Elmham surgery has entered 2003 with a clutch of innovations that come into being in first few months of the new year. One of the new ventures is the surgery's website which is in advanced stage of preparation after detailed discussion about its contents at the December meeting of the Patients' Participation Group.

Another new departure is a pilot scheme to make it easier for patients in outlying village to get their repeat prescriptions. It's expected that the scheme will be launched in February, taking in the villages of Gressenhall, Longham, Mileham and Whissonsett. 

The village post-offices will act as receiving points for requests for repeat prescriptions and as centres where the medicines can be picked up, with a surgery van doing the 'rounds' on Tuesdays and Fridays. The surgery would like to know if there are any drivers who would be prepared to go on a reserve list of volunteers. Those interested should contact the practice manager, Jeanette Livermore.

The Patients group will be keeping a close watch to see whether the new scheme will hold out any promise of cutting the queues at the surgery dispensary: a significant number of people getting their repeat prescriptions in their own villages would mean fewer standing in lines in the surgery and, if they travel by car, more space in the car-park. As to the car-park itself, there are hopes that work on providing more space could be under way in the spring.

And a word of congratulation for achievement: they are due to Doctor Hibberd who's been accepted as a Member of the Royal College of General Practitioners. From now on, it's Dr Hibberd, MRCGP.
 
The next meeting of the Patients Group will be on Wednesday, February 12th at 7.30pm in Elmham School. All are welcome. Or you can raise any points you want to make by contacting Isabel Fowler at 01362 668909 or Alan MacKim at 01362 668831.
 
 

Alan MacKim