Practice Update: Improvements to Reviews, Monitoring and Blood Tests

Over the coming months, we’ll be introducing a new system at The Bay Medical Practice to help us manage annual reviews, medication monitoring and blood tests more effectively.

This will help us improve how routine monitoring is organised, particularly for patients with long-term health conditions such as asthma, diabetes or high blood pressure, or for those taking medications that require regular blood tests.

One of the key improvements is that we will begin bringing together different tests and checks into fewer appointments where possible. For example, if you need blood tests for several reasons, we may complete them at the same time rather than inviting you to attend the practice multiple times throughout the year.

Over time, we will also aim to align many routine reviews with your birth month, making it easier to keep track of when your checks are due.

You may also notice some changes in how we contact you. For example, we may send:

• Links to health questionnaires so you can update us on how you are doing
• Requests for readings such as blood pressure, weight or pulse
• Appointment booking links, allowing you to choose a suitable time without needing to call the practice

These changes will help us:

• Reduce unnecessary appointments
• Improve follow-up and monitoring for long-term conditions
• Free up our phone lines for patients who need additional support
• Make it easier for patients to share information with us between appointments

We will introduce these changes gradually over the coming months. If you are due a review or monitoring test, we will contact you when it is needed.

➡ You can read more about what these changes mean for you here:
https://thebaymedicalpractice.nhs.uk/march_2026_improvements/

Thank you for your continued support as we work to improve the way we care for our patients and our community.