Practice News

📢 Important Update: Availability of Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for Weight Management

NHS England is introducing tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight management as part of a phased national rollout. According to NICE guidelines, patients must be referred to a diet and exercise support programme alongside any prescription of this medication. This programme is known as the Behavioural Support for Obesity Prescribing (BSOP).

⚠️ Not Yet Available in Kent & Medway

Although tirzepatide is expected to become available in primary care from Monday 23rd June for certain eligible patients, this is dependent on the availability of the BSOP service, which has not yet been commissioned in Kent and Medway.

Until this service is in place:

• GPs in our area are not able to prescribe tirzepatide (Mounjaro).

• Tirzepatide is not available under the Right to Choose scheme.

We understand that patients may be eager to access this new treatment, but we kindly ask that you do not book a GP appointment to discuss tirzepatide at this time.

Please check the following website for regular updates:
🔗 Update on availability of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) to support weight loss :: Kent & Medway ICS

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Patient Participation Group - New Hayesbank Surgery - Memory Cafe

Are you living with Dementia, have memory problems and feeling isolated and lonely and want a chat?

New Hayesbank Surgery Patient Participation Group will hold its next Memory Café from 2-3.30pm on Tuesday 8th of July 2025 in the Gardeners Restaurant, Longacres Garden Centre, Bybrook Barn, TN24 9JZ. Thereafter, the Memory Café will be held, at the same time, on the second Tuesday of every month.

The Memory Café provides a regular meeting place, and all are welcome to come along, and talk, natter, have company, and fun, and coffee and cakes.

Carers of people with memory problems, who give so much without question or asking favour, are also most welcome, as are patients from other local GP practices.

If you want to attend, please contact kmicb.midkentpcn@nhs.net

This will help our preparations. That said, if you only make up your mind at the last minute, you will be welcome.

Do Come

Tuesday 8th July 2025 2-3.30pm

Gardeners Restaurant

Longacres Garden Centre, Bybrook Barn

PEOPLE WITH MEMORY PROBLEMS AND CARERS FROM OTHER ASHFORD SURGERIES ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND. NOTIFYING kmicb.midkentpcn@nhs.net WOULD HELP PREPARATIONS.

Warm Homes Healthy Futures

What is Warm Homes, Healthy Futures?
The aim of Warm Homes, Healthy Futures is to provide energy advice and support ‘on prescription’ to vulnerable people living with a health condition or disability that’s made worse by living in a cold, damp, poor quality home. People can be supported with:
• Bespoke advice and support with their energy bills, suppliers, and energy saving
• Benefit checks, income maximisation and claim support
• Servicing of boilers and gas appliances
• Signup to the Priority Services Register
• Carbon monoxide awareness
• Support accessing crisis support that might be available, for example fuel vouchers
• Support accessing grants for repair and replacement boilers and other household measures such as insulation

Who is delivering it? 
National Energy Action (NEA) is a national charity working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to ensure that everyone can afford to live in a warm, safe and healthy home. NEA has been around for more than forty years and has worked on the delivery of many heathfocused referral projects. We and our partners know how significant this type of support can be to people who have a health condition, are vulnerable to the cold, and struggling to manage their energy bills. NEA is pleased to be working with a wide network of health partners and other key local agencies in more than twenty areas across Great Britain. The programme is funded by the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance fund and is supported by the Gas Distribution Networks, Cadent, Northern Gas Networks, SGN and Wales and West Utilities. 

Referrals are being taken now and the programme will run until March 2026.

How does the programme work?
The project is intended to support individuals who are living with a health condition or disability that is made worse by living in a cold, damp, poor quality home, and struggling to afford the cost of their energy bills.

If you identify clients or patients that could benefit from support with this issue, then please 
make a referral via the dedicated Warm Homes, Healthy Futures secure online referral form: 
https://www.nea.org.uk/whhf-energy/

NEA’s expert and dedicated advisers will then make contact with that person to discuss how we 
can best provide help and support. We’ll try to reach to them by phone and text message (as well 
as email if they have provided an email address and are happy to communicate this way).

For questions or further information please contact: healthyfutures@nea.org.uk

Missed Appointments to date 2025

The following appointments were wasted due to none arrivals of patients at Musgrove Park, Sydenham House and Hollington Surgery:

• Practice Nurse 168 did not attend
• Nursing associate 57 did not attend
• Health Care Assistants 295 did not attend

This totals 520 missed appointments in total.

Covid vaccinations

Covid vaccinations are now available to book via the national booking site or by telephoning 119. Musgrove Park is listed as Stour PCN.

Pharmacy First

Published on 6th Feb 2024