Didcot Health Centre - Patient Participation Group Newsletter

Welcome to our Summer 2024 newsletter

Since our last newsletter, we  have welcomed new members Shirley Goss, Angela Newlands and Eleanor Lewiston. Committee stalwarts Lesley Powell, Andrew Jones and Gill Suter (Assistant Practice Manager) are still active, and we continue to enjoy the support of Practice Manager Jonathan Gayther and Senior Partner Dr. Stainthorp. 

GP Practices in Didcot are under enormous pressure, and their funding isn’t keeping pace with their needs, e.g. increased staffing costs. In addition, GP supervision of additional Primary Care Network non-GP roles, plus increasing workloads passed down from hospitals, have an inevitable impact. The three Didcot PPG Chairs continue to lobby for GP support and increased resources at every opportunity. 

We are currently looking for new Committee members, and welcome expressions of interest. We meet in the evenings, in the Health Centre, every 2-3 months.

Shelagh Garvey, Chair 

Date for your diary!

Our 2024 patient update and AGM will take place on Monday 15th July, at 7.30pm, in the civic hall – come and hear Dr. David Stainthorp and see the results of our patient survey.  

Register interest via dhc.ppg@gmail.com

Patient Survey

We recently conducted our 2024 Patient Survey – electronically, hard copy and via ‘live’ surgery sessions. We will be sharing the results at the AGM and through the Patient Newsletter. We’re very grateful to Gill Suter’s hard work in sending out the survey link to as many patients as possible.           

There were 1,720 responses, and preliminary findings suggest that many responses are as expected, but the details are being fleshed out and we’ll be looking at the implications for both the Practice and the PPG. It’ll take a while to contact everyone who’s expressed interest in the PPG, so please bear with us. 

The Physician Associate Role

Additional roles available through the Primay Care Network system include Clinical Pharmacists, Diagnostic Physiotherapist. Physician Associates, Mental Health Workers and Social Prescribers. Here’s an outline of what the Physician Associate role involves.

Rea Steinberger

I’m one of three Physician Associates (PAs) who work in the Didcot Primary Care Network. I am based at Didcot Health Centre, although I spend one day a week at Oak Tree Health Centre. 

PAs are healthcare professionals who work under the supervision of a named senior doctor. We are trained to take histories from patients, carry out physical examinations, order investigations such as blood tests or ultrasound scans and formulate provisional diagnoses and management plans. It is important to note that PAs are not doctors; they are trained primarily in the detection and management of common and straightforward conditions, which make up many Primary Care appointments. 

Currently, we are unable to prescribe medications or request some imaging (such as X-rays). However, the   supervising GP can request these on my behalf, if appropriate. To become a PA, you must have a degree in a science or have worked in another role as a healthcare professional. You can then undertake a two-year postgraduate degree, which covers general medicine, plus specialities such as paediatrics, gynaecology, and psychiatry. Some four-year undergraduate degrees also exist. 

Most of my time is spent running clinics, where patients are booked in with me on the day. After each clinic I run through my list with the supervising GP, to clarify anything I am unsure about. I spend a morning a week at a local care home, alongside a GP, pharmacist and paramedic. I am currently undertaking further training in dermatology, which I am passionate about. 

In my free time, I enjoy running, climbing, hiking, and gardening!