WINE QUIZ – 25th OCTOBER 2013
A further “Wine Quiz” is being promoted on 25th October this year, details of which will be posted later. This was an overwhelming success last year for a very happy evening and it is hoped that you will lend your support. Please make a note of the date in your diaries, now.
AGM – 15th MAY 2013
At the AGM of “The Friends” held on 15th May the Chairman was able to report another successful year in the pursuance of their Objects. They had purchased two Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Machines, one Waiting Room Blood Pressure monitor (for the Dunsfold Surgery) and one Ambulatory ECG Monitor at a total cost of £8,800 and continued to cover maintenance costs of £2,400 for the Medical Equipment they own.
They have been fortunate to receive donations of £6,000 during the year and last summer again maintained a stall at the Chiddingfold Fete which raised the excellent sum of £1,900. The autumn saw them stage a very a successful “Call my Bluff Wine Quiz” to raise £700 and, all in all, can look back on a year fully satisfying the Doctors’ Equipment requirements.
They extend thanks and appreciation to their many generous donors both for cheques received and money given in the Collection boxes strategically placed in the villages. They appeal for you to continue your generous support in this way, to enable them to continue their specialist activities during the many changes currently taking place in the NHS re-structuring programme.
The date for the next AGM was provisionally set for 21st May 2014.
FEBRUARY 2013 NEWSLETTER
The changes in the NHS that will take place on 1st April will further promote better use of existing resources, so important in these austere times. Whilst we are awaiting further more definite information it is hoped that these plans will encourage surgeries to adopt new procedures that make best use of rapidly developing technology, in providing medical services locally that were previously so costly and complex that they could only be made in a hospital setting<p style="text-a
The Surgery will be able to draw on suitable resources but, of course, could well have a requirement for more medical equipment, which will mean that The Friends role will be enhanced to help and support this major and beneficial way forward, by way of continuing to provide and maintain equipment that is not routinely available from the NHS. We hope we can count on your continued backing.
Currently The Friends are negotiating to purchase an Ambulatory ECG Monitor for use in primary care which is an innovation in the patient pathway, enabling procedures to be effected in the patient’s home rather than necessarily at the Surgery. The cost will be in the region of £2,500, with continuing support funding of around £300 p.a. being required.
“CALL YOUR BLUFF” WINE QUIZ ON 26TH OCTOBER 2012
We are delighted to announce that our “Call Your Bluff Wine Quiz” was a sparkling success. Led by David Wright of ABS Wine Agencies, ably assisted by “Bluffers” Darren Watts, Barrie Pople and John Lane taste buds were tweaked by alleged descriptions they put forward with great confidence. It proved to be not only a fun evening but also, from ticket sales and donations, produced close on £700 for the benefit of the Surgery.
SILENT AUCTION AT CHIDDINGFOLD FÊTE 2012
Despite the cool and rather damp weather, The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery ran a very successful silent auction at the Chiddingfold Fête on 10th June. We were delighted to raise a total of £1,971 and we even managed to sell all our auction items on the table. We want to give a big thank you to all our supporters – donors, buyers, and volunteers – who helped make this such a successful fundraising event.
From The Surrey Advertiser, 9 December 2011
Friends’ ECG gift
Creighton Redman, Chairman of The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery,
with Dr Gwen Cameron-Blackie and Nurse Henny Chrimes. Photo: Surrey Advertiser
‘With the success of their £30,000 fundraising appeal, the Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery continue to purchase new medical equipment for use by the doctors in Chiddingfold and Dunsfold. They have already provided a Holter monitoring machine and a DIY blood pressure machine and are concentrating on moving the surgeries’ capabilities forward, in accordance with NHS Policy, to transfer control and commissioning of medical care services into local hands.
The most recent gift – an electrocardiogram machine – was presented to Dr Gwen Cameron-Blackie by Friends group chairman, Creighton Redman.
“This will be another very versatile weapon for the surgery armoury,” he said.
