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HERSTMONCEUX INTEGRATIVE

HEALTH CENTRE (HIHC)

Newsletter No. 7 Summer 2020

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them. Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.” By Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter (2008).

This quote sums up how I feel about the events we are living through. I may not be a rainbow, but I am part of a team that tries hard to help people to improve their wellbeing.

We are going through an unprecedented time of rapid change and uncertainty. The Covid-19 virus has caused fear, anxiety and uncertainty in patients and in the medical teams trying to look after them. You, our patients, have adapted to the changes and used our resources thoughtfully while being aware of the massive pressure on the NHS at present. We are very grateful to our team for their help and support.

From the beginning our team at Herstmonceux Integrative Health Centre has worked hard to continue to provide an excellent service to our patients while protecting the safety of all our patients and staff. We were told by NHS England to change to remote consultations, so we have adapted to mostly telephone or video consultations, with face-to-face consultations only when there is no suitable alternative. We wear our scrubs and use personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect both patients and staff. There have been many challenges to install, learn how to use, and become more comfortable with new technology such as video calls. I cheered when my first video call connected successfully!

I have enjoyed seeing more people out walking, running and cycling during the lockdown. I hope

that many of you will continue with this daily exercise with proven benefits to health and wellbeing. You may have been on the receiving end of my “You will feel better with ten minutes’ walk every day.” advice in the past!

We are already thinking about what our service will look like when the lockdown starts to lift. It seems to us that some patients like our telephone and video consultations and that they might find these fit in better with busy lives than face-to-face appointments for some things. We will try to find a balance that enables timely access for all while excluding no-one. It will of course take some time for any changes to settle in and be fine-tuned, so please bear with us when we are able to start the new schedules.

Please remember that we are still here to support you and look after your wellbeing. Please do not ignore any serious symptoms you have; phone to book a telephone consultation or use the online consultation link on our website and we will give you advice and see you if necessary.

Keep safe, continue social distancing, and do your best to keep mentally and physically well.

Best wishes to you all, Dr Katy Dodge

A rainbow over the surgery.

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CANCELLING APPOINTMENTS BY TEXT

With regard to appointment reminders sent by text from the Surgery, when and if you send CANCEL, could you please avoid adding any other text as we do not currently check SMS messages. The same applies to campaign messages, i.e. for flu clinics and Covid support.

APPOINTMENTS - WHAT WILL THE NEW ‘NORMAL’ LOOK LIKE?

As part of the COVID-19 plans, general practices had to put triage measures in place to reduce infection risk for patients and staff. One of those measures was to remove the option of booking appointments on-line to ensure we were able to triage all patients appropriately.

Telephone and video consultations are making up the highest percentage of consultations currently, with face to face appointments being offered by the clinicians where clinically required and there is no risk to patient or staff.

We are constantly reviewing capacity and demand, and discussing how schedules will look in the weeks and months to come. We will be looking to revert to a type of ‘normal’ as soon as guidance allows and we can ensure the safety of everyone.

As soon as we have any news on opening on-line appointments etc. we will inform patients via the website, emails, text messages etc. Please continue to phone in the first instance so that we can direct you to the most appropriate clinician.

ENGAGE - On-Line Consultations with our GPs

To be able to have an on-line consultation with one of our GPs, you need to first register with ENGAGE, which is part of the NHS Online Service, through the following link. https://wsp.psf-live.co.uk/#/login You can use this option to send in prescription enquiries, administration queries

and any clinical queries that you would like an answer to.

If you submit your query before 11.00 am Mon – Friday you will receive a response from the team that day.

https://wsp.psf-live.co.uk/#/login

AccuRx - Video Consultations with our GPs

AccuRx is integrated within EMIS, our clinical system; it enables our clinical team to send a link to the patient for them to click onto and have a live video consultation via their SMART Phone, tablet, iPad, (but not a computer or laptop). Video consultations can be requested through reception.

