Practice News
Flu and COVID Vaccinations
Our first flu and COVID clinic on Saturday 4th and 11th October was a success with minimal waiting times for our patients. Thank you to our clinicians and administrative staff who gave up their Saturday to help make sure an efficient service was provided to our patients.
Unfortunately, we had a very large amount of patients who didn't attend. We appreciate that sometimes there are contributing factors beyond your control which does not allow you to attend.
As these appointments were not cancelled, we were unable to use them for another patient. In addition to this, we have bought vaccinations which may well be wasted as there are limitations on the eligibility of who can have the flu and COVID this year. This is a huge amount of money wasted.
We ask all of our patients who have booked a flu/COVID vaccination appointment with us, please attend the Practice.
Thank you
Learning Disabilities Star Award
We have recently been accredited with The Learning Disabilities Star Award for our outstanding work with people with learning disabilities, their families, and carers. The panel, comprising experts of experience and professionals were particularly impressed by our dedication and work we have invested to ensure that people with learning disabilities at our Practice receive equitable and person-centred care. A fantastic achievement by the team.
One Appointment, One Ailment
All of the clinical staff are committed to providing our patients with the best possible care. To enable them to do this, each appointment is designed to cover one medical ailment. If you have more than one concern, we encourage you to submit a further request via Anima, our appointment booking system. That way the clinicians can discuss each issue properly without being rushed and provide the attention it deserves.
By doing this, you will help us give you safe, focussed care and prevent the late running of clinics.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Practice Opening Hours August Bank Holiday
The Practice will be closed on Monday 25th August. We will re-open Tuesday 26th August at 08.00.
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via Anima administrative enquiries and a member of staff will look at your request when we re-open.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of break constitute an emergency.
2025 Flu Vaccinations - Clinics Saturday 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th October 2025
It is that time of year again when the Practice administrative and nursing teams organise our annual flu vaccinations for our patients. Meticulous planning is undertaken in arranging the Saturday clinics which our clinicians, supported by our Patient Services Team, vaccinate over 1,000 patients each clinic.
Text messages will be sent to our eligible patients very soon and those that do not have this facility or are one of our housebound patients will receive a phone call to book your appointment.
The Practice has ordered the vaccinations for our eligible patients and ask you to book your appointment with the Practice so we do not waste expensive vaccines.
We have limited information relating to the supply of COVID vaccination and will ensure that once received we will vaccinate our eligible patients when adminstering the flu vaccination.
Junior Doctor Strike Friday 25th July to Wednesday 30th July 2026 inclusive
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system on the above dates.
Our service will be impacted by this strike and I would be grateful when talking to the Patient Services Team, you understand that they are trying their hardest to assist you.
Our priority on these days are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
NHS England have announced that Primary Care will be able to prescribe Mounjaro from 23rd June 2025. Unfortunately, we have not received any guidance from Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board and until such time this has been received, we are unable to assist patients at this moment in time.
Please visit the Tirzepatide link for further information.
Comments Online/Social Media
At Abbey Medical Practice we always strive to provide an outstanding service to our patients. This is important to every member of staff who works at the Practice as we take pride in delivering care to our patients.
If you have concerns regarding our service, please contact the Practice and speak to a Team Leader to discuss further. You may wish to formally raise concerns and can do so via our complaints process and our Management Team will investigate further. I would like to reassure you that complaints are dealt with in a timely manner and if it takes a little longer to look into the detail, we will always provide you with an update.
We have received a large number of comments via social media about the service provided by the Practice. Whilst we welcome constructive feedback which enables us to review and better our services, we strongly object to comments that are not truthful, fabricated or unrelated to this Practice. Comments such as these are not neccessary and incredibly impacting for the staff as everyone works very hard to support our patients.
Comments that are untruthful will be reviewed and appropriate action will be taken due to a breakdown in the patient/Practice relationship.
Introducing Heidi Health AI Powered Scribing Tool for Clinicians.
Heidi Health is an advanced AI-powered system that assists clinicians by transcribing and documenting patient interactions during consultations. The AI scribe listens to the conversation between you and your clinician, automatically generating a detailed, accurate medical record of your visit.
This process allows your clinician to focus more on your needs and spend less time on inputting information into the clinical system and completing paperwork. Heidi Health transcribes notes in real time, improving the efficiency of your visit and ensuring that all relevant information is accurately captured.
How does Heidi Health work?
During your consultation, Heidi Health will listen to the conversation between you and your clinician. The system transcribes the dialogue in real time and generates an electronic health record (EHR). This will be stored securely within the clinical system as part of your medical record.
Benefits of using the Heidi Health
Improved Accuracy: By documenting your consultation in real-time, Heidi Health ensures that important details are captured accurately, reducing the risk of errors in your medical record.
More Time with Your Clinician: With less time spent on manually inputting into the clinical system, your clinician can focus more on interacting with you addressing your concerns and providing personalised care.
Efficiency: Your visit will be documented quickly and efficiently, allowing for faster processing.
Streamlined workflow: Heidi Health helps in managing various administrative tasks such as generating patient summaries, filling out forms, creating letters and making our workflow more efficient.
How Your Data is Managed
We understand that privacy is a top priority. Heidi Health is designed with robust security features. The system uses advanced encryption and complies with the latest data protection regulations, ensuring your information remains confidential and secure.
