Recalls for Long Term Conditions

Patients who suffer from one or more of the following long term conditions need regular reviews at least annually:

  • Respiratory conditions:
    • Asthma
    • Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
  • Vascular conditions:
    • Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
    • Vascular diseases:
      • Atrial Fibrillation
      • Coronary Heart disease
      • Cardiovascular disease
      • Heart Failure
      • Peripheral Arterial Disease
      • Stroke
  • Diabetes

Patients are contacted by either text, letter or phone call to invite them for a review and are invited during their birth month.

Different conditions require differing reviews but generally see below for detail about what you need to book for your review.


Respiratory conditions


Asthma – NHS Guide to Asthma

COPD – NHS Guide to COPD

If you have one or both of the respiratory conditions (Asthma or COPD) but none of the other long term conditions detailed above you will be invited to make a 15 minute appointment with either one of our nurses who has a specialism in asthma and/or COPD or invited to one of our specialist Asthma or COPD clinics.   It would be really helpful if you could bring your inhalers with you so the nurse can check your technique when using the inhalers and help with any queries.

If, however, you have a respiratory condition and also one of the other long term conditions you will also need a blood test – see below for the individual long term condition invitations and what they will involve.

You may have any combination of any of the long term conditions – see below for more information on what is involved for a review.


Vascular conditions


Hypertension relates to high blood pressure.  See NHS for guide to hypertension and remember that ‘normal’ may mean different blood pressure recordings for individuals.  Other factors such as other medical conditions and medication being taken will have an effect. Follow the link below to find out more about blood pressure and how to take your own blood pressure.   

Blood pressure

Vascular conditions relate to the circulation of blood around the body and the build up of fatty deposits in arteries.  Follow the below links for more information on each disease.

For an annual review you will need a 15 minute appointment with a Health Care Assistant in the morning during surgery opening hours who will record your blood pressure and discuss how things are with you.  The Health Care Assistant will then advise if you need to make a follow up appointment with a nurse or a doctor or may advise you simply to ring up for your blood test results in about a week’s time.


Diabetes


Type 1 – NHS Guide to Type 1 Diabetes

Type 2 – NHS Guide to Type 2 Diabetes

For both Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes annual review you will need a 30 minute appointment with one of our Health Care Assistants in the morning during surgery opening hours who will take recordings of your blood pressure, height and weight (to calculate your BMI), and also complete a check of your feet. Why is a foot check important?  Check out Diabetes UK information on having a foot check during your review. 

It would be helpful if you can bring a urine specimen with your for the nurse to check ketones.

Once the Health Care Assistant has finished this initial review she will advise what the next step will be.  Often this will mean booking a telephone review with one of our Practice Nurses who specialise in Diabetes.   They will go through your blood test results, review dietary requirements and discuss any queries. 


It is important that you attend for your routine annual review – even if you feel you are managing your condition and have no issues.

Some patients may be invited more often than annually – this is for the doctors and nurses to check how you are controlling your disease and offer advice, guidance and also increase or change your medication in order to help you better manage the disease.   You do not have to wait until you are invited for an annual review – if you have any queries or concerns you can contact Reception and book an appointment with a nurse who will be able to help you.  If you think you would like a blood test, please note however that you cannot book a blood test without having seen the nurse or doctor first.

If you are booking an appointment online – please book with our Health Care Assistants according to the information for each disease above.  If you have more than one long term condition book a 15-30 minute morning appointment with our Health Care Assistant in the first place.

If you do not respond to your initial invite – you may be contacted again.  If there is still no response from you we will assume that you do not wish to have a review this year but we are duty bound to invite you for a review the next year.

If you wish to decline a review this year you will be offered a telephone appointment with one of our nurses to confirm that you understand the importance of an annual review and the consequences if you do not attend for regular reviews.


If you have not been diagnosed with any of the above but feel you have symptoms please book an appointment with your GP.