SEPTEMBER 2011

Medical Students
The practice will be welcoming 2 year 4 medical students from the 13th September in order to assist them in completing their training. They will attend every other Tuesday and Dr.Yeates will be their mentor. We would like to make patients aware that the students will be present in consultations and if you would like to discuss the matter in private, please let the receptionists know.

Flu Campaign 2011
Our flu campaign will soon be underway for 2011 and our vaccines are expected to arrive throughout October. We intend to hold 2 Saturday clinics to vaccination the vast majority of our eligible patients along with a flu clinic in Orford for residents in that area. Please watch our website and the practice notice board for more information.

AUGUST 2011

Changes to the Appointment System
Following the recent survey at the practice to ask patients about the existing appointment system, we have taken the feedback we received onboard and made some significant changes which we hope patients will feel have improved the appointment system overall. Patients can now book a GP appointment up to a month in advance with a GP of their choice. All appointments are pre-bookable except those for the acute clinician on the day who will deal with the needs of patients who are ill on the day. This will involve the reception team taking the patients details and telephone number and the GP will conduct a telephone triage over the phone. If the GP feels that the patient then needs to be seen, the GP can book an appointment for that day.

JULY 2011

Changes to the GP Team
We would like to advise all patients of the following changes to the GP team at the practice:

Dr John Hawkswell will be leaving us on Friday 12th August following his decision to relocate back to Yorkshire and be closer to his family. Dr Hawkswell has been at the practice for many years and over this time has become an integral part of the team. The practice wishes him well in his new position.

We are therefore happy to announce that 2 new GPs will now be joining the Practice team:

Dr Rakesh Jaidka will be starting on Monday 22nd August. Dr Jaidka is local to Warrington and a patient at the practice. He is very much looking forward to getting to know patients and contributing to service improvement. Dr Jaidka is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons and will be taking over the Minor Surgery clinics.

Dr Ashfaq Ahmed will also be joining us on the 1st September. Dr Ahmed is from South Manchester and has been a long term locum supporting the practice over the last few months. He has already got to know a lot of patients and was keen to accept a more permanent position.

We hope that you will all join us in welcoming the 2 new GPs to the practice.