Wyndham House Surgery

Essential and hard but inevitable

Grieving is multifaceted and complicated. It is very personal. The strength and value of our close relationships are ultimately only known to each of us internally.  Sadly, the importance of these are often only truly realised once someone is no longer with us. As humans we do not naturally dwell on our evident mortality; spending excessive time pondering our finite future is a symptom of low mood.  However, reflection on what will happen when you or someone close to you does die is a healthy activity. Planning for death through making a Will, organising a Lasting Power of Attorney, discussing inheritance with families, specifying the details of your own funeral are all normal things to do.  Many of these are prompted by the death of somebody else.

Following the death of the Queen last September we all experienced a month of grieving and a lot of this was uncharacteristically public.  Due to the circumstances this was grieving at scale and on TV; in this case, in my opinion, both very important.  As a result, there was a lot for us to both experience and learn from to help each of us through our own inevitable periods of grieving ahead.

The presence and support of family was very evident. None of us will ever have the forensic media analysis the Royal Family lives under, but we will all experience some degree of family rift at some point in our lives. Even if small and temporary these will make us feel uncomfortable.  If long and severe they will often be the underlying source of other physical or mental health problems.  If they are on-going, or occur coincidentally, at a time of loss then they can become amplified to much greater than their actual underlying significance.  As we have seen the initial grieving period is an ideal time to try repair these relationships and appropriately bury any hatchets.

How long should you grieve for? There is no correct answer to this question. Grieving is studied and taught as a subject at medical school. It is a normal process of variable length but you can get stuck. If you think this might be the case please come and talk with one of us at the surgery.  We have a variety of different services we can direct you to: Laura our Social Prescriber is trained in grief counselling, Bryn our new Mental Health Practitioner is a new resource. There are also excellent nationally run telephone helplines: Marie Curie Charity (0800 090 2309) and Cruse Bereavement counselling (0808 808 1677).

Grief is hard work but is an essential process; you cannot avoid it. It is too simplistic to think that you can pass through it.  Grief will always remain, however, with sharing and support from others life will build again around it.

Anthony O’Brien

Wyndham House Surgery

“The Richards Trust” Reg No 306787

Nearly 300 years ago, John Richards, a merchant from London, who had been born in the Parish of Silverton left £1200 to build and endow a boys school in the village. To this day his legacy still survives. It has changed from its original vision of building a boys school, to supporting all young people under the age of 25 years for their education and development.
Although the education system has changed dramatically since the 18th century, the charity is still here to help those in need of financial assistance. The charity can help with the costs of all sorts of educational development ranging from preschool, to university and apprenticeships. As well as social and physical development such as sports, music, clubs, cost of travel and equipment.
There are so many ways which the charity can help.
All applications are treated in the strictest confidence.
Applicants need to normally be resident in the Parish of Silverton.
To download an application form click on the link HERE.

The Government have announced plans for the season and those who will be eligible i.e. those over 65, those aged 18 to 64 at high risk and finally, those aged 50 to 64 not at high risk. For both vaccines we will be targeting the over 65 and ‘at risk’ groups first, followed by the over 50 lower risk later.

We will be delivering Covid and Flu vaccines concurrently but not at the same clinics. If you are contacted with a date please note clearly what the vaccine is that you are booked for. As in previous years we will be contacting people by e-mail and/or text giving a slot on a given day to attend the surgery. If not available you can attend in a different slot for the same vaccine.

People in England who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 can use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate their COVID-19 status.

If you’re aged 18 or over, you can get an NHS COVID Pass for domestic venues and events.

If you’re aged 16 or over you can get an NHS COVID Pass for travel abroad but you should follow the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to.

A full course is currently two doses of the Moderna, AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine, or one dose of the Janssen single-dose vaccine. Vaccine status will be available through the NHS COVID Pass service from:

• the NHS App which you can download from app stores
• the NHS website
• 119 – by requesting a paper letter

You will need to register to use the online services, if you have not already. It may take more than a week for your identity to be checked and verified.

If you cannot access the online services, and you have had both doses of the vaccine, you can request a paper letter from the NHS by calling 119. Only call 119 if you are due to travel outside the UK in the near future and have had your second dose (or one dose of the Janssen single-dose vaccine) more than 5 working days ago. It may take up to 5 working days for the letter to arrive.

This practice is not able to provide you with a letter that shows your COVID-19 vaccination status. Please do not contact the practice about your COVID-19 vaccination status unless you have been advised to by the 119 service.

When you’re planning your travel, you should check the latest information on demonstrating your COVID-19 status when travelling abroad on the gov.uk website. Make sure there is enough time to get proof of your COVID-19 vaccination status before you are due to travel.

Autumn Actions

Normally at this time of year I write an article about the value of vaccination and encourage patients to come for their Flu vaccine.  As a result of the pandemic, I no longer feel the need to explain the enormous value of vaccines. However, I do need to double down on my plea for everyone eligible to have two vaccines this autumn.