Data Security and Privacy: Heidi Health adheres to stringent UK compliance frameworks, including the Data Protection Act, GDPR, and NHS standards such as DCB0129, DTAC, and DSPT. This ensures that your personal information is handled securely and confidentially.
Local Data Hosting: All data is hosted within the UK, enhancing security and compliance with local data protection regulations.
Temporary Data Storage: Audio recordings used for generating notes are not stored permanently. They are processed and then deleted, ensuring your data remains private and secure.
Do I have to consent to the use of Heidi Health?
While the use of Heidi Health can greatly enhance the quality and efficiency of your consultation, you have the right to decline its use. If you choose not to have the clinician use Heidi Health to assist with your visit, the record of your consultation will be documented manually.
Your clinician will ask you if you’re comfortable with the use of the Heidi Health at the start of the consultation. You can ask your clinician any questions you have. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you can change your decision at any time. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, even after the consultation begins. If you decide not to proceed the clinician will ensure that your consultation is documented manually.
Practice Opening Hours Easter 2025
The Practice will be closed on Friday 18th and Monday 21st April. We will re-open Tuesday 22nd April at 08.00.
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via Anima administrative enquiries and a member of staff will look at your request when we re-open.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of break constitute an emergency.
Do you need help setting up or using the NHS App?
Any patients wishing to have assistance in setting up the NHS App, or a demonstration on how to use, can visit our NHS App drop in session with Melissa Raines, the Practice Digital Champion, on:
Tuesday 18th March 12.30 - 14.00 at Mannock Medical Centre
or
Tuesday 8th April 12.30 - 14.00 at Earls Barton, Broad Street.
If you are unable to attend the Practice, we do offer phone appointments on Tuesday 25th March and Tuesday 1st April from 12.30 - 14.00. Contact the Practice via Anima or Phone to book your appointment.
For further information:
Happy Holidays
From the GP Partners and all the staff at Abbey Medical Practice, we wish all of our patients a happy Holiday and joyful New Year.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your ongoing support. Over the past couple of weeks we have received a huge amount of gifts of chocolates and biscuits. Thank you for your kind gestures and thoughtfulness.
Wishing you all health and happiness.
Veterans Community Network - Regular Events and Activities
Veterans Community Network undertake amazing work to support the veterans at the Practice and across the county. The team at the Network are dedicated, compassionate and invested in ensuring our veterans are looked after.
Why don't you pop along and meet the team. Please find their latest schedule and further information can be obtained via Veterans Community Network - Northamptonshire.
Place Virtual Tea and Banter
Every Tuesday, with the exception of the 3rd Tuesday of the month 15:00 - 16:30
Online via Zoom The zoom link for this call is: https://us02web.zoom.uk/j/81761082058 Meeting ID: 817 6108 2058 Passcode: vcn
Northamptonshire Drop in hub
Every fourth Wednesday of the month 13:00 – 14:30 The Masonic Hall, Mill Road, Wellingborough, NN8 1PE, United Kingdom. Please park on York Road.
Northamptonshire Coffee Morning
Every last Friday of the month 10:00 – 12:00 NN7 4PS, Northampton, West Northamptonshire, England, United Kingdom
Northamptonshire Breakfast Club
The third Saturday of the month 09:30 – 11:30 Ock n Dough, 14-16 Farm Road, Wellingborough, NN8 4UF, United Kingdom
Northants Military Veterans Breakfast Club
Wednesdays and Saturdays 09:00 – 11:00 The Needle & Awl, Rushden
Practice Opening Hours Christmas and New Year
The Practice will be closed on Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th December 2024 and will re-open on Friday 27th December 2024 at 08.00.
We will be further closed on Wednesday 1st January 2025 and will re-open on Thursday 2nd January 2025.
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via Anima administrative enquiries and a member of staff will look at your request when we re-open.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of break constitute an emergency.
Managing Coughs and Colds
As winter sets in, our increase for requests for appointments relating to coughs and colds have increased dramatically. A cold or cough will usually clear up in a week with rest, sleep and drinking plenty of fluids. There are medicines that can be bought over the counter to help ease your symptoms and we ask our patients to speak with their local pharmacy in the first instance.
In doing this, it will enable the Practice to increase its capacity to deal with patients who have more complex medical issues.
Please see below the NHS Guidance on the common cold.
How to get your COVID-19 Vaccination
We will not be providing the COVID-19 vaccination this Winter if you are not housebound.
To book your appointment, please visit www.nhs.uk/get-vaccination
You can find your nearest Vaccination Walk-in Site at www.nhs.uk/covid-walk-in
Foture further information regarding vaccinations, please visit www.nhs.uk/wintervaccinations
Comments Online and Social Media
We have received a large number of comments online about the service provided by the Practice. Whilst we welcome constructive feedback which enables us to review and better our services, we strongly object to comments that are not truthful, fabricated or unrelated to this Practice. Comments such as these are not neccessary and incredibly impacting for the staff at the Practice as everyone works very hard to support our patients.
If you have concerns regarding our service, please contact the Practice and speak to a Team Leader to discuss further. You may wish to formally raise concerns and can do so via our complaints process and our Quality and Operations Manager can investigate further.
We are able to listen to phone calls, review patient records and resolve any issues that our patients may have.
2024 Flu Vaccinations - Clinics Saturday 5th and 12th October 2024
It is that time of year again when the Practice administrative and nursing teams organise our annual flu vaccinations for our patients. Maticulous planning is undertaken in arranging the Saturday clinics which 10 clinicians, supported by our Patient Services Team, vaccinate over 1,000 patients each clinic.