LIVI - SEE A LIVI GP BY VIDEO

This service is available at weekends and evenings. During the Covid 19 crisis, the opening hours of this service have been extended to:

Monday to Friday: 9am – 10pm Saturday & Sunday: 8am – 4pm

LIVI is free to use and HIHC is a participating practice which means that your electronic medical records will be available for LIVI’s GPs. https://www.livi.co.uk/

Like your usual GP, LIVI GPs offer medical advice, prescriptions and referrals for a wide range of medical problems. You can usually see a GP in less than 30 minutes, or you can book ahead.

The key things to be aware of are:

This facility is only available via an app on your mobile phone, tablet or iPad (not via a personal computer or laptop)

You will need to take a photo of yourself when first registering for the service

You will need to scan in either a passport photo or driving licence photo when registering

LIVI is not available for children under 2

This service is not delivered by your usual GPs

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BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT FROM

ST. WILFRID’S HOSPICE

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, St

Wilfrid’s Hospice is temporarily extending

adult bereavement support to the whole

community, beyond those directly linked

to the hospice.

They recognise that this crisis affects all

bereaved, whether their loved one died

due to the virus, whether people have

been unable to visit their loved one or

whether grief feels particularly hard in

these times where many of us are

distanced and isolated.

As far as they are able they will extend

their bereavement support to all recently

bereaved in our catchment area.

People can self refer via their website

https://www.stwhospice.org/Pages/Categ

ory/bereavement

or ring 01323 434251 to ask for a call back

regarding bereavement support. Their

administrator will take basic details from

you and then ask someone from their

support team to be in touch.

The link for professional referrals is here

https://www.stwhospice.org/referral-

form-and-criteria

The Seahorse Project continues to accept

referrals for bereaved children.

https://www.stwhospice.org/1-to-1-

bereavement-support

FRIENDS AND FAMILY SURVEY

TEXTS

Thank you to everyone, as ever, for their friends

and family comments which in the main are

excellent and give the team a real boost.

There are a couple of comments made by patients

that we would like to respond to:

For patients having trouble getting through on

the phone at 8.30am the surgery now has an

online consultation option to enable written

queries, requests, information etc. to be sent

to the surgery for responding to that day. To

access this service please click on the “Online

Consultations” link on the website. (See

ENGAGE information page 2.)

One person commented “Please stop sending

me text surveys about your service which, by

the way, is fine”

This refers to the Friends and Family Survey

text (FFT) sent to patients after they attend an

appointment. NHS England manage this

survey and as such the repetition of texts is out

of our hands; however NHSE have reduced the

number of times they send a FFT request. The

text can just be ignored if the patient wishes.

CAULIFLOWER

This photogenic vegetable goes from strength

to strength, thanks to a slew of vitamins and

minerals, as well as plant nutrients.

Native to the north-eastern Mediterranean,

cauliflower is a good source of Vitamin C.

It also contains manganese and a wealth of

sulphur-containing compounds, which help

support the body’s cardiovascular, digestive,

immune, inflammatory and detox systems.

Source: Lifespan magazine

GENES & GREENS

Hate eating your greens? It may not be your fault,

according to a US study. The research suggests that

some of us have a gene that makes certain

compounds in veg such as broccoli, brussels

sprouts and cabbage taste bitter. The same gene

also makes some of us averse to dark chocolate,

coffee and beer.

Source: Lifespan magazine

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MEET OUR NEW GP

Dr Rachel Harrison

I grew up just down the road, in Ringmer, and have

spent most of my life near the South Downs.

After medical school in Oxford, I returned to Sussex

and worked on the medical wards at the Royal

Sussex County Hospital. After several years training

in acute medicine and then oncology, I spent a

year working in New Zealand and finally joined an

expedition to Mount Everest to be the base camp

doctor for a group of mountaineers, before

returning to the UK to start my family.

