for the doctors:

1. Patients turning up at the surgery with symptoms of swine flu. This is the single most effective way of passing on swine flu to the most vulnerable patients in the community whilst passing on the flu to the medical staff. If the doctors, nurses and receptionists are all ill with swine flu, then there is nobody to look after our patients!

2. Abusive patients who have been waiting longer than anticipated for their appointment. We're doing our best. We have the same number of staff but a huge increase in telephone calls and house visits. We have to prioritise to deal with the most sick patients. If you've been sat in the waiting room for a long time, it is for a good reason. The doctor isn't ignoring you, he or she may be dealing with urgent queries on the phone or may have been called out on an urgent home visit. Even if it seems quiet in the waiting room, it may not be quiet "behind the scenes". Most of our patients are understanding of this and we are very grateful for your patience. Unfortunately, a vocal minority are abusing staff and this does nothing to help the situation.

Useful websites:

Health Protection Agency - Swine flu

BBC News - Swine flu

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Appointments system    April 2009
Following a trial of the "book on the day only" appointments system and feedback from patients, we have reverted back to our "traditional" appointments system where patients can pre-book appointments with a doctor of their own choosing. We would like to thank all of the patients who took the time to feedback their comments - both positive and negative - and for your patience during the transition period. There have been a number of changes behind the scenes that we hope will result in a better service to you.

New appointments system    December 2008
Improvements in appointment times: With effect from the 15th December 2008 appointments can only be booked on the day required please ring between 8.30am and 10.00am. However, a limited amount of pre-booked follow up appointments (Two to Four weeks) may be booked in advance dependant upon availability please ring after 10.00am. IMPORTANT - We anticipate that the telephone lines will be very busy between 8.30am and 10.00am therefore should you need to contact the surgery for any other reason please ring after 10.00am. We thank you for your co-operation.

Operation Christmas Child    October 2008
It's that time of year again! As a practice we are participating in the Operation Christmas Child shoebox appeal. Leaflets are available at reception, and shoeboxes should be brought to surgery at Llanharan or Pencoed by Wednesday 12th November please. Help to bring a little Christmas joy to some of the poorest children of the world! Click here for more details: http://www.operationchristmaschild.org.uk/

Yellow fever vaccination    May 2008
Pencoed Medical Centre is now an officially registered "Yellow fever centre". This means that anyone requiring yellow fever vaccination (required when travelling to certain parts of the world) - whether they are a patient of ours or not - can receive all of their necessary vaccinations at Pencoed Medical Centre.

Your local GP service is under threat    January 2008
A statement by the British Medical Association can be found here: http://www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/AttachmentsByTitle/PDF49074gpnewsletter/$FILE/49074GPNewsletter.pdf

Emergency Chemist opening hours over the holiday period    December 19th 2007
Bridgend Local Health Board have issued a list of Chemist opening hours over the holiday period. The details can be downloaded here: Chemist Rota over the holiday period

Internet repeat prescriptions    December 19th 2007
The service is now back and running. Please note that any requests over the Christmas period will only be processed when the surgery is open and within 2 working days. Last date for orders over the Internet is 08:00hrs Thursday 20th December 2007

