Long Term Conditions

It is important that all patients with asthma should have regular check-ups so that their condition can be monitored and their treatment adjusted if necessary.

You will be invited to an annual asthma review with a practice nurse. You will receive an invite for this in the post. When booking this appointment, please make it clear to reception that this is what you are booking.

For patients who are due an annual asthma review.

Please would you answer the questions on the form below and submit it to us.

If your symptoms are deteriorating or you have any concerns, please make an appointment to the respiratory nurse or a doctor as well.

Open the Asthma Annual Review Form (This form will be seen by a practice nurse, you will be contacted within 7 days if you require an appointment. If your asthma is shown to be well controlled, you may not require an appointment) 

Click to here download a copy of a written asthma action plan includes all the information you need to look after your asthma well, so you’ll have fewer symptoms and significantly cut your risk of an asthma attack.

Useful Links

Cancer - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Cancer Overview
An excellent resource with useful video, audio, images and references relating to differing forms of Cancer, the causes & treatments.

Cancerhelp
Free information service provided by Cancer Research UK about cancer and cancer care for people with cancer and their families. Information is formatted in such a way that makes understanding the website an easy process

Macmillan Cancer Support
Europe's leading cancer information charity, with over 4,500 pages of up-to-date cancer information, practical advice and support for cancer patients, their families and carers.

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of Cancer

These links all come from trusted resources but if you are unsure about these or any other medical matters please contact your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

It is important that all patients with CHD should have regular check-ups so that their condition can be monitored and their treatment adjusted if necessary. You will be invited for a review annually. You will receive an invitation for this. You will need to book a 30 minute appointment with a Healthcare Assistant, followed by a 30 minute appointment with a nurse two weeks later. 

This annual review will cover not only your CHD but any other chronic disease you may have (e.g. COPD or Diabetes). During this appointment, a personalised care plan will be created, enabling you to identify your own goals, action plans and any support you may need.

Useful Links

CHD - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

CHD
An excellent resource with useful video, audio, images and references relating to CHD.

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of CHD.

British Heart Foundation
Our vision is of a world in which people do not die prematurely of heart disease. We will achieve this through our pioneering research, our vital prevention activity and by ensuring quality care and support for people living with heart disease.

It is important that all patients with COPD should have regular check-ups so that their condition can be monitored and their treatment adjusted if necessary. You will be invited for a review annually. You will receive an invitation for this. You will need to book a 30 minute appointment with a Healthcare Assistant, followed by a 30 minute appointment with a nurse two weeks later. 

This annual review will cover not only your COPD but any other chronic disease you may have (e.g. CHD or Diabetes). During this appointment, a personalised care plan will be created, enabling you to identify your own goals, action plans and any support you may need.

Useful Links

NHS Choices
Guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and risks of COPD from the NHS

COPD Factsheet
This factsheet is for people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or who would like information about it.

British Lung Foundation
Information and guidance on living with COPD

We invite all our patients to attend our diabetic clinic at least annually. This gives you the chance to discuss any problems you have with your diabetes as well as receiving a thorough check-up of your circulation, blood pressure, feet (including seeing the podiatrist if necessary), and reviewing your recent blood tests. 

You will be invited for a review annually. You will receive an invitation for this. You will need to book a 30 minute appointment with a Healthcare Assistant, followed by a 30 minute appointment with a nurse two weeks later. 

This annual review will cover not only your Diabetes but any other chronic disease you may have (e.g. COPD or CHD). During this appointment, a personalised care plan will be created, enabling you to identify your own goals, action plans and any support you may need.

We are also part of the local scheme for digital photography of the eye to help check for any eye problems and you will be invited for screening on a regular basis.

Drugs for diabetes are now much more sophisticated than before and there are frequent new developments. Research also tells us about how best to treat your condition and what targets we should try to achieve in lowering your blood sugar and blood pressure in order to reduce your risk of a heart attack, stroke or eye and kidney problems. As well as visiting the clinic it is also important to have regular check-ups and blood tests as advised by your doctor to make sure we are keeping your diabetes as well controlled as possible.

