Patient Newsletter: Issue 13

Welcome to our Spring 2026 newsletter.

This newsletter will include information about various topics including the “Only Order What you Need Campaign”, heatwave advice, Covid & Flu vaccinations and an analysis of our recent patient survey results.

We will also shine a spotlight on Michelle White, one of our nurses who has recently joined us from secondary care.

Nurse Spotlight – Michelle White

Michele grew up in Malaysia and spent a few years living in New Zealand before moving to England. She trained as an Adult Nurse at University of Surrey and after qualifying, worked on Chichester Suite for six years, before specialising in neonatal care. After working for 14 years in secondary care, Michele moved to Langley House and is pleased to have joined the team.

Working in primary care has given Michele the opportunity to promote healthy living and supporting patients in making better life style choices and managing their long term health with confidence.

Patient Survey Analysis

National GP Patient Survey Results

NHS England have published the latest national GP Patient Survey Results

Summary of results

• 88% describe their overall experience of this GP practice as good
• 96% find the reception and administrative team at this GP practice helpful
• 97% knew what the next step would be within two days of contacting their GP practice
• 97% say the healthcare professional they saw or spoke to was good at listening to them during their last general practice appointment

However, we wanted to explore more fully why the following result was an outlier, compared to all the other feedback and especially in relation to the local Sussex (ICS) result and the national result

• 67% felt they waited about the right amount of time for their last general practice appointment

View the full results

In October 2025, we changed our appointment system to use Rapid Health, a medical triage device approved by the NHS. We have documented in previous newsletters how positive our patient feedback has been for this system and were curious as to why this key indicator (waiting time) for the success of the appointments system was below Sussex and national average.

Our appointments are triaged by the Rapid Health tool as Red (to be seen that day), Amber (to be seen by the end of the next calendar day), Yellow (to be seen within 5 working days) and Green (routine). Some of our appointments are manually triaged by our clinicians, rather than the system automatically offering an appointment and our clinicians may assess that a patient can wait a day or two longer for an Amber appointment or a few days longer for a Yellow appointments. This is especially so as the system does not take account of weekends. However, it is true to say that 80% of our appointments are triaged as higher than Green and are seen comfortably within 10 calendar days.

We then further analysed the 20% of green, routine appointments to see the length of wait and compared March (coming out of winter) to July (summer time).                                                  

In March 2026, coming out of winter, 66% of our green appointments were seen within 14 calendar days and 85% within 21 calendar days.  Patients waiting any longer than this are likely to be either by patient preference or clinician preference ie the GP wants to follow-up with a patient at a clinically appropriate time.

This shows that in July 2026, 90% of our green appointments were seen within 14 calendar days.

We will continue to analyse waiting times for appointments but are reassured by hard data that our waiting times are acceptable. 

Covid Campaign- Winter 2026

If you are eligible for a Covid boost this winter the NHS will be in contact with you in due course. The vaccination programme will run from 1st October 2026 to 31st January 2027. Bookings will open on 17th August 2026. We will not be offering this vaccination at the surgery but we will direct you to contact 119 or use the online booking service; 

Book, change, or cancel a COVID-19 vaccination appointment

We will be vaccinating our housebound and nursing home patients and will be in touch to arrange these.

Flu Campaign 2026

Flu is not just a heavy cold. Flu occurs every year, usually in the winter, which is why it’s sometimes called seasonal flu. It’s a highly infectious disease with symptoms that come on very quickly. Colds are much less serious and usually start gradually with a stuffy or runny nose and a sore throat. A bad bout of flu can be much worse than a heavy cold. 

The most common symptoms of flu are fever, chills, headache, aches and pains in the joints and muscles, and extreme tiredness. Healthy individuals usually recover within 2 to 7 days, but for some the disease can lead to hospitalisation, permanent disability or even death. 

Flu vaccines help protect against the main types of flu virus circulating.

Flu Eligibility

• everyone aged 65 years and over 
• everyone under 65 years of age who has a long term medical condition (see below), including children and babies over 6 months of age 
• all pregnant women, at any stage of pregnancy 
• all children aged 2 and 3 years (provided they were aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August before flu vaccinations starts in the autumn) 
• all children in primary school 
• some secondary school-aged children (Years 7 to 11) 
• everyone living in a residential or nursing home 
• everyone who receives a carer’s allowance, or are the main carer for an older or disabled person 
• all those living with someone who has lowered immunity due to disease or treatment 
• all frontline health and social care workers 

Long term medical conditions

Flu can affect anyone but if you have a long-term health condition, the effects of flu can make it worse even if the condition is well managed and you normally feel well. 