Once back in the UK, I decided to train as a GP. I

have now been working as a GP in and around

Brighton for the last 11 years. I live in Lewes with

my husband and 3 children and I still love to run,

walk and cycle on the South Downs. Cycle touring

is a great passion of mine and I am still riding the

same Roberts touring bike that was made for me

25 years ago! I managed to persuade my whole

family (including my 7 year old son) to cycle from

Dieppe to Paris last summer, carrying our tents,

which was my favourite summer to date. I practice

yoga and mindfulness as much as I can and love to

sing in a local natural voice choir.

I was so pleased to have the opportunity to join the

team at HIHC this year and to work in a health

centre that puts holistic care and true health and

wellbeing at the heart of everything they do. I also

love the focus we have on sustainability in health

care and the wider community.

I love being a GP and having the opportunity to get

to know and help people with their health over

time. I believe continuity is one of the most

important tools we have in primary care.

As well as working at HIHC, I also currently work as

a school doctor and enjoy working with young

people. However, I would say that I am a true

generalist and like to tackle the whole range of

problems that general practice can throw at us. I

have recently volunteered with refugees in Calais

and have an interest in working with migrant

populations and those who have been displaced.

Although it has been an unusual start in a new role

with the challenges of coronavirus, I am looking

forward to settling in here!

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ANOTHER ONE OF BILL BRYSON’S

FASCINATING FACTS

Race is one millimetre deep. Intrepidly attending

the dissection of a corpse, Bryson quotes the

surgeon who pulled back a minute layer of skin and

said: “That’s all that race is – a sliver of epidermis.”

As we spread across the world, some people are

thought to have evolved lighter skin in order to

glean vitamin D from weaker sunlight. Throughout

human history, people have “de-pigmented” and

“re-pigmented” to suit their environment.

Biologically, skin colour is just “a reaction to

sunlight”, Bryson quotes the anthropologist Nina

Jablonski as saying. She adds: “And yet look how

many people have been enslaved or hated or

lynched or deprived of fundamental rights through

history because of the colour of their skin.”

Source: Bill Bryson’s book “The Body – a Guide for

Occupants”

PATIENT LINK GROUP/HERSTMONCEUX INTEGRATED HEALTH CENTRE

- CANCELLED EVENTS

What a difference one newsletter makes!! We were enthusiastic and full of energy when writing the last

one, looking forward to our Castle Ceilidh and planning our picnic and walk in the woods! After all the

planning and preparation, we had to cancel both events; but upon reflection it was the correct thing to do

– it was only a week later that the Government put the lockdown in place. What a responsible lot we are……

Despite having to cancel, as a Patient Link Group working closely with the Practice we nevertheless feel it

was a fantastic achievement and the best barn dance that never happened. We sold over 100 tickets and

had everything well organised. So we are now world class barn dance planners – you can look forward to

future ventures now we know we can do it. And we would not want to waste all those things we bought.

Meanwhile, we have been helping the Practice with various things from a distance but have not had any

meetings. Only when it is safe to do so and the Practice is ready, will we be meeting up again.

BUT there is something YOU can do in the meantime. We agreed a set of objectives for us to work on with

the Practice and one of these was a patient survey. This would be different from the friends and family

survey you may reply to after a Practice visit. We want to know about you and what you want. When we

get feedback directly from you it means we can drive the actions with the Practice to improve the

experience for everyone.

A group of us will be constructing this in the near future. If you have any questions you think we should

include please let me know – just email me or if you prefer WhatsApp or text me on 07555 538276.

Lynn Bowman, Chair of the Patient Link Group (PLG) Tel: 07555 538276 Email: plg.hmxihc@nhs.net

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HEALTH COACHING PROGRAMME

Due to Covid-19 our health coaches were no longer able to see patients face-to-face or run our weekly 10

step resilience programme. In order for us to continue to run the programme for patients we have made

some adaptions and are now offering one to one health coaching sessions through Zoom/face time or land

line calls, and our 10 Step resilience programme is hosted once a week through Zoom.

