You will recall that NHS Grampian carried out a consultation last year on a number of GP practices on prescription dispensing. Skene Medical Group was one of the practices consulted on. You can read the full background on the review here.

You will note that for Skene Medical Group, the review group concluded that as there is a community pharmacy co-located with the medical practice and the fact that there are pharmacists within the surrounding areas, that there are no individual patients or a qualifying class of patients who will have serious difficulty in obtaining from a pharmacist any drugs, medicines or appliances other than scheduled drugs required for treatment, the group therefore recommends that Skene Medical Group is no longer required to dispense from the practice.

NHS Grampian will discuss this recommendation at their next Board meeting on 6th July.

 

 

 

You may recall that NHS Grampian has been consulting with the patients of six GP practices who currently get, or who are eligible to get, dispensed medicines from their GP practice.

A Review Group will be analysing all the responses to the consultation and will make recommendations to the Board of NHS Grampian.

The Review Group would like to invite any group or individual in the communities affected by the consultation – Skene being the only one in Westhill and District – to make representations or presentations to the members of the Group.

The Review Group will be in attendance at Westhill Community Church on Thursday 24th November 2016 from 9am-12.30pm.

If you would like to make a representation or presentation to the Review Group please email nhsg.involve@nhs.net or write to Freepost, NHS Grampian by Friday 11th November.

I received the following letter last week from NHS. Please reply to the consultation (form can be found at bottom of page) if you currently collect or are eligible to collect your prescriptions from Skene Medical Group.

“Dear Colleague,

Review of dispensing GP practices at Auchenblae, Gardenstown, Portlethen,

Rhynie, Skene and Udny Station.

I am writing to inform you that NHS Grampian is to conduct a review of six

dispensing GP practices. This review includes a public consultation which will run

from 4 July to 1 October 2016. The GP practices are Auchenblae, Gardenstown,

Portlethen, Rhynie, Skene and Udny Station.

Following the review of dispensing by the Haddo Medical Group completed in 2015,

the Grampian NHS Board accepted a recommendation to conduct a review of

general practice dispensing across Grampian. This review would assure the Board

that, where a Medical Practice has been required to dispense, this is in line with

existing regulations.

The review is triggered by the need to make sure that the Board is continuing to act

legally in requiring these GP Practices to dispense for their patients. The Board can

only legally require a practice to dispense for patients who have a “serious difficulty”

in accessing prescribed medicines and appliances from a pharmacy. The term

serious difficulty is not defined but the Board can consider the distance to the

nearest community pharmacy, issues of communication and other exceptional

circumstances.

The review will therefore seek to determine which patients of each of the associated

practices continue to have serious difficulty in accessing prescribed medicines and

appliances from a pharmacy. The review will also seek to establish the overall

impact of any potential changes on the practices involved with the aim of ensuring

sustainability and a cross-system approach.

Please find enclosed an information sheet about the consultation. I would like to

draw your attention to 6b on page 3 regarding how to respond to this consultation.

The form on page 5 is for individual patient responses. If you would like more copies

of the information sheet and/or patient response forms, please contact the Public

Involvement Team on 01224 558098 who will be happy to provide these.

The closing date for all responses is 1 October 2016.

More details can also be found at:

www.nhsgrampian.org/involvingyou and by clicking on ‘Projects and

Consultations’.

Thank you for reading this letter.

Yours faithfully

Laura Gray

Director of Corporate Communications and Board Secretary”

Consultation sheet for patients-public FINAL (3)

 

There will be a talk and discussion about this often distressing experience which most of us go through at some time in our lives; with an opportunity to ask questions, including as to how we can best cope and help others to do so by Hilary and Graham from the Aberdeen Branch of CRUSE Bereavement Scotland.

at Westhill and District Men’s Shed

on Wednesday 11th March, 7pm to 8.30pm

ALL WELCOME

The Men’s shed is located in the old library behind Westhill Academy and the Swimming Pool. It is a community run charity dedicated to promoting health and wellbeing among local men through their involvement together in their own projects or hobbies or in working with other men on community projects.

contact@westhillmensshed.co.uk

www.westhillmensshedco.uk

Registered charity, SC042663

 

 

Aberdeenshire Youth Council in partnership with a local publisher would like young people to send in any short stories, poems, or songs around mental health issues which young people face.

These could be based on real life events or with a bit of creative writing added. All entries will be anonymous unless the young person clearly states that they would like their name added at the end.

Entries will be chosen to feature in a book which will be published and sent to each person who sends in an entry and also copies will be sent to all schools and community centres.

All young people sending in an article will receive 250 Young Scot points, authors of articles chosen to be included in the book will receive 1000 Young Scot points.

Please send all entries to dialogueyouth@aberdeenshire.gov.uk

or Aberdeenshire Youth Council

Wyness Hall

Jackson Street

Inverurie

AB513QB

 

 

Police Scotland, NHS Greater Glasgow and NHS Ayrshire and Arran are issuing a warning about the dangers of drugs after a 17 year-old woman fell ill at a Glasgow nightclub and died on Sunday 2 February 2014. 

It’s unclear at this stage what caused her death and a post mortem examination will be carried out in due course.  However, a further four people were admitted to hospital when they became ill after taking drugs.

Their full report, which contains advice relative to people all over Scotland and the wider UK, can be viewed here:

http://www.sdf.org.uk/news-and-media/sdf-news/drugs-warning-from-police-scotland-and-nhs/