PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP – BADDOW VILLAGE SURGERY
Introduction
It doesn’t feel like a few months since our first newsletter but then there has been so much to celebrate over recent months from our Queen’s Jubilee to our Olympic and Paralympic athletes, blessed by some excellent sunshine.
Your Patient Reference Group has also been busy as well,preparing for its first AGM and elections. This issue highlights flu vaccinations one of the most important public health campaigns each year. If you are invited to do so, please do have the jab as influenza remains a serious disease causing deaths each year. More happily, we also include pen pictures of some of the team and a reminder of how you can help yourself and others by booking surgery appointments on-line.
Ken Edwards, Editor
What’s happening in the Patient Reference Group (PRG)?
In the months since the last newsletter the PRG has considered the following:
- progress with keeping the notice boards neat, tidy and up to date– We hope you’ve noticed.
- positive patient feedback on the notices where surgeries are running late.
- how to tackle the gardens around the surgery – some work has been done, however more
volunteersupport would be much appreciated.
- holding patient information events on selected topics – plans in hand for an event in January.
- preparation for the practice survey 2013 – what questions should be asked?
Note for your diary – our Annual General Meeting will be held at 7.00pm on Tuesday 23rd October at Committee Room 1, Great Baddow Parish Hall, 19 Maldon Road, CM2 7DW.
Any patient in the practice can attend the AGM. It would be particularly helpful if you could let us know beforehand if you intend to do so, by contacting or by leaving a message with the surgery reception. The meeting will include a report of the work of the Group and the election of members. Any patient wishing to stand for election should contact our Chairman c/o the surgery at least 14 days before the meeting.
The current elected members are Maureen Hindle, Shannon Abbott, Richard Barrett, Ken Edwards, Patrick Innes, Geoffrey Ireland, Maureen Miller, Barbara Pearson, Vincent Smith and a newly joined member Chris Shaw.
If you do not wish to be a full member but are interested in keeping in touch with the practice and helping give feedback and providing ideas on how to improve things, why not register to join the ‘virtual group’? All you need is to provide your name, date of birth, ethnic origin and Email address to the Practice Manager by sending an Email to .
This newsletter is edited on behalf of Baddow Village Surgery Patient Reference Group. It is not the mouthpiece of the Baddow Village Surgery which is run by the GP practice partners. Whilst the two groups work in close co-operation and on a mutual agenda of improvement of patient services, the views expressed here are exclusively those of the PRG group and should not be interpreted as those of the practice itself.
Did you know? - further information about the Practice:
- the age profile of the practice is broadly typical of the practices in Mid Essex.
- routine GP appointments can be booked up to 2 weeks ahead, for nurses up to 12 weeks.
- the practice has a useful website
- the website can be used to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions once you have
registered to do so. A reminder on how to book appointments on-line is included on page 4.
Flu vaccinations
With autumn rapidly approaching the surgery has started to prepare for the flu vaccination season. People who are over 65 or in ‘at risk’ groups (see below) are entitled to a free vaccination and should book their appointment as soon as possible.
The purpose of the flu vaccination programme is to offer protection to those who are most at risk of serious illness or death should they develop influenza. It is therefore important that eligible individuals uptake the flu vaccination as early as possible in the Autumn.
Vaccines are produced each year to provide protection against the three strains of influenza that the World Health Organisation considers may be most prevalent in the following winter. These ‘trivalent’ flu vaccines give around 60 to 80% protection against infection by influenza virus strains. The protection afforded by the vaccine lasts for at least one flu season.
Clinics will take place on Saturdays 6th & 13th October and booking is from 24th September.
At risk groups for this year are:
•people aged 65 years or over (including those becoming age 65 years by 31 March 2013)
•all pregnant women (including those women who become pregnant during the flu season)
•people with a serious medical condition such as
ochronic (long-term) respiratory disease, such as severe asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or bronchitis;
ochronic heart disease, such as heart failure;
ochronic kidney disease at stage 3, 4 or 5;
ochronic liver disease;
ochronic neurological disease, such as Parkinson's disease or motor neurone disease;
odiabetes; or
oa weakened immune system due to disease (such as HIV/AIDS) or treatment (such as cancer treatment).
•people living in long-stay residential care homes or other long-stay care facilities where rapid spread is likely to follow introduction of infection and cause high morbidity and mortality.
• people who are the main carer of an older or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.
Who’s who?
