Practice News : November Newsletter

Christmas opening times

Christmas is fast approaching. Please note that the practice will be closed on:

  • Christmas Day
  • Boxing Day
  • New Year’s Day

 

Message from the Partners of Elmham Surgery

Dear Patients,

As we come to the end of the year, we would like to take a moment to thank you for your support and understanding throughout the past twelve months. It has been a year of both challenges and progress, and we are grateful for the kindness, patience, and trust you show our team.

Our entire team remains committed to providing you with the best possible care, and we look forward to continuing to support your health and wellbeing in the year ahead.

We send our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones for a healthy, safe, and restful Christmas and New Year.

With best regards,
The Partners of Elmham Surgery

 

Anima – Why are there more questions when filling out the new form?

Anima assesses the patient’s needs and tries to make a clinical decision during the form. The aim is to support the GP’s initial reasoning and risk-checking automatically. That means it needs more detail to safely say things like:

  • Is this urgent?
  • Does this need same-day GP review?
  • Could it be a red flag symptom?
  • Which care pathway should this person go to?

Anima’s extra questions are doing what a nurse or GP would have previously had to do based on the limited information on the old form or by calling/messaging the patient.

In short, the benefits include:

  • Safer triage for patients and clinicians
  • Reduced potential delay in making a clinical decision
  • Clinically efficient processes to meet increasing demand, enabling us to deal with more requests on the same day

Anima is part of the practice’s commitment to meeting the Government’s vision of digitisation, ensuring your care is faster and more convenient, while helping our triage team manage demand safely and fairly.

 

Understanding Your Blood Test Results

This information sheet explains how your blood test results are reviewed and what they may mean. Our aim is to ensure you remain informed and confident in your ongoing care.

How your results are reviewed

After your blood sample has been taken, your doctor will review the results carefully. We check whether the results fall within the expected range and identify whether any further action is required.

Multiple test results

If you have had several blood tests, you may notice that your online record or app displays a message indicating an abnormal or borderline result. This does not mean that all your results are abnormal or borderline.

Please note: this does not necessarily mean you require a follow-up appointment. If any result needs further discussion, monitoring, or treatment, we will contact you directly.

If you do not hear from us

If you do not receive a message or phone call after your results have been reviewed, this means:

  • Your results are within an acceptable or expected range
  • No further action is required at this time
  • You do not need to contact the surgery to check your results

When to contact us

Please get in touch with the practice if:

  • You develop new or worsening symptoms
  • Your symptoms are not improving as expected
  • You have any questions or concerns about your treatment or results

We are here to support your health and wellbeing.

Where to access your results

You can view your test results online through:

 

Appointment Statistics

  • In the month of October a total of 160 patients failed to attend their appointments, which could have been offered to other patients.
  • This has cost the NHS £40,920 so far this year in missed appointments.

 

Published: Sep 18, 2025