Practice Newsletter Winter 2025

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Welcome to the Winter edition of our newsletter for Cowfold and Partridge Green patients.


CHRISTMAS OPENING AND CLOSING INFORMATION

Cowfold Surgery will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We will be open as normal on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

MEDICATION REQUESTS IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS

Please note you must order your medication BEFORE 16TH DECEMBER for collection before Christmas.  Any requests made after 16th December will not be ready until the week commencing 29th December.  If you run out of medication when we are closed, please contact NHS 111 or your local Pharmacy.

Christmas is approaching and this year we are holding our Christmas Jumper Day on Wednesday 17th December with all donations going to St Catherine’s Hospice.  If you are attending the surgery on this day, we would be very grateful for any donations.


SURGERY NEWS!
Following on from Dr Darcy passing away in May, the surgery wanted to organise a fundraising event as John had been with the surgery for almost 30 years. We wanted to raise some funds for St Catherine’s Hospice who cared so brilliantly for John.  Dr Carter came up with the idea to host a quiz night and this took place on Friday 7th November at The Allmond Centre.  Ann volunteered to be the quiz master (some of the rounds were very tricky!).  We want to say a big thank you to everyone locally who donated to some fantastic raffle prizes, including a family day ticket to Leonardslee, a meal at the Hare and Hounds and a fab hamper from Jeremy’s.  We are still waiting for a grand total from St Catherine’s but so far have raised £1185.  Here are a few photos from the night😊

Surgery staff with the Darcy Family

Ann – Quiz Master Supreme!

We would also like to say Congratulations to Ann, our Health Care Assistant and Care Coordinator on celebrating 10 years of working at Cowfold Medical Group.

CLOSURE OF PARTRIDGE GREEN SURGERY

Sadly Partridge Green surgery is now closed.  We know that it has been extremely difficult for all our staff and patients but Ann our Care Coordinator has been finding out about travel options if you cannot get to Cowfold.  The Henfield volunteer driver service have very kindly agreed to help Partridge Green patients if they need to get to their appointments at Cowfold.  If you are having difficulties please speak to Ann.

NEW ONLINE TRIAGE SYSTEM

Our new online triage system Rapid Health went live on the 1st September. GP, paramedic and Advanced Nurse Practitioner appointments can only be booked online.  Please go to our website for more information including a video of how to complete the form.  Nurse and HCA appointments are still being booked by our Reception team over the telephone.  Following on from our recent patient survey, the feedback has been generally good.  We note that some patients are having difficulty finding the right questions to answer if they do not fit the criteria.  This was also discussed recently at our PPG meeting.  We are therefore working on introducing a text box at the bottom of the form for you to add anything else you think would be helpful for the GP to know.  Some of our PPG members also asked for the wording to be bigger on the website so you know exactly where to go to fill in the form.  We are in the process of asking Rapid Health to do this.  We know that the system still needs some tweaking with regards to capacity and we are also working on this.  If you require any help to complete the form, our Reception Team would be happy to help.

Please do not complete a Rapid Health form to book an appointment for a test result until 7 days after you have had the blood test.  This gives time for the result to come back from the laboratory and for the clinicians to check the results.  If your blood test result is urgent, you will be contacted by the surgery.

CARER SUPPORT

On Monday 3rd November, West Sussex Carers Support organised an event at the Village Hall in Cowfold to talk about a new project called the Carer Energy and Wellbeing project.  Caroline from Carers Support, Kate from the Carers Health Team together with Ann Wilson and Zoe Meyer, our Care Coordinators and Louise McMeeking, our Deputy Practice Manager were there to answer any questions about the new project and also any other questions with regard to caring for a friend or relative.  We are hoping to organise another meeting in January for anyone who was unable to attend on the day.

PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP

This year we have had 4 Patient Participation Group meetings and have been very happy to welcome new members to the group.  Going forward we will be meeting to work together to help both the patients and staff to provide a good service for our patients.  Our next meeting is on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 6.30pm at Cowfold Surgery.  If you would like to join the PPG – please contact Louise McMeeking our Deputy Practice Manager or tell one of the Reception team.  We look forward to seeing you.  Minutes of the previous meeting held on 18.11.25 can be found on the notice board at Cowfold Surgery and also on our website.


PLEASE BE PATIENT AND KIND TO ALL OUR STAFF

Everyone here at Cowfold Medical Group is working hard to support our community but sadly our staff are increasingly experiencing rudeness and abuse from patients which is very unpleasant when they are just trying to do their job. Demand for appointments is high and we appreciate it can take a while to speak to a member of the Reception team, but we ask that you be patient and more importantly – be kind. Any behaviour, verbal or physical which causes our staff to feel uncomfortable is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Please also be mindful that some of our staff live in the village so please treat them with respect at all times when they are in work and also when they are not.   Many thanks.


PATIENT CHOICE FOR REFERRALS
The NHS is offering more options to enable you to make choices that best suit your circumstances and giving you greater control of your care. If your GP needs to refer you to hospital you have the right to choose the hospital or service you would like to go to. When you are referred our Admin Team will choose 5 possible hospitals for you to be seen. You will then receive a letter, email or message through the NHS App with instructions on how to book your appointment. If you do not have the internet there will be a telephone number on your
letter that you can telephone to book. Most people want to be seen at the nearest hospital. Some people would want the shortest waiting time. If you choose a hospital which is not local to you, please bear in mind that all your clinic appointments and treatment will be at that
hospital going forward.

