The Castle Practice Newsletter (Summer 2010)

Summer 2010

General

The Practice was very proud to receive the Tidworth Community Award for staying open during the snow this Winter.

Staff

Dr Louise Wallington has now been appointed a Partner.

We said goodbye to two long serving members of staff in the last few months: Brenda Bradbury, Senior receptionist at Tidowrth retired in October 2009 after nearly 23 years and Lin Boxall, Practice Manager, also retired in July 2009 after 17 years. We would have liked to wish them both happy retirement but many of you will have noticed that both have continued to work at the practice in Ludgershall to cover maternity leave! Eventually they will earn their rest!

Following Lin's retirement, Mrs Chrissie Williams was appointed as Practice Manager in August 2009. Julie McCabe is now the Office Manager at Tidworth.

Marion Hopkins, our Health Visitor at Tidworth, retires this month. We wish her well and thanks for all of her had work. Her replacement has not yet been appointed but the other Health Visitors will cover her work in the interim.

Extended Hours

The Practice would like to remind patients that we now run extended hours with early surgeries starting at 0700 and late surgeries finishing at 2000. These are for booked appointments only and are on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays.

Donations

We are always extremely grateful for any donation to the Practice and we continue to receive many generous ones. We aim to spend any money donated on equipment for the practice. Last year we were able to get training equipment for emergency resuscitation. Most recently we have been able to purchase new instruments for minor surgery and family planning and also new blood pressure instruments which we would have struggled to get without your very generous support.

Missed Appointments

As ever, we continue to struggle with routine availability to see our doctors and nurses due to the large number of missed appointments. We regularly publish a monthly list and many of you are shocked at how many there are. "Persistent offenders" are written to and action is taken. However, the majority of missed appointments are from people who just forget once but fail to contact the surgery so that appointment can be offered to someone else.

Many of you ask why we do not charge patients for missing appointments but we are not allowed, under NHS rules, to do this.

In the near future, we will have a system available that can SMS (Text) a patient with an appointment reminder (and other useful information) which we hope will reduce the frequency of missed appointments. If you do have a mobile phone then please let reception know so that we can update your records.

'Flu and Swine 'Flu

As you are no doubt aware, the last epidemic of swine flu appears to have subsided. However, it is possible that it will make a return this autumn. As usual, we will be offering flu jabs to all "at risk" patients and will probably be offering swine flu jabs at the same time to those who have not yet had them. More details will be given nearer the time once we have heard from the Department of Health.

Summer 2010 - Previous newsletters