Other Information

Help Yourself To Health

Six ways you can really help yourself to live a healthier lifestyle:

The Baby Bereavement Support Group

At this time of loss you will find yourself experiencing a number of confusing, bewildering feelings. You will have both physical and emotional symptoms, some of which are listed below:

Severe physical exhaustion, palpitations, ‘butterflies’ in the stomach and aching arms. Dreams and nightmares are not uncommon, with difficulty in sleeping. Painful engorged breasts and perhaps pain from episiotomy or Caesarian section. You will probably pass through a whole series of emotions.

Forgetfulness: “Where did I put my glasses?”
Anger: “Why did this happen to me?”
Guilt: “Was it something I did?”

Though these symptoms are distressing and painful, they will not indicate that you are ‘going mad’. There is no standard response, no acceptable or unacceptable form of behaviour that you will be expected to follow, nor is there a particular time limit in which you will be encouraged to have accomplished the task of ‘letting go’.

The group offers one-to-one befriending and counselling.
A telephone and visiting service is available
Sandra Lawrence
01843 225544 ext 62012
Patron
Dr Madeleine Richardson (GP) MB BS DA

Available Direct From Your Chemist

• Brolene eye ointment for sticky eyes which are common with a cold.
• Gaviscon liquid or tablets for hiatus hernia and heartburn.
• Imodium capsules for control of diarrhoea.
• Citric acid tablets for relief of cystitis.
• Pripsen sachets for treatment of worms.
• Iron tablets for treatment of low blood count.
• Piriton tablets for itchy or allergic rashes and hay fever.
• Dioralyte or Rehidrat rehydration fluids, very useful for children with diarrhoea or vomiting.
• Hydrocortisone 1% cream for application to allergic rashes and insect bites.
• Cerumol or almond oil ear drops for waxy ears. Please never “poke” things into your ear.
• Canesten cream for athlete's foot.
• Canesten pessary for treatment of vaginal thrush.
• Nicotine patches and chewing gum to help stop smoking.
• Ibuleve gel for relief of muscular pains and sprains.
• Paracetamol/Paracodal - painkillers.
• Cough bottles for dry or productive coughs.
• Kaolin and morphine - control of diarrhoea.
• Laxatives for relief of constipation.
• Glucosamine tablets for arthritis. (Please consult your doctor if you are taking any prescribed medication especially Warfarin.)
• Tonics - many varieties.

Friends of Cossington House (FOCH)

What is FOCH? What does it do?

Like the League of Friends who look after the hospital, we at FOCH are the League of Friends of the surgery and do a similar job for our patients.

Our policy is to raise funds and apply those funds to the provision of certain equipment and facilities for the surgery which are not provided by the NHS and would not normally be provided by the doctors who own and run the practice.

We have a committee, currently of twelve persons, who meet four times a year to plan our sales, which are held four times a year, and arrange raffles at Easter and Christmas. The doctors, nurses and staff provide a “wish list” from which we provide items for their use. A list of such items is displayed in the waiting areas. Some of the items have been purchased, wholly or partly, from donations given in memory of a former patient.

We produce an Annual Report of our activities. If you would like to receive a copy, please speak to one of the surgery receptionists – there is no fee involved to become a Friend, and you do not have to be a patient of the surgery to support our sales/raffles.

We would be delighted to see anyone who would like to become a new member of our committee.

The Friends of Cossington House is a Registered Charity (No. 1054592) and was established as an unincorporated association on the 17th of July 1995. The objects of the association are “to relieve sickness and preserve health amongst persons permanently or temporarily within the area served by Cossington House medical practice by providing or assisting in the provision of equipment and facilities”.

Research

This practice is actively involved in undertaking research, and you may occasionally be invited to take part in one of our studies. There is no obligation on your part to help us with these studies; your participation is entirely voluntary.

Any additional surgery visits or procedures you undergo will not impact on your usual care delivered by the practice. Also, any data generated during the course of a study will be used anonymously to protect your confidentiality.

Prior to your involvement the study will have been carefully scrutinised by both an independent ethics committee and the PCT and only with their approval can we proceed. However, even if you have previously agreed to participate you are free to withdraw from the study at any stage and this will not prejudice your usual care. Further information can be obtained from:

Consumers for Ethics in Research (CERES)
PO BOX 1365
London

Training Practice

We are a training practice, which means that we usually have an extra doctor who is fully qualified and who wishes to go on to do general practice. They will remain with us for about a year and will help us with surgeries and home visits.

Sometimes you may be asked by the receptionist if you would mind being seen by this doctor. Your co-operation would be appreciated.

Medical Students

We occasionally have medical students from Guy’s, King’s and St Thomas’ Hospitals placed for eight weeks at the surgery. You may find one accompanying your doctor during consultations. If you object to this, please let your doctor know and the student will be asked to leave.