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NEWSLETTER Charities A-Z: Arthritis Research UK This charity supports research into arthritis and provides an information service . It publishes leaflets about arthritis, types of arthritis, drugs used for arthritis and complementary and alternative medications. There are many tips to help living with arthritis. Contact the Charity on 0300 7900400 Copeman House, St. Mary’s Gate, Chesterfield S41 7TD www.arthritisresearchuk.org “Do you know” : Answers: 1. Big toe 2. Leprosy 3. Irregular heart beat 4. Bottom of foot 5. Pancreas 6. On your heel 7. Collar bone 8. Face (cheek bone) The Smithy Surgery Patient Participation Group Spring 2014 Walks for Health Walking is good for your mental and physical health. Even 15 minutes walking as briskly as you can in the fresh air every day will help you to keep fit and active and prolong your life. Both Tameside and High Peak, Glossop, offer guided walks you can join, ranging from easy to strenuous. www.walking forhealth.org .uk will direct you to local walking groups. Walks around Glossop are listed in the Glossop Chronicle every week. Walks in Tameside can be found at www.tameside.gov.uk/countryside/ walksandtrails The Peak District Walking Festival takes place from 26th April to 11th May www.visitpeakdistrict.com Listening to Patients The PPG would like to increase membership. There are levels of membership to suit everyone. You can receive minutes of meetings via email and agree to be contacted/consulted on PPG matters You can attend meetings every month and take part in discussions You can help with various PPG activities eg arranging and welcoming speakers, writing articles for the Newslettter. Contact the PPG via email at: [email protected] OR leave a message at reception In January, our local CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group—for Tameside and Glossop) held an open meeting at Bradbury House Glossop. The CCG is the new body which will be commissioning healthcare services in our area, essentially replacing the local NHS Trust. The “Listening 2 Patients” meeting was an opportunity for patients to influence CCG priorities. Three members of The Smithy Surgery PPG attended. We were given a brief overview of the role of the CCG and this was followed by a workshop session with smaller groups, each led by a local GP. Groups considered how patients feel about various aspects of their healthcare, giving them a chance to indicate their priorities. Although each table had a different topic, ours, for example, was “Urgent Care”. The same message kept recurring: we would like faster and more local access to healthcare services and professionals, both in and out of hours. This is, of course, a tall order. It will be interesting to see the outcome! ce acti Staf fP le rofi Wendy Swann Practice Manager at The Smithy Do You Know ……. Pr We are all familiar with the contact we have with the receptionists, nursing staff and doctors but seldom have contact with the Practice Manager (The PM). She is, however, a very important member of staff, responsible for the day to day smooth running of the practice. Wendy is the longest serving employee of the practice, where she has worked for 22 years - 11 years as receptionist and 11 years as PM. Before that, she worked in the family engineering business looking after the firm’s accounts. Wendy has a Diploma in Practice Management. She has an Assistant Practice Manager to support her and is a member of Tameside and Glossop Practice Managers Forum. The PM’s duties are varied. Wendy is responsible for paying bills, keeping accounts, organising salaries and pensions and drawing up duty rosters. She is involved in the recruitment of all staff. She is responsible for the maintenance of all office systems and standards of practice , which is an expanding area given the demands of the recent reorganisation of the NHS. During her time at The Smithy, Wendy has overseen the introduction of two new computer systems. The second of these only took place in January 2014 and Wendy says that in general, the system is “bedding in” well. Over the years, life has become much busier in the practice and one aspect of the arrival of new technology is that communication and work generally has speeded up. Emails, for instance, often require an instant reply. On the other hand, Wendy says technology has also helped considerably in cutting down missed appointments with the introduction of “memory jogging” via mobile phone texting. Despite the pressures, Wendy still enjoys her work, even after 11 years. In her leisure time she is fond of baking and is a member of English Heritage, visiting, when she can, sites of historical interest. 1. What is your Hallux 2. What is Hansen’s disease better known as 3. What is Arrhythmia 4. What does Plantar refer to 5. Where are the Islets of Langerhans 6. Where would you develop a Haglund’s Node 7. What is your Clavicle 8. Where is your Zygomatic arch The Smithy Patient Survey 2104 The Patient Participation Group will be carrying out another patient survey this year, asking for your opinion about various aspects of The Smithy Surgery. In the near future, the surgery may be inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and this year, the survey is angled to provide evidence the CQC is looking for to assess the surgery. We will carry out this survey during one week and PPG volunteers will be in the surgery asking you to fill in (anonymously) patient questionnaires. The results will be collated and compared to last year’s results. The results will be displayed on the noticeboard and will be published on the surgery website. GPs, Nursing and administrative staff are always very pleased to receive your opinions. They discuss them at a practice meeting and Work on areas where patients feel there is need for improvement.