Winter 10
Newsletter
2006 Patients - Didn’t we do
well ….
We had a very successful flu Saturday on
9th October. This is the second time we
have had this event and we are on our way
to a winning format. It takes a lot of
organisation, for many people (and over a
number of weeks) to provide such a day.
We had 8 vaccinators (including GP’s), and
10 staff to help patients and key data to
patients records. We also had support
from our wonderful PPG ‘The Friends of
Oaklands’ who provided refreshments to
our patients through out the day – they
served over 660 cups of refreshments
and got through packets and packets of
biscuits.
We have had some very positive
responses to the organisation of the clinic
this year – the turnaround was very quick,
hardly any queues with a constant flow of
patients and for those less able we were
able to administer the vaccine downstairs
which we intend to expand next year. The
PCT even came along and did a write up of
our clinic day in the Your Health magazine
so please keep an eye out for the article
when we receive the magazines!
Thank you to all who attended – please
make a note in your diaries, next year the
0844 477 3550
Super Flu Saturday will be on 8th October
2011!
Staff Changes
Since our last update – Diane, Jo and
Marie (again) have left the surgery; we
wish them well with their future plans.
Dr Farida Latif became a Partner on 1st
September and we have also welcomed
Janice (new receptionist) and Dr Olukemi
Ogunnuga (Kemi) as a salaried GP, who is
working four days a week. We also have
Hilary and Trish to help out with cover
within our nursing staff.
White Paper
As you are aware the Government is
planning to hand over responsibilities and
budget control of NHS funds to GP
surgeries in primary care. This will mean
the Primary Care Trusts (PCT’s) who
currently act as gate keepers to the
services we provide will either be
dismantled or reduced in size. This means
that the GPs can influence and oversee
the services provided locally for their
patients. Although there has been a lot
of media attention on this change, the
information received is very broad and no
specifics have been received at practice
level so at the moment we are unable to
tell you what this means on the ground.
surveys and therefore can have a
detrimental effect to the practice and
the services it provides.
We always try to accommodate our
patient’s requirements but of course this
is not always possible and patients
perceive the service we offer differently.
All we can do is provide a consistent
service for all our patients – there are
over 10,000 of you.
Appointments
Oaklands Health Centre is part of a
consortium of practices that cover
Shepway (Romney Marsh to Folkestone)
which is around 100, 000 people. This
group is called the Shepway Innovative
Practices or SHIP for short and together
we will be able to provide services locally
through practice based commissioning
(PBC). We are currently in negotiations
with another consortium of around the
same size as we may need to join forces in
order to secure services at reasonable
costs. Further information on the white
paper is available on the DOH website,
www.doh.co.uk.
Patient Survey
The Government will be sending out ‘The
Patient Survey’ shortly. This is sent to a
random selection of patients - usually
about 1% of our patient list (whether they
have used the surgery or not).
The
survey is very leading in its questions and
the answers that can be given in good
faith be twisted, which in turn has a
knock on effect to the practice. So
please if you receive one of these patient
questionnaires,
read
the
questions
thoroughly before completing. Some of
the surgery’s funding is linked to these
When you call in or telephone the practice
listen to the options available and please
remember that we all make advance
appointments to see a dentist, optician,
bank manager, hairdresser, and podiatrist
or even in a restaurant. We realise that
people’s health cannot be included in the
same category and that is why we run the
triage system alongside our normal
surgeries,
however
many
routine
appointments can be booked in advance.
All nursing appointments are booked in
advance but if you want a GP appointment,
when you contact the surgery you will be
offered the following options:
 The first routine appointment with
the Doctor of your choice.
 If this is not suitable you will be
offered an earlier appointment with
another GP.
 If you feel that your problem is
more of an urgent nature then your
details will be taken by the
telephonist/receptionist and added
to our telephone list (which runs all
day, everyday).
 A Healthcare professional will then
telephone you back and discuss
your problems.

On assessing you medically they will
either offer you an appointment
with a GP or nurse practitioner that
day (if appropriate) or offer you a
further appointment (if routine) or
complete the call if re-assurance or
a prescription is required.
Everyone who is phoned back is medically
assessed and will be seen if needed.
Whilst we appreciate patients are
concerned that we have an 084 number
the onus is on the practice to telephone
the patients back.
unusual pieces (which is displayed with
other pictures on the first floor). His
work is very intricate and involved. In the
near future Neil together with Kirsty who
is studying Art (and a daughter of one of
our staff) will be transforming our
children’s area in the downstairs waiting
room.
And decorations … over the winter period
there may be some upheaval as we will be
having the public areas re-decorated.
Gentle Yoga Classes
Oaklands Physiotherapy
Private physiotherapy is available at the
surgery with Sue Turnbull 01303 239288
or Philippa Forsdike 01303 264129 or
through the surgery. Philippa also holds
weekly modified Pilates classes in the
Randal Davis room, for more information
and details of the cost please contact
Philippa direct.
