Newsletter November 2023

Breast Screening

If you are between the ages of 50 and 71yrs, you will receive an invitation letter for a breast screening mammogram every three years.

You don’t need to contact the surgery as we will ensure that you receive your invitation at the appropriate time. However, from your 71st birthday, we will not automatically invite you, but you can still request screening every three years by contacting your local breast screening unit. We urge you to continue with your breast screening even after the age of 71 since the risk of bast cancer doesn’t stop at that age.

Visit London Breast Screening

Are you ready to quit smoking now?

Get started on your journey with a personalised plan.

Visit Live Well Croydon

Croydon Drop In Service (CDI) - Support for Young People and Families

Service offered:

Counselling in primary and secondary schools and in the community for young people 10 – 25 year olds.

Talk Bus Outreach in community and schools. Advice and Advocacy for young people.

Issues addressed include emotional well-being, mental health, employment, education, housing benefits, money and debt. Outreach Health Education Service, Parent Infant. Partnership support for pregnant Mums and families with children under 2 years old and weekly Parent/Carer support group.

Target group: Young people aged 10 – 25, who are living, working or studying in Croydon and their family members.

Contact: 020 8680 0404.

Practice Christmas Closure

The practice will be closed on:

• Monday 25th December 2023
• Tuesday 26th December 2023
• Monday 1st January 2024

Repeat Prescriptions

Please allow sufficient time when requesting repeat prescriptions, particularly in the two weeks prior to Christmas and the New Year. This will allow the pharmacy sufficient time to dispense your medication.

Medicine Waste

Did you know? Wasted Medicines Waste Money

Unused prescription medicines cost the NHS over £300 million every year, money that could be spent on more hip and knee replacements, drug treatment courses for breast cancer, community nurses, drug treatment courses for Alzheimer’s.

How Can You Help?

• Only order the medicines that you need
• Let your GP or Pharmacist know if you’ve stopped taking any of your medicines.
• Check what medicines you still have at home before re-ordering.
• Discuss your medication with your GP or Pharmacist on a regular basis.
• Think carefully before ticking all the boxes on your repeat prescription forms and only tick those you really need.
• If you don’t need the medicine please don’t order it!  If you need the medicine in the future you can still request it.
• If you need to go into hospital, please remember to take all your medicines with you in a clearly marked bag or container.
• Please also remember that your medicines are prescribed only for you; it’s not safe to share them with anyone else.

Remember that unused medicines cannot be recycled

• Even if you never open them, once medicines have left the Pharmacy, they cannot be recycled or used by anyone else.
• Please take your unused medicines to the Pharmacy for safe disposal.
• Never dispose of your unused or unwanted medicines down the toilet.

Unused medicines are a safety risk

• Return out of date medicines to your pharmacy or dispensary for safe disposal.
• If your medicines change – return your old medicines to the pharmacy for safe disposal to avoid mixing them up with your new medicines.
• Don’t stockpile medication – it is a safety risk for children and others who might take them.
• Store medicines in an appropriate place out of reach of children.

Yellow Card Scheme

If you experience any side effects with any of your medicines, you can report these on the Yellow Card website; by calling 0800 7316 789 (9am – 5pm Mon-Fri) or by downloading the Yellow Card App.

Produced by the Patient Participation Group

Published: Nov 16, 2023