Text messages will be sent to our eligible patients and those that do not have this facility or are one of our housebound patients will receive a phone call to book your appointment.
The Practice has ordered the vaccinations for our eligible patients and ask you to book your appointment with the Practice so we do not waste expensive vaccines.
Practice Opening Hours August Bank Holiday
23rd August 2024
The Practice will be closed on Monday 26th August and will re-open on Tuesday 27th August at 08.00
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via Anima administrative enquiries and a member of staff will look at your request on Tuesday 27th August.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of break constitute an emergency.
Phone Lines
18th July 2024
We would like to apologise to our patients for the delay in answering calls. We are unable to answer any calls to our patients at the moment and this issue has been escalated to our service provider as a matter of urgency. If you wish to contact us, please do via your online access of using Anima.
Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience.
Update on new appointment booking system Anima
27th June 2024
We would like to thank all of our patients who have used the new online appointment booking service Anima. We now have over 11,700 patients who have registered and we have dealt with over 7,000 requests.
What has gone well:
- By dealing with requests in a different way ie via messaging resulting in no requirement for an appointment, this has enabled the Practice to create a lot more appointments within our system and patients are able to obtain a routine sooner.
- We are grateful to those patients who have agreed that issues that can safely be managed in this way for accepting this new way of working to allow us to keep appointments for those who cannot who require appointments with clinicians.
- As raised by our patients in the survey last year, continuity of care is important and we have been able to improve this.
- The Patient Services Team, using the Practice iPADs, have assisted many patients to be set up and educate on how to use the new form.
What we have learnt in the last month:
- The Practice planning, demand/capacity audits, testing with patients, training and communications were instrumental to a smooth transition to the new system.
- Our new appointment booking process has been a huge change for both patients and staff.
- Our patients have been amazing in setting up Anima and using the service.
- We need to encourage our patients to use the Anima messaging system when a GP has a query regarding their submission and requires additional information.
- Whilst our call volume has reduced significantly, the calls we deal with do take longer as we help our patients process their appointment requests via Anima on their behalf.
- We have not seen an increase in our patients using Corby Urgent Care Centre and A&E and so far we have not had to divert any patients to this service due to lack of capacity.
What we can do better:
- The queues at the ground floor reception have been lengthy and we are looking at ways as to how we can do things differently to help our patients albeit for arriving for appointments, general enquiries or Anima set ups.
- Managing the patients clinical need not want has impacted our patients and communication is key to educating our patients.
- We can be clearer in our communications to the patient as to what to expect as a result of their request via Anima.
Next Steps:
- We will continue to look at ways in which we can better our service to our patients.
- Updates will be provided regularly on the Practice website within our news section.
- Look at our patients who haven’t attended their appointments and understand why they were not able to attend.
We would like to thank our patients for their continued support.
Chronic Pain Course
14th June 2024
Spring have organised a 6 weekly funded online live webinars hosted by Dr Mike Scanland and Suzy Dion, where patients will learn extra skills to cope with chronic pain. After the webinars there is also further opportunties to attend a peer led wellbeing support group where you can share your experiences and knowledge with other people who live with chronic pain.
The course dates are as follows:
Spring Introduction 18th June 2024
Spring Sign Up 25th June 2024
Suzy and Mikes Course 2nd July to 6th August 2024
If you wish to attended the course, or have any questions, please email spring.chronicpain@nhs.net
Friends and Family Test
14th June 2024
As you know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
May Results
Number of text messages sent: 5050
Number of responses received: 1803
Very good: 1390
Good: 243
Neither Good nor Poor: 47
Poor: 30
Very Poor: 83
Don’t know: 10
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Goodbye Dr Tabain
14th June 2024
Our lovely GP, Dr Vicko Tabain, will be leaving us on Tuesday 18th June. Dr Tabain joined us as a registrar many years ago and became a salaried GP in 2021. Thank you for the support you have provided the patients over the years and to all of the staff.
We wish you all the best for the future as you move abroad to a very sunny country!!
Requests from Consultants / Secondary Care
14th June 2024
If you have been referred to a Consultant or another department within the Hospital, they are able to:
- Discuss and communication investigations undertaken with you along with any queries you may have
- Issue an initial sick note
- Arrange an initial prescription for 28 days medications
- Process any referrals
- Organise further investigations
- Arrange post-operative checks
We are receiving a large number of requests for the above which falls outside the remit of General Practice. if we receive any correspondence from the Hospital we will be returning this and requesting them to undertake the necessary work they are obliged to.
By undertaken any of the above work it impacts us delivering the service we are contracted and paid to undertake for our patients.
Your understanding is greatly appreciated.
Junior Doctor Strike 27th June to 2nd July inclusive
30th May 2024
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we will have less capacity in our appointment system from Monday 27th June to 2nd July.
Our service will be impacted by this strike and I would be grateful when talking to the Patient Services Team, you understand that they are trying their hardest to assist you.
Our priority on these days are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support
Welcome to our new GP
30th May 2024
We are delighted to let you know that we are very fortunate to have another GP to join us.
Dr Elias Perez Martin is a new GP to Wellingborough having worked in Bedford. Dr Perez Martin will be working with us 3.5 days a week.
