Newsletter June 2021

Creating a Partnership with our Patients

Please visit the practice website for a summary and photos of our newer partners and staff, a rundown of our current medical services and our mission statement.

The pandemic has been a difficult time for patients and NHS staff alike. We thankfully managed to move into our brand-new premises at the Clay Farm Community Centre just before the first lockdown. This enabled us to run our clinical services (with mostly remote consultations and face to face consultations in our isolation rooms) and concurrently run a full-fledged covid vaccination hub alongside our primary care network partners (PCN)

We look forward to strengthening our collaboration with our patient population both at the Clay Farm and the city centre branch and ask for your understanding and patience in the months to come. As we emerge from the lockdowns the backlog of clinical work in the NHS is understandably unprecedented. While the surgery appears more empty than usual, there is tremendous amount of hard work going on behind the scenes with a significant increase in consultation rates. We take pride in our ethos and vision as a practice and are confident that we will continue to deliver high quality care for our patients.

Inhalers, the Climate Emergency, and the NHS

So don’t be surprised if you are offered a dry powder inhaler at your next asthma or COPD review. All changes will be carefully discussed with you to see if this would be a good move for you. Dry powder inhalers aren’t suitable for everyone and there will be no obligation to change your treatment. We will always prescribe the best medicines we can for you. Please do not make changes to your treatment without discussing this with a doctor, nurse or pharmacist as this could be dangerous.

In 2020 we started this work by discussing these issues with our patients on the inhalers with the highest carbon footprint. As a result, we have halved the number of patients using Flutiform inhalers. We have also increased the number of patients using Turbohalers, a type of dry powder inhaler device by approximately 60%.

Did you know?

• The NHS plans to reduce its carbon footprint to net zero within 19 years.
• Inhalers make up between 3-4% of this footprint because of the propellant gases used in metered dose inhalers.
• 70% of inhalers used in the UK are metered dose inhalers but in Sweden this figure is only 13%.
• Dry powder inhalers have a much lower carbon footprint and don’t need to be used with a spacer. They are suitable for many, but not all, patients.

This article has been taken from asthma.org.uk

Trumpington Food Hub

If you have any queries, please contact me Jackie Covill Food Hub Volunteer Co-ordinator  07437922631

Being a Voice for Patients

Having received such good care over the years, I wanted to give something back and so I felt honoured when Dr Lea- Cox recommended me to Wendy Manley as the Patient Representative, 10 years ago. Although there was a virtual group which Wendy consulted, this was something new within the CCG and was instigated when Andrew Lansley was Health Secretary where there would be monthly meetings of different groups which would hold the CCG to account and make recommendations. I would report back verbally to Dr Lea-Cox and Wendy and occasionally have a meeting with Wendy to talk about how we could make the Patient Practice Group (PPG) at TSMP more proactive.

With the new surgery at the Clay Farm Centre, better communication through a new webpage, more support from volunteers due to the Covid -19 pandemic, new GPs in the practice who are keen to develop the PPG and a new Practice Manager, ideas are being revived and new initiatives put in place.

Whilst I am sad to see the retirement of Partners and GPs, some I have known for 30 years, these are exciting times for both TSMP and CF. I have learnt so much since representing patient views to the CCG at the regular meetings currently held on Zoom. There is a wealth of experience in the group which has altered over the years as legislation has changed. We have seen lots of waste and been angered when our views have not been heard. However, within the group there is a great deal of expertise. In the last meeting we learned about a new service: 111 option 3, which supports palliative care.

A new list is being complied of people who would like to be active in a Patient Practice Group. My suggestion is that with the population growth in Cambridge and particularly in the south around the CF surgery, that perhaps there should be two representatives for the PRG.

A Little Piece of History

Trumpington Surgery was based in the bottom flat (now demolished) in Anstley Way, when we started, then moved to the Beverley Way Unit in 2002 before opening in the splendid facilities here at the Clay Farm Centre in 2020. This also serves as the very successful COVID vaccination centre now, whilst we distribute COVID lateral flow tests.

It would have been difficult forty years ago to envisage our role and how the pandemic would affect us all. Like many of us, with the continued success of the vaccination roll-out and COVID rules permitting, we are looking forward to more family time, especially with our four grandchildren.

We cannot thank you enough for the kindness you greeted us with and the wonderful support we have received over all these 35 years, we will miss you.

Jeff and Karen, the name Gregory was closely associated with the Clay Farm Centre and you will be missed !

Staff at TSMP Participate in the 'Wings for Life' Event

Dr. Christie Minj, GP Registrar

And finally, kudos to the all-women's team who represented Trumpington Street Medical Practice in the 'Wings for Life' world run on a rather hot May afternoon, individually and in (distanced) groups, with thousands of other runners from across 151 countries worldwide. Together we clocked an impressive 55 km and are planning to do even better next year!

Published: Jun 18, 2021