PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP (PRG) – BADDOW VILLAGE SURGERY
Introduction
Well, we are already at issue 3 and into the winter. BBrrrrrrr! Flu jabs, Xmas, snowplus all those good intentions for the New Year. I hope you made some good resolutions and as you will read in this issue the PRG put together a PIE to help you! This is a Patient Information Evening on Weight Management as this subject is one of the most popular for resolutions.
Also in this issue is a pen picture of the editor i.e. me. Why me? Asking others on the Group brought the response ‘after you’ so I could hardly refuse. For the Practice step forward Ami Fordham, Practice Manager.
The next few months are important ones for the NHS. From 1st April clinicians such as GP’s will take more control over how money is spent locally. Responsibility for public health moves to Essex County Council and there is a new ‘patient voice’ champion in Healthwatch Essex. A new NHS telephone number 111 will launch (see later). However, not everything is changing – how GP practices and hospitals such as Broomfield run are not greatly affected.
Have you noticed little booklets of poems in the surgery? They seem rather fun to me and although the notice-board is looking much tidier now the PRG looks after it, there is only so much information I can take in whilst waiting. The booklets are arranged by a charity and someone, don’t know who, has made a donation for them to brighten up our lives. Thank you.
Good health to you all during 2013 and beyond
Ken Edwards, Editor
What’s been happening in the Patient Reference Group (PRG)?
-You may have seen some of us helping with the main flu jab sessions. I know things were a little delayed when the suppliers let the surgery down, but thanks to any of you who helped fill in the questionnaire.
- We held our first AGM on 23rd October last year. Apart from the usual AGM business, the visiting patients raised some useful ideas, several of which the surgery has already put into practice. On the business side the group committee was elected and at our first meeting after the AGM and Maureen Hindle was reappointed as Chairman for the year.
- The annual Surgery Survey is underway. The PRG has helped with the design and will help consider the results alongside an action plan. Please do respond as it helps us to help you.
- On 29th Januarywe held our first Patient Information Evening, of which more on Page 2….
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:
- There were 233missed appointments at the Practice during December.
- Last year’s survey led to the use of the ‘delayed’ notices to keep patients better informed
- The surgery is a training practice. Our latest two GP registrars have just joined us
Patient Information Evening
On the evening of Tuesday 29thJanuary at the United Reformed Church the PRG hosted an information evening on the subject of Weight Management. A dozen patients plus members of the PRG, Dr Ahmed from the Practice and our speakers attended in what everyone agreed at the end was an interesting evening.
After the usual introductions Nicole and Janice of More Life went through the work they do with patients referred to the programme by local GP’s. The programme has been operating locally for just over a year based on a tried and tested formula. They work with groups over a 49 week period to change behaviours. They explained the programmecontent and how this differs from the adverts for commercial programmes often promising quick loss of weight.
The programme starts with weekly sessions covering diet and exercise and concentrates on education and self direction rather than forcing changes in life style. Exercise need not mean treadmills and bikes but could for instance just mean using an upstairs loo, so walking up the stairs. Sessions are then less frequent. They ran through eligibility for the programme which is provided within the NHS and so free at the point of delivery. There are a few exceptions that they cannot take but a key thing emphasized was the desire of the person to change.
There is also a family programme centred on children and involving fun activities as well as education. We were told that parents are often surprised when for instance they find out just how much sugar there is in some fizzy drinks. Again the programme works by GP referral.
Nick and Adam from Chelmsford City Council’s Leisure Servicesfollowed this by outlining the Leisure Card Schemewhich gives discounted rate access to gymnasia at the four centres run by the Council (Chelmsford Sport & Athletics Centre; Riverside -in the town centre; Dovedales - in Moulsham Street and South Woodham Sports Centre). These are not just for the fitness fanatic but for everyone and they explained how experts were on hand to help. The Council also run a GP referral scheme for those who would benefit from greater physical exercise.
After a question and answer session everyone stayed on for smaller discussions with the speakers and several tried the special scales brought along by More Life which measure not only weight but several other useful indicators such as fat % and bone mass.
