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    Flu Vaccinations 2025-26

    Please click this link for all information including how to book our flu clinics 2025-26

    Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for Weight Loss in Cheshire & Merseyside

    The new weight management medication ‘tirzepatide’ (brand name Mounjaro®) is being made available shortly to NHS patients to support weight loss.

    NHS Cheshire & Merseyside is currently in the process of establishing new community-based weight management services, which are set to launch this summer. Tirzepatide will NOT be available on prescription for weight loss from GP practices in Southport.

    Therefore, please do not request an appointment at The Corner Surgery to discuss tirzepatide in the meantime. We anticipate that eligible patients will be contacted once the new local service is up and running, to see if they would like to be referred.

    Availability of tirzepatide is being made available on a phased basis, with the first group of patients eligible under the national criteria being those who: 

    • Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 kg/m² or more (or 37.5 kg/m² for people from minority ethnic family backgrounds)

    AND

    • Have at least FOUR of the following long-term conditions:
       
      1.    Type 2 diabetes
      2.    Hypertension (high blood pressure)
      3.    Dyslipidaemia
      4.    Established cardiovascular disease
      5.    Obstructive sleep apnoea

    For more information including frequently access questions, please click here.

    We are aware that many patients are choosing to obtain tirzepatide in the private sector, often from online pharmacies. For such patients, if you are taking a hormonal contraception tablet, please read this leaflet

    If you are taking a progestogen tablet as part of your HRT, then tirzepatide may have an impact on the effectiveness of your HRT. This means that your HRT might not protect your endometrium (womb lining) enough. Such patients should contact the surgery to book a HRT review, as we may need to increase your dose or change you to a different form of HRT.

    Clinical Staff Changes - April 2025

    From April 2025, we will have two new regular members of our clinical team:

    • Dr J Cosgrove will be working with us all day on a Tuesday.
    • Dr S Woodcock will be working with us all day on a Wednesday.

    Both GPs are extremely well experienced & we are delighted to have them on board.

    • Dr H Mulla will be working all day on a Monday & a Thursday.
    • Dr D Smith will be working all day on a Monday & a Friday, & some Wednesdays.
    • Dr J Wray will be working a half-day on a Friday.

    All of our GPs have other roles within & outside of the NHS, which complement their roles at The Corner Surgery & help us to provide better care for our patients.  In addition, we have two full-time Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANPs), two resident doctors in training at any one time, & we are lucky to have some excellent locum GPs/ ANPs who support us when a member of our regular team is on leave.

    Thank you very much for our 2024 national GP patient survey feedback, where we came top in Sefton for overall patient experience.

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    Steroid treatment cards - inhalers

    The British National Formulary (BNF) now recommends that when patients use a high dose steroid inhaler to control their asthma or COPD, a small amount of the steroid may be absorbed into the blood stream.

    When this happens, the body may reduce its own production of corticosteroid. This is the body's main stress hormone so it is particularly important during periods of injury or illness.

    Then, if a patient stops their high dose steroid inhaler suddenly, e.g. if they suffer an injury or illness, there is a small chance of the body not having enough corticosteroid to cope with the injury or illness.

    As a result of this recommendation, we have been advised to provide all patients taking a high dose steroid inhaler with a Steroid Treatment Card (please see the photograph above), which they should carry with them at all times.

    Please click here to see which steroid inhaler doses count as a high dose.  Your community pharmacist can help you identify if you should carry a Steroid Treatment Card & they can provide you with one if necessary.

    Some challenges for The Corner Surgery in adopting this guidance are:

    • Our computer system does not allow us to identify all patients using high dose steroid inhalers automatically;
    • A patient's dose of inhaled steroid often changes over time - indeed some patients are advised to increase & reduce the dose themselves in response to their symptoms - so our computer records may not be accurate;
    • We do not have an accurate record of patients who have already been provided with a Steroid Treatment Card.

    Therefore, are identifying patients opportunistically during their asthma or COPD annual reviews & by using computer searches, & directing patients/ carers to this webpage for further information.

    If you prefer to carry a Steroid Treatment Card irrespective of whether your steroid inhaler dose is high or not, that is absolutely fine - they are available to collect at your community pharmacy & at the Surgery.

    We recognise that this change in national guidance may cause some patients to worry but we must stress that any risk from stopping a high dose steroid inhaler is theoretical & very small.

    By comparison, steroid inhalers have been used safely for many years and they are a vital treatment for many patients with asthma or COPD - the benefits are huge so please do not stop one without taking medical advice.

    If you have any questions about this matter, please discuss it with our practice nurse at your next asthma or COPD review.  It may be safe for some patients to wean their steroid inhaler dose if they have a particular concern.

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