You should have the free flu vaccine if you are pregnant, seriously overweight (BMI of 40 and above) or have a long-term condition, such as: 

• a heart problem 
• a chest complaint or serious breathing difficulties, including bronchitis, emphysema or some people with asthma (needing a steroid inhaler or tablets) 
• a kidney disease 
• lowered immunity due to disease or treatment (such as steroid medication or cancer treatment) 
• liver disease 
• had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) 
• diabetes 
• some neurological condition, such as multiple sclerosis (MS) or cerebral palsy 
• a learning disability 
• a problem with your spleen, such as sickle cell disease, or you have had your spleen removed.

Booking an appointment

The practice has begun contacting patients requesting digital consent for their influenza vaccine. This will be followed by a booking link during August. If you are unable to complete digital consent we still send a booking link but the appointment may take longer on the day while we obtain verbal consent. Those who are unable to use a booking link will received a letter in due course. If you are eligible you should receive information from us shortly. 

Help us send medicines waste packing this summer 

Across the NHS in Surrey and Sussex, approximately £528 million is spent on medicines each year, with more than 53 million prescriptions issued. In 2025/26, it is estimated that around 5.3 million of these prescription items were unused and thrown away. 

Nationally, an estimated £300 million worth of medicines is wasted each year. Once medicines have been dispensed, they cannot be taken back and reused. 

Approximately 75 per cent of prescriptions dispensed are for repeat medications, and it is estimated that around 10 per cent of these medicines are not needed because people already have enough at home. 

Some people may believe they need to order every medicine listed on their repeat prescription. However, people do not need to order medicines they do not currently need, even if they appear on their repeat prescription list. 

The NHS is encouraging people to:

• Check their medicine supplies before ordering a repeat prescription. 
• Only order the medicines they currently need. 
• Check expiry dates and follow storage instructions. 
• Return unwanted or out-of-date medicines to a pharmacy for safe disposal. 

People are reminded not to throw unwanted medicines in household waste or flush them down the sink or toilet, as this can harm the environment. Unwanted and out-of-date medicines can be returned to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

Unnecessary medicine waste can also affect patient safety, medicine supply chains, and the environment. 

This summer, help us send medicines waste packing. Only order what you need.  

Heatwave Advice

The NHS is reminding people in Surrey and Sussex of the steps they can take to stay safe when the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have issued heat-health alerts for the region. 

There are a number of ways you can help keep yourself and others safe during hot weather: 

• keep your home cool by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun 
• if you do go outside, wear suitable clothing, including a hat and sunglasses where appropriate, seek shade and apply sunscreen regularly 
• avoid being in the sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 3pm 
• if you are planning physical activity, try to do it during cooler parts of the day, such as the morning or evening 
• know the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and what to do if you or someone else experiences them. 

If people do feel unwell during the hot weather, the local NHS is here to help, with a range of services available, including: 

• Pharmacies - a good first point of contact for health advice and over-the-counter medicines 
• GP practices - if you need medical advice or think you may need to see a doctor 
• NHS 111 online at www.111.nhs.uk, which can help direct you to the most appropriate service (for children under five years old, please call 111 instead) 
• NHS 111 by phone, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where trained advisers can help you get the care you need in the right place 
• Walk-in centres and urgent treatment centres - visit www.nhs.uk for details 

Remember that 999 and A&E services are for life-threatening emergencies. Always call 999 or attend A&E immediately if someone is seriously ill or injured and their life may be at risk. 

More information about staying safe in hot weather is available online. Visit the UK Health Security Agency and NHS websites, including guidance on how to beat the heat and information about heat exhaustion and heatstroke. 

July Practice Statistics  

From March 2024 we started analysing our practice activity date to share with our patients and identify any areas of improvement. This data is on display in our reception areas.  

Please find below July’s statistics; 

• Telephone appointments completed- 1,028 
• Face to face appointments completed- 2,144 
• Incoming calls- 6,802 
• Average call wait times- 2 minutes and 48 seconds  
• Appointments not attended- 113 
• Wasted hours from appointments not attended- 28.96 hours 
• Rapid Health forms submitted – 2,404 
• Incoming documents processed by secretaries- 4,317  
• Prescriptions processed- 12,722

Chichester Wellbeing – Falls Prevention

Chichester Wellbeing offers free local "Staying Steady" and "Wellbalanced" falls prevention workshops across the Chichester district. These practical, two-hour interactive sessions teach six simple home exercises to improve strength and balance, identify everyday home hazards, and explain what to do if a fall occurs. 

Learn more and book your place

Ideas for our next newsletter

If you have any ideas for a future newsletter that you feel would improve patient understanding of the NHS, please do let us know by contacting us online.

Published: Aug 26, 2026