Health Information Library
A medical library has been created and is added to at intervals. These valuable reference books are to be found in the Surgery Waiting Room. They can be borrowed from the surgery, by just signing for them at reception, provided they are returned within a reasonable period. If any patient would like to suggest a title not held, please feel free to contact Dr Irwin.
Open Meetings and Lectures
From time to time open meetings are held and guest speakers are invited to come along and talk to us. Usually a question and answer session follows, with coffee and biscuits.
Fund Raising
Perhaps the greatest fund raiser is the 200 club run by Shirley Wimbleton and John Sharman. From this we get annually approximately £1200. On a smaller scale, though equally as valuable, the Committee organises coffee mornings, cake stalls, and concerts etc.
The main aim of the fund raising programme is for the Association to fund the purchase of specialist medical equipment to allow our Medical team to undertake monitoring tasks that would otherwise need hospital referrals. Over the past three years we have obtained a Defibrillator, an Oximeter, Heart Monitor and a Spirometer. All of these cost around £2000 each. So you can see that OUR Surgery is becoming very well equipped.
Newsletter
A newsletter is generated twice a year and is distributed to homes in the Surgery catchment area. This, in the past, has been funded by generous donations from village businesses. The cost of printing this newsletter is £100. Anyone who feels they would like to sponsor this in whole or in part, should contact our Chairman Mrs Elspeth Cattermole via the Surgery.
Voluntary Car Scheme
This scheme was set up at the original conception of the BSPA in order to help and support patients with a need to see the Doctor, Nurse, Chiropodist etc. In recent years this service has been extended to take patients to the dentist, opticians etc. (We are currently taking an elderly patient for therapy sessions on a weekly basis.) Please note that this service DOES NOT undertake journeys to NHS Hospitals. Requests for such help should be made to the hospital itself.
The scheme has a co-ordinator supported by a team of volunteer drivers. Anyone needing this help should contact the co-ordinator through the Surgery Reception who, in turn, will arrange for the patient to be transported to and from the surgery etc. The current charge to the patient is 18 pence per mile with a minimum of £1, depending on location. This sum is subsidised by the Transport Department at Cambridge County Council by a further 10 pence per mile. The Transport Department also provides Personal Accident Insurance to cover both patient and driver. On average we make 100 journeys per year covering about 1000 miles.