New Appointment Booking System from Tuesday 14th May 2024
Following recent communications regarding our new appointment system, please take a few moments to watch a short message from Dr Kate Hughes, Senior Partner. It is very important that you register with Anima to facilitate your appointment booking
New Appointment Booking System from Tuesday 14th May 2024
19th March 2024
What is the new appointment booking system at Abbey?
Anima is a software package (NHS England approved) that Abbey Medical Practice, following due diligence, will be using to help deal with patient clinical and administrative requests. For those who are able to use the internet, you will be able to submit your symptoms and wait for the Practice to respond which means no more waiting on hold to speak to someone. You will be able to track your requests as well as view your appointments, find local services that are able to help you and submit requests for sick notes.
Patients unable to access the internet or don’t have access to an email can always contact us via telephone. We appreciate that not everyone can use this system and our team will still be here to help you and complete the Anima form on your behalf. Our team will be contacting our most vulnerable patients to assist with the set up process.
You can undertake the requests on behalf of others via proxy access i.e. a guardian to a child under the age of 16 or someone you might care for.
This is also in line with the NHS England vision of the “Modern General Practice” Model, which requests Practices to move away from the 8am rush on the telephone and use different types of methods for patients to receive advice.
Why is Abbey implementing this?
General Practice across the country is in crisis with the increase in demand. In the last two years, our Practice list size has significantly increased and we recognise the challenges this brings. As you may be aware, employing salaried GPs has been very difficult for General Practice and we have to be innovative in the way we deliver our service. Whilst we have recently recruited two GPs we still need to meet our demand and a new appointment booking system will help us to achieve this.
Our ethos and values at the Practice is to support our patients who are at the heart of everything that we do, however, we have recognised that we do have to change the way we work to cope with the growing demand. Our Patient Services Team work hard to answer your calls in a timely manner and this is becoming more and more difficult at peak times despite being adequately resourced.
We strive to provide continuity of care and in an ideal world, you would always be able to see your preferred clinician. When we are inundated with patient requests, which can possibly be dealt with in a different way, we are unable to offer our best possible service. You, the patient, in our recent survey, have also expressed seeing the same clinician is very important and we feel the new appointment booking system will help us deliver this.
Many requests can be dealt with by other medical service providers i.e. our Physiotherapists, Mental Health Practitioner, your local Pharmacy and administrative requests by our amazing Patient Services Team. By introducing the new system, on Tuesday 14th May 2024, we are able to review patient requests and take the appropriate action based on the patient clinical need, not want. We can make sure that you are dealt with by the right clinician, which will result in not wasting appointments and increase our capacity to see patients with new and ongoing complex needs. Patients who have an urgent more complex need might be directed immediately to A&E.
We appreciate that change might be difficult for some patients. Our vulnerable patients will not be disadvantaged by this new system. We all need to get used to the new way of interacting with the Practice and we ask that you are kind to our Patient Services Team as we go live in May.
The Partners, Senior Management and all staff are committed to providing you with the best possible care.
What do Patients need to do now?
Firstly, you will need to register with Anima before 14th May 2024. Watch the short Anima YouTube video to help you
https://youtu.be/293KkkYtvfA
Register by clicking on the link below.
https://Patients.animahealth.com/signIn
An App is not available at the moment and nor is this system linked to your NHS App.
Please ensure you register as ABBEY MEDICAL PRACTICE irrespective of using our surgery in Wellingborough or Earls Barton.
Do not worry if you do not have access to the internet, do not feel confident in using the system, or do not have access to an email address. A member of the Patient Services Team will be happy to help you, via telephone, and will complete the form on your behalf.
What will Patients need to on 14th May 2024?
If you wish to contact the Practice for an appointment or have a clinical related requested you will need to undertake this via Anima.
Watch the short Anima YouTube video on how to submit requests.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qnA8mFFh2A
It is important that you input as much information as possible to enable the Doctor to source you the best advice albeit an appointment or a prescription. Whilst the questions appear lengthy, the quality of the information will help the Doctor dealing with your query.
You will be contacted via phone/email to book your same day or routine appointment.
We will update our website with further information in May.
If you do wish to speak to a member of the Patient Services Team, we ask that you do not call between 08.00 – 10.00 and 13.30 – 14.30
Practice Opening Hours Over Easter Weekend
19th March 2024
The Practice will be closed on Friday 29th March and will re-open on Tuesday 2nd April at 08.00
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via “Ask a Receptionist a Question”.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens.
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and/or shortness of break constitute an emergency.
Welcome to our new GPs
19th March 2024
We are delighted to let you know that we have two new GPs joining us.
Some of you may know Dr Mohammed Abraham who has been a GP Registrar with Abbey over the last 12 months. Dr Abraham completed his exams and will be staying with us working two days a week which is fantastic news for our patients and the Practice as he is a very popular GP.
Dr Sheryl Lopez is a GP new to the area. We are very fortunate that Dr Lopez will be working with us 3 days a week and in no doubt she will be an asset to the Practice.
The new GPs further strengthen our clinical team and we continue to look to recruit further GPs to support our patients. As you know, this is a challenge for General Practice, however, we will continue to use our long term locum, Dr Shailaja Shah, to cover any shortfall of appointments we may have.