Useful Links

Diabetes - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Type 1 Diabetes
An excellent resource with useful information and references relating to Type 1 Diabetes.

Type 2 Diabetes
A useful resource regarding Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes UK
Largest charity in the UK devoted to the care and treatment of people with diabetes in order to improve the quality of life for people with the condition

NHS Choices
Further information about symptoms, treatment, causes and prevention of Diabetes

It is important that all patients with Mental Health conditions should have regular check-ups so that their condition can be monitored and their treatment adjusted if necessary. We will invite you for an annual health check. This will consist of a 20 minute appointment with a Health Care Assistant, followed by a 20 minute appointment with your GP two weeks later.

If you need counselling, your GP may refer you. 5 sessions are offered through the NHS, but waiting lists can be many months.

Alternatively, the Wantage Counselling service is a registered charity and offers a chargeable service. www.wantagecounselling.org.uk/index.html.

The Mental Health Team is based in Witney (for children) and Abingdon for adults. There is a clinic once a month at the Faringdon Health Centre. A GP referral is needed.

Oxfordshire Mind offers help and support: www.oxfordshire-mind.org.uk/

Oxfordshire County Council Mental Health services: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/mental-health-services

Useful Links

Mental Health - Healthtalkonline
Healthtalkonline, an award-winning charity website, lets you share in other people's experiences of health and illness. An excellent resource compiled after interviewing a wide range of people suffering from heart disease.

Alzheimer's Disease
An information sheet helping to understand mroe about Alzheimer's Disease

Depression
An information sheet helping to understand more about the causes, treatment and understanding of Depression

Alzheimer’s Society
Comprehensive information for people with all forms of dementia. Alzheimer's Society is a membership organisation, which works to improve the quality of life of people affected by dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Mental Health Foundation
Founded in 1949, the Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity that provides information, carries out research, campaigns and works to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live

Useful Links

Arthritis Research UK
Arthritis Research UK is the charity leading the fight against arthritis. Everything we do is underpinned by research

NHS Choices
Guide to the symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and risks of Ostearthritis from the NHS

Osteoarthritis Factsheet
This factsheet is for people who have osteoarthritis or who would like information about it.

Arthritis Care
Arthritis Care exists to support people with arthritis. They are the UK’s largest organisation working with and for all people who have arthritis.

Living with Pain

The NHS website contains lots of useful information, tips and advice on living with chronic pain.

Help from your GP and use of NHS services dedicated to pain management can help make sufferers more independant, reduce the severity of pain and assist in day to day with coping with what can be a debilitating condition.

Useful Links

• Back pain
• Neuralgia
• Complex regional pain syndrome
• British Pain Society: pain clinics
• British Pain Society: pain management programmes pdf

In 2007 the Department of Health sponsored Year of Care Partnerships  to work with clinical teams to establish how to introduce care planning and support for self management as part of routine management for people with long term conditions.

The programme recognised the challenges faced by people with long term conditions and the need to support effective self management, using a tool known as care planning.

Care planning enables the individual to identify their own goals, action plans and any support they may need. This becomes a gateway to providing personalised support, which:

• Links traditional clinical care with support for self management
• Signposts to community resources available
• Coordinates health and social care where appropriate.  

For people with some conditions, such as diabetes or chronic lung disease, there may be a need for tests or investigations as part of their routine monitoring.  These would be done at the first contact and the results would be sent to the person a few days later, prior to their care and support planning consultation. This gives them the opportunity to consider their test results, and what these mean to them, along with family and friends as needed.  They will also be provided with agenda setting prompts to help them reflect on life with their long term conditions and what they would like to discuss in the consultation. 

The agreed discussions and actions are summarised into a care plan, which is shared with the patient immediately and allows them to keep a record of the consultation.

For more information, please click here.