North Elmham is situated in rural Mid Norfolk, close to the market town of East Dereham.  The area offers a diverse and attractive environment in which to live with easy access to the North Norfolk Coast,  The Norfolk Broads and the historic and lively Cathedral City of Norwich.  Elmham Surgery is located in the busy village of North Elmham with local facilities including a Shop, Post Office, 2 Pubs, Bakery, Primary School, Playing Fields, with floodlit all weather tennis courts, Fish and Chip Shop and a Garden Centre.

The market towns of East Dereham, Fakenham, Litcham and Reepham provide the full range of secondary schools, shops supermarkets, vets, cinemas, restaurant etc.  The local area contains National Trust properties and other places of interest and Norwich and Kings Lynn both have theatres and multi screen cinemas.  Norwich has an extensive and attractive shopping area with major department stores.

Regional transport links are being improved and currently offer international flights from Norwich and Stansted Airports, rail links to Cambridge, London etc. via Kings Lynn and Norwich and road links to Norwich or Peterborough (A47) and Cambridge and London (M11)

The Practice is housed in a distinctive building in the centre of the village with pleasant waiting areas overlooking the gardens and natural pond.  There are spacious consulting rooms for the GPs, a variety of treatment and examination rooms for members of the nursing team and PHCT and an administration area upstairs. 

Patients from the surrounding 26 villages are able to register at the practice, which currently has a list size of 8,400 and is part of the new Norfolk PCT.  Referrals are generally made to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, now with its associated Medical School.  The practice dispenses to almost all patients.  The practice is fully computerised using the EMIS medical software system and has been a paperless practice since October 2003.

Both practices are designed for easy access by disabled patients.  A wheelchair is available and there are 2 tarmac parking spaces designated for disabled drivers and emergency vehicles.

The building at Elmham was built in the mid 1980s and extended to provide additional nursing facilities in 1992.  It provides a spacious and pleasant working environment.  a further extension ahs recently been completed as a One Stop Primary Care Centre.  This new build commenced mid-August 2003 and opened February 2004; the One Stop primary Care Centre includes provision for dental services as well as accommodation for attached services.

Mental Health Care Team

Alcohol and Substance Abuse

Child and Adolescent Services

Dieticians

The practice aspires to provide good quality medicine and has made the systematic, evidence based management of chronic disease the foundation for much of its activity.  This effort has been consolidated by encouraging all staff to participate in working towards the Quality Practice Award.  This long-term project has been constructed under the auspices of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and  ensures standards are achieved in all aspects of primary care.  Elmham Surgery was awarded the Quality Practice Award (QPA) in January 2004.

We are proud of our reputation as a practice that is flexible and innovative.  On behalf of the original Breckland PCG and subsequently Southern Norfolk PCT we piloted the Nurse Practitioner role in general practice and have continued to advise and support other practices in the PCT with regards to their development of Nurse Practitioner Posts.  We have developed work-based training programmes for both Nurse Practitioners and HCAs as part of the implementation of skill mix in general practice.

Elmham Surgery was also one of the instigators of the North Breckland General practitioner's Group.  this informal gathering of Local GPs meet in a local restaurant every 2 months to discuss local health care issues.  This group was also the inspiration behind quarterly clinical presentations, which aim to improve teamwork across the PHCT and secondary care.

It is indicative of our relationship with the PCT that Elmham Surgery was asked to prepare the bid for the Nurse-Led PMS pilot surgery at Swanton Morley and therefore assist in providing a solution for a PCT problem.

The Practice has developed its own Chronic Disease Management protocols using the targets set by the national Service Framework or appropriate alternative.  Clinics for the secondary prevention of IHD,  The diagnosis and treatment of Diabetes, Asthma, Hypertension, CCF and AF are run continuously and the results audited.  A COPD clinic has recently been set up.  The Practice also has 2 Smoking Cessation Advisors and Facilities for phlebotomy, spirometry, ECG and ambulatory Blood Pressure monitoring.