Dr Karen Murdoch
Dr Murdoch has joined the partnership at Perranporth Surgery. Karen has worked as a salaried doctor at Perranporth for 11 years but from1st October will become a business partner in the Surgery joining Peter Merrin and Charles Sidebotham. General Practice is in effect a small business providing General Medical Services in a contract with the Primary Care Trust (PCT) so in addition to her clinical role, Karen will now have a business role at Perranporth Surgery.
Rural Transport Scheme
Transport Scheme (North Carrick Community Bus)
As from Monday 30th March 2009 we will have a community bus available to patients who live in outlying areas. Initially, the community bus will serve St Newlyn East and surrounding areas. The scheme is being administered by Age Concern Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly.
The service will be available for patients to travel to Perranporth for appointments on Monday afternoons, Tuesday and Thursday mornings. The community bus will operate as a dial a ride and will be available from 2pm to 5pm in the afternoon and from 9.30-12.30 in the morning.
The surgery appointment system will reserve a small number of appointments between 3-3.30pm or 10.30-11.00am for patients to book in advance if they need to arrange transport with the community bus.
Anyone who wishes to use the service needs to register for the scheme (a quick and easy process to be completed at the surgery or by the bus driver). Once an appointment has been made at the surgery the booking details will be passed onto the transport co-ordinator who will then contact the patient to make travel arrangements.
Rural Transport Partnership
We are currently working with the Rural Transport Partnership towards setting up a community transport scheme in Perranporth. As yet we are not clear about the availability of the vehicle, but think it may operate over a couple of days each week. We anticipate the vehicle will be available to assist patients attending surgery appointments. If you are interested in helping out as either a driver or transport co-ordinator, based in the surgery, please ask to speak to Lisa Fogg, Practice Manager.
Requirements:
- Clean Driving License
- D1 on Driving License
- CRB Checked (surgery will arrange)
Are you happy with our service?
Below are the results of the most recent patient questionnaire.
This survey was conducted at the beginning of the year. Surveys were sent out to patients who had consulted within the last month. Replies were anonymous. Stamped addressed envelopes were included to encourage response.
Is your data at risk?
You have probably heard of government plans to hold your medical records (or at least part of them) on something called the national data spine. Given their record on protecting our personal data some people are worried that personal information may be lost. It seems that this is not your only worry as your records may be accessed by people other than doctors. See here.
Given this and many other concerns many people are opting out of their records being centrally held The government will assume that you opt in unless you opt out. Further information can be found here.
The future of General Practice
A doctor speaks…
Proposals to turn our highly valued general practices into healthcare hypermarkets would mean a poorer quality of service, particularly for those in most need, says Dr Kailash Chand. This article written by a normal GP is well worth a read.
General Practice as we know it
A message from the British Medical Association
bma.org.uk Newsletter January 2008 British Medical Association, BMA House, Tavistock Square, London, WC1H 9JP © British Medical Association, 2008
Your general practice and the family doctor service in general is under threat. The government is taking steps which doctors believe will harm patient services. It is encouraging commercial companies to set up and provide GP services, but many family doctors are concerned that if this happens, company profits will come before your needs. The services you get from your local doctor’spractice are some of the best in the world. Many other countries are looking to copy our local health services because they set high standards and are good value for money.Doctors are always trying to improve patient care. Every year a nationwide survey tells doctors how you feel about the work they do and helps them to plan and improve the care they can offer. The great majority of people value their local doctor’s practice and the role it plays in their local community, and most are very happy with the services that they receive. High quality care: – Providing you with the best care possible is your doctor’s priority. In the last few years all GPs have been working especially hard to achieve new standards of care for a wide range of illnesses. It means your care keeps improving and that long-term health conditions like asthma and diabetes are better controlled and treated. GPs have provided better care than the government ever expected them to do.
Getting your medication from Perranporth Surgery
If you live outside of the parish of Perranzabuloe, read on!
This is to let you know that you can now get your medication dispensed directly from the surgery. What does this mean? Basically, that instead of your prescription going to a chemist, it can be kept in the surgery and your medication dispensed from the surgery itself. We believe that this is an exciting development for the surgery that will have positive benefits for patients and the community as a whole.
Retirement
In two weeks, after 31 years of general practice, Mary Turfitt is retiring.
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It is beyond the scope of this website to catalogue her immense contribution to primary care, not only in Perranporth but in Cornwall as a whole. She has overseen many changes within our practice and has been a close friend and confidant, not only to her partners in practice, but to many hundreds of patients and colleagues throughout the county. During her working life she has supported many causes wholeheartedly through words and actions being involved with many committees and groups. |
She has been a passionate believer in supporting working women and has managed to combine being a mother (and in more recent times a grandmother) and a career woman with seamless expertise fitting her work in and around the other demands being made of her.
She will be sorely missed but not forgotten.
Friday, 24th November 2006
The end of an era approaches as with two more working days to go, Mary Turfitt says goodbye to general practice and hello to what we hope is a long, peaceful and well deserved retirement. I am sure she would want to say thank you to the very many people who have expressed their thanks and gratitude for her wisdom and skill over her 31 years of service at Perranporth Surgery.
Thursday, 28th November 2006
Today was Mary Turfitt’s last working day at Perranporth Surgery although she is still officially a partner until the weekend. I find it hard to describe adequately Mary’s contribution to primary care in Perranporth, let alone the difference she has made to countless individuals. Her compassion, passion, commonsense, humour and ability to adapt to so many situations, both professionally and socially have made working with her both a pleasure and a privilege. I have shared many ups and downs with Mary but she has always managed to make them ups in the end. She is irreplaceable but will always remain a true and much loved colleague, friend and confidante. I will be eternally grateful for her wisdom and her abilities in reigning in my kneejerk responses to many situations. I plan to make use of this wisdom for many years to come.