There was a lot of positive feedback and the PRG will now look at whether to run another such event and if so what would be an appropriate subject area.
MoreLife
Chelmsford Leisure Card
Advanced notice about ‘111’
You will soon begin to hear about the telephone number 111. IT IS NOT YET OPERATIONAL so please do not try it until April at the earliest. This will be a new hotline number to contact your local NHS when a health situation is urgent and you do not know what to do. It will replace NHS Direct and be free to call from land lines and mobile phones. It will be a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year service. It will NOT be the number to call for routine/non- urgent cases (usually your local GP Practice) or for life threatening situations, where the 999 service will remain in place. There will be much more publicity on this once the service up and running, howeverfor at least some of you – you heard it here first.
Who’s who?
We are hoping in these newsletters to tell you a little about the members of the Patient Reference Group (PRG) and some of the Practice staff.
Introducing members of the PRG – our newsletter editor Ken Edwards
My wife and I have lived in our present house in Galleywood for over 30 years. We have two grown up children – a daughter who lives in Braintree and works in London and a son who lives and works near Southampton. No pets, although we have had cats in the past.
My working life was all with the NatWest Group. I joined soon after it was formed and retired through voluntary redundancy /
just as Royal Bank of Scotland took it over. I have never regretted that decision! I worked in a wide range of branches and offices and did just about everything one can do – lending, advances control, personnel, strategy, electronic banking, cards amongst others. I gained a broad view of the commercial world and how money can help or hinder things which I still find useful. As to what happened in banking after I left, I have to say the warning signs were there and were not heeded.
I am what my wife calls a serial volunteer and am involved in many organisations around health, sport and physical activity or history. I am a life member of the British Museum, Essex Cricket Club, National Trust, English Heritage and many more so as you can see there is never a dull moment. My ‘free’ time is spent either listening to my extensive range of CD’s (about 4,000 at the last count), story tapes, reading and ideally these plus being away in my touring caravan or on a trip to Germany – a country I love and speak, at least passably, the language.
I have been a patient of the practice for as long as I have lived in the area and joined the PRG as with an interest in health it was away to contribute to something local.
Introducing the Practice staff –Ami Fordham, Practice Manager
/ I live in Great Baddow with my fiancé Ian;with the exception of University I've always lived in Chelmsford.I studied Business Management at the University of Surrey, during which I did a placement year working in the City at Lloyds TSB's head office. On graduating I returned to my work at Broomfield Hospital.I was approached by South West Essex PCT and offered a jobon theirChoose and Book team. I was responsible for increasing the uptake of the Choose and Book first outpatient appointment booking system. I then moved teams to become a Contracting Manager,managingGP surgery contracts.
Whilst working for the PCT I was approached by the Practice Manager at Ingatestone surgery who was retiring, she encouraged me to apply for her job. I started in November 2008 but by March 2010 I was keen for the challenge of managing a larger practice so I applied for the same roleat Baddow Village Surgery.
I've been pretty busy here; changing the appointment system, phone system, taking on a new GP partner and dealing with some staff changes. At the surgery we have 11,600 patients, 6 GP partners, 1 salaried GP, 2 GP registrars and about 30 other members of staff.
In my free time I am a keen crafter of all sorts of things (cake stands, sewing, jewellery to name but a few). I’m also a volunteer at the Essex Police Museum and a keen baker (Mary Berry is my idol!). This year is particularly busy as I am planning my September wedding.
If you ever have any comments or concerns regarding the surgery then please do not hesitate to ask to speak to me.
Some final lighter thoughts- for the mature reader
- You don’t know real embarrassment until your hip sets off the metal detector.
- I recently had my annual physical and was shocked to discover how much stronger gravity had become since last year.
- Advanced old age is when you can sit in a rocking chair …. But can’t get it going.
- All the talk is about the economy this year – well, my hairline is in recession, my waistline in inflation and altogether I’m in depression.
- I have the body of an 18 year old -- I keep it in the fridge (Spike Milligan)
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