Seasons greetings to our fellow patients! A magical time, whatever your beliefs, and lovely to see Stoneycroft in its sparkly garb. We also know it can be a really difficult time for many. Shops and adverts tell us of wonderful family times, with presents and lots of food, when for many of us the reality is being alone, separated from our families, with a huge amount of stress in trying to fulfil the expectation that this time of year brings.
Expectation is something that’s been at the forefront of our thinking in the discussions we have had recently with the surgery. We’re very aware that there is often a mismatch between our expectations as patients when we need medical support, and both the resources available and the clinical judgements made within the practice. Access to appointments is one of the major issues coming to our attention. There are many positive stories about the service received – I was delighted to hear ‘excellent and enthusiastic and problem solved’ from a fellow patient the other day – but also many patients tell us how difficult it is to navigate their way through the ‘how it works’ of the system. Our priority going into the New Year is to work with the practice to establish exactly ‘how it should work’ alongside the lived experiences of our fellow patients, and to continue to establish positive links with the surgery staff.
As your representatives, we need to hear your experience of the surgery: the good and not so good, and what works well alongside the challenges encountered. We are unable to deal with specific medical issues or formal complaints but it’s important we know what issues are arising for you if we are to be effective as a committee. Do please have a look at our website where the minutes of our monthly meetings are published. You’ll see too from this month’s minutes that there are changes afoot within the surgery.
May I take this opportunity of wishing you all a happy and a healthy 2025!
As your committee, we regularly put forward your queries, concerns and feedback to the surgery management. Here are some of the top concerns you’ve raised with us, and the responses we’ve received from the surgery.
Obtaining an appointment
The surgery continues to recruit staff to attempt to increase the availability of appointments. We have raised the confusion over which system to use for obtaining a routine appointment as opposed to an on-the-day urgent appointment. Contrary to previous statements, the greatest chance of obtaining a routine appointment is by phoning the surgery or visiting in-person, whilst the AccuRx form is primarily for on-the-day appointments.
Reopening Boxmoor and Gadebridge Surgeries
The surgery is aware of the desire from some quarters for these to re-open as functioning GP surgeries. Some clinics, such as physiotherapy and antenatal clinics, have been running in these, but the surgery would like to gather some feedback as to the demand for these two surgeries to run routine clinics again.
If you’d like to provide some feedback on this, please fill out this form to demonstrate the demand.
Check out the minutes of our meetings
The minutes from FPS’ monthly meetings, including our most recent November meeting, are available here. We hope this will improve the transparency for patients so you can see your concerns and queries are being raised.
Knit and Natter Group
The Knit and Natter group continues to meet on Tuesdays from 2-4pm at the Community Hall on Great Sturgess Road. If you’d like to come along to it, or know someone who would like a chat and some company, please contact Val on 01442 255449.
Want to stay up to date?
One easy way to keep up to date with FPS’ events is to follow us on our Facebook page. Every time we update the website, we’ll post a link there!
Unsubscribe from FPS communications
If you wish to unsubscribe from receiving communications about FPS, you will need to contact the surgery to ask for this note to be placed on your file. FPS does not hold any data on patients other than that provided directly by them, such as emails sent to the FPS mailbox.
Christmas is usually seen as ‘the most wonderful time of the year’, but a 2017 survey by Mind found that 36% of people are too embarrassed to admit that they are actually lonely at this time of year.
It’s also often a time when money worries come to the fore, and people spend a greater amount of time with friends and family, which can come with its own tensions.
If any of these feelings sound familiar to you, here are some sources of support over the festive season.
Mind has some great coping strategies for a range of worries and concerns, as well as some suggestions for how to support others who may be struggling.
This blog by Boots has a collection of ways to combat depressive thoughts, including a list of ways to volunteer over Christmas.
The Silver Line provides support for older people, with a helpline open all day every day; call on 0800 4708090.
The Samaritans helpline is available 24/7 for anybody needing to talk; call 116 123.
Unable to call? Shout is a free text messaging service operating every day of the year; text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258.
YoungMinds provides mental health support to both young people and their parents. Parents can call 0808 8025544, and young people can text ‘YM’ to 85258.
As things slow down over the festive period, you may want to know where you can get help from if you need it.
The surgery itself will be open from 8am to 6.30pm each weekday, apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day.
Some pharmacies will be open for limited times over Christmas. You can find the full list of those which are open and at what times here.
NHS111 remains open 24/7; here, you can receive advice on any medical concerns you have and be directed to further help if needed. Call 111.
Urgent Care at Hemel Hempstead Hospital is open as usual; see the opening times here.
Accident and Emergency at Watford General Hospital is open as usual for emergencies.
999 is available at all times for life-threatening emergencies requiring immediate medical attention.
Check our infographic to help you to decide which service is best suited to your needs.
