So, here we are again at our last blog of 2024; we can’t believe where the year has gone! Please see some of the highlights from our engagement work in December.
Jim attended several PPG meetings in December including the Weymouth & Portland PPG chairs, which was a good opportunity for groups in the area to share information; there was a good discussion about future activities at Shelley Manor PPG, and Prince of Wales and Puddletown groups both celebrated their meetings with festive treats! Jim was also very pleased to be invited to the Ammonite PPG for the Maiden Newton and Tunnel Road surgeries where he was pleased to see feedback from different part of the practice’s catchment area and a discussion about using funds to purchase a blood pressure machine for the benefit of practice patients
Gill attended an excellent meeting looking at the development of an Integrated Neighbourhood Team (INT) in Purbeck. INTs will be developed all across Dorset over the coming months and will involve PPGs, GP surgeries, hospitals, councils and voluntary sector organisations. It was so good to have everyone involved in the room talking about the Dorset and Purbeck vision and how we can all work together in a joined up, integrated way to improve health and social care.
Jim attended a networking meeting in Dorchester which included people from many organisations in the Dorchester area. It was a good opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new people. There was also an interesting presentation about the development of roads and paths over the coming year in the town. Jim and Gill also caught up with their counterparts at Dorset County Hospital, which was a great opportunity to share updates with each other over a cup of coffee. Both Gill and Jim have found networking meetings an important way to better understand what’s going on in local areas and make new contacts; if you’re aware of similar meetings happening locally to you, please let them know!
In December Gill attended PPG meetings at Barcellos Practice in Ferndown, the Blandford Practice, and the Cranborne Practice in Verwood. She also hosted PPG network meetings with PPG representatives from the three North Dorset PCN areas and from Wimborne, Ferndown & Verwood PCNs. These are incredibly useful meetings where PPG representatives can meet each other, share experiences and best practice, and find out what happens at other PPG meetings.
Gill also caught up with Michelle and Helen from the Dorset Post Covid Awareness Service. As mentioned in previous blogs, Michelle and Helen have already presented to a couple of PPG meetings to raise awareness of the service which provides a lot of support for anyone who is, or who thinks they might be, suffering from long COVID. Please do take a look at their really helpful website for more information and to find out what support is available, and if you’d like them to come along to one of your meetings, please contact Gill to arrange this.
Jim had the opportunity to visit a couple of initiatives run by PPGs in December. He dropped into the cooking session run by Weymouth & Portland PPGs and the Friendly Food Club as mentioned in last month’s blog. These sessions have been created to help give cooking novices the confidence to cook healthy, nutritious meals from scratch; he also had the chance to taste some of the food, which was delicious! Jim also attended the Prince of Wales Strollers group in Poundbury. The group was created by the PPG for people in the local area to socialise and get some gentle exercise. Over the winter months the group are meeting at a local café first so people know they will always have the opportunity to talk to others whatever the weather! You can read more about both initiatives below:
Outside of work Jim and Kelly took part in the pre-Christmas Santa run along Weymouth beach. They also entertained both sets of parents for Christmas lunch along with catching up with other friends and family members over the festive period. Jim also took part in Weymouth harbour’s annual harbour swim on Christmas day!
Outside of work Gill had a lovely weekend away in Bath with her two daughters and daughter-in-law to be.
She also organised a Christmas party for 21 friends which was a great fun and festive evening!
What a year 2024 has been! We hope you have all had an opportunity to enjoy the festive season, and as we start 2025, we look forward to working with you all again and sharing stories of the fantastic work happening in Dorset. Happy New Year!
Outside of work Gill had a lovely weekend away in Bath with her two daughters and daughter-in-law to be.
She also organised a Christmas party for 21 friends which was a great fun and festive evening!
What a year 2024 has been! We hope you have all had an opportunity to enjoy the festive season, and as we start 2025, we look forward to working with you all again and sharing stories of the fantastic work happening in Dorset. Happy New Year!
