Eastgate Medical Group - Newsletter Summer 2010
Extension to Eastgate Surgery
As a practice we are involved heavily in training and currently accommodate two GP registrars, the extension to Eastgate Surgery is now complete and will offer extra consulting rooms and a training room to allow us to accommodate an extra GP registrar.
The extension is superb and has provided very aesthetically pleasing and comfortable accommodation for our patients and staff.
We thank all the patients who have attended the surgery during the build time for their patience and apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused. We must say a special ‘thank you’ to our neighbours at both sides of the surgery for their total understanding and support throughout the build.
Practice Changes
Dr Clare Morris joined the practice at the end of March and is working as a full time GP. Her main interests are women’s health and contraception.
Dr Rachael Beckley joined us at the beginning of May and is working as a half time GP. Her main interests are minor surgery, joint injections and women’s health.
They are both a great asset to the practice and are a welcome part of our team.
Dr Beth Marfleet our new GP registrar joined us at the beginning of February and will be with us for fourteen months.
Dr Dan Stringer who will be with us until the beginning of August when his twelve month period in the practice ends, we will miss him and wish him all the best in his new locum post in Leyburn.
Dr Deborah Lawrence, our third GP Registrar joined us at the end of May and will be in the practice for twenty months.
Dr Gill Varty will join us in August and will be with the practice for a year.
Sister Maija Moulton joined the practice in June to replace Sister Nadine Collinge and will be working at both sites as our fourth practice nurse.
We still employ a certain amount of locum doctors to cover sickness and holiday absence but this is now kept to a minimum.
Marquis of Granby Public House
Please can we remind patients not to park in the car park of the Marquis of Granby pub, opposite the surgery at Eastgate. We have had numerous complaints from the landlord and we have now been told that any cars parking there will be clamped. We have no authority to intervene in this matter but must make you aware of their intentions.
Extended Opening Hours
These hours are proving very popular, especially with patients who work and are unable to attend the surgery at other times.
Eastgate Surgery: open from 6:30a.m on Fridays, and you will be able to pre-book appointments between 6:50a.m and 7:50a.m.
Alternate Saturdays at The Health Centre, Knaresborough Road between the hours of 8:00a.m. – 10:00a.m.
You will not be able to contact the surgery by telephone during these additional hours.
Doctors will be available for consultations during these hours and all appointments are pre-bookable by telephone/internet booking and personally at reception. Website address for booking online: www.eastgatemedicalgroup.co.uk please ask at reception for details of how to use the online facility if you have not already done so.
Patient Participation Group
The PPG are here to work on behalf of the patients and be a patient ‘voice’. We have been working with the PPG to address issues they have raised on your behalf and below are comments from the Chair of the PPG, Phil Shorter.
The Last Year
There is absolutely no doubt that the last few months have been a strenuous and challenging time for the Practice as a whole. A combination of severe weather and the ongoing effect of the Swine Flu scare led to a rapid and sustained increase in demand for patient services.
Prior to Christmas the Practice undertook a very time consuming and detailed changeover to a new computer system to support all the workings of the Practice. The Practice could not continue with the old system as there was a real risk of a collapse of that system. This changeover created significant pressure on staff but the benefits will be felt over the long term as with the system now bedding in much greater functionality should improve efficiency.
Since Christmas two other issues have had to be dealt with. Firstly, the long overdue physical expansion of the Practice building at Eastgate has been undertaken. Secondly, the departure of Dr Ingham and also some other long term sickness absence has increased the burden on the other doctors and appointment time has had to be covered by a number of locum doctors.
The PPG are well aware of the frustrations that these issues have caused particularly in the various strains they have placed on the all important appointment systems. The PPG has had several detailed meetings with the Practice and patient concerns have been voiced. The Partners have participated fully in those discussions and have recognised these concerns. Various rearrangements of appointment availability have been made which hopefully are now feeding through to ease the situation.
In the longer term it is hoped that the patient experience will be improved by virtue of the “new” Eastgate building and the enhanced computer system. In terms of available Doctor hours 1 ½ doctors have been taken on to replace Dr Ingham and the other hours are currently being covered by locum activity so there is a permanent increase in available doctor time. Added to this is the fact that the enhanced premises will increase training capacity allowing the Practice to have additional doctors in training who will further increase available appointment time.
The Patient Group will continue to keep these issues under close observation and you can rest assured that any issues will be relayed through to the Practice. One element however that is very difficult to defend and greatly complicates the appointment process is the number of patients who do not show up for booked appointments and do not let the Practice know they are not coming. This wastes an enormous amount of time and resources and is very difficult to either explain or defend in our discussions with the Practice.
Phil Shorter.
Chairman. Eastgate Medical Group Patient Participation Group June 2010
THE SURGERY TELEPHONE NUMBER IS
0844 477 3316
TELEPHONE LINES ARE OPEN 8:00A.M. – 6:00P.M.
IF YOU REQUIRE A DOCTOR OUT OF NORMAL SURGERY HOURS PLEASE RING 0845 056 8060
© Eastgate Medical Group 2007-2010