“This allows an analysed, digital display of the patients’ heartbeat rhythm to be taken locally and used either by the doctors in their remedial procedures or sent electronically to the Royal Surrey County Hospital cardiologists for further examination.
“This is yet another example of patients being able to avoid the challenging journey to the Royal Surrey in Guildford and instead receive diagnostic and restorative treatment by our resident team of doctors,” added Mr Redman.’
OCTOBER 2011 NEWSLETTER
Chairman of The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery and Dr Watts with the new Blood Pressure Machine
The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery are pleased to announce another “First” in their efforts to keep the medical services provided by Chiddingfold and Dunsfold Surgeries at the leading edge of patient care. We have now purchased a Self Service or DIY Blood Pressure Machine that has been installed in the Information Room adjacent to the Surgery Reception Desk. This will enable patients to choose their own time, take their own blood pressure and weight without having to make an appointment with a Doctor or Nurse. This also helps remove the prospect of “White Coat Hypertension” (where your blood pressure goes up when confronted by the Doctor or Nurse!) Just ask the Receptionist if the room is free and the instructions are simple to follow. It’s a win – win situation for patients because it is a better way of making a diagnosis and the NHS actually saves money!
This underlines the current Government Policy to move more and more medical and diagnostic services towards GP Surgeries and away from the large hospitals. The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery are well equipped to take up this mantle but need your support to add to the equipment they already supply.
We are pleased to announce that Geoff Rose has joined us as our new Treasurer, having just retired from that position at St Mary’s Church after many years of service. Paul Gilbert has moved on to bolster the many Chiddingfold activities in which he is involved. We are most appreciative for all the support he has given us over the past five years. Geoff is well placed to receive donations no matter how small or large!
MAY 2011 NEWSLETTER
It is with great delight and happiness that I can announce that the “Friends” have now achieved their target of raising £30,000 in their Surgery Appeal.
This, in the space of 18 months, is magnificent but is solely due to the generous support that so many have given in answer to our pleas over this period. We are most appreciative and offer a very big “thank you” to all who have responded so generously.
This puts us at “Base Camp” level and means that we have placed our Charity on a firm financial footing on which to face the future. As I write this article we are reading headlines in the Press; “Health Bill in Peril”, and that David Cameron is facing renewed pressure to change key parts of his NHS overhaul. There is no doubt that we are on the hinge of history and there will be change. The Friends must now wait for announcements towards the future shape and structure of the NHS but there is little doubt that we shall be asked to adopt an enlarged role from what we see at present.
We continue to invest in new equipment for the Surgery’s use and have recently purchased a digital camera to photograph skin lesions and wounds. This allows digital copies to be viewed over a period of time by Practice Doctors and outside Specialists without the inconvenience of the patient returning to the Surgery or having to travel to Hospital.
In the meantime we have to maintain an income stream to insure and service the various items of medical equipment that we now own. To this end we will again be running a Silent Auction stall at the Chiddingfold Fête, on The Green, on Sunday, June 12th. If you have any items that would be suitable for display and auction (unwanted Christmas presents?!), no matter how large or small, I would be most appreciative to hear from you.
Creighton Redman
Chairman
Recent Newsletters
MARCH 2011 NEWSLETTER
NOVEMBER 2010 NEWSLETTER
“The Friends” Featured in Surrey Advertiser, February 2011
Online: Get Surrey “Dunsfold Surgery Appeal in Final Stages”
(And also featured in Surrey Advertiser, Cranleigh issue, 18th February 2011 and the Godalming issue, 11th February 2011)
Presentation of Holter Monitor, June 2010
The Chairman, Creighton Redman (left), on behalf of The Friends of Chiddingfold Surgery, handing over to Dr Darren Watts (right) a new Holter Monitoring System which had been purchased at a cost of £5,600.
This machine measures a patient’s heartbeat (ECG) over a day and is used to look for any irregularities. This investigation used to occur at the hospital so it significantly reduces hospital attendance for the Surgeries’ patients.
