Click here to read more about how this new model works and what it means for you.

Medical Examiners Service

Medical examiners are senior NHS doctors who, after completing specialist training, work part time in this role. Their job is to give an independent view on causes of death and the care provided (except for deaths which must be investigated by a coroner).

The service is changing please follow the link for all you need to know about the service and the changes.

Medical Examiners Service

Changes to MES

Almost all pharmacies now offer the Pharmacy First service, giving advice and, if needed, NHS medicines to treat seven common health conditions – and all without the need for a GP appointment.

🗨️ Ask your local pharmacy for more information about this free NHS service.

Whooping cough (pertussis) cases continue to increase and babies who are too young to start their vaccinations are at greatest risk. 

Whooping cough can be serious for babies and may lead to complications resulting in hospitalisation and even death. Sadly, there have been 9 infant deaths since the current outbreak began in November last year (one in December 2023 and 8 between January to end May 2024).

If you are pregnant, you can help protect your baby by getting the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine. Vaccination during pregnancy boosts your antibodies which are then passed to your baby to help protect them from the day they are born.

You will normally receive your whooping cough vaccine around the time of your mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks) but you can receive it from 16 weeks. If you have reached 20 weeks of pregnancy and have not yet been offered the whooping cough vaccine, please ask your midwife or GP practice.

Vaccination in pregnancy provides very high levels of protection against serious whooping cough disease to your baby at least until they can have their first vaccine at 8 weeks of age. It is recommended in every pregnancy to boost the antibodies you pass on to your baby.

To give your baby the best protection, you should try and get the vaccine before 32 weeks but if you have missed out you can still have it later. You can even have it after you give birth, to reduce your risk of spreading whooping cough to your baby.

You can access a whooping cough vaccine from your GP practice and through some antenatal clinics and you may be offered the vaccination at a routine antenatal appointment. For further advice on getting your whooping cough vaccination in your area, speak with your GP practice or midwife.

The NHS is encouraging staff who come into contact with people who are pregnant to signpost or offer this vaccination at every opportunity.

You can also check your child is up to date with their childhood vaccinations, including whooping cough, and if they have missed any they can catch up at their GP practice at any time. 

What is whooping cough?

Whooping cough is a serious infection that causes long bouts of coughing and choking, making it hard to breathe. The "whoop" is caused by gasping for breath after each bout of coughing, though babies do not always make this noise. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems, which is why it's important for babies and children to get vaccinated against it.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough? How do I tell it apart from a normal cough?

The first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat. After about a week, you or your child:

• will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night

• may make a "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not "whoop")

• may have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young infants)

• may bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit

• may become very red in the face (more common in adults)

The cough may last for several weeks or months.

Babies under 6 months old with whooping cough have an increased chance of having problems such as:

• dehydration

• breathing difficulties

• pneumonia

• seizures (fits)

Why do I need to get the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy?

Whooping cough in babies under six months can be dangerous. The immunity you get from the vaccine passes to your baby through the placenta and protects them until they are old enough to be vaccinated at 8 weeks old. They will then receive the vaccine as part of the routine 6-in-1 vaccine – for babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks.

I was vaccinated against whooping cough as a child, do I need to get vaccinated again?

Yes, because any protection you may have had through either having whooping cough or being vaccinated when you were young is likely to have worn off and will not provide sufficient protection for your baby.

I was vaccinated against whooping cough in a previous pregnancy, do I need to be vaccinated again?

Yes, you need to have the whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy to boost the antibody you pass on to your baby.

What are the side effects of the whooping cough vaccine?

After having the whooping cough vaccine, you may have some mild side effects such as swelling, redness or tenderness where the vaccine is injected in your upper arm. This is normal after having a vaccine and it should only last a few days.

Other side effects can include a high temperature, irritation at the injection site, nausea and loss of appetite, tiredness and headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.

Good morning, dear patients!

We're thrilled to share some exciting news with you: we've recently upgraded our telephone system to enhance your experience when reaching out to us. However, along with this upgrade comes a few tweaks to the options you'll encounter when you give us a call.

We kindly request that you take a moment to familiariSe yourself with the new options when you next contact us. Our aim is to ensure that your experience with us is as seamless and efficient as possible.

