Carmel Medical Practice

31/03/2026

📢 Important Update to Our Recall Process
We’re making a change to how we invite patients for their routine reviews and health checks.
👉 What’s changing?
We are moving to a birthday month recall process. This means you will now be invited for your annual review(s) during your birthday month.
👉 What does this mean for you?
Some patients may receive an invitation earlier or later (than the anniversary of their last review) than expected while we transition to this new process.
👉 Multiple reviews
If you are due more than one type of review, you may receive more than one invitation.
Where possible, we will combine your appointments, but this is not always possible as some reviews may require different clinician or appointment types.
👉 Why are we making this change?
This update will help us to:
✔ Improve how we manage patient recalls
✔ Make invitations more consistent and easier to track
✔ Ensure everyone is reviewed regularly and on time
Please don’t worry if your invite arrives sooner than you expected — this is part of the changeover.
📅 If you receive an invitation, please book your appointment as usual.
Thank you for your understanding as we improve our processes 💙

31/03/2026

Today is International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Feeling safe, affirmed, and supported is vital for mental health. Today and every day, we stand with trans people as they blossom.

Thanks to thefoxfisher on Instagram for allowing us to share this beautiful illustration.

30/03/2026

Unattended appointments in February 2026
February was not a good month for the number of wasted appointments across Darlington GP practices.
These were all booked by patients who did not turn up for their appointments (DNAs). The figures are town wide from all 11 GP practices within the Darlington Primary Care Network.
117 hours of GP time costing estimated £8,786
43 hours of Nurse Practitioner time costing estimated £1,282
178 hours of Practice Nurse time costing estimated £3,551
85 hours of health care assistant time costing estimated £1,023
Please remember to cancel any appointment you no longer require or are unable to make. We can always offer these to other patients if we are given sufficient notice.
Appointments are in great demand as I am sure you are aware, if we can reduce the number of those not used, we can help you.
Thank you.

28/03/2026

Don't forget! ⏰

The clocks go forward 1 hour this Sunday for Daylight Saving Time.

If your clocks don't update automatically, remember to change them before going to bed on Saturday night.

A simple change, but an easy one to forget!

27/03/2026

⚠️NEWS POST❗

"Don't leave it too late to order your repeat prescriptions!" is the message from GPs and pharmacists ahead of the Easter bank holidays.

Read the full story by visiting the link in the comments👇

27/03/2026

Be prepared over the Easter holidays by keeping a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home🩹

Paracetamol, plasters, indigestion remedy, allergy relief and anti-diarrhoeal medicine are a good place to start!

Your local pharmacist can give you more advice.

Find your nearest pharmacy by searching 🔎 NHS find a pharmacy

27/03/2026

BMI stands for Body Mass Index. It is a simple calculation that uses your height and weight to estimate whether your weight is in a healthy range 📊

Knowing your BMI can help identify if you may be underweight, overweight or at risk of health conditions linked to weight, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

While BMI is a useful starting point, it does not tell the whole story 👇
Waist measurement is also important, as carrying extra weight around your middle can increase your risk of health problems, even if your BMI falls within a healthy range.

Understanding both measurements can help you make informed choices about your health and seek support if needed 💙✨

Calculate your BMI:
https://www.nhs.uk/health-assessment-tools/calculate-your-body-mass-index/calculate-bmi-for-adults

Learn about waist measurement and type 2 diabetes risk:
https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-diabetes/type-2-diabetes/waist-measurement

26/03/2026

Our Social Prescriber Samanthi is with the Carmel team

26/03/2026

💊 Darlington Pharmacies – Opening Hours (Easter Period)

📍 Cockerton Pharmacy
5 West Auckland Road, Cockerton, Darlington, DL3 9EJ
📞 01325 484 828

Monday: 14:00 – 17:00
Tuesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 18:00

📍 Asda Pharmacy (Whinbush Way)
Whinbush Way, Darlington, DL1 3RB
📞 01325 373 410

Monday: 10:00 – 16:00
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Friday: 10:00 – 16:00
Saturday: Closed

📍 Boots (Northgate)
47–53 Northgate, Darlington, DL1 1TT
📞 01325 465 644

Monday: 10:00 – 16:00
Tuesday: Closed
Wednesday – Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00

📍 Morrisons Pharmacy (Morton Park)
Morton Park Way, Darlington, DL1 4PJ
📞 01325 383 181

Monday: 09:00 – 17:00
Tuesday – Saturday: Closed

26/03/2026

🐣 Easter Bank Holiday Notice 🐣

With the upcoming Easter bank holiday, please remember to request your prescriptions in good time to avoid any delays.

We will be open as normal from Monday 30th March to Thursday 2nd April. The practice will then be closed from Friday 3rd April and will reopen on Tuesday 7th April.

On Tuesday 7th April, the doors will open at 7:30am for enhanced access appointments and phone lines will be open from 8:00am.

Thank you for your understanding and we hope you have a lovely Easter! 🌼

26/03/2026

25/03/2026

Today matters 💜 FND Awareness Day UK is here!

Today is about being seen, being heard, and raising awareness of Functional Neurological Disorder.

Across the UK, people are sharing their stories, their voices, and their experiences to help others understand what FND really is.

If you’re taking part today, we see you. 💜
If you’re learning, thank you for being here.

Have you added your pin yet? 👇
https://www.fndaction.org.uk/fnd-awareness-day-uk/
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