You can now schedule appointments within the Forest Heath PCN during the following hours:

Monday to Friday: 1830 – 2000 hrs
Saturday: 0900 – 1700 hrs
To find out which practice is open on specific days to accommodate your appointment needs, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your GP reception for more details. Your health and well-being are our top priorities, and we are here to provide you with the care and support you need.

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At Forest Heath Primary Care Network we aim to deliver the best possible healthcare experience, whether through our primary care services such as general checkups and preventative care, or more specialised services like chronic disease management.

At Forest Heath Primary Care Network, we understand the importance of quality healthcare for patients. With this in mind, we strive to provide the latest in medical technology. Our healthcare professionals undergo regular training to ensure they are up-to-date with the latest medical treatments and procedures.

Our website is designed to provide our patients with information to access our range of services, online resources, and signposting. We offer access to your GP practice online patient portal, where you can securely access your health information, request appointments, and communicate with your healthcare provider.

From our website, you can also self-refer for an appointment with a Social Prescriber or Health and Wellbeing Coach.

Social Prescribing Health & Wellbeing

Whether you’re a new patient or have been with us for years, we are committed to providing you with exceptional healthcare services.

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Spotlight on you – Forest Heath PCN

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• The practice handles medical records according to the laws on data protection and confidentiality.
•  We share medical records with health professionals who are involved in providing you with care and treatment. This is on a need to know basis and event by event.
•  Some of your data is automatically copied to the Shared Care Summary Record/ECS.
•  We may/do share some of your data with local out of hours/urgent or emergency services.
•  Data about you is used to manage national screening campaigns such as flu, cervical cytology and diabetes prevention.
•  Data about you, usually de-identified, is used to manage the NHS and make payments.
•  We share information when the law requires us to do so, for instance when we are inspected or reporting certain illnesses or safeguarding vulnerable patients.
•  Your data is used to check the quality of care provided by the NHS.
•  We may also share medical records for medical research.
•  The Swan and Forest Surgery complies with NHS Retention Periods. If you are unhappy with the data we retain or who we share it with, please contact the surgery. If you are still dissatisfied then you can contact the Information Commissioners Office helpline Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545745 (national rate).

The Practice shares your diabetes related data with the Diabetic Eye Screening Programme operated by Health Intelligence (commissioned by NHS England). This supports your invitation for eye screening (where you are eligible and referred by the Practice) and ongoing care by the screening programme. This data may be shared with any Hospital Eye Services you are under the care of to support further treatment and with other healthcare professionals involved in your care, for example your Diabetologist.

For further information, take a look at Health Intelligence’s Privacy Notice on the diabetic eye screening website: www.eadesp.co.uk

Summary Care Record 

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). The Summary Care Record is meant to help emergency doctors and nurses help you when you contact them when the surgery is closed. Initially, it will contain just your medications and allergies.

Later on as the central NHS computer system develops, (known as the ‘Summary Care Record’ – SCR), other staff who work in the NHS will be able to access it along with information from hospitals, out of hours services, and specialists letters that may be added as well.

Your information will be extracted from practices such as ours and held on central NHS databases. As with all new systems there are pros and cons to think about. When you speak to an emergency doctor you might overlook something that is important and if they have access to your medical record it might avoid mistakes or problems, although even then, you should be asked to give your consent each time a member of NHS Staff wishes to access your record, unless you are medically unable to do so.

On the other hand, you may have strong views about sharing your personal information and wish to keep your information at the level of this practice. Connecting for Health (CfH), the government agency responsible for the Summary Care Record have agreed with doctors’ leaders that new patients registering with this practice should be able to decide whether or not their information is uploaded to the Central NHS Computer System.

Enhanced Data Sharing (via our SystmOne system)

The practice uses a ‘cloud-based’ clinical computer system called SystmOne to store your medical information.

The system is also used by other GP practices, Child Health Services, Community Services, Hospitals, Out of Hours, Palliative Care services and many more. This means your information can be shared  with other clinicians so that everyone caring for you is fully informed about your medical history including medication and allergies. To find how your medical information is shared with other organisations that use this system, and how you can control this, please read our leaflet – Summary Records – EDSM Final (3)

To opt-out of enhanced data sharing please contact the Surgery.

You have a choice. If you are happy for your information to be used in this way you do not have to do anything.

Please consider the above methods carefully and separately and contact the surgery if you wish to opt-out.

You have the right to prevent confidential information about you from being shared or used for any purpose other than providing your care, except in special circumstances.

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Please treat our staff and patients with the respect you expect to receive. Physical violence, as well as racial, sexual, and verbal abuse towards our staff will not be tolerated and may result in prosecution.

Physical violence, racial, sexual and verbal abuse of our staff will not be tolerated and may lead to prosecution.

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Look out for this sign at your GP practice

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If you are aged 40- 74 years old and have not had your FREE NHS Health Check in the last five years, you may be eligible to book an appointment.

Your NHS Health Check will assess your current risk of developing certain health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and some forms of dementia.

Although this might sound scary, the NHS Health Check is a useful way to identify potential health risks early and provide guidance on how to maintain or improve your health so that you can prevent poor health in the future.

Book your appointment online today at https://bit.ly/NHSHealthCheckSuffolk

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We can help you with your journey to stopping smoking.

Speak to your surgery about booking in with one of our Health and Wellbeing Coaches for smoking cessation support.

For more information on the ‘Stop Smoking’ 2025 campaign, visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

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If you do not wish to receive these messages please inform a member of reception and we shall opt you out of this service.

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