Category: News

Care Navigation

The NHS can be a big and complex web, and it’s not always easy to know what services there are, let alone how to access them.

That’s where Care Navigation comes in. Reception and Administrative staff can undergo extra training to help you navigate your way through health and social care services. 

Right person, right time, first time

We already use ’Internal navigation’ to make sure you’re seen by the right staff member within the practice. That’s why Reception staff may ask about your issue when you book an appointment.

Care Navigation takes this further by offering patients choice about the services available to them, and helping them access their preferred options.

For example, if you have a minor ailment, you might be better served seeing a local Pharmacist rather than waiting to see a Doctor. 

You might also see a Social Prescribing Link Worker – a new role in the NHS who discuss and assess patients’ non-clinical needs, and link them to the best support services. It could be a stop smoking clinic or maybe an organisation like Citizens Advice.

Your choice

It’s about showing you all of the options, and giving you a choice. If you decide not to take any of them up, then of course you can still see your GP. It’s up to you.

Care Navigation has benefits to the practice too, as well as to patients. Not everyone needs to see a Doctor, so when someone chooses an alternative to a regular GP appointment, that slot remains open for another patient who needs it.

Your Confidentiality at Jesmond Health Partnership

The health and comfort of every patient is important at our practice. We want everyone to be happy to speak to any member of our team, knowing anything they say will be treated in confidence, and their privacy will be respected.

It’s not just Doctors who are bound by patient confidentiality, everyone who works here is too.

You can read about the 5 principles of confidentiality in the NHS here.

What this means

The information you give to us when you fill in a form, or talk to us over the phone or in person, is classified as confidential.

When describing your symptoms or telling us about your medical history, that information is only shared when it’s needed to give you the best possible care. There are processes to keep anything that identifies patients secure and safe.

Anything collected for statistical or research purposes – important for making sure that services match what patients’ need – is always anonymised.

Why this matters

Because we want you to feel comfortable knowing that anything you tell us will only ever be used to benefit your health.

Patients often ask why they need to say what is wrong with them when they book an appointment.

It’s because the more we know, the quicker we can get you to the right person to help you.

You may not know this, but our Reception staff are trained to direct you to the right service. They are not making clinical decisions about diagnosis or treatment, but what they are doing is using their knowledge to get you to the right person who will.

Your rights

It’s important to know that you are in control of your information. You do not have to tell us something you don’t want to, and you can ask us not to share what you do tell us. 

For more on how to opt out of sharing information, visit our ‘Your Data’ section here.

Equally though, it’s important to know what the effects of not sharing information could be.  For example, if you choose not to say why you want any appointment, you could wait longer to see a Doctor when a Nurse Practitioner was available and could have prescribed medication.

You can always ask to speak privately to a member of staff if you’d rather not explain in the waiting room. Equally, we’ll ask patients to give each other space when waiting, and respect each other’s privacy.

If you have any concerns about privacy, confidentiality or the use of your information, please speak to a member of the Reception Team in the first instance.

Unfortunately we’re experiencing ongoing issues with our phone lines.

Thank you to everyone who has brought it to our attention, and of course apologies for the inconvenience.

We’re told that it might not be an immediate fix, so do please bear with us. We appreciate this is frustrating.

In the mean time, appointments, results and repeat prescriptions are available online at this link.

Once again, we apologise for these issues, and are working to get them resolved as soon as possible.

There are a number of public holidays coming up, and we’re also changing our staff training schedule.

Rather than the weekly 1 or 2 hour closures on Thursdays, we’ll be consolidating into afternoon sessions every month or so.

This will mean fewer days that are interrupted by training, and longer blocks for more productive staff training sessions.

Here’s when we’ll be closed over the next few months:

March:
Wednesday 11th, 12-6pm

April:
Friday 10th, Good Friday (All day)
Monday 13th, Easter Monday (All day)

May:
Friday 8th, Bank Holiday (All day)
Thursday 14th, 12-6pm
Monday 25th, Bank Holiday (All day)

You can still book appointments, check results or reorder repeat prescriptions through our online services here.

When we are closed, your first port of call for medical help should be to call 111. You’ll be given advice and booked an appointment nearby if needed.

You should only ever use Accident & Emergency or call 999 in life threatening emergencies.

Are you an experienced electrician, decorator, floorer or kitchen fitter, or can you recommend someone who is?

We’re keen to work with local tradespeople on some renovation projects at No. 17 Osborne Road, mainly focussing on the administration areas on the first floor.

If you’re a high-quality, reliable tradesperson with all relevant certification, we’d like to hear from you.

To get in touch, please send an email and your contact details for the attention of Dave Hall to ngccg.jesmondhealthpartnership@nhs.net.

If you are registered on websites such as CheckaTrade.com or RatedPeople.com, then please include a link to reviews of your work.

We look forward to hearing from you.

We are looking for a motivated, enthusiastic and organised person with excellent administrative/reception skills to join the team. The role can be full or part-time.

Visit the NHS Jobs page for full information.

Ideally with previous experience of a GP surgery, the successful candidate will be a skilled communicator and multitasker, a team player and have a caring, empathetic approach to customer service.

Applications are open until Thursday 23rd January, and need to be submitted through the NHS Jobs page at this link.