West Wight Medical Practice Yarmouth Surgery Public Meeting called by Yarmouth Town Council, Yarmouth School, 4th

h March 20 4 The public Meeting was called in response to a letter from the medical practice to all patients, see Appendix 1. There is also a Qs and As text on http://www.westwightpractice.co.uk/changes.asp which is in Appendix . !r "ordon #alker explained what is happening and took $uestions. There were around %&' members of the public present. !r #alker explained that due to doctors lea(ing the practice and the failure to find replacements, it was medicall) unsafe for the practice to continue. #est #ight Medical *ractice ha(e a contract with +,- .ngland who ha(e been kept informed and +,- .ngland has placed the medical care of the ##M* into a /procurement phase/ which essentiall) hands the management and responsibilit) to +,- .ngland. The Acting *ractice Manager is Mr Mike 0ukes and the doctors ask that $uestions or discussion related to the temporar) changes are addressed to him at westwightpractice1gp2345'16.nhs.uk and specificall) not to discuss non2medical matters with the doctors who are alread) stretched to full capacit) coping with the departure of their colleagues. Alternati(el) )ou can write to: Melanie -moker, +,- .+"7A+!, 8akle) 9oad, -outhampton -81: 5"; The <armouth -urger) closure is /temporar)/. A permanent closure would re$uire a formal public consultation and in an) case the doctors, who opened the surger) in the first place, are committed to re2opening it as soon as possible. The matter is, howe(er, largel) outside the control of the doctors at this stage. =t is impracticable to split the reduced resources between two locations so until more doctors are made a(ailable <armouth cannot re2open. The doctors ha(e discussed the situation with other practices on the =sland. There are presentl) 4' doctors on the =sland, 1' (acancies of which four are in ##M*. *rescriptions: .ssentiall) there should be no difference for <armouth patients. There will be a dail) or twice2dail) mail pickup from <armouth so prescriptions can be dropped off there. Alternati(el), there is an online prescription ser(ice >for details see the practice website http://www.westwightpractice.co.uk ? As before, patients ma) choose from a number of local pharmacies including the <armouth *harmac), plus @oots and !a)/s in Areshwater. <armouth *harmac) and <armouth itself is suffering from the @ouldnor 9oad closure. There is a worr) that without the surger), the pharmac) will not be (iable. A pharmac) is (ital to the /mix/ of ser(ices a(ailable in <armouth so the conse$uences to <armouth as a small town shopping centre could be catastrophic. =f patients could discriminate positi(el) in fa(our of using <armouth *harmac), that would help. -eldom has the axiom /use it or lose it/ been more apt. !rop2in nurse clinic: This will not be possible at <armouth because a doctor must be on dut) at all times when a nurse practitioner is practising as such. These are the national rules and not discretionar). The s)stem at Areshwater is not /drop2in/B patients are asked to phone for an appointment. !r #alker explained that it isn/t practicable to create a /little <armouth/ practice within the @rookside Centre. *atients re$uiring blood tests are asked to phone the phlebotomist at @rookshide for an appointment. Alu 0abs: !r #alker said he thought it would be possible to open the <armouth -urger) for specific clinics such as flu 3abs although this hasn/t been decided )et and the surger) might be full) open again before the need arises.

"etting from <armouth to Areshwater: !iscussions are under wa) with the A<T bus to offer a door2 door ser(ice between <armouth and Areshwater. There is also the -outhern Dectis ser(ice. !r #alker explained that the practice has 11,''' patients of whom onl) ''' are his, at <armouth -urger). That helps to explain wh) it is impracticable for !r #alker to be fixed in <armouth as he will ha(e to help his colleagues with the other 6''' patients. =t also means that it might be more difficult for patients to see the doctor of their choice during this period. There are no plans to change the present arrangements for home (isits. !r #alker was asked whether the telephone s)stem would cope, di(erting all the calls. ,e explained that the new switchboard is onl) one )ear old and alread) switches calls from <armouth to @rookside when the former is shut. !r #alker was gi(en a loud round of applause after he had finished answering $uestions, with those present feeling far more comfortable about the arrangements than the) had feared.