NHS CERVICAL SCREENING PROGRAMME

The NHS Cervical Screening Programme is transitioning to a digital-first approach aiming to improve accessibility and efficiency.  This includes a new system for invitations and reminders making it easier for individuals to book appointments and access information.  As a Practice we encourage all patients to download the NHS App.  Results of cervical smears will be sent via the NHS App or text.  Anyone who does not have the NHS App or where an SMS text cannot be delivered will be sent a letter as a failsafe.  All invites will still direct people to book in the usual way.  The goal is to make screening invitations more convenient, quicker and cost effective.  This is a step toward a more accessible and patient focused service.

WINTER HEALTH

There are some things you can do to help yourself stay well in winter. 

WHO IS MOST AT RISK FROM COLD WEATHER?

  • People aged 65 and over
  • Babies and children under the age of 5
  • People on low income (so cannot afford heating)
  • People who have a long-term health condition
  • People with a disability
  • Pregnant women
  • People who have a mental health condition

If you are 65 or over or in one of the other at-risk groups, it is important to get medical help as soon as you feel unwell.

You can get help and advice from:

  • A pharmacy in the first instance
  • Book an online appointment to see your GP
  • NHS 111 if you have an urgent medical problem and are not sure what to do

KEEP WARM AND GET HELP WITH HEATING

Keeping warm over the winter months can help to prevent colds, flu and more serious health problems such as heart attacks, strokes, pneumonia and depression.

Heat your home to a temperature that is comfortable to you.  If you can, this should be at least 18 degrees in the rooms that you regularly use, such as your living room and bedroom.  This is particularly important if you have a health condition.  It is best to keep your bedroom windows closed at night.

Check your heating and cooking appliances are safe.  Contact a Gas Safe engineer to make sure they are working properly.  You can find an engineer from the following link: https://www.gassaferegister.co.uk/

Make sure your home is fire safe.  For fire safety advice specific to you and your home go to or click on the link: https://www.safelincs.co.uk/hfsc/

Make sure you are getting all the help you are entitled to.  There are grants, benefits and advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improving your heating or help with bills. Find out more using the link: https://www.gov.uk/improve-energy-efficiency or call the government helpline on 0800 444 202.

LOOK IN ON VULNERABLE NEIGHBOURS AND RELATIVES

Remember that other people such as older neighbours, friends and family members may need some extra help over the winter.  There is a lot you can do to help people who need support.

Icy pavements and roads can be very slippery, and cold weather can stop people from going out.  Keep in touch with your friends, neighbours and family and ask if they need any practical help or if they are feeling unwell.  Make sure they are stocked up with enough food supplies for a few days in case they cannot go out.  If they do need to go out, encourage them to wear shoes with a good grip and a scarf around their mouth to protect them from the cold air and to reduce risk of chest infections.

Make sure they get any prescription medicines before the holiday period starts and if bad weather is forecast.  If they need help over the holiday period when the surgery or pharmacy is closed or they are not sure what to do, go to 111.nhs.uk or call 111.

If you are worried about a relative or elderly neighbour, contact your local council or call the AGE UK helpline on 0800 678 1602 (8am to 7pm every day).  You can find your local council on GOV.UK.

AWARENESS MONTHS 2025/2026

JANUARY

Dry January

Why do Dry January?  Going alcohol-free for the whole month can bring huge obvious benefits.  What will you notice? See you skin get brighter, your wallet fuller and your days busier.  Feel your step get bouncier, your mind calmer and your mornings fresher.  Most people who do Dry January see a whole host of obvious benefits that make Dry January the perfect start to the New Year.

FEBRUARY

Time to Talk Day – 5th February 2026

Time to Talk Day is a day for us all to start a conversation about mental health.  Talking about mental health isn’t easy.  But a conversation has the power to change lives. There is no right or wrong way to talk about mental health.  But these tips can help:

Ask questions and listen.

Think about the time and place, sometimes it is easier to talk side by side rather than face to face.  If you do talk in person, you might want to chat while doing something else.  You could start a conversation while walking, cooking or if you are stuck in traffic.

Don’t try and fix it

It can be hard to see someone you care about having a difficult time.  Try to resist the urge to offer quick fixes to what they are going through.  Learning to manage or recover from a mental health problem can be a long journey.  They have likely already considered lots of different tools and strategies.  Just talking can be really powerful so unless they have asked for advice directly, it might be best just to listen.

LOCAL CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Cowfold Christmas Tree Festival – Friday 12th December – Sunday 14th December.

Billingshurst Annual Christmas Fayre is on Saturday 6th December at the Billingshurst Community and Conference Centre from 10am-3pm.

Steyning Christmas Farmers Market is taking place on Steyning High Street on Saturday 6th December from 9am-1pm and the annual Christmas celebrations will continue on Sunday 7th December from 12-6pm.

Southwater Santa Run will take place on Sunday 21st December at 3pm.  This is a 5K fun run through the village where hundreds of Santas take to the streets.  Meeting point is the Little Teahouse, Lintot Square.

From everyone at Cowfold Medical Group, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year.  Thank you so much for your continued support.