((( Loddon Vale Practice Hurricane Way, Woodley Reading, Berkshire RG5 4UX Caring for our community Autumn Newsletter Equipment Donation to the District Nurses PPG Treasurer, Jim Forrester, with the District Nurse team, as he presented them with two otoscopes and five pulse oximeters on behalf of the PPG, the patients’ committee. Front: Carol Rodgers with Jim Forrester, back row, l – r: Karen Spicer, Team Secretary, Marilyn Turner, Miranda Young. “This makes a difference to the quality of care we can give to our patients,” said Miranda Young, “so we’re really pleased." Issue 5 2013 Opportunities not to be missed! Learn to save a life! Ever wanted to know how to perform cardiac compressions and help someone who’s suffering from a cardiac arrest? If so, now is your chance. The Loddon Vale Practice is holding a CPR training evening on Tuesday, 29 October, from 7.30 - 9pm. A qualified trainer will guide us through the course and give us some hands-on practice. It’s a light-hearted course but you will learn a vital skill. As places are limited, booking is essential. Tickets costs £5 per person (£4 for senior citizens). To reserve your place please call 969 4897. Healthy eating on a budget Photo by Alice Hudson Come and hear how to eat well on a tight budget. On Thursday, 21 November, the Loddon Vale Practice is hosting a presentation by a specialist dietitian from Wokingham Community Hospital. You will hear about easy ways to Flu jabs & PPG collection This year flu jab clinics are being held on Saturdays 5 & 19 October and the PPG will be there to hold their annual collection. Last year patients were very generous and this enabled the PPG to improve facilities for all. Bicycle racks were installed outside the surgery, brochure racks were fitted in the Waiting Area and donations of equipment were made to the practice and to the District Nurses. The PPG also set up training courses (see CPR above) and is Proud to support the Loddon Vale Practice extending this to other subjects (please see the “Healthy eating” presentation in the next column). If anyone would like to give a donation by cheque to help us continue our work at the practice, this should be made out to The Loddon Vale PPG. We are setting up a Patient Reference Group (PRG) and we need your email address so that you can be involved. Please see page 3 (inside) for details. plan your meals with cost and health in mind; perfect for busy Mums, students or anyone who wants to eat well within a set budget. It starts at 7.30pm and will end by 9pm. The first talk is free to attend so don’t miss out, book now. Phone 969 4897. For a free valuation of your property please call a member of our friendly team. Woodleys Estate Agents 132 Loddon Bridge Road Woodley Berkshire RG5 4AW www.woodleysestateagents.com T: 0118 969 9787 But Tai Chi as a complementary therapy (i.e. in no way as a cure!) has been endorsed by: Focus on Tai Chi by Penny Lowndes  In the last newsletter we looked at local, inexpensive and sociable activities in Woodley. This time we are focusing on Tai Chi, which is a very popular activity in this area. Tai Chi is a martial art created in China nearly 500 years ago by a former Military Governor. Its full name – Tai Chi Chuan – means Yin/Yang Boxing and, although it was developed for fighting, it draws on yoga-like health practices and concepts. A simplified form of 24 postures was compiled by the Chinese Sports Commission in 1956. Each individual in the group performs the postures – there is no body contact and certainly no combat. This basic set (which can be built on by the advanced practitioner) is suitable for all ages and range of fitness.   the British Heart Foundation (www.bhf.org.uk/heart-mattersonline/october-november-2012/activity/taichi.aspx); the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (www.nras.org.uk/about_rheumatoid_arthrit is/living_with_rheumatoid_arthritis/lifestyle/ exercise/tai_chi_for_arthritis.aspx) NHS Choices (http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/t aichi.aspx). In Woodley, classes run in the Oakwood Centre on Thursday evening and Friday morning, in Coronation Hall on Thursday afternoon (SHINE over-50s programme – beginners & advanced) and in Woodford Park Leisure Centre (several evening courses are run by Berkshire Tai Chi) (www.berkshiretaichi.co.uk/index.html) Don’t forget: If you or your family take part in an activity that you think others would like to know about, please send an email marked “Fit and Fun” to [email protected]. Regular practice of Tai Chi brings a range of health benefits:  Development of good posture – so reducing muscular tension which may cause pain and discomfort  Development of co-ordinated movement – reducing the risk of strains and dislocations  Improvement of motor skill and control by slow repetitive movements which deepen the breathing to help lower blood pressure and increase strength and flexibility  Improvement of balance – reducing the risk of falls  Sustaining bone density by the loadbearing nature of the exercises. Good luck and have fun! Libraries join health scheme Health professionals and libraries have joined forces to provide a ground-breaking new scheme. A selection of expertly chosen books is available at libraries across the borough to guide people through a variety of problems, including: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, eating disorders, relationship problems, etc. A list of 30 titles is available and, if you don’t know which book to choose or where to find it, just ask a member of the library staff for help. The following website also provides information: www.readingagency.org.uk/readingwell There is much research underway into the possible benefits of Tai Chi as a treatment and no claims about that are being made here. 2 The PRG