Currently this is available to all HIHC patients over 18 and if anyone is interested please email

bea.simmons@nhs.net for further information. We have over 50 patients on the current programme;

some have their partners and family members joining in as well. Patients log into the Zoom weekly sessions

which are totally anonymous and participants’ video links are switched off so they can see and hear the

hosts but are not visible to anyone else.

Each week an email goes out to participants with details of the Zoom subject matter for that week - this

includes handouts and exercises. We also offer each patient the opportunity to work one to one with our

Health Coach as mentioned before. Working with the Health Coach can be on issues from bereavement,

mental well-being to help with weight loss, isolation and self-esteem. The Health Coach Programme

entitles participants to 2 hours of 1-1 coaching; one session for 1 hour followed by two subsequent sessions

of 1/2 hour.

Patients that are referred to the Health Coach Project can also access our website where they are able to

obtain further health information on movement, nutrition, breathing exercises and emotional resilience.

Patients are also able to watch yoga videos, listen to meditation audios and access webinars with our

Nutritionist - Jo Majithia.

LAUGHTER IS DEFINITELY THE BEST MEDICINE

Did you know there is such a thing as Laugher Yoga

Classes?! Because our bodies apparently can’t tell

the difference between fake and real laughter,

laughter has real mood-lifting, stress-reducing and

immune-boosting benefits.

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VITALITY VILLAGES NEWS

Due to Covid-19, sadly all Vitality Villages activities

have been suspended; but we will let people know

as soon as we are able to all meet up again.

Herstmonceux Community Routes - Vitality

Villages aim is to promote the health and well-

being of the community of Herstmonceux and

surrounding villages. To support this the Truggers

group are working in collaboration with the E.S.C.C.

Rights of Way team and the Parish Council to

improve access to our local footpath network. In

particular a number of local routes have been

identified as Community Routes that would benefit

the residents of the parish if they could be

upgraded and better maintained. Routes near

Cowbeech, Windmill Hill and Herstmonceux are

being considered. In fact, if the project continues

there is no reason why all footpaths in the parish

could not become part of one or more Community

Routes. So, what’s being done?

Footpath Clearance - Every Friday morning during

spring, summer and autumn a small group of

volunteers working under the authority of E.S.C.C.

help clear footpaths, gates and stiles of

obstructions including brambles and nettles,

fallen and overhanging branches and all manner

of encroaching vegetation. Our main work though

is having a natter and putting the world to rights.

We decide on which footpaths to tackle and how

long we stay out. More volunteers are always

welcome.

Stile Replacement - Traditional stiles can be very

difficult to climb over if they are not well

maintained. Even good stiles are problematic for

those of us who have balance or joint issues. To

improve access to footpaths we are looking to

replace traditional stiles with either gates, kissing

gates or ladder stiles. There is no one size fits all

solution as terrain, landowner requirements and

safety have their effects. The fallback solution

however is a ladder stile. They fit neatly into the

same space as traditional stiles and can be made

stockproof. They are sturdy and relatively easy to

negotiate with left and right handholds. And not

least, they are constructed by The Men’s Shed

based at the Bader International Study Centre,

Herstmonceux Castle, which makes them by far the

cheapest option.

Currently due to the Covid-19 restrictions all work

is temporarily on hold. However, if you are

interested in helping us out with either the

Footpath Clearance group or the Stile Replacement

group and would like to hear more details please

don’t hesitate to contact Steve on 01323 833473.

Or, if you are interested in the construction of

ladder stiles and The Men’s Shed and would like to

hear more about that contact Alan on 01323

833306.

JOKES – Please email any suitable jokes you

may have to Bea Simmons:

bea.simmons@nhs.net

FUTURE NEWSLETTER ARTICLES

Please email to:

Lynn Bowman (Editor) at plg.hmxihc@nhs.net

or lyndaprimrose27@talktalk.net

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Herstmonceux Active

Exercise in the park is back every Friday

(Herstmonceux rec) 6.30pm to 7.30pm –

with options for gentle start lessons (big

demand for easing back into exercise)…

voluntary donation of £3, and taster sessions

are free.

