Practice News
Brighton Pride
Click here for the events and tickets for Brighton Pride
Pride on the Park (Pride's Official Community Fundraiser) : 2nd-3rd August at Preston Park
See performances from a wide range of names such as Fat Boy Slim, Ashnikko, Sonique, Bimini, Katy B and more!
Pride Street Party: 2nd-3rd August - Multiple Venues on Marine Parade.
There will also be enhanced headline entertainment across the two days, daytime clubbing and community spaces and a stage on New Steine gardens.
Pride Parade: 2nd August - Starting at Hove Lawns, Finishing at Preston Park
The theme for this year's parade is Ravishing Rage. This free and much loved, colourful carnival of diversity kicks off Saturday’s festivities and lead the way to our main community fundraising event Pride on the Park supported by Hayu on Preston Park (see above)
Click here for more information on the road closures that will be in affect from Thursday 31st July - Monday 4th August
East Brighton Health Hub August Meetings
East Brighton Health Hub is a drop-in service based in Robert Lodge every Friday (10am-1pm)
This is a free NHS open access service where staff will be offering a variety of advice, support, and information to all ECBPCN patients. Their aim is to have a variety of healthcare professionals in one place, which will vary week to week.
This will include Occupational Therapists, Social Prescribers and Mental Health Support Workers. Staff will be there to welcome you and support you in finding the most appropriate team/advice you need. If you are registered with one of our 9 GP practices, come in for a cup of tea and a chat any Friday from 10am until 1pm.
OUTpatients LGBTQIA+ Screening Invitations
Screening is a type of test we give to healthy people who may have an increased risk of a particular condition. The NHS offers a range of screening tests to people who are most likely to benefit from them.
Cancer screening has the potential to save lives by finding cancers at an early stage, or in some cases even prevent them. Screening is not the same process as when a person goes to their GP with symptoms, which may result in them being referred to a clinic for diagnostic tests.
The NHS currently offers three national screening programmes: Cervical, Breast and Bowel.
OUTpatients (LGBTQIA+ Cancer Charity) have designed a booklet, so you can know what to expect when you receive your invitation.
Also see their website for FAQ's on cervical, breast and bowel screening
Marie Curie Community Companions
Community Companion Service will match a trained companion volunteer with people in their community experiencing terminal illness. The Community Companion can provide the person with one-to-one support in the community, or at home, with aspects of terminal illness, such as advance care planning, carer support, emotional support, energy support and other end of life services
Drawing upon their volunteer training, community knowledge and networks, Community Companions visit people identified as end of life in a place of their choosing. This could be their own home, a care home, community venue or surgery.
Our community companions are trained to provide emotional support and practical information, empoweing people at end of life to deicde what support they would like.
With support from SGN, our companions can provide tailored support around fuel poverty and help people to access available resources to help with energy concerns at end of life.
Get in touch to find out more or make a referral by emailing southcompanions@mariecurie.org.uk or visit their website
Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) – Who Can Get It on the NHS?
We've had many questions about Mounjaro, the new weight loss injection. Here's what you need to know: Surgeries in Sussex are not able to supply this at present as we are awaiting further information and guidance from our Integrated Care Board (ICB). But when it does become available there are strict criteria regarding eligibility for patients. Please read the information below: Mounjaro is currently only available on the NHS for a small group of patients, under strict criteria: You must:
· Be 18 or over
· Have a BMI of 40+, or 37.5+ if you’re from a Black, Asian or other minority ethnic background.
· And have 4 or more weight-related health conditions (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea, heart disease)
It is initially being prescribed by specialist hospital clinics, and May be rolled out in gradual stages to GPs from late June 2025 onwards – but only for people who meet the above criteria. This process will be managed through the practice directly contacting people who are eligible.
Please see the following link for more information https://www.sussex.ics.nhs.uk/tirzepatide-mounjaro-for-weight-loss-support/
Transgender, Non-Binary and Gender Questioning Awareness Statement
We want to offer our support to the TNBGQ community, not just at this incredibly difficult time, but to let you know that we are here to support you at all times.We offer an inclusive, safe and gender-neutral space for you to be able to talk about your health, whilst working closely with charities, such as Switchboard, and other medical practices, such as WellBN, to ensure that we are providing up-to-date, well informed care.We have recently been granted the LGBTQ Inclusion Award. This allowed us to work closely with the Switchboard team, who are predominately made up of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. This gave us space us to discuss patient experiences, policies, history of inequalities in medical research, language, pronouns, terminology and more to ensure that your identity is respected.If you would like to know more about the Inclusion Award click the link above.If you would like to drop in to have a chat with a member of the reception team you can ask for Marla or Nav who can offer you a confidential space to answer any general queries.If you would like to be booked in with a clinician we recommend seeing Rachel Roberts who runs our TNBI health reviews and is a regular advocate for the community.If you require physical, mental and/or psychosocial support please do get in touch, either by calling on 01273 523 623, sending in an online form, or by visiting us at our Practice. We also recommend you look on our LGBTQIA+ Support Page for information around what you can access nationally and locally.
Practice News Letter - December 24
Please see our new quarterly news letter
COMING SOON - Update to Online Access
We have been working behind the scenes to improve online access at the Practice. The way our online requests look will be changing in the near future. You will no longer see the e-Consult logo, but you will be able to contact us via SystmConnect "Online Requests". This will increase availability for you to contact us for both administrative and clinical requests.
