In our 3rd week – another very interesting talk given by Maureen Watson at the Eastrea Centre.
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Cllr David Mason is back home having been unwell over the weekend….I hope he makes a speedy recovery….
©WTC
This years ‘Flu Clinic’ @ New Queen Street Surgery will be delayed until October.
(Normally September) This is because a ‘new’ vaccine that is being used.
Dates of clinics to be confirmed.
A trial of telephone booking of appointments at The New Queen Street started earlier this month.
The reasons we are told are because the ‘old’ system was unsustainable with the amount of patients and the availability of Doctors.
There is a national shortage of GP’s even though the government ‘promised 3,000+ new doctors 4 years ago, there has been a significant shortfall and not all want to become GP’s
Also NQS has had a 5% reduction in government funding (Why! – we were not told).
As a trial through to September anyone (routinely) wanting an appointment at NQS will have to telephone, leave their details and brief reasons/requirements and ‘A Doctor’ will call you back at sometime to discuss whether you ‘need’ to be seen by a doctor.
If so they will make an appointment for you – the same day or give advice/medication without the need to be seen by a doctor.
At last nights PPG meeting the above was explained and feedback the surgery are getting was fairly positive – and the ‘system’ as Senior Partner Dr Gary Howsam explained was that the surgery was able to ‘see and process’ more patients given the resources available.
It may not suit everyone, and some I have spoken with are very apprehensive – that said they have not yet tried out this trial booking system.
There are mechanisms in place to accommodate frail, elderly, vulnerable and people without telephone availability.
Two members of the PPG commented positively on their experience of using the trial system.
If you have used the system and have either +ve or -ve experience why not tell the Practice Manager at NQS. Making comments on ‘Anti-social’ media does not help the surgery to plan ahead after the trial has run the course.
I am sure all comments made to the surgery will have an impact on their decision making.
Seeing what I presumed was the Pig Dyke Molly Dancers practicing on ancient market place….
A record attendance tonight with 19 members of the PPG attending the meeting.
Tomorrow I will update on ‘The Telephone Booking of Appointments’ is going.
Tonight saw a cheque for £825:00 handed over to Dr Gary Howsan for a 24 hour Blood Pressure Monitoring Machine to be used for the wellbeing of NQS patients.
The group is very pro-active and has a very good relationship with the practice.
Plenty of meetings and events that I’ve been too, been out and about on my Litter Picking campaign (Therapy) and the usual incoming messages about contentious concerns here in our town.
So lets start with the Kings Dyke Crossing….after receiving some more potential toxic news, I gave Country Councillor David Connor a call, and got his answer machine.
An hour later David called me back from Ionia whilst on his holidays, the answer to my questions were….
1/ The signing of contracts for the various parcels of land has yet to be completed, it is his understanding that this is to happen imminently – (same as before).
2/ The reports of water contamination at Churchfield Farm he was/is unaware of.
So that’s it – the delay is getting started seems to be longer and longer…..I can quote a qualified Whittlesey Estate Agent & Surveyor who 2+ years ago, advised Whittlesey Town Council, that the land should be ‘compulsory purchased’ – had anyone taken his advice, the building of the bridge may well have finished by now – but do councils listen to anyone!!!
It has been ‘silly season’ in respect of road signage not only around March but here in Whittlesey….Where I asked where are all the diversion signs leading too – the answer if you followed them is back to where you started….Signs blocking pavements, signs blocking driver view of the road ahead, signs falling over both in the road and pavements and no one bothered as usual.
County Council not interested, blame the contractors, dozens of signs every year not collected ending up in verges or by the road side – been here before that it is us the ratepayer who ultimately pays the price for incompetence.
On Monday I will be attending the New Queen Street Surgery PPG (Patients Participation Group) and on the agenda will be the ‘new’ system of only telephone booking of appointments…..I have had some feed back from my neighbours (I have not yet had to use the new system) and await to hear an update at the meeting…and will post afterwards of what I hear…
Here is a not so lucky car today on Church Street…opposite Barr Street
Also coming next week, fantastic work done by The Whittlesey Mud Walls Group’
The publishing of their document of The Mud Walls of Whittlesey.
The MacMillan Truck was on the Market Square on Saturday – alas not many people around to see what good work they do…..
Hope you all have a good week….
Remember on the 7th July New Queen Street Surgery held a 70th NHS anniversary promo outside of the surgery.
The group raise a very credible £325:00 during the morning from its cakes, drinks and sponsors stall (Mrs Pearl Burdock) + some donations.
This will go towards further patient enhancements at the surgery.
Interested in joining a very pro-active group.
Next meeting:
This Monday 30th June @ 7pm
Paul Bedford and I represented our ‘Year’ @ Sir Harry Smiths to pay our respects and condolences to our school friend Peter Carter.
Peter was brought up on Peterborough Road and went to Kings Dyke School before SHS
He married class mate April Hall in 1972 and they remained together until he passed away.
They lived in Peterborough and had one son and one daughter.
As ‘if’ there wasn’t enough Thory’s lorries passing around our town, yesterday saw yet again one taking a short cut through Market Street…..Stop it please – there is a weight restriction….catch you again and I’ll send the evidence to your Boss….
Have installed 44 ‘Defibrillators’ around our town and villages, have achieved monumental success in fund-raising to help save lives – here locally.
Their latest challenge is to climb Mt Snowdon on the 4th August –
27 climbers including the youngest being 8 years old……
Come on – please help this very worthy cause – you or your loved ones may need one of these defibrillators one day – Deborah and her small team are doing a fantastic job.
You can donate as much or as little as possible by going to the Just Giving Website.
Click on the link below….
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/snowdonchallenge2018