All ages, all sizes, all welcome.

https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000237

10748111

andreaattilane@gmail.com

For more information please get in touch using the

above contacts.

24%

….. that’s the percentage by which your risk of

dying from any cause could be reduced if you own

a dog, says a US systematic review. The potentially

life-stretching benefits could be due partly to

increased physical activity from waking the dog,

says the authors.

Source: Lifespan magazine

13 MILLION

…… that’s how many people in the UK are

dangerously overweight, according to Diabetes

UK. The Obesity Health Alliance is calling for the

government to make reducing obesity a key

priority, as well as protecting children from junk-

food marketing and educating healthcare

professionals.

Source: Lifespan magazine

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All About Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological

condition in the world. It causes ongoing damage

to the brain and affects the brain cells which

produce dopamine. As the cells stop working it

affects the movement of the body.

According to the NHS:

Parkinson’s is caused by a loss of nerve cells in the substantia nigra area of the brain leading to a reduction in dopamine.

The dopamine reduction is responsible for many of the symptoms of Parkinson’s.

It is unclear exactly what causes the loss of nerve cells.

It is a progressive condition and there is currently no cure for Parkinson’s.

Parkinson’s can affect anyone, although it is more prevalent in men aged 50 to 89. – unclear why

Key Stats:

1 in 37 people alive today will be diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their lifetime

Around 145,000 people in the UK are living with the condition, predicted to rise to more than 172,000 people by 2030

Two people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s every hour – 18,000 a year

There are more than 40 symptoms of PD Ultimately, more than one million people

are likely to be affected by the condition in the UK

What are the Main Symptoms?

Each person living with the condition can experience symptoms differently.

Symptoms can be categorised as motor and non-motor, and people may also experience mental health issues.

Those symptoms most associated with Parkinson’s are tremor, rigidity and

slowness of movement, though there is no ‘typical’ experience of Parkinson’s.

Other motor symptoms include falls and dizziness; freezing (feeling stuck to the ground); muscle cramps and dystonia (unexpected contraction of muscles).

Other non-motor symptoms include fatigue; low blood pressure; bladder and bowel problems; restless legs; sleep issues; eating, swallowing and saliva control problems; speech and communication problems; and eye problems.

Mental health issues include mild memory and thinking problems; anxiety, dementia; depression; hallucinations and delusions.

Available Treatment Options

People can live well with Parkinson’s on the correct treatment.

Advances in treatments mean that many people now have a normal or near-normal life expectancy.

Physical therapy, medication, and for some people, surgery are available treatments.

As every person experiences Parkinson’s differently, treatment is tailored to the individual. Often a combination of treatments work well which can take time to get right.

Upon diagnosis most people are prescribed levodopa, dopamine agonist or a MAO-B inhibitor depending on their age, lifestyle and symptoms.

Parkinson’s treatments generally work to increase dopamine in the brain, act as a dopamine substitute or block enzymes that break down dopamine.

Source:

www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-

support

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A PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE ON PARKINSONS I WAS DIAGNOSED WHEN I WAS 55 IN 2018. I WAS TRULY DEVASTATED AND TWO YEARS DOWN THE LINE I AM STILL

HAVING DIFFICULTIES COMING TO TERMS WITH MY DIAGNOSIS. MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE IT TO BE A DISEASE THAT AFFECTS

THE ELDERLY BUT IT IS NOT ALWAYS JUST THE ELDERLY. IT IS A DIFFICULT DISEASE TO DIAGNOSE AND I WAS MISDIAGNOSED

INITIALLY BY A NEUROLOGIST AS BEING DEPRESSED AND STRESSED. IT TOOK TWO YEARS TO FINALLY GET A DIAGNOSIS. BACK IN 2016 I WAS CRYING A LOT AND FEELING LOW. THIS WAS VERY OUT OF CHARACTER FOR ME. I THEN NOTICED