The Flu vaccine is probably more important than it has been for many years.  We have experienced very little influenza in the last 2 years and this means we lack some of our inherent immunity.  The strategy in the pandemic was all about protecting hospitals so that they were able to admit those who were seriously ill with Covid as well as sick patients with other conditions.  At the moment our hospitals find themselves under immense pressure with a reduction in the number of beds available, ambulances having difficulties getting patients in, and community health and social care services facing problems getting them out.  These pressures are currently most evident in West Devon however it would not take much to tip the balance in the East. Another Covid variant and/or an outbreak of flu presents a very serious risk. Hospitals would be under pressure greater than that seen during the pandemic. Be in no doubt, the health service faces a winter of trepidation.  On the plus side some of the protective behaviours we learnt have become ingrained.  We distance ourselves in queues and when we have upper respiratory infections, we are much better at reducing the risks of onward transmission.

Covid boosters and this year’s Flu vaccine will be offered from the surgery, initially to those over 65 years old and those with chronic disease.  When these are complete, those over 50 years old will be invited. We will be calling patients in cohorts via text and email (with letters to those who use neither of these).  All eligible patients will need to come twice. It will not matter in which order you have the vaccines; it just matters that you have both.  It is likely that our first Flu clinic will be at the end of September and that Covid clinics will run regularly on Wednesday afternoons. We are, however, dependent on when central supplies are delivered.

So, three important actions for this Autumn. One, get a flu vaccine – those eligible from the surgery, and others from a pharmacy.  Two, come when called for your Covid booster and three, please ensure the surgery has your up-to-date contact details.

Anthony O’Brien

Wyndham House Surgery

The Friends of Wyndham House was set up in 1991 and supports multiple projects that you will be familiar with: the Bertie delivery service, the Keep Fit and Balance Classes, the New Parents & Baby Group, the Memory Café, the Film Club, Tai Chi sessions, Befriender links and Digital Social Prescribing. This month we are promoting membership of the Friends via our website and Facebook page.  Joining as a member does not bring any commitment to do anything, but it will link you into regular communication about all the services I have listed above. Linking is the first step to participating and then contributing, and I think there is now more understanding than we have had for many years that contributing into communities is a very positive feedback loop. So please contact friendsofwyndhamhousesurgery@gmail.com if you would like to become a member and encourage your friends and relatives to do so too. There is certainly plenty of opportunity to resource any ideas that new members may bring. If you want to play a more active role then the Committee are currently looking to recruit a new Trustee. Information about this can be found on the surgery website.

So, a call to arms.  The NHS vaccine programme is enormously impressive and required a lot of help from volunteers. However, the truth is that the vast majority of people who stepped forward in the last 12 months were never utilised. Some of you reading this will have been on at least one NHS volunteer list, or will have relatives who were willing to train as vaccinators or marshals.  Now the emergency is over, the less glamorous but equally necessary on-going support for our elderly, and those who are vulnerable and isolated, is still there. All the activities the Friends support will be of benefit to everyone at some point.  So, contribute now, become a member, and help shape what you would like in the future.

We are very pleased to announce that the New Parents Support Group, which was suspended due to the Covid restrictions, is now in a position to re-commence

“All the lonely people.  Where do they all come from?”

Eleanor Rigby, Lennon & McCartney

Defining loneliness is difficult. The feeling of being on your own is subjective and we are all prone to short term variations in mood during which we have a more negative interpretation of our circumstances. However, research clearly shows that we underestimate how real, how prevalent and how significant true loneliness is.

According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. The fact that such loneliness affects health is not surprising.  However, the size of the affect is shocking. Loneliness is a predictor of the use of Accident and Emergency services and raises the risks for a variety of physical and mental conditions: high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death. Poor social relationships are associated with a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke. These are similar to the increased risks associated with smoking.

The chances of being lonely do not differ because of age – loneliness is similarly common at all ages. However, the circumstances which increase the risk of loneliness do differ by age. For example, leaving education is a commonly vulnerable time for younger people whereas the death of a loved one, and the onset of illness and disability are more often times of vulnerability for older people. Surprisingly recent research has shown that almost one in four students are lonely most or all of the time. Social media means young adults are more connected but this does not counter their feelings of isolation; sometimes it sadly perpetuates them.

Social activities are an essential component of successful approaches to tackling loneliness. Communities that are welcoming, attractive, feel safe and have amenities for all residents can help prevent people from becoming lonely. I think we are very lucky to live and work in such communities. The Friends of Wyndham House support a lot of local groups, the Room4U in Silverton is increasing the number of events it hosts and the SCENE booklet (on our website + copies at the surgery) is a reference library of regular activities.  So, there are opportunities; however lonely people find it hard to reach out. There is a stigma surrounding loneliness, and older people tend not to ask for help because they have too much pride. This requires people in the community to recognise that people are lonely and to invite them along, encourage them to join in. This requires compassion, empathy and understanding.  However, it could all start with a friendly smile, a simple ‘Hello, How are you?’, maybe to the person sitting beside you the next time you are in the surgery waiting room.

Anthony O’Brien

Wyndham House Surgery

At the end of this document there is excellent guidance regarding different symptoms and actions required

Those who qualify for a Flu vaccine (all adults > 65 years old) and those < 65 years with at risk conditions (Cardiovascular, Respiratory Disease and Diabetes) the next Flu Clinic will be on Saturday morning 31st October 2020 – text and email invites going out very shortly.  Clinics will run according to alphabet division of slots as we ran for the > 65 yr patients.

(published 13/10/2020)

Follow this link for a guide to parents regarding Covid symptoms and swabbing

There is also an excellent symptom checker to help everyone distinguisj between Flu, Cold and Covid symptms