Flu Clinics
Robinson And Partners • 28 July 2020
Challenges for Flu Clinic 2020
You may have heard the news about this year’s flu vaccine campaign. This year will be a TOUGH year for practices delivering flu vaccines.
Why?
- We are still geared up for another wave of Covid-19. We will be doing vaccinations in PPE meaning changes between patients and cleaning of the environment between patients. All that PPE has to be ordered, stored, shared out, restocked and disposed of.
- We need to maintain social distancing between patients, so no more crowded waiting rooms with a lovely catch up from others in your community.
- Social distancing means we have to make innovative use of our building, with one way in, one way out. Where that’s not possible, practices may look to hold clinics in community centres, town halls, supermarket car parks.
- A change of venue would mean notifying CQC, arranging cold chain (to keep the vaccines cold), and LOTS of planning.
- The additional group of patients will mean lots more vaccines are needed: practices order the vaccine a year ahead, so we now need to rely on NHSE / Public Health England to supply additional stock.
- Everything takes longer: PPE, cleaning, social distancing. So a clinic for 1000 people which used to be done in 3 hours could now take 8 hours or more.
- The staff that deliver the vaccines and the administrators who support them during the clinics are already working flat out during the week, and now face the prospect of working additional long shifts at the weekends.
- It is unlikely practices will be able to run open clinics this year where patients can just turn up, so practices need to set up some kind of appointment system.
- The number of Housebound patients has increased with some patients still needing to shield, and home visits for them take much longer and are much riskier for the staff.
- Many practices are running on reduced work force as they have shielding staff, or staff who cannot see patients face to face due to their own risks.
Thank you for reading this far. You may ask what is the point of this post?
The main point is we found out this information the same time as you did, and although we have lots of ideas, there is still lots we need to work out, so please don’t ask to book in yet!
- We WILL let you know by text, Facebook, website or letter what the plan is.
- It WILL be very different this year.
- We WILL do our best as we always do.
We are grateful for your support - please do share as every practice is in the same position.
The PPG have facilitated the installation of a new Community Defibrillator outside Bargain Booze in the Rookery. During our PPG meeting in April 2024, we discussed the availability of 24-hour accessible defibrillators in the Kidsgrove area. Our preliminary investigations revealed that the availability of defibrillators in Kidsgrove was limited, and not all defibrillators are accessible 24 hours a day. At the time, there were only two defibrillators that we could identify as available 24 hours a day, located at Whitehill Methodist Community Church and outside the One Sure Insurance building in Butt Lane. As a PPG, we decided to improve this situation and facilitate the installation of a centrally located 24-hour accessible defibrillator in Kidsgrove town centre. We sought funding sources and were delighted to receive £1,000 from the Staffordshire County Council - Community Fund for 2024. (£500 each from councillors Gill Burnett-Faulkner and Jill Waring). Additional funding was also secured by a donation of £500 from Kidsgrove and District Rotary Club, £300 from the Chair of Mount Road Practice PPG and a contribution of £200 from AED donate, who are the providers of the defibrillator equipment. Our original idea for the best location for the defibrillator was Kidsgrove Town Hall, so we reached out to Kidsgrove Town Council to see if we could install the defibrillator cabinet there. When we contacted the Town Council, they had just received a defibrillator unit from the British Heart Foundation as part of a nationwide initiative they were implementing. We have engaged in numerous discussions with Kidsgrove Town Council. The current status is that they have returned the original defibrillator unit supplied by the British Heart Foundation, as one of the stipulations stated it must be housed in an unlocked cabinet. The Town Council has agreed to purchase and install a lockable unit outside the Town Hall and is exploring the possibility of adding a second unit in the town centre at the junction of Liverpool Road and Heathcote Street. As a result, we expanded our search and approached East Midlands Railway to see if it was possible to install the unit at Kidsgrove Railway Station. Speaking to the area manager, he informed us that all stations on the Crewe to Derby line should have had a 24-hour accessible defibrillator installed. However, when we informed him that there wasn’t one installed at Kidsgrove, he investigated and found that, for some unknown reason, the unit hadn't been installed. As a result of our discussions, East Midlands Railway has agreed to install a 24-hour accessible defibrillator at the station. While we have been working on the project, another defibrillator unit has been installed on the outside of the Red Bull Public House, and another unit is also available on the outside of the Rifleman Public House. As a result of more defibrillators being available in the Town Centre, we looked at other areas in the vicinity and thought that the Pump Track on Newchapel Road would be a good location. Unfortunately, there is no suitable fixing location, with a power supply and our approach to the Staffordshire Highways Department to see if we could utilise a street lighting post, was unsuccessful. We identified the most suitable nearby location and contacted the owners of Bargain Booze in Rookery High Street. They have been very accommodating and agreed to have the unit installed outside their shop, allowing the use of their electricity supply for the cabinet. As you can see, the PPG have managed to significantly improve the availability of 24-hour accessible defibrillators in the Kidsgrove area, both directly and indirectly. We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the organisations and individuals who have supported this initiative and their commitment to enhancing community safety, namely: - Staffordshire County Council Community Fund and Councillors Jill Waring and Gill Burnett-Faulkner Kidsgrove and District Rotary Club Bargain Booze (Rookery) Their support has helped us bring essential this life-saving equipment to Kidsgrove. You can see the defibrillator closest to you by using the Defibrillator Finder site at https://www.defibfinder.uk
Two reception classes from Thursfield Primary School recently visited the surgery as part of their education where they are learning about jobs in the community. The children learnt about the various roles of staff at the surgery. Not only did the visit help them understand more about the jobs at the surgery but it will also hopefully help them feel less anxious when they have to visit the surgery to see the doctor or the nurse in future. They had a great time Role-playing alongside the staff. You can see the pictures by clicking here .
Please note that if you want to attend this NHS App Workshop or any future sessions you must contact reception to book a place, as the sessions are by appointment only.
The PPG and Approach organised a Christmas party for attendees of the weekly dementia support group that meets every Thursday at Whitehill Methodist Community Church between 1:30 pm and 3:30 pm. We were also fortunate to have a visit from a choir from Dove Bank Primary School. You can see some pictures from the party with background music from the choir by clicking here .