Friends and Family Test February 2024
8th March 2024
As you know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
February Results
Number of text messages sent: 4279
Number of responses received: 1489
Very good: 1175
Good: 179
Neither Good nor Poor: 52
Poor: 20
Very Poor: 50
Don’t know: 13
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Help Us Help You - See your Community Pharmacist
23rd February 2024
Did you know that your local Community Pharmacist can help our patients with minor illness. Where appropriate our Patient Services Team will refer you to your local Pharmacy for advice for any of the following:
- Coughs and colds
- Acne
- Mild allergies
- Sinusitis in those aged 12 years and over
- Sore throat in those aged 5 years and over
- Cold Sores and mouth ulcers
- Earache in those between 1 and 17 years old
- Infected insect bite/stings
- Blisters/boils
- Impetigo
- Conjunctivitis in those over 18 years old
- Shingles in those over 18 years old
- Uncomplicated urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women aged 16-64
We will recommend this service to enable us to free appointments for our clinicians to see our patients with more complex needs.
Junior Doctors Strike Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th February 2024 21st February 2024
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we will have less capacity in our appointment system on Monday 26th to Wednesday 28th February.
Our service will be impacted by this strike and I would be grateful when talking to the Patient Services Team, you understand that they are trying their hardest to assist you.
Our priority on these days are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
Measles Update
16th February 2024
Measles can spread very easily among those who are unvaccinated, especially in nurseries and schools.
People who get measles can be very poorly. It usually starts with cold-like symptoms, followed by a rash a few days later.
The best way for parents to protect their children from measles is the MMR vaccine. Two doses of the MMR vaccine give lifelong protection and its never too late to catch up.
If your child has not been vaccinated and you are considering requesting the MMR vaccine, please feel free to contact the Practice and speak to our Immunisation Nurse. She will be happy to chat through with you any concerns you may have.
Further information on the Measles condition
Friends and Family Test January 2024
8th February 2024
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
January Results
Number of text messages sent: 4473
Number of responses received: 1593
Very good: 1281
Good: 169
Neither Good nor Poor: 51
Poor: 24
Very Poor: 58
Don’t know: 10
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Friends and Family Test December 2023
8th February 2024
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
December Results
Number of text messages sent: 3627
Number of responses received: 1178
Very good: 927
Good: 153
Neither Good nor Poor: 38
Poor: 19
Very Poor: 29
Don’t know: 12
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Singing for Lung Health - 06/02/2024
Do you live with COPD, Bronchitis, PF, Emphysema?
Do you have asthma?
Would you like to improve your breathing?
Chris Startup, Singing for Lung Health Practitioner, will be attending Glamis Hall, Wellingborough every Monday 14.00 – 15.00 for Singing for Lung Health. Each session costs £5.
Visit Project Sounds for further information.
Power Outage Friday 29th December 15.00-16.00 - 22/12/2023
National Grid have advised the Practice that they need to carry out essential works on Friday 29th December between 15.00 – 16.00.
We have contacted the service provider and unable to get a change in day or time.
As you can imagine, this will severely impact the Practice and the service we provide our patients. We will not be able to use any electricals items, there will be no lights, no telephone lines or internet connection.
To minimise the disruption to appointments we will be starting our surgeries earlier in the afternoon and contacting patients with their revised appointment time.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
Friends and Family Test November 2023 - 20/12/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
November Results
Number of text messages sent: 4418
Number of responses received: 1571
Very good: 1255
Good: 192
Neither Good nor Poor: 45
Poor: 15
Very Poor: 49
Don’t know: 15
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Junior Doctor Strike December 2023 and January 2024 - 20/12/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we will have less capacity in our appointment system on Wednesday 20th December to Friday 22nd December 2023 and Wednesday 3rd January to Tuesday 9th January 2024.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
Practice Opening Times Over the Festive Period - 20/12/2023
We would like to advise our patients of our opening hours over the festive period.
Our opening hours are:
Monday 25th December 2023 CLOSED
Tuesday 26th December 2023 CLOSED
Wednesday 27th December to Friday 29th December 2023 OPEN
Monday 1st January 2024 CLOSED
Tuesday 2nd January 2024 and thereafter OPEN
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via “Ask a Receptionist a Question” and a member of our Patient Services Team will respond to you within our opening hours.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all
Friday 8th December - PM Phone Lines - 08/12/2023
Good afternoon
Unfortunately we are experiencing problems with our phones line and unable to answer any calls. We have escalated this to our service provider to be resolved as a matter of urgency.
Kindly contact us via our website and a member of the Patient Services Team will be able to assist.
Our sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused.
Patient Survey Update - 09/11/2023
As you’ll be aware, in August to September we undertook our annual patient survey. This was distributed to all of our patients over the age of 16 via text message and paper form within the Practice.
Thank you to all of our patients who took part in the survey. Your feedback is truly appreciated.
Whilst we continue to summarise all of the individual comments and present the findings to our Patient Action Group, we wanted to let you know how our patients feel we are performing as a Practice:
How would you describe the overall service we provide you?
Outstanding: 17.5%
Very Good: 44%
Good: 23.5%
Average: 9.8%
Poor: 5.2%
Our website will be updated in December with a more comprehensive summary of the audit and our Practice action plan.
Thank you
Friends and Family Test October 2023 - 08/11/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
October Results
Number of text messages sent: 5513
Number of responses received: 2059
Very good: 1674
Good: 244
Neither Good nor Poor: 27
Poor: 27
Very Poor: 48
Don’t know: 9
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Friends and Family Test September 2023 - 08/11/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
September Results
Number of text messages sent: 4762
Number of responses received: 2024
Very good: 1655
Good: 195
Neither Good nor Poor: 69
Poor: 32
Very Poor: 53
Don’t know: 10
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Behind The Scenes Of Your General Practice. Meet The Team - 24/10/2023
Did you know that, in addition to your GP, there are other health professionals in General Practice who can help you get the right care?
