| Are you interested in physical exercise?
 Would you be interested in achieving an accredited Keep Fit Association certificate to provide gentle seated exercise to groups of older people? There are great health improvement benefits for older people participating in even the gentlest exercise.
Age Concern Sedgefield Locality office is preparing a programme of physical activity sessions in the Sedgefield Borough area and are recruiting volunteers (or exercise instructors) interested in gaining a ‘Keep Fit Association’ accredited certificate – the Mature Mover Seated Exercise Certificate Course
The 10-week course will start in September 2005. Locality Manager Kathleen Young says: “This is a good opportunity for anyone interested in this type of activity to become active volunteers or instructors helping older people keep their mobility and independence. Age Concern are promoting this opportunity and covering the cost of the course. We would be pleased to hear from anyone who would like to know more about the training. Places are limited and not everyone has to be dedicated to keeping fit. A general interest in this programme is enough to be involved”.
More details are available from the locality office on 01388 720 064, or email: sedgefield@ageconcerndurham.org.uk
THANK YOU GREAT NORTH AIR AMBULANCE
My name is Michelle Davison. On Monday 29th August and Friday 9th September 2005, we held two charity events at Trimdon Black Bull. This is just a little thank you to all the members of the public, local businesses and local singers who donated time, money and gifts towards these events.
It is with great pleasure that I can forward a cheque for £1,650 to the Great North Air Ambulance, which we hope will help save more lives. So, just a thank you from me to all the people who helped or participated in these events.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
Patients have their say on local health services
.Local people across the Sedgefield Borough area have given Sedgefield Primary Care Trust (PCT) their views on local health care services by taking part in an important national survey.
Surveys were sent to 850 randomly selected people from across the area during January 2005 and the results from the 390 surveys returned were presented to the PCT. The PCT sent a similar survey to local people in March 2003 and 2004 which helped the PCT to identify areas for improvement and development.
The survey gave local people a chance to have their say on health services received from hospitals, GPs, opticians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists and other therapists, and to tell the PCT what they want from their local health service.
The feedback received is then used by the PCT to identify areas for improvement.
The questions in the survey covered the five dimensions of patient care across each PCT namely:
: access and waiting times
: safe, high quality co-ordinated care
: better information and more choice
: building relationships
: clean, comfortable and friendly health centres and surgeries.
The PCT overall performed very well in the patient survey, with only two areas below the average of other Trusts surveyed. The areas of concern were:
: Patients had to wait more than two days for an appointment to see a GP.
: Patients were unhappy that other patients could overhear their discussions at GP reception areas.
The PCT performed better than other Trusts surveyed on six areas which included:
: Dentists involved patients in decisions about their treatment:
: Patients got a quick response to their call to the Out of Hours GP service.
: People received their copy of ‘Your Guide to Local Health Services in Sedgefield’.
: Patients received their test results promptly.
Heather Inglis, Public Involvement Manager for Sedgefield PCT said:
“The results of these surveys are extremely important to the PCT as they help us to understand the health needs of local people in their area and make improvements to services.
“The PCT has used the results from the survey to develop an action plan to address the areas of concern so that improvements can be made for local people and particularly their experiences of care. GP practices and members of our Professional Executive Committee (PEC) have helped to shape this action plan. We have also asked other Trusts who scored highly on these questions for tips on how we can improve our services.”
Carol Bean, Primary Care Development Facilitator at the PCT, said: “We were disappointed that we did not score well on the survey question about 48 hour access to a GP. We have a ‘mystery shopper’ who telephones GP practices each week to make sure that patients can get to see a doctor within the 48 hour time frame and so far we have always hit this important target. Our GP practices are doing a lot of work to make sure that people can get to see a GP within two working days but we have to prepare patients for the fact that the appointment may not always be with the GP of their choice.” |
