Practice News

Upper Dales Health Watch

The Patient Participation Group for the Central Dales Practice

Synopsis of the minutes of the meeting held on 18^th February 2025

• Dr Josh Milner will be joining the CDP March - October.  He is a fully trained Military doctor who wants to become a GP.  He will be at the Aysgarth Surgery for 3 days a week and in Hawes on a Wednesday.
• Niall Pain will start as a trainee dispenser in March.  Richard, Tara & Elizabeth will remain as the Receptionists.
• Book Club in Hawes is open to all CDP patients.   It is being enjoyed by the present group.
• Emails can only be used for contacting the Dispensary.  All patients who currently use email are being contacted to explain they need to use the Practice website so that their information goes directly on to the patient record.  This saves a very considerable amount of admin time.
• Collective Action update – The situation is still not resolved, and funding for Frailty & Pharmacy is going to be removed.  The UDHW letter to the Dept for Health & Social Care sent via Rishi Sunak has been replied to by Stephen Kinnock, Minister of State for Gare.  This letter has been forwarded to Parish Representatives.

It was agreed the UDHW could do nothing helpful until the outcome of the annual GP contract for 2025-26 is known.  However, if this puts the CDP and its patients at risk, we did want to be informed and involved in any public meetings.  These would probably be on a Richmondshire / Hambleton basis as all practices share the same concerns and were working with the LMC (Local Medical Council), the PCN (Primary Care Network) and the ICB (Integrated Care Board) 

• The Step-up Step-down rooms at Sycamore Hall, Bainbridge and Kirkwood Hall, Leyburn will continue to be supported by the ICB and have had their care support doubled to 20 hours a week.  This will allow more vulnerable patients to use the rooms and is very good news.
• The synopsis of the UDHW meetings will be put on the CDP website.
• The ICB Deep Dive report into Patient Transport due to be published by Easter 2025 may be delayed because of pressure of other issues.

Jane Ritchie, Hon Secretary, Upper Dales Health Watch.