Your comfort and satisfaction are paramount to us, and we're confident that these changes will contribute to an even better experience when communicating with our team.

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to strive for excellence in serving you. If you have any questions or require assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.

Warm regards,

QUEENSWAY SURGERY  

Discover the success of our recent Diabetes Support Day held at our practice this past Sunday! The response was overwhelming, highlighting a clear demand for support among individuals living with diabetes. Collaborating with the Southend Victoria PCN clinical team and the regional diabetes EPUT service, we hosted two engaging 2.5-hour sessions.

During these sessions, participants received personalised attention, undergoing essential diabetes care checks, including blood pressure, foot examination, and BMI assessment. Venous blood sampling was also available as needed. Attendees seized the opportunity to consult on their medications and gain practical guidance from an enthusiastic representative from Diabetes UK.

Our friendly PCN Social Prescriber team was out in full force, offering non-medical support and explaining their crucial role in chronic disease management. To enhance the experience, we provided hot beverages, healthy snacks, and fresh fruit for everyone.

The highlight of the day featured our amazing Chief conducting two live cookery demonstrations, complete with food samples and recipes for attendees. A local representative from 'Freestyle Libre' was on hand to provide advice and initiate eligible individuals on their monitoring devices.

Our dedicated dietitian and lifestyle and wellbeing coach curated an impressive nutritional food display, bringing food labels to life. They offered invaluable advice and scheduled follow-up encounters for interested participants. Additionally, our PCN first contact podiatrist provided essential support and guidance for those with foot-related concerns.

The day was a remarkable experience, though admittedly exhausting! Our passionate team was thrilled to share their knowledge and provide unwavering support throughout the event. We look forward to continuing our commitment to diabetes care and support in the future. Thank you to everyone who made the day a resounding success!

A Safe Surgery can be any GP practice which commits to taking steps to tackle the barriers faced by many migrants in accessing healthcare. At a minimum, this means declaring your practice a ‘Safe Surgery’ for everyone and ensuring that lack of ID or proof of address, immigration status or language are not barriers to patient registration.

Safe Surgeries recognise the barriers to healthcare access that exist, particularly for migrants in vulnerable circumstances, and believe that small changes in practice can make a difference. They are willing to lead by example and work to ensure that nobody in their community is excluded.

Do you want to have your say on local health and social care services? Do you want your voice to be heard by local health and care decision-makers?

The Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System has a  Virtual Views Panel which is looking for your help. By signing up  you can help us make the right choices in how we plan for the future. Your feedback will help us continually improve,  develop and work together to provide health and care services to the different communities we serve in Southend and Castlepoint and Rochford (the South East Essex Alliance footprint).

As a Panel member you will also find out about new plans and ideas from the Integrated Care System. This includes local authorities, hospitals, charities, GPs and other health care providers. 

Signing up is easy – simply scan the QR code or go to https://www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/get-involved/how/ for more information.

A pop up Health Event was held on Thursday 27th October in response to a request from local residents at an engagement event the Communities Team held regarding the councils Poverty Strategy. They put forward an idea that health information and health colleagues might be more accessible if they were in spaces where the public were. It was agreed that an event would be held on Southend High Street, Forward Motion had a great spot on the High Street and very kindly invited us to share their space on the day. 

Click on the Population Health Icon to read thier story

A package of initiatives to continue to help local people through the cost-of-living crisis has been announced by the council, with a four-point plan focussed on helping those that need it most.

Click on the Cost of Living Icon for to read more.

To all patients, it with much regret, Queensway surgery car park will permanently close to patients from 6th November 2023 on health & Safety grounds. We have in the past 2 years seen the car park being overused by commuters, people who live locally and people who just want to go shopping. There has been no way to manoeuvre once a car has entered and found no space to park and other cars double parking. This results in cars being hit by other cars. We had left the Coleman St entrance open to alleviate the situation, but that made matters worse with people using the car park as a cut through and driving through at speed with near misses to both staff and patients along with several altercations leading to verbal/physical abuse.

Clinicians have arrived for work with nowhere to park and 2 of the staff have had their cars stolen in the past few months.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause but this is now the only course of action left open to us.

Queensway is in the fortunate position that we are surrounded by several council car parks for people that need to travel by car to attend the surgery.

Healthwatch Southend's Autumn 2022 Newsletter