Communicating with your Patients

To help support your practice in communicating with your patients and avoid unnecessary patient contact with GPs, we have linked to various resources which you can print as posters, use on your website or circulate via your social media channels. Looking for a communication resource not featured on our website? Email us at office@wessexlmcs.org.uk to let us know.

See Wessex LMCs Key Patient & Media Messages to help practices communicate the pressures of General practice to patients

Access to General Practice

General Practice Access Routes Toolkit		General Practice Enhanced Access Toolkit		NHS General Pactice Team Toolkit
NHS Access - Tourist Materials		Use the Right Service Poster		Referring suitable patients to a community pharmacist
Patient Guides to Online Services		Register for a GP Surgery Online Poster		NHS App Downloaded Resources
Help Us Help You Poster		Happy to Share Poster		Appointment Record Poster
Why is General Practice Under Pressure Poster		Working Harder than Ever Poster		Hidden work of the GP Practice Poster*
*Wessex LMC version with thanks from e-GP Learning who created the concept.

Appointment Data and DNAs

		Wessex appointment data from NHS Digital May 2023, for the month of April 2023 Click the images to download the posters for Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon & Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire & IOW.
Editable Let us know if you need to cancel poster		Editable 3 reasons not to miss your appointment poster		Editable Missed appointment poster

Awareness of ARRS Roles / Extended Healthcare Team

NHS General Practice Multidisciplinary Team		Meet your GP Practice Team What type of appointment?		Can the Pharmacist help with your symptoms?

		With thanks to our colleagues on the IOW for producing and sharing these editable assets highlighting the extended workforce Jason McLean (The Bay Medical Practice) / Jo Bennett (St Helens Medical Centre) / Peter Arrow-Smith (Newport Health Centre) / Yasmin Wills (Newport Health Centre) / Chris Neale, / Josie Greenwood, Priya Mistry & Lorna Johnson (NHS Hampshire, Southampton & IOW ICB)
		There are now many trained and committed staff besides GPs who work in general practice, all dedicated to helping make sure patients get the right care as quickly as possible #ItTakesATeam It Takes a Team Campaign Resources and Video Resources from Hants & IOW ICB
		NHSE/I East of England team have produced a series of useful animations to introduce the extended healthcare team to the patients, Clinical Pharmacist / First Contact Physio / The extended Healthcare Team /  General Practice Nurse / Physician Associate / Social Prescriber Link Worker

Awareness of General Practice Pressures

Hidden work of the GP Practice with thanks from e-gp Learning who created the concept.		e-GP Learning, is happy for you to use providing you do not edit or remove their watermark/ logo.		GP campaign factsheet (updated Oct '21)
Why can it sometimes be difficult to get an appointment?		What can patients do to help General Practice?

	Download the key messages film for use in your waiting rooms here. To have your practice logo added, please email joanna.welch@wessexlmcs.org.uk
	The notion of a part time GP' is anything but. GIF to download for your waiting room screens or website / social media
	Editable appointment numbers poster to download and enter your practice data.

Building Patient Relationships

		Establishing positive and trusting relationships with patients has long been recognised as an essential component of practice and is important for effective care. Wessex LMC have created a series of images or use practice use.  See Wessex LMCs Key Patient & Media Messages to help practices communicate the pressures of General practice
		The BMA doctor-patient relationship toolkit will help you: Identify key factors to consider when facing common dilemmas Learn good practice & ethical standards Understand legal principles relating to the relationship

Crisis Support 

Downloadable patient leaflet

Medication Management & Prescriptions

Prescription Medication Dispensing Poster		Makeover your Medicine Cabinet Poster	Most common illnesses dont need antibiotics Poster
Ordering repeat prescriptions in the NHS App		Bank Holiday Prescription Ordering	Ease of Ordering Prescriptions Online

Secondary Care / Referrals

The My Planned Care website supports people waiting for a hospital appointment, operation or treatment.

Hospital Referral Poster		Hospital Appointment Patient Poster		Mangae your Referral Online Poster

Self Care Forum fact sheets

The Self Care Forum fact sheets aim to help clinicians and service-users discuss issues around self care within the practice/pharmacy setting and especially how to handle the symptoms in the future. They provide patients with information on:

• Useful facts
• What people can expect to happen (the natural history)
• What people can do to help themselves – now and in the future
• When to seek medical help (the ‘red flags’)
• Where to find out more

The fact sheets are free to download from the Self Care Forum website and may be printed and distributed without further permission.  If however, the content is altered permission would need to be sought (email selfcare@selfcareforum.org).

Staff Respect & Anti Abuse

NHS Staff Respect Tookit		BMA Anti Abuse Poster		Zero Abuse Graphics

Travel Messages

Patient Information Leaflet	Message to Patients Flyer		Travel Health Advice Leaflet

Wessex Healthier Together

The Wessex Healthier Together website provides advice for parents, young people and pregnant women, and clinical resources to support healthcare professionals – which means that achild is likely to receive consistently high-quality care, irrespective of which healthcare professional they see.

Further Resources

Public Health England have a library of resources available in different languages for Primary Care to utilise. 

Hants & IOW ICB have a range of useful resources for download. 

Creating a highly usable and accessible GP website for patients