January 2026 Patient Newsletter
🎆 Happy new year!
Happy new year from everyone at Tudor Lodge. As we step into the year ahead, many of us start thinking about small changes that could help us feel healthier and happier. Whether you’re setting a new year’s resolution or simply looking for a bit of extra support, we’re here to help.
At Tudor Lodge, we can support patients with stopping smoking, managing weight, reducing alcohol intake, and making healthier food choices. This newsletter includes some useful information and resources around some of these topics, along with practical tips to help you take steps that feel right for you. If anything sparks your interest, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re always happy to support you on your health journey.
We continue to be as busy as ever over the winter months. In December the team:
Processed 1509 prescriptions.
Answered 2565 phone calls
Processed 2937 online requests (that’s an average of 95 requests a day)
Delivered 3738 appointments (face-to-face and telephone).
Offered 3512 GP appointments, 870 nurse appointments and 291 other healthcare appointments.
💟 Cervical Cancer Awareness Month – January
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, a reminder of how important cervical screening is. Cervical screening saves lives by detecting changes early. Around 99.8% of cervical cancers are preventable when abnormal cells are found and treated early, and screening helps prevent around 70% of cases. If you’ve missed a screening appointment, it’s never too late to book, please contact the surgery and we’ll be happy to arrange one for you.
🚬 Quit smoking in 2026
January is a great time to think about making healthier choices, and stopping smoking is one of the most positive steps you can take for your health. Quitting smoking reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and lung disease, and you’ll start to feel the benefits within days. The NHS offers free support to help you quit for good, including advice, stop-smoking services and treatments to reduce cravings. Please speak to the practice team if you’d like support or visit the NHS Better Health Quit Smoking service for more information.
🖐🏽 Understanding Raynaud’s
Raynaud’s is a condition that affects the blood flow to your fingers and toes. When you’re cold, anxious, or stressed, your fingers and toes may turn white, blue, or red, and you might experience numbness or tingling. While it’s often mild, it can sometimes cause discomfort and impact daily activities. Understanding the symptoms and knowing how to manage them can help you stay comfortable and protect your circulation. For more information on symptoms, triggers, and treatment options, visit http://nhs.uk/raynauds.
🤖 Our chat bot Dot
Our website chatbot is undergoing some significant enhancements to enable online booking. You can now book directly into our booking system for a blood test when requested to do so by us. We will soon be launching more appointments such as cervical screening, and certain injections.
💬 Feedback
As part of our ongoing commitment to understanding and improving patient experience, you may receive a text message after seeing one of our clinicians inviting you to leave feedback. The message will include a short link where you can give a star rating and add a comment about your appointment. We would really appreciate it if you could take a moment to complete this, as your feedback helps us to improve our services for everyone.
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.
📝 Keep us updated
From time to time, you may receive a request from us for your email address 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.
📅 Help us use appointments fairly.
In December, a total of 177 appointments were missed, including 68 GP appointments, 93 nurse appointments and 16 other clinical appointments. This equates to around 46 hours of lost clinical time that could have been used to care for other patients. We kindly ask patients to attend appointments on time or, if you can no longer attend, to cancel with at least one hour’s notice so the slot can be offered to someone else. Please be aware that patients who repeatedly miss appointments (three or more within a rolling 12-month period) may be removed from the practice list. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us make best use of our services for everyone.
You can cancel appointments easily by:
Using your NHS account via the NHS website or NHS App
Replying CANCEL to your appointment reminder
🍷 Alcohol and your health: know your units, know your limits
A new year can be a good opportunity to reflect on everyday habits and make small, positive changes for your health. When it comes to alcohol, there isn’t a completely safe amount to drink, but keeping within the recommended limit of 14 units or less per week can help reduce the risk of harm. Spreading drinks over several days, having alcohol-free days, and keeping track of your units can all help you stay in control. If you would like support to cut down or have questions about alcohol and your health, our team is here to help.
👦🏾 Back to school – is your child well enough to attend?
With schools returning this week, many parents face the familiar question of whether their child is well enough to go in or should stay at home. Symptoms like coughs, colds, sore throats or mild tummy upsets can be difficult to judge, and knowing when to keep children off can help prevent illness spreading to others. The NHS website offers clear, practical guidance on common childhood illnesses and whether children should attend school or nursery, helping you make confident decisions and know when medical advice may be needed.
📲 Stay connected with us via the NHS App
The NHS app is the official digital platform for accessing your medical record, ordering prescriptions and viewing appointments. As of January 2026, it is now the primary tool for receiving SMS messages from us. It is therefore important that you download the App and enable notifications as soon as possible. For help downloading and using the app, please visit https://digital.nhs.uk/services/nhs-app/toolkit/walk-through-videos.
🤳🏽 Your help
We have seen a welcome increase in the use of our online forms, which helps us manage requests more efficiently. However, we have sometimes found it difficult to reach patients promptly when calling back to arrange appointments. To help avoid delays in your care, we kindly ask that you keep your phone nearby after submitting an online form so we can contact you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your support.
🤧Flu season update
We are seeing a high number of flu cases this season, so it’s more important than ever to protect yourself and those around you. If you haven’t had your flu vaccination yet, there’s still time and flu vaccines are available at the surgery. Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce your risk of illness and help keep our community healthy.
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