Oct/Nov 2001

Dr Froome is back

16/11/01

Cold Feet?

• Do you get cramp or pain in your calves when you walk?

• If so, does it go away when you stop?

• Are your feet permanently cold?

• Do your toes appear discoloured?

If the answer to several of these questions is yes, then you could be suffering from a condition called Intermittent Claudication, caused by a disease in the arteries supplying blood to your legs and feet.

The condition occurs mainly in smokers and the incidence rises with age.
It is also more common in people with diabetes.

If you think you may have this condition, please make an appointment with either a nurse or a doctor who can assess your circulation, rule out diabetes and arrange further tests if appropriate. 

If a vascular problem is identified, we will also want to assess the condition of other arteries in your body e.g. those supplying the heart and brain to try and prevent other problems from occurring.

The most important treatment is stopping smoking, but exercises, medication and surgery can also be helpful. The condition is much better if it is treated early - so don't delay.

09/11/01

Congratulations

To Dr Surti who gave birth to a baby boy on Saturday 6 October. Both Mum and child are doing well (but we don't know his name yet).

Watch your takeaways

New research undertaken for Health Which? Shows that some takeaways can be more unhealthy than fast-food burgers and chips. 

It was found that some Chinese dishes, amongst the most popular of takeaways, are the least good for your health. Sweet-and-sour pork with egg-fried rice was found to contain 60g of fat and 1330 calories - against a recommended daily fat allowance of only 70g for a woman.. Popular Indian dishes typically contain less fat - 47g for chicken tikka massala with pilau rice - but to cut your fat intake to a more acceptable level you should opt for plain rice, stir-fried or steamed food.

Eat up your greens

Recent research in California claims to show for the first time that eating greens is good for your heart. 

A scientific team has identified a substance called 'lutein' in green vegetables which can help to prevent the hardening of the arteries which may lead to heart disease. Lutein is found in cabbage, celery, cucumber, lettuce and peas and gives the vegetable its natural green colour. It is not destroyed by cooking.

After monitoring the arteries of 480 men and women, the researchers found that the arteries of those on low levels of lutein intake were hardening five times faster than those on high levels.

10/10/01

Belated congratulations 

- to Dr O'Connor

Dr O'Connor gave birth to a daughter, Aoife, on 31st August. Both mum and baby are doing well and have been to see us a few times. 

- to Jane and Lynne

Practice nurse Jane Proctor and district nurse Lynne Dargie have both passed their exams for joint injections. 

New counsellor

Michele Burden who is employed by the PCT and works for several of the practices in south-east Oxfordshire is now working at SCHC every Friday and patients are referred to her via their GP.

Training colleagues

Our new registrar, Vicky Froome joined us today for 11 months as part of her GP training. She has already spent a month at the surgery in 1999. 

Caroline Furness, a medical student, will be with us for two weeks this month as part of our commitment to training.  The aim is to provide her with some experience of work in general practice. 

3/10/01

Aug/Sept 2001

Why are NHS doctors unhappy?  Our view

Over the years, those working in the National Health Service have got used to change. Successive governments have tried to change the running of the system to gain greater efficiency. Some changes have helped; others seem to be short-term political fixes that often have more to do with grabbing headlines than helping patients.

The underlying problem is that over the years money has been saved by restricting the number of doctors working in the service and restricting the availability of services, using measures such as waiting lists to control demand.

At last, it seems that NHS funding is to improve but it will take some time to train the new doctors and nurses needed to make the system work well. In the meantime the government is asking us to see more and more patients more quickly.

Doctors and nurses want to improve the service and want to see the NHS develop, but we feel that, at a time when treatments are becoming increasingly complex, trying to increase the speed at which we see patients will simply lead to a decrease in the quality of care.

The British Medical Council is working with the government to modernise the NHS and we look forward to better and quicker treatment, but the developments seem to be frustratingly slow.

Meanwhile, we ask you to understand if we are unable to respond immediately to requests for non-urgent reports or queries.

We will continue to do our best for all patients but have to prioritise.

14/09/01

Welcomes

We have a new counsellor starting at the Health Centre in September. Michele Burden, who is employed by the PCT, will be working at several practices in South East Oxfordshire. She will be at Sonning Common every Friday morning and patients will be referred to her by the GPs.

