Opening times, making appointments and what to do when we are closed

Walnut Tree Health Centre
Blackberry Court
Walnut Tree
Milton Keynes
MK7 7PB
Tel: 01908 691123

News:

Out of Hours
Please telephone the surgery on 691123 as usual and you will automatically be directed to the MK Urgent Care Services to obtain medical attention.

Appointments
To make an appointment, telephone our reception staff 8am to 6.30pm, Monday-Friday.

Cancelling your Appointment
If you are unable to attend an appointment with one of the doctors or nurses, please telephone the surgery as soon as possible so your appointment time can be offered to another patient. If you prefer you can use the link at the bottom of this page to cancel your appointment.

Protected Time

Please note that the Health Centre will be closed from 12noon to 5pm on Wednesday 22 September for staff training. Should you require a doctor during this time, please ring MK Urgent Care Services on 01908 201022. For medical advice, please ring NHSDirect on 0845 4647

New Diabetes Website

NHS Milton Keynes has just launched a new Diabetes website. This website is aimed at supporting local people with diabetes. Please go to the link below and click on the moving image to enter the website.

www.miltonkeynes.nhs.uk

Launch of new NHS website for young people with cancer

A new NHS website offers 19-24 year olds recently diagnosed with cancer an informed choice in their place of care. Visit the website on NHS Choices or click in the link below

www.nhs.uk/youngcancercare

Staff News

We are sorry to inform patients that Dr Morrison is on continued sick leave until further notice. We will advise of a return date once it becomes known.

Announcements

01 Sep - 01 Oct
NHS Smokefree

Find out about all of the free NHS services available to support you as you go try to give up smoking.

01 Aug - 01 Oct
NHS Summer Health

Stay safe in the sun, including sunscreens, sunburn relief, heat exhaustion, eczema and moles. Summer holidays are great fun for children, but can bring risks. Find out more

01 Jul - 01 Oct
Change for Life

Would you like loads of tips and help to make changes for a healthier future? As part of Change4Life, you will receive tons of helpful information, recipes, tools, tips, and games for the kids.

BBC Health

Vitamin B 'puts off Alzheimer's'

High doses of B vitamins may slow the rate of brain shrinkage in older people experiencing warning signs of Alzheimer's disease, a new study says.

Outbreak probe at industry sites

There are now 12 cases linked to a Legionnaires' outbreak, as health officials focus on south Wales industrial sites in the search for the cause.

More obesity ops 'will save cash'

Millions of pounds are lost in England by the failure of the NHS to provide more obesity operations, a study says.

Inquiry to hear from HIV victims

The injury into contaminated NHS blood products in the 1980s will hear from the victims who contracted HIV and Hepatitis.

Statins 'may cut arthritis risk'

Taking statins may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a study suggests.

Call for morning sickness action

More needs to be done to establish which are safe and effective ways to relieve morning sickness, experts say.

ME 'virus link' found in children

ME, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, in children could be caused by a virus, scientists say.

UK radiotherapy 'lagging behind'

Too few UK cancer patients are receiving state-of-the-art radiotherapy care, experts from Cancer Research UK say.

'Genetic link' to breast cancer

Researchers have identified a series of genetic variations which may play a role in a common breast cancer.

Gaps persist in cancer survival

Despite significant improvements in cancer survival rates across England, regional differences remain, national statistics show.

Yahoo Health

Group backs mandatory flu shots for health workers (AP)

AP - Flu vaccination should be required for all doctors, nurses and other health workers, the nation's largest pediatricians' group says, calling it a long overdue step to protect patients.

CVS Caremark to give away up to $5M in flu shots (AP)

AP - CVS Caremark Corp. said Wednesday it will give away up to $5 million in seasonal flu vaccinations to people without health insurance.

AP Exclusive: Back to work after salmonella case (AP)

** ADDS COMPLETION OF THE SECOND SENTENCE - FILE - In this March 12, 2009 file photo, Peanut Corporation of America's president Stewart Parnell, arrives a federal court in Lynchburg, Va. The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were implicated in a salmonella outbreak that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business, as the federal government's criminal investigation against him has languished for more than 18 months, The Associated Press has learned. (AP Photo/Don Petersen, File)

AP - The peanut industry executive whose filthy processing plants were blamed in a salmonella outbreak two years ago that killed nine people and sickened hundreds more is back in the business.

J&J giving $200 million for health of women, kids (AP)

AP - Health giant Johnson & Johnson is donating about $200 million in cash and medicine to a sweeping United Nations program created to improve the health and lives of people in poor countries.

US smoking rate still stuck at 1 in 5 adults (AP)

AP - U.S. smoking rates continue to hold steady, at about one in five adults lighting up regularly, frustrated health officials reported Tuesday.

FDA cites claims on 2 green tea beverages (AP)

AP - Federal health regulators have issued warnings to the makers of Canada Dry ginger ale and Lipton tea for making unsubstantiated nutritional claims about their green tea-flavored beverages.

Report says obesity surgery can save health costs (Reuters)

Reuters - Providing surgical treatment for people who are morbidly obese could save British taxpayer-funded health services and the wider economy hundreds of millions of pounds a year, leading surgeons said on Wednesday.

Doctors alarmed by HIV risk for European gays (AFP)

Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus

AFP - Homosexual men in Europe are increasingly failing to adhere to safe sex, according to two new studies. In France, transmission of the AIDS virus "seems to be out of control" among men who have sex with men, said a paper published on Thursday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Clinical Trials Update: Sept. 8, 2010 (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Here are the latest clinical trials, courtesy of ClinicalConnection.com:

Health Tip: Stay Safe Around the School Bus (HealthDay)

HealthDay - (HealthDay News) -- Teaching children to take precautions while waiting for, entering and exiting a school bus can help keep them safe.

