Barton Family Practice News – May 2023

Byhowbeck

Barton Family Practice News – May 2023

We are now 3 years into the coronavirus pandemic, and whilst the virus has certainly not gone away, it poses much less of a threat to most of us than it did at the beginning of the pandemic. We therefore feel that we can be more relaxed about the use of face masks in the surgery. You do not need to wear a face mask in the surgery unless you have respiratory symptoms such as a cough or a cold. Despite this relaxation, we must recognise that some people remain clinically vulnerable and need to maintain a higher level of precautions. Therefore, people who are clinically vulnerable, or who prefer to wear a face mask should continue to do so. We shall keep the situation under review and will amend the policy should the situation require a change.

Would you like to join the Patient Participation Group (PPG)? We are looking for interested adults to join this important group, which acts as a bridge between the practice and patients. The PPG is a small group of about a dozen representatives, and we currently have several vacancies. We are ideally looking for representatives from all patient groups, and adults of any age, race, sexual orientation, gender, religion and disability are encouraged to apply.  Could you help make suggestions to improve the patient experience, communicate important changes about the practice to the wider patient population, or help organise practice events such as open days? An active patient participation group will help us understand your needs better and provides a means to explain the challenges facing the service and the reasoning behind some decisions made at the Practice. Meetings will be held every 2 months, and are usually held in the surgery building. Please contact the Practice Manager, Louise Smith, by email or telephone if you are interested at barton.fp@nhs.net or 01283 249923. We look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes from team Barton.