Phoenix Surgery Newsletter - Winter 2007

The surgery is open as usual during the week before Christmas. We close at 12.30pm on Christmas Eve and are closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We are open as normal during the rest of that week.

New Year’s Eve we again close at 1230pm, are closed on New Year’s Day and reopen on 2nd January 2008.

Our volunteers each visit a small number of patients over the age of 75 to assist Phoenix surgery health professionals new volunteers, will be undertaken by Liz Hicks, Health Visitor for Older Pewith our preventative health care scheme for older patients. Volunteer visiting is both interesting and rewarding and volunteers are trained and fully supported by our Health Visitor for older people and the Scheme Administrator.

If you think you would like to find out more about becoming a Staywell Volunteer, please contact Pam Porter, Scheme Administrator, Tel: 01285 659235, for an informal chat at the Phoenix Surgery. The next training programme for ople, in the New Year.

Under 18 years and worried you might be pregnant? Where to go? What to Do?

Why not come to Indigo Young Persons Drop-In at the Phoenix Surgery for free confidential advice and information. Indigo is run by Lynn Adlington and Sarah Beasley, two of our practice nurses who have a particular interest in the needs of young people supported by Dr Gill McInerney.

It runs every Thursday from 3.45 pm to 5 pm and is held upstairs at the Phoenix Surgery. No appointment is necessary. You do not have to be a patient at the practice to use the service. You are welcome to bring your friends or a member of your family if you wish.

We are happy to talk about sexual, emotional and physical problems. We provide advice about contraception, pregnancy testing and provide condoms for free.

The service is confidential and we will tell no one about your visit providing your are not at risk of harm or abuse.

Lynn, one of our practice nurses, and her friend Karen are recently back from Peru. They swapped their normal lives and families to go and walk the Inca trail and raise funds for the charity Action Medical Research.

“It was a totally amazing experience, we walked 42km in 4 days and climbed to a height of 4,200m which was really challenging” Lynn reports…...

“We spent 3 nights camping in the middle of nowhere and made some very good friends. We were extremely well looked after by our guides and porters (or Chaskis, which means Inca runner, as they prefer to be called) and the food was amazing, even down to one of our party being baked and iced a beautiful birthday cake at 3700m. The Chaskis have to carry all the food and equipment that you are going to use along the way. I would like to thank all the staff and patients who have sponsored me. If you have sponsored I am collecting in the money! If you haven't yet sponsored me and would like to then it is never too late!

I have so far raised £2600 and have a target of £2800 so not far to go! Anything that I raise over this will be used to send clothes, pencils, crayons and note books to the Chaski children who have so very little and are grateful for anything that the receive”.

Well done Lynn! It is not too late to give a donation if you have not done so already!

If you have received a letter inviting you to have a flu vaccination please book your appointment as soon as possible.

You can also have a flu vaccination if you are aged 65 and over or you are a carer for an elderly or disabled person whose welfare may be at risk if the carer falls ill.

On behalf of the many patients who have received help, the Phoenix Trust would like to thank everyone who has supported the Trust during 2007.

The Phoenix Trust is available to help any patient in the Cirencester area to provide subsidised cost for additional health services.

Some of you may remember being asked to fill in a questionnaire last year about your experience of service from the Phoenix Surgery. We thought you may like to share the results.

Although pleasing to have such a response we are using your feedback to further improve the service we offer you in 2008. Thank you everybody for your help.