A record number of people are seeking support from their family doctors but with one in five GP appointments for non-medical reasons such as loneliness or seeking advice on housing or debits, the NHS wants to make sure that the right help is available.
More than 31,000 additional staff have been recruited into healthcare roles within General Practice since 2019 meaning an expanded team of health professionals are now available to help patients get the right care when they need it.
A recent national survey showed that only 36% of people in England are unaware of the different options available to them at their GP Practice. And more than two in three people said they were happy to receive care from another health worker, recognising they didn’t always need to see a GP.
Our team at Abbey are made up of a whole range of professionals, such as Nurses, Paramedics, Clinical Pharmacists, Mental Health Practitioners, Physiotherapists and Social Prescribers. Our Patient Services Team will always try to book our patients with a Healthcare Professional to best suit their need, which may mean that they can obtain an appointment sooner. Therefore, it is very important that our patients provide as much information as possible when booking appointments to enable our Patient Services Team book the correct appointment.
By undertaking this we can free up more GP appointments to see patients with complex medical needs.
Junior Doctor Strike Monday 2nd October to Wednesday 4th October - 29/09/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system on Monday 2nd October to Wednesday 4th October.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
See a Health Professional best suited to meet your clinical need - 27/09/2023
Junior Doctors Strike Tuesday 19th September to Saturday 23rd September - 12/09/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system from Tuesday 19th September to Friday 22nd September.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
Healthy Living For People With Type 2 Diabetes - 12/09/2023
Healthy Living is a free, web-based education programme provided by NHS England to help people live well with Type 2 Diabetes.
It includes information and advice about:
- type 2 diabetes
- eating well
- becoming more active
- how to look after your body and mind
You can use the Healthy Living Programme whenever suits you, and for as long as you need – there is no limit to access so you can learn at your own pace.
Healthy Living Programme video
Register for the Healthy Living Programme
Good luck with taking that first step for support.
Friends and Family Test August 2023 - 12/09/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
August Results
Number of text messages sent: 4717
Number of responses received: 1315
Very good: 1028
Good: 175
Neither Good nor Poor: 45
Poor: 23
Very Poor: 34
Don’t know: 10
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Medical Students - 12/09/2023
Our GP Partners fully support the training and development of the GPs of the future. They have a wealth of knowledge to share with all who choose to train as a GP.
The Practice will be looking after final year medical students from Leicester and Cambridge over the coming months. When booking an appointment, the Patient Services Team may offer an appointment with a student who has clinical oversight from one of the Practice GPs. It is important that we expose our medical students to as many clinical presentations as possible to help them develop their knowledge in medicine.
Your support with our medical students is greatly appreciated.
Flu and Covid Clinics Update - 12/09/2023
We will shortly be receiving the delivery of flu and covid vaccinations. As a result we will be undertaking clinics on:
- Saturday 16th September
- Saturday 23rd September
- Saturday 7th October
Further dates to be confirmed once we receive another delivery.
If you have not received a text message, feel free to contact our team on 01933 233215 or 233219 between 09.00 – 14.00. They will be happy to book you an appointment should we have availability on the above dates.
We have many clinicians, support staff and volunteers assisting us on the above dates. All will be working incredibly hard to ensure that wait times are minimal and vaccinations are completed in a timely manner.
Whilst waiting, please ensure that you remove your coats, jumpers so that the clinician can quickly administer your vaccination.
These are very busy clinics and your patience and kindness towards our staff is greatly appreciated. And bring a brolly just in case as the weather is not looking the best!!
Welcome and Goodbye - 08/09/2023
Goodbye to:
Dr Mojeed Mogaji-Adams
We were very sorry to say goodbye to Dr Mogaji-Adams at the end of August. I am sure you will all agree, Dr Mogaji-Adams is a very warm, caring GP and we wish him all the best for the future.
Hello to:
Dr Delia Iles
Wonderful news – Dr Iles will be returning to the Practice on Wednesday 4th October. Many of you know Dr Iles as a Registrar working at the Practice until June 2023. A very popular GP who will further strengthen our clinical team.
Karen Chambers
Will be joining us on Monday 2nd October as our new Diabetes Nurse. Karen brings with her a wealth of knowledge and is incredibly passionate in supporting our patients with Diabetes.
Libby Hughes
Starts on Monday 18th September as a Health Care Assistant. Newly qualified and trained in this role, Libby brings with her warmth and compassion which I know all of our patients will appreciate.
Friends and Family Test July 2023 - 22/08/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
July Results
Number of text messages sent: 4514
Number of responses received: 1270
Very good: 968
Good: 180
Neither Good nor Poor: 46
Poor: 26
Very Poor: 41
Don’t know: 9
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Patient Survey 2023 - 17/08/2023
At Abbey Medical Practice we are constantly reviewing the feedback we receive to better our service to our patients. We have always actively encouraged our patients to provide this feedback to us both directly and through our Patient Action Group.
The GP National Survey was recently undertaken, inviting a very small proportion of our patients to comment on the service we deliver.
For further information see the Patient Survey Practices Search page
As we received a very small uptake, it would be remiss of us not to go out to our wider Practice population to obtain feedback to the service we provide to you, the patient, who is at the heart of everything we do. More detailed information will also help the Patient Action Group to identify where they can help us prioritise our actions to achieve continuous improvement.