Dr O'Connor has started her maternity leave. She will be replaced for the whole of her leave period until the end of the year by Dr Suzanne Murphy.

Deep Vein Thrombosis and Air Travel

There has been a lot of discussion in the media about deep vein thrombosis (DVT and air travel.

What is DVT

DVT is a blood clot in the deep veins, usually of the legs. This can cause pain and swelling in the calves.

There are a number of factors that can lead to DVT and it is felt that reduced movement, associated with long haul travel can contribute.

The risk for healthy individuals with no predisposing factors for DVT is exceedingly small.

Advice  Advice for air travellers would include: Move around in the seat and cabin as much as practicable Exercise calf muscles when seated
		Not all exercise is good for your health

Avoid an excess of alcohol and drinks containing caffeine

Drink plenty of water Observe and act on advice given by in-flight media.

There are some factors which put people at moderate and high risk of developing DVT.

Moderate Risk Factors

For people at moderate risk, the factors are:

A family history of DVT Pregnancy

If you are on HRT or the contraceptive pill

Obesity.

Advice to this group would be:

As above, plus take professional advice about the risks involved.

Take low dose aspirin as advised by your doctor

Wear compression or support stockings.

High Risk Factors

For people at high risk, the factors are:

Previous DVT

Recent surgery.

Advice to this group would be to consult your doctor.

Taking simple precautions can minimise the risk of getting a DVT. If you have further questions, you can contact the Health Centre for advice. Click here for our Healthy Travel pages.

Practise Safe Sun

Summer is here and, if we see any sunshine, "Slip, Slop, Slap" as an Australian cancer awareness campaign advises.

"Slip" on a shirt, "Slop" on suncream and "Slap" on a hat when out in strong sunlight. Always use a high factor suncream and try to avoid the midday sun.

Skin cancers are increasing and account for approximately one thousand deaths each year in the UK. The main cause is excessive sun exposure. A proportion of melanomas (around 30%) appear to develop in pre-existing moles, while the remainder develop on previously normal skin.

Major signs to look out for are:

Moles which change in size, shape or colour (large,
jagged, particularly black lesions).

Minor signs are:

Inflammation, crusting or bleeding and sensory change.

At the Health Centre, we are happy to look at any moles that may be worrying you.

Just book a routine appointment by phoning 0118 9722745.

12/08/01

June/July 2001

Emergency Dental Treatment

Oxfordshire NHS  Health Authority has just issued information about getting urgent dental treatment for those not registered with a dentist. (Patients are considered registered for15 months after the start if their last treatment). Click here for full details.

12/07/01

Dr Harris

Our new doctor colleague is now in post and her photo and brief biographical details have been added to the site. Click here to see them.

02/07/01

Some better news for men

The PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test is reasonably accurate and gives early notice of many cases of prostate cancer. The disadvantage is that it gives rise to too many so-called false positives. Although, unlike false negatives, these are not likely to be dangerous, they are a serious nuisance and diminish confidence in the test..

A positive PSA test is followed by a rectal ultrasound scan and then by a biopsy. Unfortunately, the ultrasound image of the prostate is grey and indistinct at present and needs a great deal of expertise to read it accurately. 

Work is being carried out at the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia on the use of a contrast agent which enhances the visibility of any cancer present. This not only confirms the diagnosis, it will also show where to take the biopsy. Without it a biopsy might give a false negative simply because it was taken from the wrong place 

Mum's the Word

Recent research by a team led by Dr John Reilly at the University of Glasgow has found that many children too young to read the magazines were already conscious of their appearance, weight and diet.

The research, based on a sample of nearly 100 three and four year olds, will show, for example, that a child's awareness of sweets and fatty foods is raised by parent's attempts to restrict their intake. It seems from similar research at Pennsylvania State University that over-careful dietary control can lead to the child not developing the ability to regulate its own eating. 

Dr Jill Wellbourne, a patron of the Eating Disorders Association advises parents to be cautious about emphasising weight and food intake, without excluding discussion altogether. While trying to develop healthy eating habits in children, 'the important thing is that food is just food and mealtimes should not be stressful, so that weight and eating don't become an obsession.' 