THAT I COULD NOT PUT MY LEFT FOOT IN A SHOE, I WAS UNABLE TO PUSH MY FOOT IN. I THEN DEVELOPED A FROZEN

SHOULDER AND I HAD TREATMENT FROM A CHIROPRACTOR. THINGS DID NOT IMPROVE. I THEN BEGAN TO GET A PAIN IN

MY LEFT THIGH WHEN I WAS DRIVING WHICH WAS PECULIAR. THE TWITCHES THEN BEGAN ALL OVER MY BODY. I HAD A

URINARY TRACT INFECTION WHICH I HAD NEVER HAD BEFORE. CONSTIPATION WAS ALSO A BIG PROBLEM. I STARTED TO THINK I WAS GOING MAD AND FELT NO ONE BELIEVED ME SO I COMPLETED A MINDFULNESS COURSE. IN THE

END I DECIDED TO PAY TO SEE ANOTHER NEUROLOGIST WHO DIAGNOSED ME WITHIN HALF AN HOUR. ONE OF THE BIG

THINGS IS YOU HAVE A REDUCED OR ABSENT ARM SWING WHEN YOU ARE WALKING. AFTER TALKING TO LOTS OF PEOPLE

AND READING LOTS OF RESEARCH THERE DOES SEEM TO BE SOME COMMONALITIES TO LOOK OUT FOR. I HAVE LISTED

TREMOR WHICH IS ONE OF THE COMMONEST SYMPTOMS, BUT I DID NOT PRESENT WITH A TREMOR. I THINK IT IS PRUDENT

TO CONSIDER PARKINSON’S IF YOU HAVE THE FOLLOWING ISSUES. • TREMOR • RIGHT OR LEFT SIDED WEAKNESS (I HAVE LEFT SIDED WEAKNESS) • FROZEN SHOULDER • NO ARM SWING • FEELING LOW AND CRYING A LOT YOU MAY HAVE ONE OR ALL OF THESE SYMPTOMS. DON’T FORGET EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. FOR SOME PEOPLE THE FIRST

SYMPTOM MAY BE THAT THEY LOSE THEIR SENSE OF SMELL AND DEVELOP A ‘MASK LIKE’ APPEARANCE WITH THEIR FACE. NOW I AM ON A JOURNEY THAT IS NO DOUBT VERY HARD AT TIMES. COMING TO TERMS WITH THIS ILLNESS IS ALSO VERY

HARD FOR FAMILY AND CARERS AND CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THEIR NEEDS. THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT OUT

THERE, EITHER ON THE INTERNET OR BY POST OR JOINING GROUPS. PARKINSONS.ORG IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL AS IS THE

MICHAEL J FOX FOUNDATION. THERE IS AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF RESEARCH BEING CARRIED OUT TO TRY AND OBTAIN

A CURE AND TO FIND MORE TREATMENTS. MOST PEOPLE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO A PARKINSON’S NURSE AND THEY WILL

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU AS NEEDED. THEY SEEM TO KNOW EVERYTHING IN MY OPINION. ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I HAVE GAINED LOTS OF FRIENDS I WOULDN’T PREVIOUSLY HAVE KNOWN AND I NOW GO TO A CHOIR

PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WITH PARKINSON’S. I ATTEND A GROUP AT THE HYDRO HOTEL ON THE FIRST WEDNESDAY OF

EACH MONTH FROM 1600-1800 HOURS WHICH IS AN INFORMAL GATHERING AND WE HAVE A GOOD CHAT. I ALSO GO

TO THE GYM AT EASTBOURNE HOSPITAL ON A SATURDAY MORNING FOR AN HOUR AS EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE KEY THINGS

TO DO AS IT HELPS TO PROTECT THE NEURONES THAT ARE LEFT.

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