and PPG – what are they? in: accountancy, market/social research, event organisation and fund raising. We’d also like to increase the number of working-age patients on the team and want to recruit new members between the ages of 20-60. If you’re interested in joining the committee, please complete an application form. This is available from Reception and should be returned there, with “Application for the PPG” written on the envelope. Please include brief details of your work experience. Thank you. The PRG At the Loddon Vale Practice we’re keen to gather views from patients about the service they receive. To help us to do that we have a patient survey and results are compiled every quarter but, for the survey to really reflect patient views, we would like to collect as many responses as possible. With this in mind, we are asking patients to provide us with their email addresses, so that we can send out and receive the questionnaire easily. Remember that repeat prescriptions may be ordered on the practice website. Visit: www.loddonvale.com When you come in, remember to check the patient information: The patients in this group will be known as the Patient Reference Group and, by becoming a member of the PRG, we can also keep you up-todate with news from the practice. In addition, the Patient Participation Group (the PPG) will be able to give you information about their activities, such as health information events. In the last year, they have organised training sessions on Basic Life Support and plan to hold talks by specialists on subjects such as how to deal with stress, looking after your back and living with long-term conditions. To be part of this new group, please write your name and email address on the PRG slip, available at the Reception desk and return it to them. Thank you. Our thanks go to Rebecca Day, Deputy Chair of the PPG, who organised the new brochure racks for the Waiting Area. Newsletters, patient questionnaires and leaflets are now neatly available in one place. Help for those with Type 2 diabetes Diabetes UK is hosting a free event on Type 2 diabetes on 5 November at the Hilton Hotel, Drake Way, South Reading. Healthcare professionals will provide information on diet, medication, travel, driving and care. This will be particularly useful for those who have been diagnosed in the last few years or who still have questions about their condition. As places are limited, diabetics who are interested should preregister online at www.diabetes.org.uk/lwdd or email [email protected] or call 0207 242 1000. The PPG The Patient Participation Group is a committee that acts as a communication channel between the patients and the practice. Matters of interest to the patients are discussed, including regularly reviewing the patient survey. The PPG also sets up training and health education events and raises money for additional equipment and facilities at the practice. We have a couple of places to fill on the committee and are looking for people with skills 3 Flu vaccination, Pneumovax, and the Shingles Vaccine Flu The flu vaccine is highly effective at preventing flu. All patients over 65, and all patients with the long term conditions of Diabetes (types 1 and 2), Heart Disease, Asthma, COPD, Kidney Disease and Liver disease should be vaccinated once a year against flu. Other groups who should be vaccinated are: those patients with conditions which reduce their immunity; those who are having medical treatment which reduces their immunity; pregnant women at any stage of pregnancy. The flu vaccine is very safe, containing no live virus so it cannot give you flu. The high risk groups listed above could be made seriously ill ( by catching flu, so it is extremely advisable to get protected. The flu virus changes itself every year so the vaccine needs redesigning every year to match the virus. This is why you need the flu vaccination every year. The Medical Team’s areas of special interest: Dr Milligan • contraception Dr Marshall • minor surgery Dr Fard • minor surgery • orthopaedics Dr Jabir • diabetes Dr Patel • contraception Dr Duncan • contraception Dr Khatri • minor surgery Dr Chivers • heart disease Pneumovax This is an immunisation against the commonest cause of pneumonia. The high risk groups are the same as for the flu vaccination. For most patients, a single vaccination gives you lifelong immunity. The exception is patients who have no spleen or those with more advanced kidney disease, who need five-yearly pneumovax. If you are in a high risk group and do not know if you have had the pneumovax, please ask us. The Shingles Vaccine As we age, our immune systems weaken, increasing the chance of the chickenpox virus, that most people carry from childhood, becoming active and causing shingles. Shingles can cause a painful rash, and can be a more serious concern if it affects the face near the eye. Some patients experience long lasting pain (neuralgia) after shingles. It is well worth trying to reduce the risk of developing shingles. The NHS plans to offer the vaccine to all people The Loddon Vale Practice Cour Courtesy of Wikimedia Author: McFarlandmo between 70 and 79 years old, which is the group who are most at risk. Over 80s do not respond as well to the vaccine. At first however, only those aged 70 and 79 years old will be vaccinated. People aged 71 to 78 will be done at a later stage. You are eligible for the shingles vaccine if you were born between 2.9.1942 and 1.9.1943 and also between 2.9.1933 and 1.9.l934. Flu clinics This year's flu clinics are at 8.30am on Saturday 5th October and Saturday 19th October. If you are in a high risk group as described above, you are encouraged to attend. We can do your pneumovax and shingles vaccinations at the same time. Autumn 2013 Designed and edited by Jackie Trick