Information about Christmas 2007    December 2007
Weekend cover over the holiday period will be the same as usual and provided by the Primecare out of hours service. Primecare will also cover on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. Pencoed and Llanharan surgeries will be open on Christmas Eve from 8.15 am to 12.00 noon. Patients requiring emergency treatment after 12.00 noon should telephone Pencoed Surgery where they will be directed to the appropriate Health Care professional. The surgery will be open as usual at other times. The Christmas and New year period is the busiest time of the year at the surgery. Patients thinking about popping down for non urgent or routine matters are advised to wait until after the first week of January (you are welcome to attend before then, but prepare yourself for a long wait as Doctors and Nurses deal with a flood of expected urgent cases).
Illnesses circulating in Pencoed and Llanharan at the moment 19/12/07:
Coughs/colds/earache and sore throats:    The majority of these are viral and should respond to paracetamol, plenty of fluids and should settle within a few days. Antibiotics make no difference except in the minority of cases where there is additional bacterial infection. If you are concerned or the illness seems particularly severe, you should seek medical advice, although the vast majority can be managed effectively without seeing the Doctor with over the counter medicines.
Vomiting/Diarrhoea: The key here is fluids. Drink as much as you can. Frequent small sips if you cannot tolerate large volumes at a time. Food is not as important and the key to quick recovery is keeping well hydrated with lots of fluids. Most cases settle within a few days and most do not need to consult the Doctor. However, diabetics, babies and the frail elderly can be particularly susceptible to complications and you should have a lower threshold for seeking medical advice in these groups. Again, if the patient seems to be particularly unwell or if you are concerned, you should seek medical advice.
Remember that your local Pharmacist can offer invaluable advice regarding the treatment of minor illnesses. See our advice section for minor illnesses for further information. All of this information is provided as a general guide to help you. If you are worried or unsure, you should speak to a Health Professional.

How to survive Christmas:

Finally, a Merry Christmas to all of our patients and we wish you a happy - and healthy - New Year!

Christmas opening    December 2007
Weekend cover over the holiday period will be the same as usual and provided by the Primecare out of hours service. Primecare will also cover on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. The surgery will be open as usual at other times. As this is the busiest time of the year, we are reducing the number of appointments that can be booked in advance for non urgent problems to allow us to concentrate on urgent problems. Most patients who are due repeat medication during this time will have requested (or been advised) to order enough medicines to tide them over, however, if you run out of your medicine when the surgery is closed you can obtain an emergency supply from the chemist by taking along the empty bottles. If your sick note runs out over the holiday period (and provided you have been seen by a doctor within 28 days for the condition resulting in you being certified unfit for work) you can be given a "backdated" note when the surgery reopens without having to see the doctor. Please note that the doctor can only do this if you have been seen already within the past 28 days. If you have not been seen by any doctor for your illness, you can submit a "self certificate" to cover the first 7 days, but after 7 days you will need to see a doctor to obtain a medical certificate.

Internet repeat prescriptions    December 10th 2007
Online service temporarily suspended - Unfortunately, we have had to suspend the online repeat prescription service for the foreseeable future due to problems with the NHS email system. Please submit your repeat prescription by hand or by post. We apologise for the inconvenience, which is due to circumstances beyond the control of Pencoed Medical Centre. We hope to reinstate the service in due course. We will keep you updated via the news section of the website and with notices at both medical centres.

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Appeal    November 2007
Many thanks to all patients (and staff!) who contributed to this appeal. We collected 20 "Christmas child" shoeboxes this year.

Treatment of warts and verrucae    August 2007
Recent evidence has shown that one of the most successful ways of treating warts and verrucae is with "duct tape". This method is so successful that we are no longer treating this condition with liquid nitrogen (otherwise known as "cryotherapy"). If you would like to know more about duct tape treatment, please visit http://www.nottinghameczema.org.uk/nsgccedata/PILs Handouts/12 Using Duct Tape to clear Viral Warts.pdf

Bad weather    February 8th 2007
The surgery is open as usual today. If you cannot make your appointment, please let us know if possible so that we can fit other patients into your appointment slot.

Online questionnaire results    February 2006
A very big "Thank You" to everyone who took part in the 2005 and 2006 online questionnaire. The 2005-2006 questionnaire sample has now been completed. To view the results, click below. We have summarised the satisfaction scores for each area. We have not included patients comments (because some of the comments identify individuals by name and there are issues of confidentiality) but these will all be taken into account by the partners when implementing improvements for the coming year. Your efforts will result in a better service to everyone and will give us a better idea of any areas that need addressing. Many patients have asked why the questionnaire included questions about your accommodation. We would like to point out that we have had to use a nationally agreed questionnaire which is used by all practices in the UK and was devised by the University of Manchester. The individual questions have not been devised by us but provide the local health board with demographic information about our practice population.