Artwork
Have you seen our most recent artist?
Neil (our caretaker) appeared in the local
paper recently with one of his more
The class at Oaklands Health Centre has
been running for over three years and we
have a group of varying ages and mixed
ability. It is suitable for both beginners
and those with some experience and
postures/stretches are adapted to suit
the individual need.
Yoga can improve your levels of fitness
and flexibility as well as being an aide to
relaxation and helping to create a general
sense of well being.
We are a friendly group and always
welcome new members. If you are new to
yoga or want to give our class a try you
can come for a single session. The drop in
class is on a Monday/Wednesday mornings
10.00am – 11.00am and costs £6.
Chair Based Yoga
NEW for January 2011! A small group
suitable for those with limited flexibility
and older people. Exercise will include
some standing and sitting postures, but no
floor work. Postures can be tailored to
individual requirements.
Monday/Wednesday 11.15am – 12.00pm
cost £7.
For further information on either of
these classes please call Hilary on 01303
268217.
Tuesday & Wednesday
Evenings
Don’t forget we offer late appointments
on Tuesday & Wednesday evenings 6.30pm
to 8.00pm through out the year. Please
ask for a late appointment if required.
The front door of the surgery is closed at
this time in the evening but we ask those
who have the later appointments to come
to the patient entrance at the rear of the
surgery, where there is an intercom to
alert the receptionist of your arrival.
Friends of Oaklands Health
Centre
Thank you to all of our volunteers who
helped at the recent Super Flu Saturday.
The whole day went very well and there
was a great atmosphere – however it was
very tiring. But we are pleased to support
the surgery events and keep everyone
refreshed. We were very happy with the
set up and felt that patients were more
relaxed, able to enjoy a cuppa or two and
mix with friends.
This is why the ‘Friends’ were formed to
provide friendly supportive group to all
our patients. We still continue to have
our monthly coffee mornings upstairs on
the first Monday in the month (not
including Bank Holidays of course). These
get-togethers are open to everyone, so
please come along to the next one in
December – when there will be a
tea/coffee and a mince pie or two.
Monday 6th December 10.00am – 11.30am –
come up and share our Christmas cheer!
We have already planned our evening
meetings for 2011 with a variety of
speakers all lined up. Please see the
attached timetable. Everyone is welcome
– the meetings start at 7.00pm and are
finished by 8.30pm.
The surgery is
closed, but we ask that attendees come to
the patient access at the rear of the
surgery and someone will let you in.
If you want any further information on
the group or want to get involved please
telephone either Brian Waterhouse
(chair) 01303 239913 or Sheila Gotham
(secretary) 01303 269068.
Anti-Vandalism & Graffiti
Protection
As you have seen over the last few
months we (and other buildings in Hythe)
have been vandalised with graffiti tags.
We always inform the Police of any
incidents and supply evidence from our
CCTV cameras. Now we have a further
CCTV camera and anti-vandalism paint on
the front of the building and the outside
sign height has been altered. It is always
frustrating (and very costly) to find that
our building has been damaged – we are
looking into further deterrents to safe
guard our premises. Once in place we will
be re-painting the outside of the building.
for further details, please contact Ruth
Epps on 01303 266179 or 07813 050013.
Flowers
We hope you enjoy the flower displays we
have on our reception counter. These are
donated by the local florist Flowercraft
in the High Street 01303 267059.
Fees for Doctors Services
The surgery charges fees for additional
services that fall outside of general
medical services – normally this is
additional paperwork which requires a
Doctor’s signature (such as sickness
reports, insurance reports, claim forms,
to whom it may concern letters etc). We
also charge for some travel vaccinations
i.e. yellow fever, rabies etc. The current
fees have not increased and are the
same as we charged in April 2007.
Yoga for Pregnant Ladies
Patients should pay for these additional
services at the time of collection. Any
documentation that has been prepared
but not collected or required will be
destroyed after three months. An invoice
of £10 will be sent to cover a nominal
administration fee.
We are now able to offer yoga classes for
all those expectant Mums. The classes
are normally on a Wednesday evening at
6.30pm. This is a friendly class and the
yoga exercises are adapted to suit all
stages of pregnancy. To book a class, or
Payments for services can be made in
cash, debit/credit card or in a cheque
payable to Oaklands Health Centre. We
will be reviewing our fees in Spring 2011.
may be allowed to attend Dr Foster’s
funeral.
Room Hire
Sad News …..
It is with great sadness to announce the
passing of one our former colleagues Dr
Ian Foster.
Dr Foster was a well
respected and well known figure in the
community who has had a long standing
relationship with the surgery. He was a
Partner when the practice started over
thirty years ago when the surgery was at
133 High Street (the premises now form
part of the camera shop). He then moved
with the practice to our former site 116118 High Street (opposite Boots now the
French Café La Patisserie).
