Doctors Surgery

[Fisherman 2]

I see there is a petition in the Top Shop ,when the new health centre opens in chirk next year , the surgeries in the institute will finish.

How are elderly and others in need going to manage.

What is the difference, the surgery may be moving , but there is still the same need in weston rhyn for people.

Who pays for the doctors to come to the Institute?.

Why should anything change to our village service , which is a brilliant one we do not want to lose.Thoughts please as how we can stop this service from being lost.

Ta

[leebarnfield 30]

I have never used the service at the Institute, but I would have thought it was very useful to the people of Weston Rhyn.  Maybe institutewatcher can answer some of your questions.

[Maggie 65]

Cllr Angela Bright has given me a copy of the notice posted by Chirk Surgery in the Institute.  It says:

 

Proposed Closure of Weston Rhyn Surgery in 2014

Completion of he new purpose built health centre in Chirk is expected by the end of March 2014.  The practice currently operates a one hour morning surgery within the Weston Rhyn Institute every Monday and Thursday.  Our current facilities offered at Weston Rhyn are not fit for purpose and it is with sadness that we feel it necessary to propose bringing these sessions to an end by 31 March 2014.

 

Patients who attend the health centre will benefit in a number of ways as the new premises will offer state of the art facilities and greatly improved access and comfort for all patients.  We will continue to oprate a triage system so that same day appointments will be available for all out patients.  The criteria for home visits will also not be affected following the closure of the Weston Rhyn surgeries.

 

The practice are inviting comments on the closure proposal and ask that patients write directly to the Practice Manager, Julie Webster at Chirk Surgery, Castle Road, Chirk, Wrexham LL14 5 BS by 20th Decmber 2013.

 

 

The response from the Parish Council last Monday is reported here:  http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/health/2013/12/04/patients-meeting-to-fight-gp%E2%80%88service-plan/

 

There is a public meeting with on December 17th at 6 pm in the Institute. The Practice Manager will be there

 

Some important issues here are:

1. a lot of people use this service. (there have been about 30 people waiting to see a doctor each day since this was announced)  An aging population will see this increase.

2. HOW are these ill, disabled, sick, (without transport or they would already be using Chirk surgery) get to and from Chirk?

3. Why has such short notice been given?

4. Why didn't they talk to anyone in Shropshire Health first?

5. Why are they continuing to use the clinic they run in St Martins?

6. What do they mean by 'unfit for purpose'?  (Angela was told that broadband speeds were too slow for them in Weston Rhyn, but I beleive they are even slower in St Martins)

7. The Parish Council pointed out that they pay £7.50 per session to the Institute for hire of 2 rooms. Say 20 people per session and this makes a very good return on the money they get per patient signed up at Chirk Surgery.

8. We should therefore investigate whether any other Practice would consider taking on these patients and taking over the facility.

 

 

Hope lots of people will come to the meeting on the 17th.

[Fisherman 2]

I am disappointed, I thought there would have been a greater response to this issue, let's hope people turn up to the meeting

Cheers

[neo 6]

I think this website is becoming like most things in the community now.....  good work and effort from a very select few and no contribution from the community as a whole.

[Community Online 65]

Just to highlight that this post as well as the vast majority of the others on the site are posted to our Twitter and Facebook pages.  Some selected posts are then linked in the occasional newsletter that gets emailed to members.

 

So all posts get a lot of exposure to members and followers of this site, its just that people are obviously choosing not to comment or make contributions.

[Maggie 65]

Report of meeting was in the Shropshire Star.   http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2013/12/18/weston-rhyn-villagers-fighting-to-keep-gp-drop-in-surgery/

[leebarnfield 30]

Sounds like there was a reasonable turn out, the Shropshire Star reporting more than 50 residents attended.

[Simple Simon 36]

Just to expand this topic a little; Shropshire Council are cutting back on police, ambulance and fire services. My understanding is that they are trying to centralise them to bring costs down. Baschurch Fire Station are kicking up a fuss.

 

Ambulances and fire services will take longer to arrive and get to A&E. When you ring 999 and ask for an ambulance the operator asks a series of questions to see if a First Responder can better handle the situation. My understanding is that First Responders don't have to same equipment and are not qualified to administer certain drugs.

 

There used to be regular meetings by the First Responders in Gobowen Pavilion. The man in charge is based in St. Martins. Are they on CO? It would be good for them to contribute to this issue.  

[leebarnfield 30]

There's an article in the Oswestry Advertizer - http://www.bordercountiesadvertizer.co.uk/news/129419/doctor-apologises-to-residents-over-proposals-to-close-weston-rhyn-surgery.aspx

 

Includes quotes from Maggie, institutewatcher and David G Lloyd

[Guest]

We have had a couple of meetings on this topic and are meeting with practice doctors on 16th January to examine the possibility of the surgery moving to a larger room with full accessibility to all - although this will be on the first floor it should not be a problem as the lift is fully operational and has the capacity for a wheelchair and 4 persons.

 

The public meeting was well attended and many villagers put their views across to Julie Webster (practice manager) and Dr. Smith (senior doctor).  Myths about BT connectivity were blown apart as another doctor in the village (using the standard BT coverage) is able to log onto health records at Wrexham and Telford - it appears its just the Health Service cable which needs to be sorted out at the village hall should the doctors decide to stay.  There is an adequate normal telephone service with download speeds of 3.5 Mbs but the practice manager did say they couldn't access the records at Wrexham unless they installed a special access system (which they have at St Martins) but have not installed here (I presume there is a substantial cost involved).

 

Numbers of patients requiring the service have gone down a little over the last 2 years but in the normal course of this facility the numbers of patients do swing up and down periodically.  If the service is withdrawn when there is a downswing, then the facility is lost - perhaps forever.

 

Residents in the village have the possibility of using the Chirk or Oswestry doctors and perhaps if the Chirk doctors leave the village we should write to Oswestry practices to see if they want to take over the rooms?

 

The management committee and parish council are working together to try to keep a surgery in the village and I will report later on the outcome of the meeting on Thursday.