Bridgeside Newsletter - August 2025

Staff Changes

Good news!

We are excited to welcome Dr Soliman who will be joining our practice in August.  We are confident he will enhance the quality of care we provide to you.  He works on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Care Navigate / Triage System

Our Admin Team to help direct patients to the most suitable clinician or service, which may not always be a GP.  Many conditions can now be treated by other qualified professionals or services (such as pharmacy), helping manage the high demand for GP appointments.  Admin staff may ask questions about a patient’s condition to make sure they are directed appropriately, following guidance form our GP recommended  

Please respect our admin team when they ask for information about your condition(s). They are trained to do this at the request of our GPs, to ensure you are directed to the right person first and make the best use of the GP appointments available to them. 

Interested in joining our Patient Participation Group (PPG)

We are always looking for new members to share their views and help us improve our services.  If you would like to join, please contact us.

Flu, Covid-19 Vaccination Programme

As stated in the National Flu Immunisation Programme –

• Pregnant women and all eligible children will start from 1st September 25.  For school aged cohorts, vaccination in schools should be completed by 12th December 25 with further catch-up opportunities as appropriate.
• All other adult flu cohorts will start from 1st October 2025 and will run until 31st March 26.  
• The Covid-19 programme will run from 1st October 25 to 31st Jan 26.  However, the majority of Covid-19 vaccinations should be completed by 19th December 25. 

Mounjaro

'Important Information About Mounjaro Prescribing for Obesity

Our local NHS commissioning board has introduced a process for prescribing Mounjaro for obesity via general practice. Initially, only a small number of patients will be eligible as part of this rollout.

Eligibility Criteria (brief overview):

Patients must be over 18 with a BMI over 40, and meet at least four of the following five conditions:  

• Hypertension (requiring treatment)
• Raised cholesterol levels (requiring treatment)
• Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (requiring treatment)
• Type 2 Diabetes

We are currently reviewing patient records to identify those who meet these criteria. The specific details, including exact cholesterol levels, are outlined in the official guidance.

Please note: If you are eligible, you will be contacted directly by the practice to arrange a consultation. You do not need to contact us yourself at this stage. Mounjaro is an effective medication for weight loss, but demand is very high. The criteria for this NHS rollout differ from those used by NICE for broader obesity treatments, which include a larger group of patients in specialist clinics.'

Did Not Attend

In last 90days, 221 appointments were missed because patient did not attend and didn’t don’t cancel.  These DNA appointments impact access to care for other patients.  Please remember to cancel your appointment if you are no longer able attend, so we can offer it to someone else in need!!

Published: Aug 19, 2025