MedPage Today

New HIV Cases High Among French MSM (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- HIV appears to be out of control among French men who have sex with men (MSM), researchers reported.

Ovarian Cancer Subtype Linked to Gene Mutations (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Many cases of deadly clear-cell ovarian cancers and endometrioid carcinomas appear to arise from disruption of a previously-discovered tumor-suppressor gene, according to new RNA sequencing studies of cancer cells.

Sickle Cell Screening May Cause Harm (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A decision by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to require screening for sickle cell carrier status among Division I athletes ultimately may do more harm than good, researchers predict.

ER First Choice for Many Seeking Care

WASHINGTON (MedPage Today) -- Of the 354 million acute care visits patients made to healthcare providers over a three-year period, more than one-quarter took place in emergency rooms, representing a shift from the old days when general practitioners were the main providers of acute care.

Flu Vaccine a Must for All Healthcare Workers, AAP Says (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- All healthcare personnel should be required to get vaccinated against influenza, according to a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Short Therapy for Ear Infections More Prone to Failure (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A short course of antibiotics for acute otitis media in children is slightly more likely to fail than a longer course, researchers reported.

Geometric Patterns Mesmerize Autistic Tots (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- A toddler's fixation on geometric patterns may be an early warning sign of autism, researchers found.

Lack of Sleep Linked to Distress in Young Adults (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Skimping on sleep can increase the risk for common psychological problems such as low mood and anxiety, according to a large prospective study.

Treating the Poor Linked to Poor Performance Rating (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Physicians who see more socially disadvantaged and nonwhite patients received overall lower-quality performance ratings -- while doctors who see fewer such patients received higher rankings, researchers found.

Scars Increase Risk for Kidney Grafts (CME/CE)

(MedPage Today) -- Scarring and mild inflammation of kidney transplants that develop in the first year predict eventual graft failure, researchers found.

Opening Hours

Appointments

Doctors Working Patterns

Nurses/HCA Working Patterns

The Practice is open between the following times:

Monday	8:00am – 6.30pm
Tuesday	8:00am – 6.30pm
Wednesday	8:00am – 6.30pm
Thursday	8:00am – 6.30pm
Friday	8:00am – 6.30pm
Saturday	closed

appointments Please note that doctors, nurses and HCA’s offer clinics at a variety of times during the opening period of the practice.

We also provide two evening surgeries for pre-booked GP appointments. These are:

Monday (6.30pm to 9.15pm)
Wednesday (6.30pm to 9.00pm)

The practice is not open for other day to day services during this time. Once the practice is closed you will be asked to call the Out-of-Hours Service MK Urgent Care Services after 6.30pm Monday to Friday and during the weekend. MK Urgent Care Services are available on 01908 201022. If you require medical information you can also call NHS Direct on 08454647 which is available 24 hours a day.

Walnut Tree Health Centre will be closed on the following afternoons for Protected Time. This is a Government Initiative and is time set aside for staff training:

Dates for 2010

Tuesday 26 January
Wednesday 24 February
Thursday 18 March
Tuesday 27 April
Wednesday 26 May
Thursday 24 June
Tuesday 20 July
Wednesday 22 September
Opening times will be : 8am - 12noon and re-open at 5pm

Should you need to see a GP urgently during the time we are closed, you should ring MK Urgent Care Services on 01908 201022. For medical advice you should ring NHS Direct on 0845 4647

To make an appointment, telephone our reception staff 8am to 6.30pm, Monday-Friday.

Advanced Booking:

Appointments can be booked up to 4 weeks in advance with a doctor of your choice. These appointments are normally for 10 minutes. However, should you need to discuss several matters or need extra time, please advise the receptionist who will be able to book an extended appointment. Please note that if you are more than 10 minutes late for any appointment it is unlikely you will be seen.

Appointments available the same day:

Each doctor has a limited number of appointments that are available for their patients on request the same day. These appointments are very popular and you are advised to ring early to avoid disappointment.

Click here to book/cancel your appointment online

Urgent Appointments:

Urgent appointments are 5 minutes in duration. We set aside time each day to accommodate these appointments. You will be offered the next available appointment which may not necessarily be with the doctor of your choice.

If the demand for urgent medical attention is exceptionally high you may have to wait to be seen. If you accept one of these appointments then please present the urgent matter only. Other patients may be waiting with significant medical problems.

The doctors currently work on the following days:

Dr Ann Howard Tuesday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning

Thursday morning/afternoon

Dr Dee Morrison Monday morning/afternoon

Thursday morning/afternoon

Alternate Friday morning/afternoon

Dr Keith Thomas Monday morning/afternoon

Tuesday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning/afternoon

Thursday morning

Alternate Friday morning/afternoon

Dr Sue Baxter Tuesday morning/afternoon

Thursday morning/afternoon

Dr Cathy Bruce Monday morning/afternoon

Tuesday morning/afternoon

Friday morning/afternoon

Dr Khatereh Emambakhsh Monday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning/afternoon

Friday morning/afternoon

Dr Vannan Canthaboo Monday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning/afternoon

Friday morning/afternoon

Dr Andrew Nnadi Monday evening

Wednesday evening

The Nurses currently work the following days:

Sister Karen Freeman Monday morning/afternoon

Tuesday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning/afternoon

Sister Belen Plaza Tuesday morning/afternoon

Wednesday morning/afternoon

Thursday morning /afternoon

Friday morning/afternoon

Sister Maria Snee Thursday morning

Friday morning

Kim Chapman Monday morning/afternoon

Tuesday morning

Wednsday morning/afternoon

Thursday afternoon

Friday morning

Lynn Malins Monday morning

Tuesday morning

Thursday morning

Friday morning

Practice Information

For quick medical advice online or on the telephone contact NHS Direct