Chris Lincoln-Jones, Project Manager at the Kennet & Avon Medical Practice (KAMP) brings the latest news of what’s happening at the Practice (and the overarching Clinical Commissioning Group), and how the new procedures set out by the Heslth Service will be managed locally by KAMP and how this will affect the community they serve:
Much has happened in the space of a week in an area that has galvanised itself to meet the challenges that will come in the next two or three weeks.
A new Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) formed on the First of April and, despite the date, it’s no joke! The Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) CCG have already reorganised the way that the GPs in our area will work.
Most radical is the setting up of sites as “Hot Hubs”, equipped and organised to safely examine and treat known or suspected COVID-19 positive patients.
Most of the surgeries, including Pewsey and Marlborough, will remain as “Cold Hubs” and will continue, along with the Out of hours 111 service, to be the first point of access for patients with health concerns. This system will sort healthcare needs according to their nature and most efficiently use a system that is going to come under increasing pressure. BSW has called for volunteers to work in the “Hot Hubs” and we are immensely proud that one of our own GPs has already stepped forward.
More information on what the CCG is doing can be found on the BSW website https://www.bswccg.nhs.uk
Many of our KAMP colleagues have been given IT to enable working from home to improve their safety and for us to maintain social distance at work. It is important for us to set a good example and we, of course, encourage you all to adhere to the Government advice.
The partnership has stepped in this week to help patients in our Pewsey district by designing an urgent prescription system that will ease the pressure on the Boots Pharmacy that was buckling due to staff shortages caused by the crisis. Additionally, our pharmacy staff have given some extra help which, together with hard work by the Boots people, is starting to work.
Finally, a little gem of good news for us. Once again Marlborough College has stepped up to the mark with assistance. The fiancé of our own Argyll, a triage nurse here, is in the Design and Technology department at the college; he is making protective visors for our clinical staff. A huge thanks and Thursday applause to David and the College.
Chris Lincoln-Jones
KAMP
