Friends of Parkwood Surgery

Friends of Parkwood Surgery Newsletter - July 2025

View from the FPS Chair - Yvonne Metcalf

It is with much sadness that we heard that two of our FPS family have died in the last few weeks. Jacquie Humphries was a stalwart of the FPS committee for many years and was its Chair for a long period before illness made it impossible for her to continue. Jacquie, along with her husband Pete, who died very recently, were well known in the area and both gave their time and energy to the good of the community around them. We have missed Jacquie’s straight talking and her sense of humour. Our thoughts are with Jacquie’s family who have offered both her and Pete such amazing support over the last few years, as Jacquie’s illness robbed her of the things most take for granted in our every day lives.

Peter Allen, another committee member for the last few years, died at the end of June after a short illness. Peter was a ‘character’ , a well-educated articulate man and one who lived his life to the very full. He was well known in the area, often to be seen around Chaulden shops in his trademark shorts and sandals. I had many a discussion with him about the state of our health services leaning on the post box ,and if we disagreed, I rarely won a point! Again our thoughts are with his family.

There have been a number of changes in the surgery since our last newsletter. A new Practice Manager, Sue Rivers-Brown, has been appointed as an interim measure. She joined the practice just as the Care Quality Commission Inspection took place and so very quickly became aware of the issues affecting the patient experience within the surgery. Sue brings proven experience of Practice Management to the surgery. I have now had two very productive meetings with her, one along with our secretary Lloanne Lees. We have acknowledged the enormity of the task to improve the service to patients, especially around appointments, but I was left with a sense of realism from Sue about the way forward and a shared understanding that communication with the patient population is at the heart of decision-making as changes are implemented. Sue will be joining us at our next committee meeting and I hope from there that our communication with the surgery will improve.

This week is Patient Participation Week and I have recently taken part in a webinar about the partnership between patients and clinicians in managing health care. The major tenet of this is about managing health care in the community, thus freeing up secondary health care in the hospital setting for those who really need it. In the discussion, there was an emphasis on self management, i.e. thinking about ways of keeping ourselves healthy. With that in mind, on my way to the Forum in town one day, I inadvertently joined a Health Walk, and met up with an old colleague Pat, a patient of the surgery, who was enjoying her very first Health Walk (pictured below). The beautiful weather of course helped, but it was a very lively group of people, lots of laughter and banter, with people of different ages and abilities. Maybe worth a try?

And finally, lovely to see the summer sunshine but we all need to take care in the heat – have a look at our links for sun safety later in the newsletter.

A smiling woman, Pat, stands outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and a black shirt, ready for her first Health Walk. Ask ChatGPT Tools
Logo of Parkwood Surgery - a green filigree tree with the words 'Parkwood Surgery' next to it

Feedback from the surgery

As your committee, we regularly put forward your queries, concerns and feedback to the surgery management. 

The surgery had a CQC inspection in late May, with only two days’ notice. The reports has not currently been officially published, although some feedback from the inspectors is helping to shape the surgery’s current work, such as trying to reduce the turnover of staff.

Following the departure of the previous manager, an interim manager has been appointed to help the surgery. An operations manager position has been advertised, with a view to also recruiting a permanent, full-time manager in the coming months

What’s been happening with FPS?

Check out the minutes of our meetings

The minutes from FPS’ monthly meetings, including our most recent June meeting, are available here. We hope this will improve the transparency for patients so you can see your concerns and queries are being raised.

 

HWEDSG webinars 

The Herts and West Essex Diabetes Support Group holds regular webinars for people with diabetes to learn more to help manage their condition. The next sessions are:
 
Weds 24th September 6.00pm – Physical Activity and Diabetes
 
Weds 15th October 6.00pm – Are You At Risk from Diabetes?
 
Find out more and register for these free webinars here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hwedsg
 

Knit and Natter Group

The Knit and Natter group continues to meet on Tuesdays from 2-4pm, but temporarily at William Crook House, whilst the Community Hall on Great Sturgess Road is closed. 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. Entrance to William Crook House is controlled, so calling Val is essential if you want to join.

 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

Two smiling women, one elderly and one middle-aged, sit together on a sofa. The elderly woman is holding a pen and clipboard, suggesting she is writing something down. Behind them is a blue background with white text that reads: “Make time to talk. Talk to your family and your GP about how you want to be cared for in the future. Writing your wishes down helps doctors and carers know what’s important to you.” The NHS logo is visible in the top right corner. At the bottom, there is a web address: www.hertsandwestessex.ics.nhs.uk/age-well.

Planning ahead for your care – conversations that matter

Dr Rob Mayson, a local GP explains the importance of talking to family or close friends about your future care needs:

“We want to make sure that all patients in the NHS get the care that is right for them. This is especially true for all of us as we get older or whenever we become unwell. Too often, we see that people’s wishes are not met towards the end of their life, which can be upsetting for them and their families.

“It can help to think ahead about what kind of care you would want if you got very sick. For example, would you always want healthcare professionals to try everything to keep you alive, even if it might not work? Or would you prefer care that focuses on keeping you comfortable?

“There are no right or wrong answers – it’s about what feels best for you. But it’s important that the health and care teams looking after you know your wishes to ensure the right decisions are made. Take some time to talk to your family or those you are close to about how you might want to be looked after as you get older.

“It’s also a good time to think about the medicines you take. Do they still help you? Do you feel like you need them all? Sometimes, as we get older, some medicines may not be as helpful anymore. You can review them together with your GP, a pharmacist or another healthcare professional if you have any questions.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now. But it’s good to talk about these things with your family. If you’d like to chat more about it, your GP practice is here to help. You can bring it up at your next appointment or let your practice know if you’d like to talk sooner.

“We want everyone to feel comfortable having these conversations, and we believe it should be normal to start thinking about it at a younger age way before ill-health is even a consideration.”

Find out more on the Age UK website: www.hertsandwestessex.ics.nhs.uk/age-well 

Keeping healthy in hot weather

We’ve already had some hot days this year, with some days in the UK reaching temperatures hotter than the kinds of places we usually go to for some sun!

Heatwaves can be welcome, but do come with some health risks, such as dehydration and overheating. The NHS has developed some tips for dealing with hot weather, especially for those most vulnerable such as older people and those with underlying conditions.

Sunny days also lead to an increased risk of sunburn. Painful at the time, it can also result in more serious consequences such as skin cancer. Check out how to avoid sunburn, as well as how to choose the best SPF for you.

Too late? Here’s some tips on treating sunburn.