Practice News – May 2026
Staffing updates
Our new Practice Nurse Kristen has started at the surgery, she will be starting to assist with our patients who have chronic diseases and assisting with wound care.
Claire is our new Cancer Navigator, Claire will encourage our patients to take up screening for various cancers as well as safety netting.
Kim will be starting in mid May as our PCN Care Home Nurse. She will assist with visits for our care homes and housebound patients.
Covid-19 Vaccinations
These are continuing through to June 2026, if you have not yet contacted us and booked your vaccination please call our reception team on 01253 204672
You said – we did
You said: We received feedback from a patient about our telephone line not stating we are closed when you first call the surgery. Instead, having to listen to the menu options before it informs you we are closed.
We did: We have changed the order of the speech on our telephone lines to immediately inform patients when we are closed.
Stroke Awareness Month
Stroke can happen to anyone, of any age, at any time. The faster you call 999 and get treatment, the better the chances of survival and recovery, so it’s vital to know how to spot the signs of a stroke.
The FAST acronym (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) is a test to quickly identify the three most common signs of stroke:
- Face weakness: Can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
- Arm weakness: Can the person raise both arms fully and keep them there?
- Speech problems: Can the person speak clearly and understand what you say? Is their speech slurred?
- Time to call 999: If you see any one of these signs
A stroke can change a life in seconds, leaving survivors unable to walk, speak, or live independently. Stroke Awareness Month aims to raise awareness of the devastating impact of stroke and highlights the importance of support for stroke survivors and those who care for them.
This May, Stroke Association is asking everyone to ‘Make May Purple’, so they can fund research and support more people affected by stroke. You can organise a ‘purple event’, or join their ‘31 Minutes in May’ campaign and pledge to run, walk, dance or swim for 31 minutes a day during May. Find more fundraising ideas, resources and stroke information on their website:
Stroke Awareness Month | Stroke Association
Mental Health Awareness Week 11th – 17th May
Mental Health Awareness Week is a great opportunity for the whole of the UK to come together to:
- Focus on getting good mental health
- Tackle stigma
- Understand and prioritise our own and others’ mental health
It also makes sure that mental health stays at the centre of the public conversation, contributes to government policy changes and provides a special day for mental health charities to promote fundraising activities to support their work.
This year’s theme is ‘Action’. Raising awareness is vital, but real change comes when we take action too. You can take action yourself! See the many ways you can get involved at Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundation
Sun awareness week 11th – 17th May
Sun Awareness Week marks the start of a summer-long campaign to raise awareness and provide information around sun protection and skin cancer – currently the most common cancer in the UK.
The week focuses on:
- Prevention – raising awareness of the dangers of burning and excessive tanning, and discouraging people from using sunbeds
- Early detection – teaching people how to spot the signs of skin cancer to increase the numbers being diagnosed early
You can find more information about Sun Awareness week at Sun Awareness Week – BAD Patient Hub
And learn how to spot the signs of different types of skin cancer at Melanoma skin cancer – Symptoms – NHS