We are pleased to announce an improvement in results over last year and that Pencoed and Llanharan Medical Centres have exceeded the national benchmark in every single area (no mean feat!). We are also pleased to see an improvement in the satisfaction scores relating to telephone calls since the introduction of our new call handling system. If you would like to view the results of the questionnaire, please click on the link below:

Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire results for Pencoed and Llanharan Medical Centres - Summary 2005 to 2006

Christmas and New Year opening hours    December 14th 2005
The surgeries close at 18:30pm on Friday 23rd December 2005 (Llanharan surgery closes at noon on this day, but care is transferred as usual to Pencoed for the Friday afternoon until 18:30) and reopen at 08:00 Wednesday December 28th 2005. The Primecare emergency GP service will handle all calls when the surgery is closed. The surgery closes for the New Year holiday period at 18:30 on Friday 30th December 2005 and reopens at 08:00 on Tuesday 3rd January 2006. The Christmas and New year period is the busiest time of the year at the surgery. Patients thinking about popping down for non urgent or routine matters are advised to wait until after the first week of January (you are welcome to attend before then, but prepare yourself for a long wait as Doctors and Nurses deal with a flood of expected urgent cases). In order to cope with the expected increase in demand, you will have noticed that 2 months of repeat prescriptions were issued throughout December so that patients would not need to submit repeat requests over the busy holiday period.
Illnesses circulating in Pencoed and Llanharan at the moment 14/12/05:
Coughs/colds/earache and sore throats:    The majority of these are viral and should respond to paracetamol, plenty of fluids and should settle within a few days. Antibiotics make no difference except in the minority of cases where there is additional bacterial infection. If you are concerned or the illness seems particularly severe, you should seek medical advice, although the vast majority can be managed effectively without seeing the Doctor with over the counter medicines.
Vomiting/Diarrhoea: The key here is fluids. Drink as much as you can. Frequent small sips if you cannot tolerate large volumes at a time. Food is not as important and the key to quick recovery is keeping well hydrated with lots of fluids. Most cases settle within a few days and most do not need to consult the Doctor. However, diabetics, babies and the frail elderly can be particularly susceptible to complications and you should have a lower threshold for seeking medical advice in these groups. Again, if the patient seems to be particularly unwell or if you are concerned, you should seek medical advice.
Remember that your local Pharmacist can offer invaluable advice regarding the treatment of minor illnesses. See our advice section for minor illnesses for further information. All of this information is provided as a general guide to help you. If you are worried or unsure, you should speak to a Health Professional.

How to survive Christmas:

Finally, a Merry Christmas to all of our patients and we wish you a happy - and healthy - New Year!

New Senior Nurse    November 21st 2005
We are extremely fortunate to have a very highly experienced team of nurses at the Medical Centre. We are pleased to announce that Sister Lynne Jones has just been appointed to the post of  Senior Nurse Manager. Our Practice Nurses can be identified by their dark blue uniforms and our Nurse Manager wears a dark grey uniform. Our Health Care Assistants wear white tunics.

E Coli outbreak    September 22nd 2005
If you are concerned about the recent E Coli outbreak in Rhondda Cynon Taf, you can download a copy of a letter to parents from public health and an E Coli factsheet by clicking here.

Retirement of Dr Phil Jones    August 2005

We are very sad to announce that October 1st 2005 will see the planned retirement of Dr Phil Jones after over 30 years at the practice. All of the staff and partners will greatly miss Dr Jones both as a friend, mentor and a truly outstanding GP. Dr Jones is very highly regarded by his peers both at the practice and further afield. His contribution to the practice and to the wellbeing of patients in Pencoed and Llanharan has been immense. We wish him well for the future.
Dr Jones's successor will be a familiar face - Dr Owain Thomas, who completed his GP Training as a GP Registrar with Pencoed Medical Centre a couple of years ago and will join the practice as a new partner in October. Dr Thomas is an ex Bridgend RFC rugby player who is married with a young child. He was brought up not far away in Cardiff and, like Dr Jones, is a fluent Welsh speaker who would be happy to consult in Welsh if desired.

