To make the process of managing your healthcare easier and more efficient, as a Partnership we kindly ask that you use our online AccuRx medical questionnaire for any on the day/urgent medical advice instead of ringing into the Practice.  The online AccuRx tool can be found on our website https://welshpoolmedicalpractice.wales.nhs.uk under Triage/Urgent on the day appointment/advice. The nationally approved questionnaire takes a few minutes and is quick and secure.

*How to access our online AccuRx medical questionnaire*:

•         Type in: www.welshpoolmedicalpractice.wales.nhs.uk on your web browser
•          Select TRIAGE – urgent on the day appointments/advice tab
•          Scroll down to: ‘I have a health problem’
•          Fill out all details within the form to submit

As a patient the benefits to yourself are many:-

• You can share your medical details, without the need to speak to a member of our front line reception team.  The more information you provide the better
• Your request from yourself will be triaged faster as your information will go straight to the clinical team
• More accurate, as you can describe your symptoms in your own words
• You will help us keep our phone lines free for those patients that do not have access to a smart phone, lap top or an I-pad
• No lengthy waits trying to get through our busy phone lines

The exception to the above guidance is if you do not have access to a smart phone, laptop or an iPad, whereby a member of the team will happily accept a phone call and will help you will fill out the AccuRx medical questionnaire for any on the day/urgent medical advice.

Please keep an eye on your phone for a call or text message.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.

In advance we would like to thank you for your cooperation.

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

Dear Patients,

The multi-disciplinary practice team are here to provide care, support, and treatment locally for all our patients.

Our practice team works hard every day to deliver the best service we can offer, within the resources available to us.

Unfortunately, this week we have recently experienced incidents of rude, aggressive, and abusive behaviour towards our staff. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.  The NHS operates a Zero Tolerance Policy, and this includes your local GP Surgery.

This means that any form of verbal abuse, aggression, harassment, or violence towards our team may result in:

• A written warning
• Restriction of services
• In serious cases, removal from the practice list

Our staff deserve to be treated with the same respect and kindness that we show to you.

Let’s work together to keep the practice a safe and supportive place for all patients registered at Welshpool Medical Practice/Guilsfield Surgery

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

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

Welshpool Medical Practice is working in collaboration with Powys Teaching Health Board providing a First Contact Practitioner (FCP) service.

A First Contact Practitioner is a highly skilled healthcare professional, usually a physiotherapist, who specialises in assessing, diagnosing, and managing musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions. This includes problems affecting muscles, joints, bones, tendons, and ligaments.

The FCP service can help with conditions such as:

• Back pain
• Neck pain
• Joint pain and stiffness
• Muscle injuries
• Sports injuries
• Arthritis-related problems
• Tendon and ligament conditions

Our Practitioner can assess your condition, provide advice and treatment options, recommend exercises, arrange further investigations if appropriate, and refer you to other services when needed.  This service allows patients with musculoskeletal concerns to access the most appropriate healthcare professional directly, without needing to see a GP first

The First Contact Practitioner (FCP) service is designed to assess NEW muscle, joint, and bone problems. If your condition has already been assessed and is ongoing, the FCP may not be the most appropriate service,

How to book

Patients can book an appointment with the First Contact Practitioner by:

• Using the NHS App to self-book an available appointment.
• Contacting the practice reception team by telephone or email, who will be happy to arrange an appointment at the next available opportunity

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

June 2026

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.

Powys Teaching Health Board Smoking Cessation Team are here to support smokers in Powys to quit and reach our ambition of a ‘Smoke-free Wales’ by 2030.

The team (pictured here) is led by Ceri Peate (far left), Clinical Lead for Smoking Cessation, and includes Smoking Cessation Advisors (from left to right) Kathryn Jones, Mary Ann Pryce and Alex Doran who work on different days and across the geography of Powys. The team have extensive experience in supporting smokers in their journey to becoming smoke-free and support individuals to quit smoking face-to-face or via telephone.

The support that the team provides can increase the chances of quitting up to 300% compared with going it alone!  The service includes access to FREE nicotine replacement medication. The health benefits of stopping smoking are immediate. To anyone who has struggled to quit, do not feel alone - the service is on hand to support you.

Whether it is visiting a local Smoking Cessation Clinic, meeting with other people who are also quitting on a regular basis or having virtual or telephone calls with one of our trained Smoking Cessation Advisors, there is an option suitable for everyone who wishes to give up smoking. The Smoking Cessation team also work closely with pharmacies across Powys to ensure that clients using the service have as many options available to them as possible.

If you would like to refer someone into the service or if you have any queries, please email StopSmoking.Powys@wales.nhs.uk.

Alternatively, you can refer via a self-referral form at https://www.helpmequit.wales