New Prescription Line
We have now introduced a "prescription line" when you contact us by phone. If you have a query related to your prescriptions, please call us on 01273 523 623 and select option 2. This will be available from 10:00 - 17:00 every day. This may be subject to change if there is any staff sickness, in which case, please stay on the line and wait to speak to a member of the reception team.
New GP's at Park Crescent
We are pleased to let you know that Park Crescent will shortly have an additional two GPs joining our team.
Dr Rosie Ford and Dr Jessie Drake will be joining the existing clinical team this month both working 2 days a week. We aware of the pressures on the service over the last few years and in particular the challenges that patients have found booking an appointment with one of our GPs. We are confident of the positive impact this will have on our appointment capacity and would like to thank our patients for their continued support during a challenging time in the health service.
Website Audit
NHS Sussex have performed an audit on our website using the NHSE Benchmarking Tool and they have confirmed we have scored a 95% compliance rating.
The Benchmarking Tool has been developed to support integrated care systems (ICSs), primary care networks (PCNs) and general practice teams audit the usability of key patient web journeys. The tool provides a deeper understanding as to whether a GP website meets a high standard of usability along with contractual requirements laid out in the GS contracts and other requirements of practices.
If you have any feedback for our website please contact us using our feedback form
Free/Low Cost Mindful Movement Classes
Mindfulness means bringing your attention to whatever you are doing. So moving mindfully means being fully aware of your movements, and staying present in the moment. Yoga, tai chi, Pilates, qigong etc. are all considered mindful movement practices.
Why bother? Mindful movement has many health benefits including: lowering blood pressure, reducing pain, a calmer mind and better sleep.
Am I flexible enough?Mindful movement is for everyone. Experienced teachers will make sure you are able to access the classes whatever your abilities.
Where can I try it? Contact the Brighton Natural Health Foundation and we will try to put you in contact with a free/ low cost local teacher suitable for your needs. Scan the QR code to the left to access free online class recordings, check out the BNHF website (Brighton Natural Health Foundation), or email on hello@bhnf.org
Try this simple mindful movement practice
-Find somewhere quiet to sit and make yourself comfortable.
-Breathe in slowly through your nose (if possible) and out slowly through your mouth.
-As you inhale, start to raise your arms slowly with the breath.
-As you exhale, float your arms back down. Try to let the movement follow the breath.
-Every time your mind wanders, bring it back to the movement and your breath.
-Try this simple mindful movement practice
-Start off small, just 3-5 movements each day.
See if you notice any benefits. Be kind to yourself. It takes practice!
New Weight Management Hub
The Weight Management Hub is a single referral point for all weight management referrals.
You will be booked in for an appointment with a member of the team, who will then take you through your different options eg Thrive Tribe Programme, NHS digital weight management etc). You choose the service right for you and the team will make the referral.
You can self refer today:
Email on: sxicb-bh.ecb-pcn-team@nhs.net
Call on: 07456 902 679
DadPad - The essential guide for new dads in Brighton and Hove
DadPad - The essential guide for new dads in Brighton and Hove, set up by Brighton and Hove Safeguarding Children's Partnership- Available as a hard copy as the DadPad, Quick Read DadPad or app format.
You can also follow DadPad on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Youtube.
See more on their website
LGBTQ+ Domestic Abuse Support Group
LGBTQ+ domestic abuse support group weekly drop in has changed it hours to Wednesday 4-6pm
Arcobaleno, Kemptown BN2 1EA
Contact outreach@acrossrainbows.com to find out more
Fitz Cafe
THE FITZ CAFE
is now open in the Fitzherbert Community Hub each Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 – 14:30
The Real Junk Food Project Brighton serves a healthy and nutritious surplus/rescued food lunch from 12:00 – 14:00
IT’S PAY AS YOU FEEL, SO AFFORDABLE FOR EVERYONE
IT’S NOT JUST A CAFE
-Get advice on accessing NHS Services Online
-Get involved in the Community Garden on the green on Upper Bedford Street
-Compost your food scraps in the Community Box Scheme
-Pay as you feel table tennis sessions on cafe days
ADHD Aware Pack
This is a new partnership between the East and Central Brighton Primary Care Network
and ADHD Aware. Our Primary Care Network (PCN) covers 9 GP practices looking after 75,000 patients in the city.
You can read this ADHD-Aware-Welcome-Pack.pdf to find out more about what they are offering
We are very aware of the long waits for an ADHD assessment and the lack of support pre and post diagnosis. We support people to use the Right to Choose pathway where appropriate, but are aware of some concerns recently regarding the holistic quality of the assessments and focus on medication rather than psychosocial support.
We are excited to work with ADHD Aware to investigate new ways of supporting people and are commissioning peer support and educational sessions for our patients as part of this project.
We provide monthly peer support groups, both in person and online, for ADHD adults, their partners and for parents of ADHD children or young adults. You don’t need an official diagnosis to use our services. Many people who attend our groups are wondering whether they have ADHD, and want to meet others like them, to learn more about it.
Happy Pride Month
As part of LGBTQ+ history month we have been sharing Pride Guides, which are quick guides to health issues we know can be more prevalent or more difficult to access support for those in the LGBTQ+ community. Please see the links below;
Switchboard
Switchboard is an excellent charity available to help and support the LGBTQI+ community. Please see their website for more details and information.https://www.switchboard.org.uk/
Page created: 10 January 2023