New computer system    July 2005
Please note that from the period of the 7th to 11th July we will be installing a new computer system at both Pencoed and Llanharan surgeries. Hopefully the transition will go smoothly, but should you experience any delays or problems resulting from this, we ask you to please bear with us during this difficult period.
Please remember our receptionists are here to help you with any problems or queries you may wish to discuss.
We wish to thank you for your cooperation.

New Telephone numbers    May 9th 2005
From May 12th 2005, there will be new telephone numbers for both Llanharan and Pencoed medical centres. We are sorry for any inconvenience due to number changes over the past few months. We are hoping that these changes will now be permanent. The new numbers are:
Pencoed Medical Centre: 08444 778890
Llanharan Medical Centre: 08444 778792

Food and drugs cocktail warning    April 2005
Certain foodstuffs can interact with your medicines. Click here to view an article on BBC News: BBC NEWS Health Food and drug 'cocktails' warning

Our new 0870 number    February 2005
Since the introduction of our new number at Llanharan and the recent articles in the press about 0870 numbers, we would like to inform our patients of the following points. Firstly, the Doctors at the surgery DO NOT "pocket" any profit from the use of the 0870 number, contrary to what is implied in some press articles. Our new number comes as a result of a new telephone handling system called "Surgery Line" supplied by a company called NEG. We have introduced this system to provide a better service to our patients and to enable our staff to cope with the enormous demands placed upon on them. A number of patients have expressed concern following recent press coverage of the use of these numbers nationally. In order to address some of the queries, NEG have prepared the following statement (shown in blue):

Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire    December 2004
A very big "Thank You" to everyone who took part in our online questionnaire. Your efforts will result in a better service to everyone and will give us a better idea of any areas that need addressing. If you would like to view the results of the questionnaire, please click on the link below:

Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire results for Pencoed and Llanharan Medical Centres

Improvements in service    December 2004
We are constantly looking at ways to improve our service to you and you will notice a few changes in 2005. Regular visitors will have noticed the introduction of Health Care Assistants and Phlebotomists. We have employed our HCAs to take some of the workload from the nurses (who in turn are increasingly helping the Doctors with their work). In the past, patients have had to see the Doctors or nurses for more straightforward procedures such as blood pressure readings and blood sample taking. It is hoped that, with the introduction of HCAs and Phlebotomists that these tasks will free up appointment time with Doctors and Nurses for more skilled tasks. Fairly soon in 2005 we hope to introduced a new "state of the art" digital telephone call handling system. This system should make it easier to be put through to the right person and will allow patients to cancel appointments 24hrs a day by leaving a message (up to 300 appointments a month are wasted because the person making the appointment has not cancelled). We are aware that it is not always easy to get through to the surgery quickly and the new system will greatly improve matters. It will also, amongst other things, route out of hours calls directly without need to make a second telephone call. At about the same time, we hope to introduce a computerised self check-in system to allow patients arriving for their appointment to check in quickly and without needing to involve reception staff (who will then have more time to deal with your queries and administrative duties). Most of the work of all the staff at the Medical Centres goes on "behind the scenes" - arranging and checking results, referrals, filing, audit, letters, reports etc. What you see is only a fraction of what goes on! Some of these new changes will help us to provide a better service to you in 2005.

Patient satisfaction questionnaire    November 9th 2004
A big thank you to the 103 people who have so far completed the online questionnaire. We are nearly half way to our target of 250 completed questionnaires. We have no idea who you are because the questionnaire is completely anonymous - but thanks to you all the same! Your efforts will result in a better service to all. If you have an access code already but have not yet completed the online questionnaire (and we have issued 260 so far) please spare a minute to complete our questionnaire. We will publish a breakdown of the results on this website as soon as it is available and you can be sure that the partners will be taking note of your comments and addressing any areas of concern wherever possible. Click here for more details.