He retired from the practice during the
1990’s and continue to work locally as a
locum GP in the area covering many sites.
When our surgery moved from the High
Street position over four years ago we
were delighted that Dr Foster officially
opened Oaklands Health Centre so that
his association with the practice
continued. There is a commemorative
plaque in the downstairs waiting room.
Dr Foster was a true gentleman who had a
life long interest in patient’s health. He
was a dedicated professional who always
had time for people. He worked with a
number of our existing staff and he will
be sorely missed by colleagues and
friends alike. We would like to take this
opportunity to pass on our sincerest
condolences to his wife Patricia and his
family.
Please bear with us as there may be
disruption to some services so that staff
The Randall Davis room is available to
hire. This is a purpose built conference
room that can be used for meetings,
training, classes etc.
If you are
interested in booking this resource please
contact
Elene
(Assistant
Practice
Manager) at the surgery for further
information including availability, facilities
and service charges.
Mission Statement …
We aim to –
 Provide high quality accessible
primary medical care, valuing the
principle of continuity.
 To follow up to date guidelines for
best clinical practice.
 To ensure and support continued
professional development of the
Primary Health Care Team and to
contribute to education and
training of Healthcare
Professionals.
 To provide an open, safe and
pleasant environment for staff and
patients alike.

To treat all patients in a polite, fair
and equitable manner.
Christmas Opening Hours
We will respect the individuality of
patients.
Prescriptions
Our turnaround time for prescriptions is
48 hours (72 hours if requested on a
Friday or over a weekend. It is your
responsibility as a patient to order your
medication in good time – WE DO NOT
ACCEPT
URGENT
PRESCRIPTION
REQUESTS!!!
Christmas Day and Boxing Day fall over a
Saturday/Sunday this year. This means
that the surgery will be closed on Bank
Holiday Monday and Bank Holiday
Tuesday.
We will be open (as usual) week
commencing 20th December, closing for
the Christmas break at 6.30pm Friday
24th December. We will re-open 8.30am
on Wednesday 29th December.
We will be open for normal hours between
Christmas and New Year – including
extended hours on Wednesday 29th and
Thursday 30th December.
Repeat requests can only be accepted if it
is a printed request or if the request is in
writing we CANNOT take medication
requests over the telephone. This is not
safe practice.
All the local chemists offer a prescription
service – tick the required medication on
the repeat request and mark which
chemist you use. The pharmacy, collect
and prepare the prescription and then the
patient collects direct from the chemist.
We are inundated with late prescription
requests in the run up to the Christmas
and New Year holidays – PLEASE,
PLEASE make sure that you put your
repeat medication request in good time.
We are happy accept early prescription
requests
from
the
beginning
of
December.
New Year’s Day is on a Saturday
therefore the surgery will be closed for
Bank Holiday on the following Monday.
We will close at 6.30pm on Friday 31st
December and re-open on Tuesday 4th
January 2011, normal opening hours.
We would like to take this opportunity to
wish all our patients
FRIENDS OF OAKLANDS HEALTH CENTRE
2011 PROGRAMME
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
No Meetings
Monday 7th
Monday 1st
No Meetings
Coffee Morning
Coffee Morning
Wednesday 16th
PPG Meeting
Speaker
Monday 4th
Bank Holiday
Coffee Morning
No Meeting
Wednesday 18th
PPG Meeting AGM
Speaker
Monday 6th
Monday 4th
Coffee Morning
Coffee Morning
Wednesday 20th
PPG Meeting
Speaker
Monday 1st
Monday 5th
Coffee Morning
Coffee Morning
Wednesday 21st
PPG Meeting
Speaker
OCTOBER
Monday 3rd
Coffee Morning
7.00 – 8.30pm
Nigel Donkin
(Pilgrims Hospice
Ashford – The First
Ten Years)
10.00 – 11.30am
NOVEMBER
Saturday 8th
Monday 7th
Super Flu Day
Coffee Morning
8.30am – 4.30pm
10.00 – 11.30am
Wednesday 16th
PPG Meeting
Speaker
Monday 5th
Coffee Morning
7.00 – 8.30pm
Chris Whatmough
(Diabetes)
10.00 – 11.30am
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
DECEMBER
10.00 - 11.30am
10.00 - 11.30am
7.00 - 8.30pm
Jenny Millns
(Learning for Life)
10.00 – 11.30am
7.00 – 8.30pm
Christine Wise
(Pilgrims Hospice –
Lymphoedema)
10.00 – 11.30 am
10.00 – 11.30am
7.00 – 8.30pm
Tricia Hill
(The role as a
Hospital Chaplain)
10.00 – 11.30am
10.00 – 11.30am
All coffee morning and PPG Meetings are held in the Randal Davis room in Oaklands
Health Centre
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