East Sussex MSK Community Partnership (ESMSK) is an NHS referral management service, offering pathways and services for the care and treatment of patients with bone, joint and muscle conditions (musculoskeletal or MSK for short). The service also manages referrals and provides care and support for rheumatology patients and those with chronic pain. 

There are multiple routes into the service. MSK accept referrals from a variety of practitioners, for example your GP. They also accept referrals from physiotherapy providers and other NHS services. 

If you would like to access physiotherapy you can also self refer.

Spring Newsletter April 2025

Past Practice Newsletters 

WINTER NEWSLETTER '24

Summer Newsletter '24

Spring Newsletter '24

Winter Newsletter '23

In the month of January the Practice had 167 appointments that weren't attended.  The highest number 7.6%, of appointments that weren't attended were for blood tests followed by 8.6% pre-bookable face to face appointments and those face to face appointments booked on the day, either at the desk or over the telephone. 

It is important that you inform our reception team if you are unable to attend your appointment, this will allow that appointment to be offered to another patient.

Please cancel your appointment via the appointment reminder text message or you can call us.  You can leave a message on our cancellation answerphone or if your appointment is within the hour of your call, please speak to a member of the reception team so that the appointment can be promptly offered to another patient.

If you fail to notify the Practice that you are unable to attend, you will usually be sent a text message informing you that you have failed to attend your appointment; this information is added to your medical record.

All of these appointments are in high demand on a daily basis.  

New clinically validated digital screening and support service for those experiencing sleep problems including a full online programme of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi). This service is now available to Seaside Medical Centre.

This service is easy to access through self referral as well as through your GP.
Self Referral Link: https://www.sleepstation.org.uk/nhs_options/

The Urgent Dental Care and Stabilisation (UDCS) programme is operating across 'high street' primary dental practices in Sussex. 

This service provides access to urgent dental care for anyone unable to access a dental appointment for urgent dental issues.  The service is intended for patients without access to a regular dentist and those that are struggling to get an urgent appointment with their regular dentist. 

The service also offers appointments to patients from identified vulnerable groups who for whatever reason require an urgent assessment of their oral health.  Vulnerable patients could be those on bisphosphonate medication, immunosuppresse and patients requiring dental assessment or fitness to commence oncology or cardiology treatment.  Other vulnerable groups would be, homeless people, care home residents, looked after children and care leavers and those from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities. 

This service is managed by the Sussex Dental Helpline between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday on 0300 123 1663 or by email to kcht.dentalhelpdesk@nhs.net

If you have unused and unopened surgical consumables such as bandages, catheters etc, please bring them to the Surgery and place them in the yellow Medi Tech Trust Recycling Bin in our Reception Area.  Medi Tech Trust will send them to overseas hospitals where they can be immediatly used. 

If you have larger unused medical equipment such as crutches, boots, supports etc, plese phone Medi Tech on 01323 442211 to arrange a collection.

To comply with UK legislation, NO MEDICINES can be accepted.  These must be returned to a pharmacy. 

Click here for further information about Medi Tech.

We can only perform blood tests requested by our practice GPs. For blood tests requested by other healthcare professionals outside our surgery please book using the hospital service via this link:  https://tinyurl.com/4kcbsxk3 or Bexhill Community Diagnostic Centre via this link: https://tinyurl.com/3a22693k  or call  0300 131 5560. Please do not call reception, details are in the attached letter.

Patient Letter on Practice Changes

An Advice Leaflet to parents/carers of babies and children on 'How to Keep Them Well'

We would like to ask patients to refrain from dropping off urine samples to the surgery for suspected urinary infections (UTI) unless a clinician has requested you to. The Practice has a protocol to follow as dip testing samples in the Practice doesn't give the clinical information required or an indication of how unwell a patient may be.  A sample may need to be sent to the hospital laboratory but before doing so symptoms must be discussed with a clinician.  

Due to new guidelines, your GP is no longer the first port of call for UTI's.  If you are female and aged 16-65 and think you may have a UTI you should now contact your pharmacy where they will assess you and provide necessary treatment.  If you have blood in your urine, pregnant or have diabetes you still need to see a GP. 

If you suspect you have a UTI and do not fit the criteria for the Pharmacy service they will advise you to make contact with the Practice for either a telephone or face to face consultation. This procedure has been put in place following NICE guidance.  For more information on this follow the links provided. 

UTI's in Women

UTI's in Men

Safe Working Guidance - Patient Information

Did you know that your Practice receives just £107.57 per year for each patient, whatever their health needs.  That's less than the cost of an annual TV licence, working out to be just 30p a day for every patient registered with us. We believe General Practice deserves a bigger slice of NHS funding so we can hire more GP's, Clinical and Administrative staff to enable us to deliver services you require and make it easier for you and your loved ones to get appointments to see your GP and Practice team.  

BMA Campaign - GP's Are On Your Side

The new Pharmacy First Service will enable community pharmacists to provide care for patients without the need for patients to visit their GP. 

Patients ringing into Seaside Medical Centre will be triaged by the team and depending on the condition referred to the pharmacist if it is found to be appropriate.   The pharmacists will be able to provide advice and NHS funded treatment where clinically appropriate for these 7 conditions:

• Sinusitis for adults and children aged 12 and over
• Sore throat for adults and children aged 5 and over
• Acute otitis media for children aged 1 to 17years
• Infected insect bite for adults and children aged 1 year and over
• Impetigo for adults and children aged 1 year and over
• Shingles for adults aged 18 years and over, and
• Uncomplicated urinary tract infections in women aged 16-64 years.

A patient’s General Practice will be notified of the outcome of the Pharmacy First consultation at the pharmacy. 

·                Swollen feet

·                Tonsilitis

·                Gout

·                Shingles

·                Sunburn

·                UTI

·                Rashes

The County Council has a helpful set of Cost-of-Living Support pages, which offer helpful information about benefits, housing, foodbanks etc.  These pages may be helpful to those that are struggling mentally and physically. 

Cost of Living Support

If you are a male and aged 65+ and haven't been screened before, you are eligible for a free NHS screening examination.  

HENRY Information Leaflet

Healthy Families Growing Up

Advice and guidance to patients who access private treatment from a specialist without being referred by their GP and how Seaside Medical Centre can only prescribe 'shared care' medications initiated by an NHS provider of care.  See our information on Shared Care Agreements

If you have every been worried about visiting your local GP Practice, knowing other patients have had a good experience can help to set your mind at ease. Thanks to data gathered in the GP Patient Survey you can check how your GP surgery ranks in your area. Twice a year more than a million adults who are registered with a GP in England are sent this survey. Ratings are based on experience of access, making appointments, quality of care, patient health and experience of NHS services when a patient's GP practice was closed. Patients are also asked how likely they are to recommend their practice to others. As headlined in the Eastbourne Herald, Seaside Medical Centre has come out top in this survey with an astounding 92.2% of patients that would recommend the surgery and the care they receive. This information is available on the NHS Choices website. You can read this report also by visiting https://www.gp-patient.co.uk/report?practicecode=G81017. Or you can view your local surgery rankings by entering the location, town or postcode and filtering the list based on NHS Users Ratings, visit https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/gp/locationsearch/4.

Southdown Community Connectors are there to support patients to improve their mental health and wellbeing.  The service is free to all aged 16 and over. For more information please see the Community Connectors leaflet .

Patients can also able to self refer to the service. 

SUDI STOP information - Pan-Sussex FINAL.pdf