November 2025 Patient Newsletter
🎇 Our monthly round up
Welcome to our November newsletter! As the days get shorter and the colder weather sets in, we want to thank you for your continued support and engagement with our practice. It’s been a busy few weeks, and we’d like to take a moment to share some key updates and highlights from October before looking ahead to what’s coming up this month.
Here’s a quick look back at October where we:
Answered 3376 phone callsÂ
Processed 2940 online requests (that’s an average of 95 requests a day)
Delivered 3352 appointments (face-to-face and telephone).
Offered 2619 GP appointments, 1312 nurse appointments and 378 other healthcare appointments.
Processed 1555 prescriptions.
🤧 Flu season is in full swing
We’re encouraging all eligible patients to book their flu vaccination appointment as soon as possible while stocks last. Getting your flu jab is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones, and our community—especially those who may be more vulnerable to illness over the winter months.
If you’re eligible for a free NHS flu vaccine, please contact the practice to arrange your appointment, or let us know if you’ve already been vaccinated elsewhere so we can update your records.
👧🏼 Is my child too ill for school?
Deciding whether to send a sick child to school can be tricky. The NHS offers helpful guidelines on when to keep children home and when it’s okay to send them in.
Keep them home if:
- They have a high temperature, vomiting, or diarrhoea (wait 48 hours after symptoms stop).
- They’re too unwell to take part in normal activities.
They can usually attend if:
- They have mild cold symptoms, conjunctivitis, or minor conditions like head lice or cold sores.
Special cases:
- Chickenpox – stay home until spots are crusted.
- Scarlet fever – return 24 hours after starting antibiotics.
- Impetigo – return once sores heal or after 48 hours on antibiotics.
If you’re unsure, check NHS advice at nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school.
➡️ https://nhs.uk/live-well/is-my-child-too-ill-for-school
🌟 Don’t miss the Brighter Living Fair this October
This October, Wandsworth is hosting the Brighter Living Fair — a month-long series of free events and activities designed to help older residents stay fit, healthy, socially connected and independent. From yoga, keep-fit, aqua workouts and gentle exercise classes, to art workshops, line dancing and fall-prevention sessions, there’s something for all abilities. Many activities are drop-in, though some may require booking — see the full programme via Wandsworth Council’s website.
♀️ Free morning-after pill now available at high-street pharmacies
The morning-after pill is now available free of charge at around 10,000 local high-street pharmacies. This means you don’t need a GP appointment or a visit to a sexual-health clinic to access it. The service is aimed at anyone who may need emergency contraception after unprotected sex or if their usual method of contraception has failed.
To use the service, simply visit a participating pharmacy and ask for the morning-after pill. The pharmacist will provide advice on how to take it safely and discuss options for ongoing
contraception if needed.
đź’ś Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month
November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about this serious condition. Pancreatic cancer can be difficult to detect early because symptoms are often subtle, but knowing what to look out for can make a difference.
Some signs and symptoms to watch for include:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Persistent abdominal or back pain
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea or digestive problems
If you notice any of these symptoms, especially if they persist, it’s important to contact your GP promptly. Early diagnosis can improve treatment options and outcomes.
For more information and support visit Pancreatic Cancer UK
ℹ️ Please respond to health messages
We’re encouraging all patients to respond promptly to any health-related messages sent by text or email. These messages may include important information about your care, test results, medication reviews, or invitations to book appointments or vaccinations. Recently, we’ve noticed a high number of patients not replying, which can delay care and follow-up.
Please check your messages regularly and let us know if your contact details have changed, so we can keep in touch easily. A quick reply helps us manage your care more efficiently and ensures you don’t miss out on important updates.
đź“… Can’t make it? Let us know.
In October, 225 appointments were missed, which adds up to 44 hours of lost clinic time. That’s time that could have been used to see other patients waiting for care. If you can’t make your appointment, please let us know as soon as possible so we can offer it to someone else and help keep waiting times down for everyone. o 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.
🚹 PSA blood tests – should you have one?
Around 1 in 8 men in the UK will get prostate cancer at some point in their lives. A PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) test can help to detect prostate cancer – even if you don’t have any symptoms. A PSA test measures a protein made by the prostate gland. It can help detect early prostate problems, including cancer, but it’s not always accurate — levels can rise for other reasons too.
Men over 50, or over 45 with a family history of prostate cancer, may wish to discuss testing with their GP. Speak to your doctor if you have urinary symptoms such as needing to go often, difficulty starting or stopping, or blood in your urine.
More information: www.nhs.uk/psa-test
🫱🏼‍🫲🏼 Are you an unpaid carer?
If you care for a family member, friend or neighbour who couldn’t manage without your help, please let the practice know. By identifying yourself as an unpaid carer, we can make sure you receive the right health checks, vaccinations and support to help you stay well — both for yourself and the person you care for.
Caring for someone can be rewarding but also demanding, so it’s important you get the help and advice you’re entitled to. Please speak to a member of our reception team or let us know at your next appointment.
🎖️ Proud to be a Veteran Friendly Accredited GP practiceÂ
We’re proud to be a Veteran Friendly Accredited GP practice and to support our veteran community this Remembrance Day.
We know that this Remembrance Day is likely to be particularly challenging for the many veterans in our community and we want you to know that we are trained and committed to effectively identifying and supporting your health needs.
As a Veteran Friendly Accredited practice, our team:
- recognises the importance of identifying veteran patients within our community
- understands the unique health needs that veterans may have
- strives to provide veterans with the very best care and supportÂ
- knows about the specialist veteran healthcare services that existÂ
- undertakes regular training and development to ensure we’re able to deliver the very best care to veterans in our community and meet the health commitments of the Armed Forces Covenant
If you’re a veteran patient, please do let us know that you have served so that we can make sure you receive the most appropriate and best care, if and when you ever need it.
You can learn more about the accreditation and how it supports veteran patients, here: rcgp.org.uk/veterans
📲 Stay connected with the NHS App
We encourage all our patients to download and use the NHS App — the easiest way to manage your healthcare online.
Through the app, you can:
- View test results and medical records
- Book, cancel or manage appointments
- Order repeat prescriptions
- Access trusted NHS health information
You can watch a video which shows you how to view messages and turn on your notifications here.
It’s a quick, secure, and convenient way to stay on top of your health.
🤍 Lung Cancer Awareness Month
November marks Lung Cancer Awareness Month, an important time to highlight how common this disease is and why recognising the symptoms early can make a big difference. In the UK, lung cancer accounts for around 13% of all new cancer cases (approximately 49,300 per year). It is also the biggest single cancer killer, responsible for more than 33,100 deaths annually.Â
It can be easy to dismiss the early signs of lung cancer, but knowing what to look out for could help you catch it sooner. Look out for:
- A persistent cough lasting three weeks or more, or a cough that you’ve had for a long time that’s changed.Â
- Breathlessness or wheezing without a clear cause.Â
- Coughing up blood or rust‑coloured phlegm.Â
- Unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, or persistent tiredness.Â
- Chest or shoulder pain that persists when you breathe or cough.Â
If you notice any of these symptoms, please contact your GP rather than waiting. Early detection makes treatment more effective and improves your chances of better outcomes.
For more information and support: Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation
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