Welcome to the first FPS Newsletter of 2025.
The new year is always a time of reflection, as well as looking forward to what might be different in the months ahead. You’ll see we’re supporting ‘Dry January’, a laudable commitment for the New Year. An internet search tells me that losing weight and getting fit are amongst the most common resolutions and the most easily broken – it’s so hard when that half-full container of chocolates has your name on it – I’m sure we’ve all been there! I’m going to try something a bit simpler: just trying to remember to listen to others and to always say ‘thank you’ and mean it – it goes a long way to the person on the receiving end .
The dawn of 2025 brought more dire warnings about the state of the NHS. Figures show a huge increase in the number of people affected by the various viruses circulating in the population; the other day reports for our region indicated there were 5 times more in patients suffering with respiratory problems than last year. We have to remember too that staff delivering our health care are not immune to illness, another impact on availability. My own experience on New Year’s Day completed my use of all the services – in November it was every service except 999. So taking the advice of our FPS leaflet on ‘who to call’, when one of my nearest and dearest became unwell on New Year’s morning, I dialled 999, to be rung back over 4 hours later with no information about time scales; I eventually drove the 200 miles home ‘at my own risk’. Fortunately, an appointment with our GP came speedily the next morning. ‘Your emergency is not my emergency’ came to mind!
This month’s news is the implementation of an upgraded NHS App which will quote ‘put patients in the driving seat and treat them on time’, put the NHS in the digital age, and cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks. So we patients will be ‘in control of our own healthcare’. Already there are concerns that patients without smartphones and tablets will be alienated. The Chair of the BMA talks about the disenfranchised vulnerable – we on the FPS committee are very aware of this as an ongoing issue already.
We are seeing changes in the surgery with new ways of working and staff changes, all of which will of course not happen overnight and will be likely to be impacted by governmental changes. I was pleased to be able to see some of the changes in action over the Christmas period – a simple thing like active monitoring of queues at reception, which will hopefully make our experience as patients better. What is becoming clear to us is the complexity of delivering health care in very changing times.
We are continuing to meet monthly as your representatives. Over the past few months we have seen our relationship with the surgery strengthen, and this will be our focus for the early part of the year. Do please look at our minutes to see what we are doing. We are always delighted to hear from you and will be interested in your experience of the surgery over the next few months. We can only act on your behalf if we know what is happening in the wider patient population.
I finish with a quote from an old English proverb: ‘everything comes to those who wait’… let’s hope it won’t be too long for Parkwood patients!
Happy New Year to you all.
Yvonne
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.
Closing for regular training
Many patients have raised the regular closures for training, often signalled by a text message. FPS has asked over many months for more transparency over the types of training. At the December meeting, a printed list of training, detailing well over 100 topics, was shared with the committee. Much of this is compulsory, and it is currently felt that closing for an afternoon each month is the best way to manage this mandatory training.
The growing reliance on online services
The committee regularly raises this issue with the surgery, especially on behalf of patients who may be less confident using these. The surgery is beginning to run sessions to support less confident patients in accessing these services. The surgery will also ensure that patients who are unable to access online services will not be disadvantaged.
One thing patients can do, especially if they do not have a smartphone, is ensure that the surgery has their email address (if they have one). This will enable the surgery to communicate with patients in an alternative way if needed. You can add your email address to your details by raising it as an ‘admin query’ on the online triage form.
Queries about appointments and the telephone lines
The committee regularly discuss these issues with the surgery, who are aware of the demand on their services. The surgery is working on solutions, to be shared at an appropriate time.
Request for feedback on satellite surgeries
Parkwood Surgery has asked the FPS committee – as your patient representatives – to help seek your input on how the two satellite surgeries in Boxmoor and Gadebridge should be used going forwards, and more specifically whether you would attend those surgeries for routine appointments rather than the specialist clinics they’re used for at the moment, such as physiotherapy.
Please answer this short survey to let us know and to help to shape how the surgery meets our needs.
Check out the minutes of our meetings
The minutes from FPS’ monthly meetings, including our most recent December meeting, are available here. We hope this will improve the transparency for patients so you can see your concerns and queries are being raise
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.
After the excesses of Christmas and New Year, many people see January as a time to start afresh, especially with drinking.
Alcohol Change UK‘s well-known 31-day challenge is a way to start 2025 with healthier habits.
Their website has many useful tools including a sign-up page for Dry January, an app to help monitor consumption this month and every month, and tips for managing your alcohol intake.
They also have advice for you if the thought of giving up alcohol for 31 days seems impossible, and you have greater concerns over your drinking habits.
With Christmas now behind us, some of us might be worried about how much we’ve spent, and how much longer the expensive winter months still have to go.
FPS has collected together some suggestions to support you with money worries.
On top of this, with the cancellation of universal winter fuel payments for pensioners, it’s well worth checking whether you or someone you know is eligible for pension credit. Up to 800,000 people are thought to be missing out on this and the other benefits associated with it, which includes the winter fuel payment.
MoneySavingExpert has more information about eligibility requirements for pension credit, and you can also go directly to the government website.