As many of you know, at the start of the year our job titles changed to Community Engagement Officers to reflect the evolving nature of our roles. Our relationships with practices and PPGs will still be a fundamental part of our work but we also spend time on developing relationships and connecting to a variety of other organisations and people in Dorset. Our blogs will now start to reflect this.
PPGs have been busy with community initiatives this month. Shelley Manor & Holdenhurst PPG supported events to help show people how to access their GP record online so they can order their repeat prescriptions digitally. Bridges PPG held their popular pre-diabetes session with diabetic dietitian Isi Hooley. These sessions are aimed at giving people with the condition a better understanding of pre-diabetes and shows them how a small change in their lifestyle can positively impact on their health. The sessions are also being expanded across the Weymouth and Portland area.
Several practices that Gill has been working with have been looking to relaunch and/or reinvigorate their patient engagement, so Gill has been meeting with practice staff and patients to brainstorm ways of engaging with wider audiences. More of this to follow in future blogs!
Don’t forget, the Your Voice section of the NHS Dorset website has a plethora of ideas for good patient engagement, as well as downloadable resources and good news stories and case studies. You can find this information here:
Jim has been involved in a project to better understand the future services needed on Portland. In May he helped at a public event where updates were given by senior leaders from the NHS and local authority and people were given the opportunity to ask questions. Feedback from people Jim spoke to was really positive and there was the feeling that good progress is being made. For more information about the work happening on Portland.
Gill was really pleased to be invited to the Blackmore Vale Group Practice patient event at Shaftesbury Town Hall. The senior GP partner explained Pharmacy First and also talked about the importance of people taking care of themselves, and being more aware of their own health. We also heard from the lead social prescriber who explained what social prescribing is all about, and how people can be supported to become more resilient. Lastly, a practice health champion talked about why she became involved and her work as a Falls Buddy. It was a really fascinating evening and so fantastic to see a practice engaging so well with its community.
Jim attended several PPG meetings in May including joining the Wyke meeting where the group were joined by the principal pharmacist for NHS Dorset Tracy Lyons, where they discussed the next phase of the medicines waste campaign from a patient perspective. He also started working with Farmhouse GP practice in Christchurch to help develop a physical group and give guidance on future activities.
Gill went to the Barcellos Practice PPG meeting where the group discussed the recent patient survey, the Community SWITCH programme created by the Crane Valley Primary Care Network in collaboration with PPGs, and CVD Prevent (cardiovascular disease), a new scheme encouraging people to take control of their blood pressure monitoring from home.
Jim attended a health and wellbeing event in Weymouth in May. Along with promoting the fantastic work PPGs are doing it was an excellent opportunity to network with other organisations and community groups in the area. He also had the chance to spend time on a ‘dementia bus’, where he experienced what it was like to live with the condition – it was a very powerful experience.
Outside of work Jim and Kelly went to Lulworth Castle for Dorset Blind Association’s annual family fun day and motor show and also had an amazing day out visiting Kew Gardens.
Gill had a big chunk of annual leave in mid-May and jetted off to Turkey with her husband, four children and their partners and of course her little grandson (another of Gill’s “big” birthday celebrations!). A truly fantastic family time was had by all!
So that was the month of May! June looks to be just as busy with several other patient events in the diary; as always, please do continue to let us if you have anything planned that you would like us to come along to! Thank you all so much for all your support.