Free swimming for over 60s    November 4th 2004
Now is the time to get fit! The Welsh Assembly Government is providing free swimming for older people aged 60 and over, across Wales. Contact your local Authority (not the surgery!) for details or visit www.wales.gov.uk/freeswimming

New opening hours    October 4th 2004
From October 4th, with the advent of the new GP contract, there will be important changes to our opening hours. The surgery will open at 08:00am in the morning and close at 06:30pm on weekdays. The surgery will be closed all weekend and there will be no Saturday morning surgery i.e. surgery closes at 06:30pm Friday afternoon and will not reopen again until 08:00am Monday morning. At times when the surgery is closed, there will be an emergency doctor service available and you will be able to get in touch with this service by telephoning the surgery.

Worldwide withdrawal of Vioxx (Rofecoxib)    October 1st 2004
The drug company Merck has withdrawn Vioxx (otherwise known as Rofecoxib) due to fears of a possible increased incidence of heart attacks and stroke.
This medicine is commonly used to treat a number of inflammatory conditions and as a pain killer.
What to do if you are taking this medicine:

If you would like further details, please visit BBC News or the Merck websites.
 

Influenza Immunisations    September 2004
It's that time of the year again! Flu is a highly infectious illness, which spreads very rapidly by coughs and sneezes from people who are already carrying the virus, and may lead to more serious illnesses like bronchitis and pneumonia. That’s why it pays to get your flu jab in the autumn. It’s free, and it’s really effective against the latest strains of viruses. The flu jab doesn’t just protect elderly people, you can get the vaccination if you are:

If you have a serious allergy to hens’ eggs, you shouldn’t get vaccinated, and it’s not generally advised if you’re pregnant. If in doubt, ask your doctor.
If you think you need a flu vaccination, check with the practice nurse, or if a nurse visits you regularly, you can ask them. Alternatively ask your local pharmacist. We are organising special vaccination sessions now. Book your flu jab today.

Further information:
Keep your guard up against flu (Department of Health flu vaccination campaign)
Flu jab (Online Encyclopaedia)
Flu (Online Encyclopaedia)

"I had the 'flu jab last year and I still had a cold!" - This vaccine protects against some of the latest strains of influenza. Influenza can be a killer. When you have the 'flu it will put you to bed. It is not the same as the common cold, which tends to be a much milder disease. The 'flu jab protects against some strains of the influenza virus, not the common cold.

Gremlins    September 22nd 2004
We understand that a few patients have experienced difficulty using the online prescription service over the weekend. The problem has been looked into by technical support at our ISP, although the system seems to be functioning as normal now. Thank you to the patients who brought the matter to our attention.

Compensation lawyers    August 30th 2004
Over the weekend, there have been numerous articles in the press about GPs referring patients to compensation lawyers and receiving huge fees in return. We would like to point out that we do not and have never taken part in this activity. Like all GPs, we get paid private fees for  work outside of NHS services (employment medicals, medical reports for insurance companies etc). We do not, however, refer patients to compensation lawyers in return for a fee.

Missed appointments    July 2nd 2004
Last month hit an all time high with 438 patients failing to turn up for appointments. In other words, 438 patients (in one month alone!) made an appointment and then failed to turn up without letting us know thus preventing other patients from being seen. If these patients told us that they were not turning up, we could have offered the appointment to someone else. The net result would be that there would be little, if any, delay in getting an appointment with the Doctor or Nurse. We are aware that, in some instances, patients have difficulty letting us know to cancel their appointment at the very last minute because the telephone lines are busy during the morning period. In order to address this problem, we are looking at our telephony system and are considering an online solution enabling patients to let us know instantly via this website (watch this space...). Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, there remains a hardcore of patients who continue to block access to the surgery by making appointments and then not turning up.

Time to Learn    April 23rd 2004
In common with the other GP practices in the Bridgend area, during the afternoon of the last Tuesday of every month, both surgeries will be closed for staff training. If you call the surgery during this time, you will hear a recorded message giving you contact details for an emergency doctor service.