I am asking you all to take a few minutes to complete our survey which takes elements of the GP National Survey and requests further information relating the service we provide. If you don’t complete these questions and don’t provide us with feedback, we can’t revise our service and make it better. Help us, to help you.
The survey will close on Friday 24th August 2023 at which time we, along with our Patient Action Group, will analyse your replies and update our website along with our action plan.
Thank you
Dr Kate Hughes
Senior Partner
Flu Clinics - Saturday 16th and 23rd September 2023 - 04/08/2023
We will be vaccinating patients eligible for the flu vaccine on Saturday 16th and 23rd September 2023.
Patients will be invited to book their appointment via our online booking system week commencing 4th September. For those who do not have the facility to do this, we shall contact via telephone.
Please ensure you do book your appointment as sufficient supplies of the vaccine has been ordered and we do not wish them to go to waste.
Junior Doctors Strike - Friday 11th August and Monday 14th August - 04/08/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system on Friday 11th August and Monday 14th August.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
Friends and Family Test - June 2023 - 13/07/2023
As you will know at Abbey Medical Practice we want you to have the best possible experience of care and treatment. The NHS Friends and Family Test is one way of gathering your feedback, so we can continually review our service.
Following an appointment, patients are text requesting to answer the following question along with the opportunity to submit any comments.
Overall, how was your experience of our service at Abbey Medical Practice today?
June Results
Number of text messages sent: 4622
Number of responses received: 1165
Very good: 893
Good: 157
Neither Good nor Poor: 42
Poor: 21
Very Poor: 42
Don’t know: 10
Thank you to all of our patients who have responded to the text message.
Junior Doctors Strike - Thursday 13th to Tuesday 18th July - 13/07/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system from 07.00 Thursday 13th to 07.00 Tuesday 18th July.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
Walk-In Smear Clinic Saturday 15th July 2023 - 30/06/2023
We have a walk-in clinic for ladies wishing to have a smear if they are outstanding their Cervical Screening. You must have been invited by NHS England to enable you to attend this clinic.
The clinic will start at 08.00 and finish at 10.30. This will be a sit and wait clinic and our nursing team will do their best to see all our ladies in a timely manner.
Another reminder from Dr Hughes of the importance of responding to your Cervical Screening invite.
Please see this video on Cervical Screening
Cervical Screening Awareness Week 19th to 24th June 2023 - 21/06/2023
Did you know we have 1882 ladies who are overdue their cervical screening and not responded to communications issued by NHS England or the Practice?
We are incredibly lucky that we have a Health Service that offers a FREE screening service to our ladies. Why wouldn’t you avail of this opportunity? Why wouldn’t you want to know if there are any changes to your cells within your cervix that may need immediate treatment?
We know that going for your cervical screening isn’t always easy in this hectic life we lead with so many things to juggle. We know that some people worry about the appointment beforehand as you feel embarrassed and uncomfortable for a few moments. We also appreciate that everyone’s experience is very different.
How fortunate are our ladies to have a lovely team of nurses at the Practice who are able to chat through with you any of your concerns and put you at ease.
It is your choice whether to go for cervical screening, however, we do ask you to watch this short video from Dr Hughes endorsing the importance of booking and attending your appointment.
Please see this video on Cervical Screening
Junior Doctors Strike - Wednesday 14th to Friday 16th June inc. - 08/06/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system. There will be a requirement to cancel and reschedule a number of pre booked routine appointments.
Please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention.
Thank you for your support.
How can our patients help the Practice with managing our call volumes - 02/06/2023
We apologise to our patients who call the Practice between the hours of 08.00 to 09.00/13.30 to 14.30 and are unable to immediately speak with a member of the Patient Services Team.
Due to the large number of patients who contact us at these peak times, we deploy additional staff to help, however, we often find it very difficult to answer all calls in a timely manner. Please use the callback facility which is a robust system to hold your call in the queue and connect when it is your turn to speak to a staff member.
Once again, we ask patients who have a general enquiry to call outside of our peak times or contact us via our website for assistance. If we received less calls regarding non urgent matters at our peak times, this would be very helpful.
From January to May, our Patient Services Team have answered 55, 233 calls with an average wait time in January to April of 4 minutes 40-50 seconds, to a better month in May of 3 minutes 47seconds.
All of the team work incredibly hard to answer our patients calls as soon as possible.
Farewell to Dr Faiza Hasan - 25/05/2023
We are very sad to say goodbye to our lovely Dr Faiza Hasan. Dr Hasan has been with the Practice for many years having trained as a Registrar under the guidance of Dr Hughes and subsequently joining us as a fully trained GP.
Dr Hasan will be moving to Canada with her family which will be a huge adventure. We will miss your joyous smile and wish you all the best for the future.
Latest Guidance For Wearing Masks at the Practice - 12/05/2023
Following the latest guidance, only patients with COVID symptoms should wear a face mask when attending the Practice.
Try The NHS App - 09/05/2023
As a patient at Abbey Medical Practice you can use the new NHS App, a simple and secure way to access a range of NHS services on your smartphone or tablet.
You can use the NHS App to get health advice, book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view your GP health record and more.
If you already use online services at Abbey, you can continue to use it. You can use the NHS App as well.
For more information visit to the nhs app website.