!""endi# $ %etter sent at the end o& 'ebruary 20 4 to all "atients !ear *atient, EFFE FAorthcoming changes at #est #ight Medical *racticeF <ou ma) be aware of some of the forthcoming changes at #est #ight *ractice. !r Marshall is retiring (er) soon and !r #hite is lea(ing us to take on different medical roles. The three remaining doctors ha(e been seeking new "*s to 3oin them with little success and now feel that in order to manage the 11,''' patients of the practice a fresh look at how ser(ices are pro(ided will be needed. !rs Thomson, Magee and #alker ha(e asked +,- .ngland, who contract for the ser(ices at the practice, to organise a new ser(ice for general medical care locall). The three !octors are keen to continue to be in(ol(ed but feel the) need some help to secure the future of the "* ser(ices for this part of the =sland. #e are not alone in finding it difficult to recruit new "*s, other practices both locall) and nationall) are finding similar difficulties. #e will shortl) ha(e support from a female "* and are of course grateful to the locums who help us to keep our ser(ice running. #e ha(e adapted our ser(ices o(er the )ears to manage the change in the "* workforce and ha(e introduced nurse practitioners and expanded the roles of our nurses and healthcare assistants. 8ur s)stem of telephoning patients who re$uest doctor help means that we can normall) see those who need to come in $uickl). #e do now need to make some further changes to help us to continue to pro(ide safe and effecti(e ser(ices while the new ser(ice is secured and we are writing to seek )our support and understanding of these changes as the !octors will ha(e to manage their resources carefull). *art of this consolidation will regrettabl) mean that we ha(e to close <armouth -urger) temporaril) with effect from Arida) 4 March '15. =f )ou ha(e an) $uestions please write in or use our #ebsite www.westwightpractice.co.uk Ghttp://www.westwightpractice.co.uk/H and we will answer )ou as soon as we can. #e ask that

patients do not use health consultations to discuss these changes as that would slow down the ser(ice for e(er)one. #hat can )ou do to help:2 I=f )ou need general health ad(ice please consider using )our pharmac) or the 111 -er(ice. I=f )ou ha(e a $uer) which relates to a referral to a hospital ser(ice, please ring the hospital number >-t. Mar)Js switchboard K & 5'41? and ask for the rele(ant ser(ice or secretar). I=f )ou ring for doctorJs ad(ice on )our medication, please keep )our drugs and/or a list of them b) the telephone. !octorsand staff of the practice will continue to pro(ide )ou with high $ualit) care and to pro(ide full ser(ices from our Areshwater site. As commissioners of primar) care ser(ices, +,- .ngland and the +,- =sle of #ight Clinical Commissioning "roup >=8# CC"? are working together with the *ractice, to secure ser(ices in #est #ight for the future. <ours sincerel) !rs Thomson, Magee, #alker, Marshall L #hite

!""endi# 2$ '!(s &rom WWMP <armouth -urger) 2 -tatement from !r "eorge Thomson % March '15 The decision to close, temporaril), <armouth surger) has prompted se(eral comments and $uestions. This is written in an attempt to answer those $ueries. Q. =s this in fact permanent closure M A. = hope not. = was one of four doctors who opened that building in 164%, = ha(e en3o)ed m) share of deputiNing in <armouth since then and hope to reopen the surger) as soon as possible. !r. #alker explained to the practice patient group last week that tra(el to and from <armouth at a time of acute doctor shortage would reduce time spent on health care. Q. =s this all about sa(ing mone) M A. +o discussion on that sub3ect has occurred. This decision will ha(e a minor negati(e effect in that direction. Q. #h) are all the )oung doctors lea(ing M A. = cannot comment on indi(idual decisions. =t is true that " * is less popular than pre(iousl). Q. #ill !r #alker see those patients who wish to see him M A. <es

Q. A letter was promised mid week but did not arri(e until -aturda). The Count) *ress knew of the stor) earl) in the week. <armouth staff were sworn to secrec). #h) was this M A. !octors spoke first to staff, then to organiNations most affected b) doctor shortage e.g. Ambulance, Accident / .mergenc), @eacon "* centre and *harmacies. = do not know who contacted the newspaper. #hen reporters asked me se(eral times for comment = refused to discuss the matter until letters had been sent to patients. 9o)al Mail confirmed that letters had been sent on #ednesda). Q. #h) no consultation M A. !rs. Magee, #alker and = did not know late last )ear that four doctors would be lea(ing within three months. Consultation would be re$uired for permanent closureB = do not know the process and whether that would extend be)ond <armouth. Q. #h) change a s)stem which works for those who use <armouth pharmac) M A. = sincerel) hope that patients will continue to use <armouth pharmac). = understand that road closures add to present difficulties. *rescriptions are sent from Areshwater surger) to <armouth pharmac) e(er) da). #hen one doctor is in <armouth and two or three are in Areshwater the s)stem works less well for eight) per cent of the patients who are normall) seen in this building. This is a difficult time for all patientsB doctor changes at Areshwater ha(e meant new doctor / patient relationships. =t is a difficult time for staff. =t is not eas) for !rs. Magee, #alker and m)self. = hope )ou can bear with us.