Postnatal Home Visits by GPs    April 19th 2004
With the advent of the new GP contract, we are reviewing and changing some of our working practices. One area where our current practice is changing is in post natal visits. The GPs will no longer visit well women at home following delivery of a baby, unless there are problems or reasons for doing so. In the past we have visited all women as a matter of routine even when there are no problems, but there is no evidence that a GP visit in addition to the midwives serves any function at all. Of course, the midwives will be visiting as usual (and will inform the GP of any problems). In due course, this may extend to the "6 week postnatal check" which is of very limited use unless there are specific problems (in fact, many new mothers find that the 6 week check is more of an inconvenience!)

Health Care Assistants    April 19th 2004
In order to provide a higher quality and more efficient service to you, we have employed Health Care Assistants to help the nurses. Their duties will include routine measurement of blood pressure, height and weight. They will also assist in collecting data (such as your smoking status) so that we may be able to, for example, target "at risk" individuals for diseases such as heart disease. One of the reasons why Doctors and Nurses appointments are in such short supply is that their time is frequently taken up performing less skilled tasks (such as blood pressure recording). We are working hard to find ways of allowing quicker access to Doctors and Nurses and it is hoped that HCAs will help us in this objective.

Discontinuation of some brands of Insulin    March 11th 2004
The pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, have informed us that these products, and ONLY these products, will be discontinued by the dates listed below:

If you use any one of the above insulins, you will need to change treatment as the ones listed above will no longer be available after the dates listed.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please contact Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Careline on free phone 0800 783 67 64, and a Careline representative will be available to answer your questions.
Please do not be alarmed as there are suitable alternative treatments for each of the products to be discontinued. The hospital Diabetic clinic will have been notified about this issue. They can talk you through a range of other suitable treatment options, and the rest of your diabetes management can continue as normal. If you have not already done so, you may want to let diabetic clinic know to facilitate the transfer to another suitable treatment as soon as possible.
If you do not use any of the insulins noted above, there is no need to worry, and your insulin treatment should continue as normal

NHS network problems    8th March 2004
We have been experiencing a problem with the NHS IT network which is beyond our control and may result in delays processing repeat prescription requests and some non urgent results. We would emphasise that this does not affect the functioning of our own website or the online ordering of prescriptions from this website, but it may result in a slight delay in processing repeat prescriptions at the surgery end. We have been assured that the problem will be resolved within the next 24hrs. Please contact the surgery directly in person or by phone if you experience any problems.

Important notice regarding TRITACE (Ramipril) October 7th 2003
We have been informed by the pharmaceutical company, Aventis, that TRITACE capsules (otherwise known as Ramipril) are to be replaced by TRITACE tablets. We have been told that this is due to "global manufacturing rationalisation". The effects of the new tablets will be the same as the old capsules. The old capsule packs will be phased out by 30th November 2003. This tablet is commonly used to treat high blood pressure and/or certain types of heart disease.

What to do if you take Tritace? Do nothing. This message is for information only and is merely intended to let you know that the appearance of your medicine may be different in future. Your pharmacist will dispense the new tablet formulation instead of the old capsules. You will simply notice that the tablet looks different to the capsule as shown above. Please direct any queries to your chemist, who will be happy to answer your questions. Health professionals who require further information on the transition from capsules to tablets may contact Aventis Medical Information on 01732 584493.

Repeat prescription request online June 14th 2003
It is now possible to order your repeat medication by visiting the "Prescriptions" section of this website. Please read the important message about web security at the bottom of that page before submitting any order. This website and the online ordering system has been set up and financed personally by Drs Jones, Ware, Price, Crane and Preest for the benefit of our patients. We have not received any NHS assistance or public funding for the project. Please let us know if you have found this facility useful. Do not submit any e-mail requests using the feedback button on the home page - you can only request a repeat prescription by filling in the form located in the "Prescriptions" section.

National award winning website March 3rd 2003
Our website has has been awarded the GP/NHSnet Progress Achievement Award 2003.

