September 2025 Patient Newsletter

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🍂 Hello autumn…

Welcome to our September newsletter. Autumn is often a time of fresh starts—children returning to school, routines settling back in place, and the gentle shift towards cooler days. It’s also a good opportunity to check in on your health and wellbeing.

In this newsletter, you’ll find helpful reminders about seasonal vaccinations, tips for keeping well as the weather changes, and updates from our practice team. Whether you’re preparing for flu season, looking after your mental health as the evenings draw in, or simply wanting to stay active outdoors, we’re here to support you.

Before we say goodbye to summer, we would like to share our stats from last month. In August, we:

Processed 1270 prescriptions.

Answered 2725 phone calls 

Processed 2434 online requests (that’s an average of 79 requests a day)

Delivered 2678 appointments (face-to-face and telephone).

Offered 2466 GP appointments, 854 nurse appointments and 297 other healthcare appointments.

đź“° Surgery news

Dr Smitha will be heading off on maternity leave from mid-September until Summer 2026. We wish all her the best and we look forward to hearing her happy news!

👩🏽‍⚕️Cervical screening

Women and people with a cervix aged 25-49 years are currently invited for cervical screening every 3 years. Now that we have a better test for HPV, the UK National Screening Committee (UKNSC) has recommended that those testing negative won’t need to come for a cervical screening quite so often –every 5 years instead of every 3. If your cervical screening shows you have HPV, you may be invited for more frequent screenings to monitor any cell changes. Due dates will not be changed retrospectively; you will be invited at the interval in which you were advised of at the time of your last test. Only those who attend cervical screening on or after 1 July, and meet the clinical criteria, will have their next test due date set at 5 years. NHS England made this decision based on clinical advice from experts. Those aged 50 to 64 are already invited every 5 years. Your results will be visible in your NHS app so please ensure you are signed up and have notifications switched on.

💷 Worried About Debt? You’re Not Alone — Help Is Available

Many people struggle with debt, and it’s more common than you might think, especially with rising living costs. But there’s good news: support is out there, and you don’t have to face it alone.

Citizens Advice is encouraging people to talk about debt earlier. Whether it’s energy bills, credit cards, or rent arrears, getting help sooner can make a big difference. Their trained advisers offer free, confidential advice to help you understand your options and take back control.

👨🏻‍⚕️ Your and your general practice

NHS England have released guidance about what you can expect from your general practice (GP) and how you can help them, so you get the best from the National Health Service (NHS). The full guidance can be read here and we have illustrated the main points in the graphic below.

🎖️ Support for veterans

TLHC is proud to be an Armed Forces veteran friendly accredited GP practice. More information about how we support veterans can be found here.

ℹ️ Help us to stay in the loop

From time to time, you may receive a request from us for information so we can keep your records up to date. Please respond to any requests you receive from the surgery, as it helps ensure we’re providing you with the right care for you.

đź“‹ Your annual medical review is important

A friendly reminder that if you live with a chronic disease such as asthma, diabetes or COPD to look out for your annual medical review. We send text message invites out in your birth month and ask you to book your appointment promptly. If you don’t receive an invite or have had to cancel yours in the past, please get in touch with the practice to arrange yours.

🗓️ Don’t forget to cancel unwanted appointments

Please let us know as soon as possible if you no longer need your appointment, so we can offer it to someone else and help reduce waiting times. In August, 169 appointments were wasted due to people failing to cancel appointments they no longer needed. To cancel appointments:

  • Use your NHS account (through the NHS website or NHS App).
  • Reply CANCEL to your appointment reminder text message.

If you regularly miss booked appointments, you may be asked to find an alternative GP practice and removed from our practice list.

đź’‰ Vaccination clinics

Flu vaccinations are now available for children aged 2 to 3 and pregnant women. 

All other eligible patients, including those in clinical at-risk categories, over 65s, carers and those with learning disabilities can be vaccinated from 1st October.

We encourage all eligible patients to attend our clinics at Tudor Lodge which start  on 1st October 2025. 

You can book online or via the NHS app.

👩🏻 Meet our Social Prescriber: Kelly Downes

Kelly has been part of TLHC for nearly three years and plays a vital role as our Social Prescriber. She supports patients with a wide range of concerns, from debt, housing, and benefits forms to mental health, wellbeing, loneliness, and referrals to local services such as food banks. By connecting people with community groups and activities, Kelly helps patients improve their health, independence, and overall quality of life.

She is available at TLHC every Thursday and also works across three other surgeries. Outside of work, Kelly enjoys spending time with her family, her daughter (who is also a Social Prescriber), and her lively pet parrot, Pica. Passionate about making a difference, she also volunteers in her local community by helping those in need with clothing, furniture, and other essentials..

Kelly and her pet parrot Pica

đź’š Sustainable September in Wandsworth!

Sustainable September returns to Wandsworth this month with over 80 free events celebrating greener living. Highlights include community festivals like the Balham Big Green Fair, nature walks and tree trails, creative workshops such as upcycled fashion shows and repair cafés, and family activities from harvest festivals to book swaps. There will also be immersive art at Battersea Arts Centre, opportunities to join local sustainability networks, and even the chance to host a Car-Free Day street party. Check out the full events programme https://orlo.uk/OerXf

🔊 Your Voice Matters: Age UK Wants to Hear From You

Age UK wants to hear from you! They are running their 2025 survey to better understand older people’s experiences with health and care.

Whether you’re an older person or someone who wants to share a loved one’s story, your voice matters. Your feedback will help push for better support and services for everyone. Take part now: https://bit.ly/47PRddu

📲 Have you joined our WhatsApp Channel?

Tudor Lodge Health Centre has launched a new WhatsApp channel to keep patients updated with:

  • Surgery news
  • Helpful tips and advice
  • Health resources and tools

Simply click here to join http://bit.ly/40JdpT1

Subscribing to our WhatsApp channel does not give us or any other group member access to your phone number or any other details, and users can opt out at any time.

For personal enquiries or to book an appointment at the surgery please use our online form to contact us.

If you would like to opt out of receiving these monthly updates, please complete this form.