We are hoping in future newsletters to tell you a little about the members of the Patient Reference Group (PRG) and some of the Practice staff. We start off with the PRG Chairman and Practice Lead Nurse, Jill Burns.
Introducing members of the PRG – our Chairman Maureen Hindle
I was not able to go to University and did not realise how disappointed I was until I was older. I wanted a career in medicine from an early age but this was not to be. /
As we moved around the country I had various jobs mostly in accounting. When we moved to Chelmsford I worked for G.E.C. and trained in H.R (Personnel at that time). I also trained in payroll, pensions and tax.
I then moved to Great Baddow to work in G.E.C. Research as the Payroll Manager with a little H.R. I managed a payroll of 6000 staff from Leicester Borehamwood, and Stafford. I worked there for 32 years and then the company moved payroll to Portsmouth.
I was then asked by The Essex Chronicle if I would stand in for someone on maternity leave, which I did, I was only supposed to be there 1 year but this became five. It was very exciting at the Chronicle it gave me an insight on how our local paper was put together, every day was different, and I loved the experience and made many friends.
I finally retired and took on voluntary work at Broomfield hospital. I was on the Help Desk for a while. I then applied to be a member of the Patient Council and I love it. I was then made Chair of the Council. I am still there today. I joined the Public Patient Involvement Forum and was on the PCT Commissioning Board for 2 years.
I was one of the founder members of Baddow Hall W.I. in 1969 and have been President, Secretary and Treasurer. I organised the old peoples Xmas party for 23 years and when it was decided that the W I could no longer hold the party. I was asked instead of the party to arrange distribution of plants and this in some ways this was harder. After 12 years of this I stood down and felt I had done my bit. I am in the Baddow Hall Drama Group and we have had great fun putting on shows and pantomime’s for the public.
My husband and I love cruising on our holidays and going to the Italian Lakes. My hobbies are Water Colour Painting, Scrapbooking, Crochet, and Cooking. We belong to Friends of Hylands House and Friends of Chelmsford Museum and the London Appreciation Society.
Introducing the Practice staff – Lead Nurse Jill Burns.
Hi, my name is Jill Burns RGN, BSc (Hons) Specialist & Lead Practice Nurse of Lead Nurse.
/ Clinically my focus is delivery of evidence based care to patients with long-term conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and hypertension. I am an ardent enthusiast of health promotion and this extends to trying to reach patients with learning disabilities or who are carers themselves. I am also involved in nursing treatment to all patients e.g. minor ailments, wound care, ear irrigation, cervical smears, family planning and vaccination.My role involves working both independently and being part of a team of which I am proud to be part. We have an excellent, highly qualified nursing team with a good skill mix and special interests. Working full time enables me to meet patients and staff most days making me a good link for communication, support and teaching.
My career started following my father's death in 1983. He always said I would make "a lovely nurse" and those of you who have met me I do hope you agree. During my training I married and moved to Chelmsford, working at St Johns Hospital until I decided to do my midwifery qualifying in 1988. A year later I had my daughter and night and weekend working became less appealing. I was introduced to practice nursing and was very soon hooked with the varied work it offered, joining Baddow Village Surgery. Here I am 20 years later.
So if you haven't had a health or blood pressure check in the last year, please come and meet me and have your MOT. I will try and not be late - I will always try and give you the time you need and I do apologise if I sometimes keep you waiting.
When not working I enjoy anything crafty like baking, patchwork and lace making. My best friend has to be my dog Ted. We love long walks and we even go to dance classes!
On Line booking – a reminder of how to do it in two easy steps.
The level of on-line bookings remains low. If you can please do consider this as not only is it easier for you, it also frees up telephone time for those who are not on-line – we all benefit.
You will need a username and password to book an appointment.
If you have not already been issued with these for repeat prescription ordering purposes then please bring in a form of photo identification to obtain your username and password from reception. Parents/guardians can obtain the username and password for their children under 16 years of age by bringing in a form of their own (the parent/guardian's) identification.
You may obtain the username and password for a housebound relative/friend by bringing in a form ofthat friend/relative's photo identification.
You can then book appointments that arewithin the next two weeks.
To book your appointment, log on to .
- in the ‘Appointments’ tab click ‘Book Online’ and then ‘Book Your Appointment Online’.
- you will be redirected to a webpage which will ask for your login details.
- once logged in click ‘Book Appointment’ and choose your appointment slot.
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