The Contraceptive injection  Latest info 25/02/03
Our supplies are fully replenished and you can now book an appointment with the nurse as usual.

Pencoed Family Plannic Clinic in Wimbourne Rd
We have been told by Bro Morgannwg NHS Trust that as of April 1st 2003, they will no longer be holding Family Planning clinics in Pencoed. These clinics were held at the clinic in Wimbourne Rd and were completely separate from our own practice. Women may continue to attend Well Woman sessions in the clinic in Quarella Rd in Bridgend.

The Contraceptive injection
There is a national shortage of the contraceptive injection called "Depot provera" due to manufacturing problems. As a result, we are unable to obtain this injection from the manufacturers for the time being. Women normally receive this injection every 3 months. As soon as stocks are replenished, we will let you know via our website.
What to do if your injection is due to be renewed: This injection may not be effective after 3 months. You will need to consider a different form of contraception to tide you over until we are able to get supplies. You could use a barrier method (condoms etc). You can get these from the chemist or family planning clinic as usual. Alternative forms of contraception may be suitable (e.g. contraceptive pill, minipill etc) and you may wish to book an appointment with the Doctor to discuss these alternatives. Please remember that the contraceptive injection has to be renewed every 3 months. If you do not use an alternative after 3 months you are at risk of becoming pregnant! As soon as we receive new supplies, you can book an appointment with the nurse for your injection.

A new record!
In November  there were 136,095 "hits" in one month to this website - a new record for us and we believe that we may be the most visited GP practice website in the UK! We were featured in October and April editions of "GP" magazine. Please tell us what you would like to see on this website. Your comments are very important to us. If you have any ideas or any items you would like to see included in our website, please use the "Feedback" button on the homepage to let us know. Likewise, if you are dissatisfied with any of our services we would welcome your comments (please bear in mind our warning about confidentiality of e-mail comments, as stated on our homepage)

Minor surgery
November 5th 2002 - We have amended the contents of our minor surgery, cryotherapy and joint injection pages for copyright reasons.

CCTV
You will notice that surveillance cameras have now been installed outside both surgeries following the recent vandalism. To our surprise, young vandals were filmed kicking down the wall outside the Pencoed surgery only 10 minutes after the cameras were fitted. We have obtained clear pictures of the culprits and these have been forwarded to the police for further action.

Hormone Replacement Therapy  July 2002
You may have heard on the news that an American study looking into the risks of breast cancer and HRT had to be stopped early due to higher than expected risks. The trial looked at women who were taken oestrogens that are obtained from horse urine (the equivalent form of this HRT begins with the words "Prem..." in the UK). Most forms of HRT prescribed in Pencoed are not derived from equine oestrogens. The study found that for 10 000 women taking this type of HRT each year, compared with those not taking it, there would be an additional

However, there would be

Where does this leave us? Firstly this is just one study and it used a particular oestrogen - the results may not apply to other forms of HRT. Several specialists have criticised the study because of the selection of candidates (some women were over 70 yrs of age and this could skew the results). As ever, you need to be aware that there are good and bad effects of HRT. If you would like to read more, the original article reference is as follows:
"Writing group for the Women's Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women" JAMA 2002;288:321-33. At the time of writing, there are also good summaries of the main points at www.bbc.co.uk/news and www.bmj.com

Congratulations!
Congratulations to Dr Mary Behan MRCGP, one of our Registrar Doctors, who has just passed her examinations to gain Membership Of The Royal College of General Practitioners.

Chickenpox  June/July 2002
We are seeing many cases of chickenpox at the moment. For more information about this illness, see our Minor illness section.

Travel & Holiday Advice
If you are going away on a holiday, we have produced a page called Travel & Holiday advice, which contains advice relating to medical conditions occurring while abroad or in relation to travel and holidays overseas or in the UK. The idea is that our patients may be able to access reliable information produced by their own Doctor - wherever in the world they may be! If you contract diarrhoea in Delhi or sunburn in Spain, you know where to look! Also includes items on DVT (Economy Class Syndrome) and women's health. Remember to book your travel vaccinations with the nurse in plenty of time, if they are due.

