Taw Hill Pharmacy

12/11/2023

04/11/2023

Words fail to express our sorrow and profound sense of loss. When I heard the news today it really felt like a light was switched off and my brain just went dark. You lived like a king, loved like a king, and now you will leave a void the size of a king in our hearts. Goodbye for now our angel, a kiss from all of us and rest in peace.

18/07/2023

Our internet is back!! Now we will fiercely catch up.

18/07/2023

Quick update, yesterday the engineer pinpointed the issue. It's somewhere between BT and our secured network provider. An Openreach engineer has been booked for this afternoon to (hopefully) fix the issue.

Just want to explain why it takes so long to re-establish an internet connection in the pharmacy. Like all NHS contractors, we are connected to the NHS network via a secured link. There are FOUR companies involved and it takes a lot of communication and investigation just to pinpoint the problem. On top of all these, there isn't a strong enough 4G signal in or around the pharmacy to install a backup 4G router.

Once again I would like to offer my sincere personal apology for the disruption. As customers, you deserve better service than this. After this is resolved I will be looking into satellite broadband as a backup so we don't end up in this mess again.

16/07/2023

Dear customers, due to a technical fault beyond our control we haven't been able to access electronic prescriptions since around 10am Thursday 13th July. Needless to say, it's very very disruptive, and rest assured that I'm doing everything I can to restore our internet connection with the wider NHS. I personally sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. Hopefully (fingers and toes crossed), we will be back online by the end of Monday 17th July.

If your prescription was sent to us in the last few days and you need it urgently, there are two options:
1. You can ask the surgery to print a hard copy and we can dispense from the hard copy
2. You may choose to go to another pharmacy and provide your NHS number so they can download and dispense it for you

I will keep everyone updated on the situation.

On the flip side, after 10 months of agonising daily commutes to Oxford, I will finally return to Taw Hill for good on 1st August. Shortly after that, I will start doing my clinic again. I'm very glad I can go back to doing what I really enjoy instead of spending up to 3 hours a day on A420/A34.

Charlie

04/05/2023

Thu 4th May
The telephone line is now fully operational. I would like to thank everyone for bearing with us while the issue was getting fixed and once again I would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

02/05/2023

Tuesday 2nd May
The telephone line issue is still ongoing. BT OpenReach engineer has attempted to resolve the issue at the exchange but was unable to connect the line. Another engineer appointment has been booked for tomorrow (Wed 3rd May) and hopefully, will restore the line. We will keep everyone posted.

02/05/2023

Tuesday 2nd May
We haven’t received any updates from OpenReach yet. We will continue to chase them until the issue is resolved. Unfortunately, we are unable to divert the landline to a mobile due to inadequate mobile signal inside the pharmacy.

02/05/2023

Tuesday 2nd May
Morning all, we are aware that our telephone line is down at the moment due to a technical fault at the exchange. BT OpenReach has been informed and they are working to resolve the issue ASAP.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

01/05/2023

We are hiring!

Tired of endless KPI? Sick of working weekends? Wants to further your pharmacy career? Come and join the dream team in Taw Hill Pharmacy where you will be surrounded by highly qualified, experienced, and friendly team members. Please see the poster for more details.

Keeping you well for life. Follow us for regular free health tips.

01/04/2023

First of all, thank you all for the support, comments, and questions.

Many asked me how I envisage a balanced solution to the pharmacy contract in TGV, especially around ease of access. Well, my suggestion is simple. Instead of spending six digits of public money on a new pharmacy contract, why not commission a flexible local delivery service free to all qualified patients? This will cost a fraction of what the new contract will cost and it will truly benefit those in need.

31/03/2023

With the renewed interest in setting up a new pharmacy contract in TGV, I would like to take this opportunity to put forward the other side of the story.

Though we objected to the application it was ultimately turned down by NHS England. Local pharmacies do not have the power to reject or block any application.

NHS England has always insisted there are too many pharmacies, or at least poorly distributed, whether they like to admit it or not. They have been relentlessly cutting pharmacy funding to achieve that reduction. In another word, they want to kill some pharmacies (https://www.chemistanddruggist.co.uk/CD136890/AIMp-boss-hits-out-at-agenda-to-destroy-community-pharmacy). I want to make it abundantly clear that I did not object to pharmacy service in TGV, I objected to A NEW pharmacy contract in TGV. Why another new contract? Why not better utilise the existing ones? Why not invite another local pharmacy contractor to relocate to TGV? As a society we promote recycling and better use of resources, shouldn’t we apply the same rule here?