Thank You To Our Patients - 05/05/2023
We would like to thank our patients for their understanding as we have recently encountered sickness within the Practice.
Our requests for patients to visit their local Pharmacy, seek advice from 111 or attend Corby Urgent Care Centre has enabled our clinicians to focus on patients who are vulnerable and very unwell.
We have a small amount of patients that call 111 to seek medical advice and encourage others to avail of this service. 111 have clinicians who are able to assist our patients with their symptoms and offer appropriate medical advice. For further information visit NHS 111:
If more patients use this service, this will enable us to better manage our demand on a day to day basis. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Practice Opening Times Over May Bank Holidays - 25/04/2023
The Practice will be closed on Monday 1st, 8th and 29th May and will re-open the following morning at 08.00.
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via “Ask a Receptionist a Question”.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
Contacting Our Staff Via Social Media - 20/04/2023
We politely ask our patients not to contact staff members in relation to Practice matters via Social Media. Staff will not respond to patients as this is not an appropriate form of communication.
Patients who have questions or requests should contact the Practice via telephone or our online portal.
Thank you
Spring COVID Booster - 16/03/2023
We are hopeful we shall receive a delivery of COVID boosters to facilitate clinics in April for patients who are over 75, in care homes or those aged 12 years and over with a weakened immune system.
These clinics will take place on Saturday 22nd and Saturday 29th April between 08.00 – 15.00.
As always, we have a very robust recall system and patients will be invited via text message or phone call to make an appointment.
Further details will be provided once we have received confirmation of the delivery.
We politely ask our patients not to contact the Practice via telephone as the call volumes are impacting patients wishing to make urgent appointments. Any questions can be directed through our website General Enquiries, Ask Reception a Question and a member of our Patient Services Team will get back to you.
Practice Opening Hours Over Easter Weekend - 14/03/2023
The Practice will be closed on Friday 7th April and will re-open on Tuesday 11th April at 08.00.
Any non-urgent requests, please contact us via “Ask a Receptionist a Question”.
You can contact NHS 111 service whilst we are closed. Please do not ask to see a GP out of hours unless you genuinely cannot wait until the surgery re-opens
Call 999 in an emergency. Chest pains and / or shortness of breath constitute an emergency.
Junior Doctors Strike Monday 13th March to Wednesday 15th March - 14/03/2023
Due to the Junior Doctors strike it will mean that we have less capacity in our appointment system than usual. So, please be mindful when contacting the Practice for an appointment. Our staff will do their best, however, their priority are to support patients who require urgent attention over the coming days.
Thank you for your support.
Veterans Community Network - Groups available for Veterans - 10/03/2023
The Veterans Community Network have some fantastic regular groups for Veterans in the area. A wonderful opportunity for our Veterans to get together with like minded people.
Virtual Tea and Banter
Every First, Second and Fourth Tuesday from 14:30 to 16:30
Why not join for a bit of banter in the comfort of your own home?
The group is very informal and activities include talks on various subjects (some by members of the group), quizzes/games and an opportunity to talk with other Veterans.They run every first, second and fourth Tuesday afternoon and can be accessed by logging on to Zoom.
The Zoom link for this call and the meeting ID: 817 6108 2058 and Passcode: vcn
Please note that every third Tuesday of the month, the online VTB Group will be replaced with the usual monthly face to face Bedford Drop In.
Wellingborough hub at The Masonic Hall, 1 Mill Road, Wellingborough NN8 1PE
Fourth Wednesday of the month. 13:00 – 14:30
The Veterans Community Network are delighted to announce that starting from 22nd February 2023 they will be opening a Veterans Hub in Wellingborough. Limited parking available & we advise to contact The Masonic Hall for queries regarding accessibility. On road parking is available in York Road situated directly behind the hall and not at the Car Park situated beside the building as that is for residents only and not for those visiting the Masonic Hall. Please kindly adhere to COVID-19 advisories when moving around the general areas of the Club.
Wellingborough Breakfast Club at the Ock N Dough, 14-16 Farm Road, Wellingborough NN8 4UF
Third Saturday of the month. 09:30 – 11:30
There are no commitments or subs… Just a great place to meet like-minded people for support, chat and banter… Not forgetting a great breakfast.
Support from Veterans Community Network - 25/01/2023
As our veterans at the Practice will know, providing the right care and support is extremely important to Abbey.
Sher, our previous Veterans Liaison Officer, has moved on and working with Northamptonshire Veterans Community Network. A fantastic opportunity to further support patients in the county.
For further information and contact details on the support provided by the Veterans Community Network.
Alternatively, you contact Chelsea, Michelle or Harriet for assistance.
Cervical Screening - Please book your outstanding test immediately - 25/01/2023
At the Practice we have over 1800 patients who are due their cervical screening. NHS England send invitations to our patients every 3 or 5 years dependant on age. In addition to this our Patient Services Team regularly follow up to encourage ladies to book an appointment with a Practice Nurse.
The NHS cervical screening programme helps save thousands of lives per year. It is the 11th most common cancer in women in England and the 2nd most common amongst women under 35. Around 2,700 people are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and approximately 690 die from the disease – around two deaths every day.
Latest national data shows that nearly a third (30%) of those who are eligible for their smear have not taken up the offer of the potentially lifesaving test.
If you are outstanding your test, please contact us immediately and book an appointment with one of our lovely Practice Nurses. They will talk you through the quick procedure and answer any questions you may have.
Cervical screening saves lives.
