Synopsis of the minutes of the meeting of the Upper Dales Health Watch held on September 2nd, 2025:
· Wi-fi at Sycamore Hall - Cllr. Yvonne Peacock will contact Quickline to see if they can help get a mobile phone signal to the Step-up Step-down flat.
· Rural Healthcare – ICB Healthy Farmer Project. Funding will cease in September.
· The proposed public meeting to support Carers will now take place in the Spring. Details will be discussed at the next UDHW meeting.
· 3 members of staff are going on a nutrition course in October that will allow them to give Healthy Eating advice to patients.
· Dr Philbin left the Practice for personal reasons. Recruitment for a replacement GP has so far been unsuccessful. Locums are too expensive. Staff are working longer hours, so patients are not waiting any longer than before. The search for another FT/PT GP/ANP is ongoing. Dr Josh Milner is returning to the RAF in October.
· The Central Dales Practice (CDP) came out very well in the national GP Patient Survey, being the highest scoring practice in Richmondshire and in the top 5% nationally. Congratulations have been sent to all staff for this outstanding result
· The Hawes Pharmacy is offering weight loss medication privately to patients. The CDP is happy to endorse this service as patients are weighed and diagnosed responsibly.
· Appointments for ‘Flu jabs can now be made at both surgeries from October onwards. Patients are requested to phone after 11.00am. Invitations will be made to those eligible for a further Covid jab (probably the over 75s and the housebound). The Hawes Pharmacy will also be offering the ‘Flu jabs, but the CDP does rely on the funding for administering these, so patients need to use the Practice if possible.
· The Government has scrapped Patient Participation Groups, but UDHW Reps and CDP agree the UDHW is of mutual benefit so will continue.
· The national HealthWatch is also to be discontinued.
Jane Ritchie, Hon. Secretary