I was, I am and I will always object to the idea of a pharmacy solely owned by the GP surgery. Such a vertically integrated setup is extremely prone to foul play because there are no checks and balances. You don’t have to look very far, there has been a case in Bath. Trading Standard washed their hands of the matter. General Pharmaceutical and Medical Council said it wasn’t a regulatory matter. Local politicians shrugged their shoulders because what could they do. I’m not saying Westrop may commit such actions and I hope they won’t but absolute control over decisions usually breeds monopoly. The separation of powers has been the foundation of democracy but suddenly it’s not applicable here. Why? I offered Westrop’s senior management the idea of a pharmacy contract governed by a consortium of local contractors on multiple occasions but it was never considered. Again, I wonder why? I’m afraid none of us is a saint when there is money involved.

I want to make these points clear because I do not want existing local pharmacies to be portrayed as the villain. We are not. Community pharmacy is a very difficult place as is. We just want to do our job properly, with the proper amount of funding, and without the fear of our livelihood being threatened by some under-the-table arrangements.

19/12/2022

Dear all, thank you so much for your warm festival wishes. I wish all my customers and your families a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

I would also like to take this opportunity to explain my recent disappearance. No, I haven't abandoned Taw Hill, and I haven't won the lottery (yet) either. I have another pharmacy in Headington, Oxford. The pharmacist there left in Sep and I'm struggling to recruit a new pharmacist over that way. After commuting from Swindon to Oxford every morning for the past 3 months I know why nobody wants to go there! The traffic is HORRENDOUS... Anyway, that's why you haven't seen me in Taw Hill for a while. I've got a few leads now so I'm hoping to get someone early next year. If anyone knows any pharmacist in Oxford please do let me know. And if anyone happens to be near Headington please pop in and say hello. I miss you guys a lot and I'm dying to get back to Taw Hill!!!

14/11/2022

After months of hard practical training and much late-night study, I’m glad to announce that Sue is now qualified to carry out ear examinations and micro suction wax removal. She already has a few happy customers who can now hear a lot better (don’t know if that’s a good thing…👀). Why not give us a call to book a 30-minute ear & hearing health check-up. We have truly state-of-the-art equipment which records both photos and videos of the procedure. These will be saved in your personal profile and can be shared with your GP at your request. She can even arrange a selfie of you and your eardrum if you really want… 🤣

More about microsuction:

Microsuction is the process of removing wax from your ears by using a small suction tube and probe to gently remove any excess wax in the ear. When microsuction is performed by a trained professional, it is one of the safest ways to remove wax from your ears. The procedure will typically last 30 minutes to ensure we have enough time to go through our questionnaire and perform the procedure.

The process is generally painless, but it can be noisy and, at times, a little uncomfortable. If at any point you feel discomfort or pain during the appointment, please make sure you let us know.
Depending on the amount of wax in your ears, you might find that things sound a little different once the wax has been removed. You might also notice a small amount of ringing or buzzing in your ears, but this should settle down after a couple of days.

We will outline all the potential side effects to the procedure during your appointment.

27/10/2022

We have had two kind volunteers now. We will update everyone when the microsuction ear wax removal service is officially up and running in Taw Hill Pharmacy.

More about microsuction:

Microsuction is the process of removing wax from your ears by using a small suction tube and probe to gently remove any excess wax in the ear. When microsuction is performed by a trained professional, it is one of the safest ways to remove wax from your ears. The procedure will typically last 30 minutes to ensure we have enough time to go through our questionnaire and to perform the procedure.

The process is generally painless, but it can be noisy and, at times, a little uncomfortable. If at any point you feel discomfort or pain during the appointment, please make sure you let us know.

Depending on the amount of wax in your ears, you might find that things sound a little different once the wax has been removed. You might also notice a small amount of ringing or buzzing in your ears, but this should settle down after a couple of days.

We will outline all the potential side effects to the procedure during your appointment.