Windrush Patient's Newsletter

Dr Stephen Smith

Dr Stephen Smith, who has been a vital part of the practice for nearly 30 years, will be retiring at the end of March. He has witnessed and contributed to the practice's significant growth and development over the years. We wish him a happy retirement, and he will be greatly missed by both patients and staff.

A message from Dr Stephen Smith:

I will be retiring on 31/3/26 after having worked at the Windrush Medical Practice for nearly 30 years. Over this time, it has been my privilege to have been your doctor and to have accompanied many of you and your family through periods of ill health.

During my time here the practice has seen many changes and has grown from its prefab. building with just 12,500 patients, 6 doctors and roughly 20 staff to its current modern purpose-built premises with over 21,000 patients, 17 doctors and over 100 staff.

Reflecting the changes in the wider NHS, the care we provide has changed beyond recognition. The increasing complexity of medical problems that are now managed in the practice has required GPs to learn new skills and to utilise a range of other health care professionals. This had led to improve the quality of care and patient safety in many areas.

The ethos of the practice, however, has remained unchanged and is the same as that which attracted me to first join in 1996. Namely, that we really do care about you, our patients, and work incredibly hard to continue to improve the quality of the service we provide in often the most challenging of circumstances. I am incredibly proud of the commitment of all our team in pushing themselves beyond the call of duty to achieve this goal

I leave the practice in a good place with a stable team to continue the good work. My replacement will be Dr Ram Kumar who you may have met as a locum in the practice and in whom we are confident that your care will continue as seamlessly as possible and to the high standards we all set ourselves.

Easter Pharmacy Arrangements

For those of you who access the Dispensary at the surgery, the opening times for the Easter weeks are

• Monday 30th March - Thursday 2nd April 8.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 6.30pm
• Friday 3rd April - Closed
• Monday 6th April - Closed
• Tuesday 7th April - Friday 10th April 8.30am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 6.30pm

Last order date for medication before Easter is Friday 27th March Witney Pharmacy (at the surgery entrance) has been chosen for 111 emergency opening on Good Friday and Easter Monday, from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

Medicine Waste: Play your Part

Medicine waste costs the NHS nationally an estimated £300m each year. We can all help reduce this by:

• Checking your supplies at home before ordering more, including the expiry dates on items in your medicine cabinet.
• Only ordering what you need - do not tick an item if you have enough, and do not order for others.
• Checking your pharmacy bag before you leave, as items cannot be returned once you have left the pharmacy.

If you have excess/no longer required medicines, you can return the following to any pharmacy:

• Prescription medicines: Tablets, capsules, liquids, creams, ointments, inhalers, etc.
• Over the counter medicines: Painkillers, cold and flu remedies, antihistamines.
• Unwanted or expired medicines: Even if partially used or out of date.

Controlled Drugs can be accepted if space allows as secure storage and disposal is required. Hand these in separately in their original container and sign them over to the pharmacy.

Disposal of empty tablet foil: There is a special bin in Boots. It is in the shop ‘part’ opposite the pharmacy counter.

What cannot usually be returned:

• Needles, syringes, and sharps: These must be placed in a special “sharps bin” for safety reasons. Bins are available from, and should be collected by the District Council.
• Non-medicinal waste: This includes chemicals, diabetes kits, paints, solvents, oil, batteries, pesticides, or garden chemicals. Please contact the District Council for advice on their proper disposal.

Pharmacy First

You can attend your local pharmacy for the common conditions but you can also book a remote consultation vei My Local Surgery

• Sore Throat 5 years and over
• Sinusitis 12 years and over
• Shingles 18 years and over
• Acute Otitis Media 1 - 17 years (Ear infection)
• Impetigo 1 years and over
• Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infections Women only 18 - 64 Years
• Infected Insect Bites 1 Year and over

Difference between Acute medication / Repeat Medication and Automatic medication.

Acute medication - a short-term or new prescription that requires a doctor's review before becoming long-term. It cannot be ordered via the NHS app, but you can request it through the Windrush Medical Practice website or the dispensary. After review, new acute medication may be moved to your repeat or automatic list.

Repeat Medication - taken regularly. Order it via the NHS app, our website, or the dispensary when you have 7-10 days of supply remaining.

Automatic Medication - your regular medication which we request every month for you. Can only be items that are issued as a 28-day supply and can not include medication such as cream, inhalers and eye drops.

Help for those with “print disability”

Calibre Audio is a charity which supports those living with “print disability” so they can immerse themselves in stories and unlock the vast benefits of reading. If you live with any of the following you may be entitled to join the scheme for a relatively small annual fee - £30 (under 25s are free):

• Visual impairment
• Arthritis of the hands or wrists
• Dyslexia
• Autism
• ADD/ADHD
• Other physical and neurological conditions that make reading a book difficult - talk to us to find out if your condition qualifies you.

Members have access to more than 21,000 books in 70 categories, including over 3,000 children’s titles. You can choose how to listen: streaming, download, memory stick, or a combination of all three.

More inforamtion about Calibre Audio

Oxfordshire libraries, too, have many ways to assist all with reading in this, the Year of Reading. All libraries have large print material and audio books. You can also download books for free from Oxfordshire Libraries website – you just need a Library card number with PIN. Material is also available in Ukranian.

More information about Oxfordshire libraries eBooks & eAudio

Emergency Departments / A&E attendances at the Oxford University Hospitals

We have been asked to inform you that any patient going to the Emergency Departments, Emergency Assessment Units, GP referral units and Eye Hospital Emergency Department can have a maximum of two people with them. This also applies to the Outpatients’ Departments.

NHS 111 First

Please remember that for medical advice that is not a life-threatening emergency, you should contact NHS 111 First before going to the Emergency Department (A&E). The NHS 111 advisors will assess your needs and can make a booking with one of our Emergency Departments if needed. They can also tell you about alternatives to A&E that might be better for you - and could prevent an unnecessary trip to hospital. This helps reduce waiting times and crowds in the Emergency Departments, keeping you safer from COVID-19 as well as seasonal illnesses like flu and colds. Call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk

Witney Community Hospital, Witney Minor Injuries and GP out of Hours services update

The ongoing upgrade at Witney Community Hospital will be disruptive over the next few weeks. Some areas are closed, requiring different entrances and limiting waiting room capacity; companions may be asked to wait nearby. Crucially, from March 4th, the Minor Injuries Unit and GP Out of Hours will temporarily operate from the next-door building; signage will direct you. Thank you for your patience.

Feedback to the Practice

The team at the practice would very much like to receive feedback regarding the services you receive. Whether positive or negative, your comments are valuable and can lead to improvements. Please contact the Practice Manager

Published: Mar 18, 2026