Welshpool Medical Centre

Triage is open to requests from 8-11am for the morning appointments and from 2-3pm for afternoon appointments. 

***Our triage is for urgent on the day appointments; please ensure that when submitting a form that you are available to attend for an appointment for the morning or afternoon that you are contacting the surgery***

Dear Patients

Flu can make anyone unwell, but getting vaccinated is quick, easy, and effective.

Book your flu jab today and:
✅ Protect yourself from flu
✅ Protect your loved ones
✅ Stay healthy this winter

📅 Appointments available now week commencing 6^th October, from your local GP Surgery who have your health record to hand
📞 Call us on 01938 553118 or book online via welshpoolmedicalpractice.wales.nhs.uk or via the Welsh NHS App

Don’ wait—get your flu jab and stay safe!

Drs Russell, Aslam, Vibhishanan, Kelly, Kingham and Hirons

𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀

To ensure your safety and improve asthma management, 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗹 (𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲) 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝟯 𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿.

Salbutamol inhalers are “reliever” medications, intended for occasional use during sudden asthma symptoms or attacks. Needing more than 3 a year may be a sign that your asthma is not well controlled, which can increase the risk of severe attacks and hospital admissions.

The Wales Asthma Report 2023 found that:

𝗔𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 (𝟰𝟴%) 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀

𝟭 𝗶𝗻 𝟱 (𝟮𝟮%) 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿

𝗧𝘄𝗼-𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲

Reliever inhalers only treat symptoms — they don’t address the underlying inflammation that causes asthma. Preventer treatments keep asthma under control long-term.

For people whose asthma is not well controlled on inhaled corticosteroids alone, a combined inhaler (containing a preventer plus a fast-acting but long-lasting reliever) may be recommended. These inhalers can be used both for daily prevention and quick relief of symptoms and are considered a much safer option than relying on salbutamol alone.

Reducing over-reliance on blue inhalers helps keep people safe, lowers avoidable hospital visits, and is better for the environment.

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀

We invite every patient to the surgery for an annual asthma review, but not everyone attends. For those who have not attended an asthma review in the last 6 months, we will review their records. 𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀.

If salbutamol is being overused, we will reduce the number prescribed each year to 3.

At the same time, we will ensure patients are on the most appropriate preventer inhaler. In many cases, this will be a combined preventer/reliever inhaler.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗺𝗮 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

Any changes made will be clearly communicated — either at your annual asthma review, or via text message.

If you are not subscribed to our text service, you will receive a letter by post.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Dr Russell & Partners, Welshpool Medical Practice

If you have any comments or complaints about Welshpool Medical Practice and Guilsfield Surgery please write into the Practice Manager.

DO NOT USE social media sites, Facebook or Twitter.

Any comments seen by Drs Russell, Kiel, Aslam, Vibhishanan, Kelly, Kingham and Hirons on any social media site may be viewed as a breach of our Zero Tolerance Policy.

We are happy to deal with your comments via our Complaints Procedure.