Practice Newsletter
11 July, 2005
Autumn is rapidly turning into winter this year and the temperatures
are plummeting. It won’t be long until the trees are bare and frosts
will be followed by crisp sunny days. Please keep warm when the
cold weather comes, particularly if you are elderly or have a chronic
health condition.
We are very sad to farewell Heather who has been our district nurse for
several years. She has impressed the Gayhurst team and all her patients
with her professionalism and caring. We wish her well in her new
retirement home career. We welcome Megan who is replacing her.
Do you have a disability allowance? If you have a medical
problem, for example a heart or lung condition, diabetes, arthritis,
etc, and you qualify for a community services card, you will probably
also qualify for a disability allowance. This means that WINZ
will reimburse for increased costs due to your health problem. For
example if you have bad arthritis you could claim for the cost of your
doctors visits, prescriptions, extra heating, and help with maintaining
your lawns and garden. A lot of you will already have a disability
allowance. If you feel it is something you are entitled to please
discuss it with your doctor next time you visit.
Do you need a high user card? People who see the doctor 12
or more times in twelve months qualify for one of these. Visits
for ACC and to specialists can’t be counted. Patients on high user
cards have a larger amount of PHO funding to allow for these more
frequent visits. Lorraine and Jan work hard to keep these up to date.
Your assistance with signing up when requested is appreciated.
Looking for a different type of help? You couldn’t do better than see
one of the following when you have specific health needs. Reception can
book you in or give you contact details.
Physiotherapist: Nu Wright who sees patients here on Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays from 12-3.00 pm, and at her rooms at
Aylesford Street at other times (including 3 late nights).
Midwife:
Ann Corkin works with us taking good care of women
through their pregnancies, birth and postnatal period.
Counsellor: Terri Walters
Podiatrist: Matthew Franken,
Foot Care Specialist, takes
patients on alternative Monday afternoons.
Ill or hurt after hours? If you get ill in the weekend or out of
hours and can't wait for the surgery to reopen, we strongly recommend
you attend the All Hours Surgery, the after hours clinic on the corner
of Colombo Street and Bealey Avenue. When you see a GP there they
are acting as our locums and keep us fully informed of your health
problems, with your permission of course. All of the doctors at
Gayhurst Surgery work shifts at the 24 Hours and you may well see one
of us there. It is the only clinic open 24 hours a day, seven
days a week. A branch at Linwood Medical Centre, 279 Linwood Ave, is
also open from 10am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Accident and Emergency department at Christchurch Hospital will
always see you for serious emergencies. Never fail to call an ambulance
or go straight to hospital if life is a risk.
All preschoolers and school leavers 19 years old and below will have their vaccinations at the surgery starting on 20 June. We will be sending out letters to parents and teenagers nearer the time.