Best if mothers keep their diets to themselves.

may01

May 2001

Hay fever alert

The British Allergy Foundation has warned hay fever sufferers that their problems will be worse this year because of the foot-and-mouth crisis.

Normally, grazing cattle limit the level of allergens in the air, but with the reduced numbers of animals following the cull, there is much more uneaten grass which is now producing pollen. The wet cool Spring has delayed the start of the high pollen season but the Foundation warns that sunny weather will bring raised levels. 

Sufferers are being advised to take their medication even before they begin sniffing and sneezing.

Get on yer bike

Dr Andrew Burnett is back in the saddle - the regular Tuesday evening cycle rides have restarted. 

They leave from the Health Centre at 18.30 (not 1900 as previously stated) every Tuesday and the rides are on local lanes. Though they are gentle Andrew cannot promise that there are no hills!. 

The rides are genuinely for all ages - the present participants are from 16-60+

Drinking to excess?

An unexpected consequence of the medical advice to eat more fruit and vegetables as a defence against heart disease and cancer is the increase in consumption of fruit juice. 'Juice not Cola' has been the recommendation of careful parents. However, doctors are now having to emphasise the need for moderation.

Encouraging children to eat the recommended five portions of fruit and/or vegetables is not easy and fruit juice seems a convenient equivalent. Unfortunately, the sugars erode teeth and can cause digestive discomfort, and the nutritional value is modest, primarily vitamin C. Crucially,  juices lack the fibre provided by the full fruit. 

The American Academy of Paediatrics suggests no fruit juice at all for babies under 6 months; up to six years of age, 4 to 6 fluid ounces a day; up to the age of18 a maximum of 12 fluid ounces.

apr01

April 2001

The Triple Vaccine (MMR)

Recently in the press, a writer has questioned the safety of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR). What's our view?

The suggestion is that MMR might cause autism, a learning disability, or Crohn' s disease, a bowel inflammation.

A large long-term follow-up study in Finland failed to show any such link and in the UK, the rare occurrence of these conditions did not suddenly increase when MMR was introduced.

Autism tends to become evident when children are at the toddler stage, just after they would have vaccinations, so we can understand why it might seem to be linked to MMR, but there is no good evidence that immunisation is the cause.

If the level of immunity in the population falls, infections can spread easily in the community. This is just what happened in Ireland last year when a measles epidemic claimed the lives of two young children.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a system of healing which has been practised in the far east for thousands of years. It began with the discovery that stimulating specific areas of the skin affected certain organs of the body.

Very fine needles are inserted into these acupuncture points during the treatment to stimulate the body's own healing response, to restore and maintain health.

The principal aim of acupuncture is to recover the equilibrium between the physical, mental-emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual and is therefore known as a holistic therapy.

An imbalance may occur for a variety of reasons including emotional states such as stress, anger, fear or grief, or physical aspects such as poor nutrition, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma.

Who has acupuncture and what can it help?

Acupuncture is a safe treatment for all. Many people choose acupuncture to help with specific conditions or symptoms, for example anxious or depressive states, asthma, back pain, facial paralysis, fibrositis, high blood pressure, infertility, menstrual problems, ME, migraines, psychological disorders, rheumatism, sciatica, skin problems, tiredness, ulcers and urinary problems.

Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with orthodox medicine and, as with any therapy, the response to treatment will vary from person to person.

Is acupuncture safe? 

All members of the British Acupuncture Council are bound by strict codes of ethics and practice, which lays down stringent standards of hygiene and pre-sterilised disposable needles are always used.

Appointments

For an appointment in our private acupuncture clinic, please phone Katy Beckford on 01491 680222. Katy also practices aromatherapy! sports massage, zero balancing, healing and Kosmed therapy.

mar01

March 2001

Farewells

Sadly we are about to bid farewell to a number of its staff, several with long service at the Health Centre.

