We would like to show you how we have learned and made changes as a result of comments, compliments and suggestions we have received.
You Said March 2013
You are trying to find out if you, as a 64 year old, should pay for x-rays when having dental examinations. You also ask if there is an email address that you can contact to ask specific questions.
We Did March 2013
Dental examinations for people over 60 are free in Wales. However anything over and above the examination itself is chargeable at the agreed NHS rate. This would include taking x-rays which fall in to the Band 1 charge category. At present Band 1 work is charged at £12.40.
We have a section on our website called 'Ask us your Health Questions' where you can ask specific questions to a Health Information Specialist team who will do research on your behalf and reply to you within 3 working days. To access this service click here.
You Said February 2013
On our local services it stated that Boots in Rhyl was open on Sunday and that after you travelled a distance found out that it was closed
We Did February 2013
The pharmacy details have been checked and, as stated by yourself, shows that Boots Rhyl is open on Sunday's between 11am and 4pm. These details have been input into our database by the All Wales Pharmacy Network as the regular opening hours. If you wish to discuss this matter further you could contact the pharmacy (Boots Rhyl) directly. We have not been advised of any changes to the opening hours by the pharmacy.
You Said January 2013
You wanted to reschedule and eye clinic and advising that you left a message for the eye clinic but are unsure if they have received the message. You also would like to be able to book appointments online.
We Did January 2013
The aim of our website is to provide information and advice. Unfortunately, we do not work in partnership with other health organisations in relation to electronic appointment bookings and cancellations. Hospitals have different ways of arranging appointments and cancellations therefore you would need to speak to your hospital directly to discuss local arrangements.
My Health Online is a website system which members of the public can sign up to and have the ability to make GP appointments online, order repeat prescriptions and update their own personal details. Click here for further ifnormation. Currently, not every GP surgery uses this system therefore you would need to check if your own GP surgery is linked to My Health Online.
You Said August 2012
You live in the Hywel Dda Health Board area and are unable to find an NHS dentist accepting patients.
We Did August 2012
Dentist notify us weekly if there are any changes to the services they provide, therefore we update our directory each time we are notified.
Health Boards in Wales are responsible for providing NHS dentistry services to members of the public in their catchment area. If you require further information or have any concerns about the dental services in your area, then you should contact the Health Board in your area.
The contact details for the Health Board that covers your post code area are:
Hywel Dda Health Board, Merlin's Court, Winch Lane, Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, SA61 1SB
Tel: 01437 771 220
You Said July 2012
You'd like more topics available in Welsh
We Did July 2012
We are striving to have as many topics as possible available in Welsh to members of the public. At the moment we are concentrating on the most used and common topics that are looked at each month.
We get our content for the Encyclopaedia from NHS Choices which is an England website. Then we have to look through the content, changed some sections to make them relevant to Wales, get them translated and checked for accuracy by medical experts.
We will continue to get as many topics translated as possible.
You Said June 2012
You mentioned that the link to NICE's document on 'referral for suspected cancer' was out of date.
We Did June 2012
We have researched your feedback and checked the 'referral for suspected cancer' document that you mentioned, which is on the NICE website. This is an up to date document which was last modified in April 2011, therefore even though it shows the issue date as 2005 it is still an up to date document.
You Said March 2012
You were looking for more local information on the Carers page
We Did March 2012
We have added a link to our Local Services search for Health and Wellbeing Support groups. Here you can select Carers from the list and type in your postcode. This will bring up local Carers groups and there are National groups at the bottom of the page.
You Said January 2012
You were looking for a symptom checker.
We Did January 2012
We currently have a Colds and Flu Self Assessment Tool available on the website. The interactive tool guides people through a series of questions about their symptoms before providing advice on what actions to take. Click here to see the symptom checker. We are hoping to develop further self assessment tools in the future.
To see other interactive features we have on the webiste please click here:- http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/doityourself/.
You Said January 2012
You were looking for an urgent dental appointment.
We Did January 2012
If you are not registered with a dentist and need an appointment urgently, and you live within one of the following Health Board areas - Abertawe Bro Morgannwg, Betsi Cadwaladr, Powys or Hywel Dda - then you can call 0845 46 47. Listen carefully to the recorded message for further instructions. For patients' safety all calls are recorded. Calls are charged at local rates.
If you live within the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area and need treatment urgently then you will need to call the Aneurin Bevan Dental Helpline which covers the Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen areas. The helpline is available Monday to Thursday between 9.00am and 4.00pm, and on Fridays between 9.00am and 3.00pm. You can contact them on 01633 488389.
If you live within the Cardiff and Vale Health Board area you will need to contact the Cardiff and Vale Dental Helpline on 02920 444500. The helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you live within the Cwm Taf Health Board area you can contact the Cwm Taf Dental Helpline on 01433 680166, available Monday to Friday 9.00am to 5.00pm. Within the Cwm Taf area, if you need urgent assistance during evenings, weekends and bank holidays you can contact the Cwm Taf Dental Helpline (out of hours service) on 0845 601 1001 (available Monday to Friday between 6.30pm and 8.00am and from 8.00am on Saturday until 8.00am Monday). The helpline covers the Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil areas.
If you would like to register with a dentist then you can click here and search our dental database. Type in your postcode and click search. You can find out if the dentist is accepting patients by clicking on the dental practice name and then clicking on services offered for further information. Click here for more Frequently Asked Questions on dentists.
You Said January 2012
You wanted to know how to make an appointment to see a doctor.