Injection for Hay fever
There have been several articles in medical journals highlighting the possibility of problems associated with giving the long acting steroid injection for hay fever. They also questioned their effectiveness compared to other options currently available.
The doctors at the practice have been monitoring the situation and have decided to not allow the administration of this injection without seeing the doctor first.
This will allow the patient to be fully informed and be able to make the best choice for them given the current evidence. The injection will still be available to those patients who choose to continue to use it after having had the opportunity to discuss it in more detail and having tried other treatments first.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused in having to make another appointment, but feel this is justified in order to provide good medical care.
Remember that most treatments for hay fever can be purchased from the Chemist without needing to see the Doctor!

Retirement
Sister Dilys Thomas, who has been our District Nursing Sister for the past 19 years retires on 25th April 2002. We wish Sister Thomas a happy retirement and look forward to working again with Sister Lynnette Williams who will be replacing Sister Thomas.

Diabetes and high blood pressure
We have produced a new section covering Diabetes and a section covering high blood pressure is in production. These sections have been individually tailored to the needs of our own patients. The pages may be amended in time, depending on feedback from patients. Use the feedback button on the homepage to tell us what you would like to see included in this website in future and we will do our best to oblige.

Downloadable forms and stationary
We have recently included a number of forms that may be downloaded, viewed and printed. New patients may download their "New patient questionnaire" from the Pencoed and Llanharan "Services" pages. This has to be filled in by all new patients when they attend for their new patient check.
Patients with prostate problems can print out a brief symptom questionnaire to bring with them to their consultation. The prostate section can be found in the "Health information" area of the website. We have also included our Cholesterol lowering diet sheet. This information sheet is given out by our nurses during diabetic and lipid clinics

Vandalism at Llanharan
You may have read in the local newspaper that our surgery in Llanharan has been recently vandalised and a considerable amount of damage was done. Windows were smashed, drain pipes pulled down, fire started against outside wall and repeat prescription box tampered with (including contents). Unfortunately, this has left us with no option but to remove our post-box and patients are now unable to post repeat prescriptions when the surgery is closed. We're very sorry to have to withdraw this service, but we cannot guarantee that any documents left in the post-box will not be destroyed again. The Police are now looking into the matter. We would urge any patients who notice trespassers in the grounds of the surgery out of hours to call the Police. We would value any information regarding the crimes committed or names of individuals seen trespassing in the grounds when the surgery is closed.

May 2001    Appointment waiting times for Hospital and "In house" services
If your Doctor has referred you to the hospital for an appointment with a consultant or for surgery, you can check the length of the waiting list in several ways. First of all, you will need details of the Hospital, the Consultant and the type of operation (if applicable). You can either telephone NHS Direct on 0845 4647. Alternatively, you may check the following web site:

www.hsw.wales.nhs.uk/ipd/homepage.htm

Patients who are waiting for "In-house" surgery to be performed by Dr Preest at our operating suite in our Llanharan surgery can check our own online minor surgery waiting list by clicking here. Please note that you will need to know your "Patient Number" in order to know where you are on the waiting list (see the minor surgery page for details)

Medical information & the Internet
It has been clear to us since setting up this website that many patients are now using the Internet as a source of medical information. Please be very careful. The site you visit may not be a valid one and there is no guarantee of confidentiality. You may wish to consider the following points (taken from "Med economics July 2000"):

June 2000    Wasted appointments
Did you know that in May 248 and in April 176 patients failed to attend appointments after they had been booked! This is a dreadful waste of everyone's time and prevents other patients from seeing the Doctor. Please do all you can to make appointments. If you think that you cannot attend for your appointment, please let us know - there are always other patients who can take your appointment at the last minute.

April 30th 2000    Patient satisfaction questionnaire
A big "thank you" to all of the patients who filled in our satisfaction questionnaire. It seems that, on the whole, you are very satisfied with the service that we provide. We will now be looking at your suggestions on how to further improve our service to you.