Dr Margaret Thomson retires fully at the end of March after 17 years with us.
Dr William Bird, after ten years here, leaves to find more time for his research into the health benefits of exercise and also weather in relation to health.
Dr Andy Brand wishes to spend more time with her baby Liam but will still be available for occasional when the need arises.
Kerry Sinclair, who has been responsible for the administration of the Health Centre for some eleven years as Practice Manager, is 'retiring' but has plans to keep herself very busy.
Sue McNie is retiring after 21 years as Practice Nurse but, by popular demand, will continue her Thursday baby immunisations clinic.
Kathy Santer, receptionist and admin assistant, is retiring to Norfolk with her husband.

The remaining staff (and patients) wish them well and join in thanking them for all their hard work and commitment.

Welcomes

The better side of losing old colleagues is gaining new ones and the Health Centre is looking forward to welcoming these future members of the staff team:

Dr Evelyn O'Connor will join us in April and will take over Dr Bird's and Dr Thomson's patients. She is married to local dentist Joe Maloney.
Mrs Glen Higgins, our new Practice Manager, arrives on 20 March and
Catherine Cassidy will be joining the practice nursing team.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy on the NHS

Yvette Cooper, the Health Minister, has announced that Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) will be available on the NHS by the end of April 2001.

NRT in the form of patches, gum or a nasal spray is known to double the chance of smokers giving up their habit. It doesn't replace the need for willpower and support. Smokers have a much greater chance of giving up if they receive support from a trained counsellor or attend a support group.

Anne Brodie runs smoking cessation sessions here at the Health Centre and can be contacted via reception.

jan01

January 2001

Medical students

From this Spring the Health Centre will be involved in the practical training of 4th year medical students from the University of Oxford. They will be learning basic examination techniques and will need some willing patients to practise on. You would be needed for about an hour from time to time, during working hours, so it might suit those of you who are retired or have some free time.

If you are known to have heart or lung disease, an abdominal complaint or arthritis and/or if you have something to find on examination, then we would like to hear from you.

Please leave a message at reception for Dr Emerson or Dr Ronay who will be pleased to give you further information.

This is your chance to help shape the doctors of tomorrow!

Physio and other therapies

Physiotherapy can treat a wide range of disorders - from asthma and Bell's palsy to sports injuries and a multitude of stress disorders.

But the vast majority of people coming for treatment seek pain relief and an improved quality of life, by being able to do things they enjoy without constant reminders that all is not well. Sometimes pain does not go despite a good diagnosis, analysis of the problem and appropriate therapy.

This is where some of the complementary therapy techniques, which private physiotherapist Hermione Evans uses at the Health Centre, can really work wonders.

Cranio-sacral therapy is designed to improve the flow of fluid around the brain and spinal cord. The natural fluid flow is intrinsic to the life and health of all body cells and there is practically no condition that cranio-sacral therapy cannot benefit.

Reflextherapy is the therapeutic application of reflexology. Treatment is by gentle pressure on reflex points to promote the body's own healing mechanisms. Like acupuncture, it is thought to work by freeing energy blockages in the body and there is much research now to indicate the ways in which this happens.

Yoga as part of treatment is a wonderful therapeutic tool, using various techniques to calm and invigorate the body, mind and spirit.

Visceral manipulation is gentle massage and manipulation of internal organs, either to improve their function or to improve conditions of internal or external pain.

Reiki is a method of chanelling energy for healing. There is nothing spooky about this! A;; body cells have an optimum frequency in order to function efficiently. During the treatment, cells are able to absorb the exact frequency for their particular requirement. A bit like re-charging a battery.

For an appointment with Hermione, please phone reception on 0118 972 2745.

Calling all carers

The Health Centre is currently trying to create a register of carers to enable us to be aware of your special needs and so that we can offer advice and support should you need it. 

Of course many of you are already known to us as carers, but it is possible that you are caring for someone we don't know about, for example a parent, relative or neighbour. You may be a full-time, part-time or occasional carer, but you are all carers. 

Please tell us if you are a carer, even if you think we already know.

Leaflets about a Carers' Support Group are available in the racks at reception.

NHS Direct

The much publicised government initiative NHS Direct is now available in Oxfordshire.

NHS Direct is available for general health information and advice by telephone, all day, every day of the year.

Their number is 0845 4647 (Although it looks a few digits short this is the correct number). Calls are charged at the local rate.