We Did January 2012
If you are registered with a GP then you can use our GP search facility by clicking here to find details for your GP. Type in your postcode and click search, then click on the name of your GP and you will be able to see opening times by clicking on the services offered tab. There may be more specific details relating to appointment times for your GP, but this would only be included if your GP has advised of this information to has asked for us to include it on our website. If you cannot find the information you want, you can ring your GP, during their opening hours, and ask them for more specific information regarding making appointments.
If you are not registered with a GP already, click here and it will provide you with information you need to register with a local GP.
You Said December 2011
You wanted to find out how to complain about the NHS Direct phone service.
We Did December 2011
If you would like to leave feedback or make a suggestion about the phone service click here and it will explain what you need to do.
You Said November 2011
That you were unable to find a telephone number for a dietician.
We Did in November 2011
We do not hold contact details for dieticians on the NHS Direct Wales website as you would need to see your GP in order to be referred to a dietician. You cannot self refer to a dietician on the NHS.
You Said in November 2011
You were seatching for up to date information on waiting times on hip surgery
We Did in November 2011
Here is a link to our waiting times page http://www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk/encyclopaedia/w/article/waitingtimes/ - this link will provide up to date information on waiting times for all of wales. You can also find information on the Welsh Government website by clicking on the following link http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/theme/health/waiting-times/?lang=en
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You Said in October 2011
That you were searching for an email address to contact NHS regarding surgery
We Did in October 2011
NHS Direct Wales has an Online Enquiry Service where you can ask us any health information queries via email. Click here to find out more about the service. If the Online Enquiry Service does not suit your needs then please visit our 'Contact us' page to find the most appropriate contact details for you.
You Said in September 2011
You wanted to find the nearest A&E department in the Powys area.
We Did in September 2011
You can search the local services by using a postcode, town or city. If you originally tried by typing 'Powys' into the search box it will only show the hospitals in that area. We would advise using a postcode, clicking on A&E in the filter by section and then clicking search. This will provide the nearest hospital with an A&E department.
You Said in August 2011
You wanted to find out waiting times for surgery following an appointment with a consultant.
We Did in August 2011
There are no published waiting times per speciality per hospital any longer. We would advise you to contact the waiting times officer at the hospital in which you have been referred to. Hospitals have been working to reduce waiting lists but each area is different.
Click here for information on how long you would expect to wait from the time of referral to seeing a consultant for initial consultation (this is a guide line only and as mentioned above, each hospital in different areas are different).
You Said in July 2011
You wanted information on Sarcoidosis
We Did in July 2011
As this is not a very common illness we do not hold information on it within our health encyclopaedia. However we do have contact details on our Health and Wellbeing database for a sarcoidosis helpgroup. Click here for further details on the group.
You Said in July 2011
You wanted the number of a GP Surgery
We Did in July 2011
Our GP Directory has details of GP's throughout Wales, you can search by using the name of the practice, your postcode or town. You can then text the contact details to your mobile phone free of charge.
You Said in May 2011
That you were unable to find an NHS dentist in your area.
We Did in May 2011
'Health Boards in Wales are responsible for providing NHS dentistry services to members of the public in their catchment area. If you require more information or have any concerns about the dental services in your area, then you should contact your local Health Board. Find the details here.'
You Said in January 2011
You wanted more interactive features on the site.
We Did in March 2011
'We have launched a new Lifestyle & Wellbeing area on the site it's packed with interactive features; you can calculate if you are a healthy weight and find out what health benefits your body will experience from the minute you give up smoking. There are also diary sheets for you to print off and set your own goals whether you want to lose weight, excercise more or cut down on how much alcohol you drink.'
You Said in January 2011
Over 2000 people used the Cold & Flu Self Assessment Tool during the Christmas fortnight. The feedback received was all very postitive.
We Did
' We are now exploring other Self Assessment Tools to add to the website, stating with an assessment for dental problems.'
You Said in April 2010
"a symptom checker would be good for the site."
We Did
There will be a new Colds and Flu Self Assessment Tool available on the website soon. The interactive tool will guide people through a series of questions about their symptoms before providing advice on what actions to take.
You Said in December 2009
"That you wanted a free 'Quit Kits' to help stop smoking."
We Did
''The materials offered as part of the 'Smokefree' campaign are only available to residents in England. However, information on support to stop smoking and associated resources for residents in Wales are available from Stop Smoking Wales on 0800 085 2219 or www.stopsmokingwales.com.''
You Said in February 2009
"That you were unable to find a hospital using our search facility."
We Did
We will soon be launching a new streamlined search function for all local service information on our website.
You Said in November 2008
"A list of support groups for various conditions would be useful."
We Did
We have a Health, Wellbeing & Support Directory available on the website with details of local groups and national organisations who offer a range of health, wellbeing and support services. If you run a group and would like to include your details on our directory you can do so by following this link.
You Said in September 2008
"Can you add a link to our website from the NHS Direct Wales website?"
We Did
Any requests we receive to add web links are subject to our internal website accreditation process. This is to ensure that the websites are up to date, evidence based and relevant to our service users. This process may take a few weeks, any sites that do not meet our accreditation requirements will receive feedback via their own sites.
You Said in August 2008
"Distances provided to dental practices are inaccurate."
We Did
Added a sentence to the dental search page advising that distances provided are ‘as the crow flies’ and are calculated from the NHS National Postcode Directory. However, within each record there is an added ‘Directions’ facility which provides accurate distances/traveling times if you are traveling by car, public transport or walking.
You Said in March 2008
"It would be useful to have a copy of the Book Prescription Wales Booklist on the site."
We Did
Downloadable PDF version of the booklist was added on the site, subsequently this has become one of the top 10 downloaded pages on the site.