Bideford Medical Centre in the Media
Bideford MC new waiting room equipment
North Devon Gazette (October, 2008)
BIDEFORD Medical Centre has had new equipment fitted in its waiting room to help improve the health of the community. Blood pressure, weight and body mass indices monitors and slide presentations on topics from lowering cholesterol to keeping warm this winter, are the new features of the waiting rm. The equipment is free to use for patients and was purchased by the friends of Bideford Medical Centre.
Dr Antonia Lidder, a GP at the surgery said: "Health Promotion is a fundamental part of our jobs and our patients' futures. By encouraging people to strive for good health we can help them to be better informed about what constitutes good health and aid them in taking measures to achieve this - reducing their risks of heart attacks, strokes, cancers and other devastating illnesses".
Pictured left are Richard Coleman-Taylor, the "stop smoking" specialist advisor, and Dr Antonia Lidder.
CAMPAIGN: Staff and
GPs at Bideford Medical Centre with petition against plans to introduce one-stop
shops for health services.
Petition against plans for 'super-surgeries'
By Laura Churchill (North Devon Journal - August 2008)
Bideford Medical Centre is joining a national campaign to support the future of General Practice.
The centre is currently trying to get 1,000 signatures on a petition against government plans for super-surgeries, known as polyclinics, where patients are offered a one stop multiple healthcare service.
The local practice fear, like the British Medical Association and the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP), that this could involve private agencies, and a lack of personalised healthcare.
Dr Antonia Lidder, GP Partner at Bideford, said: "We know our community values continuity of care. They want to see someone they know and can trust, and someone who knows them, their family hand their health history. Polyclinics threaten this and we appeal to everyone to write to their MP to voice their concern that General Practice is being eroded at the expense of focusing on quantity rather than quality healthcare".
The RCGP believes the polyclinic or super-surgery idea plays down the importance of general practice in favour of "Martini" healthcare - anytime, any place, any doctor. Its fact sheet says: "While this approach might suit otherwise healthy and able bodied commuters who rarely need to see their GP, it could be a very different story for older patients or those with long term conditions". The Bideford practice currently has 600 signatures on its petition.
You can sign the petition online at www.supportyoursurgery.org.uk
Medical centre staff come and go
North Devon Gazette (August 29, 2007)
Patients and staff at Bideford Medical Centre have waved a fond farewell to a long serving GP - and bid a warm welcome to a new face at the practice.
Dr Kathy Pritchard is leaving the surgery after 19 years to join her husband, Dr Ranjan Kandasamy, at Bradworthy Surgery. And joining the Abbotsham road based medial centre is Dr Ruth Downe, who has transferred onto Torridgeside from the Boutport Medical Centre, in Barnstaple.
The change in personnel comes as contactors put the finishing touches to a major nine-month premises upgrade project that will provide a new reception, waiting area, five consulting rooms, three examination rooms and a larger ground floor pharmacy. The upgrade project is due to be completed on September 14 and will be open to patients on Monday, September 17.
Tops for care
North Devon Gazette (January 10, 2007)
Bideford Medical Centre is again leading the way in quality assurance. In 2001 the centre became the first in Devon and Cornwall to achieve the Quality Practice Award organised by the Royal College of General Practitioners. The award lasts for five years and now the Bideford practice has repeated the performance by becoming the first in the region to be re-accredited.
The scheme assesses the quality of care for patients and staff provided in general practices. Each practice is required to submit a portfolio of written evidence set against 23 sets of criteria. When the written evidence is complete, a full day assessment visit is conducted by a four-strong panel of GPs, nurses, managers and lay assessors, who interview patients and the team and inspect the practice premises, systems and medical records.
Practice manager Olivia Bassett said: "the assessors were impressed by what they read, saw and heard. In the feedback meeting with the whole primary healthcare team the assessors delivered a very uplifting summary of their assessment and experience in the practice and declared us a truly quality practice. The achievement has reaffirmed our commitment to quality and standard in the provision of patient care and proved that we are a quality practice."
Thirteen GPs work from the centre in Abbotsham road and cater for some 14,500 patients.
A major upgrade of the premises also started this week, with plans to replace its single storey reception and waiting area and administration office with a new two-storey structure. Work is likely to take 30 weeks, with completion due in mid-august. Visitors are being warned that parking spaces will be extremely limited during this time.
Doctor is our top employer of year
The Gazette & Advertiser (January 8th 2003)
Dr Mike Cracknell, senior partner at the 10-doctor Bideford Medical Centre, has been named as the best boss in north Devon.
His prescription for success was written out by practice manager Olivia Bassett, who nominated him in the Gazette and Advertiser's Employer Of The Year competition, run in association with Lets Go Travel. She wrote: "Dr Cracknell has earned respect and critical acclaim from his partners, staff and patients as well as colleagues in other practices. Above all, his staff and patients love him for the way he is. He has no airs or graces and he treats everybody equally and individually".
"He is tremendous fun to work with. He always keeps the nurses and receptionists happy with his wicked sense of humour. He loves his work and patients and always chivvies everybody along and offers continuing support to his colleagues. Under his leadership the practice achieved the Quality Practice Award from the Royal College of General Practitioners in September, 2001. Our practice was the first medical practice in Devon and Cornwall to receive such an award. He has acted as a catalyst for our dedicated primary health care team to always position ourselves in the forefront of delivering high quality care to our patients and achieving high standards in patient care. Dr Cracknell has shown true leadership and care for his staff. We all love him very much and think he truly deserves to be employer of the year 2002 before his retirement."
The competition was run through the Gazette and Advertiser recruitment section and as his prize Dr Cracknell wins a half-page of newspaper space to use for promoting events, news, notices or other purposes of his choice and £250 worth of jobsearch advertising. For her winning nomination Mrs Bassett wins a week-end break for two from Lets Go Travel. All nominations receive vouchers for their choice of game at the Lets Go Superbowl in Barnstaple.
Medical centre wins award for service
North Devon Journal (December 7th, 2001)
A top medical award has been won by Bideford Medical Centre - after 18 months of hard work.
The Quality Practice Award recognises high standards of care and service and the Bideford centre is the first in Devon and Cornwall to be named.
The nine delighted partners will be presented with a plaque tomorrow by professor Sir Denis Pereira Gray, former president of the Royal College of GPs, which set up the award scheme in 1995.
Bideford has now set the standard in the South Sest by being the first recipient. Senior partner Dr Mike Cracknell said: "it has given the team tremendous strength and pride. We are much happier".
And his deputy, Dr Dick Ford, who brought the idea to the team in 1999 said: "as a practice we are always looking to improve our standards and we feel that we provide a good service. QPA was seen as a means of achieving the benchmark from which we can measure our future improvements. It has also proved to be a tremendous bonding exercise for the whole team".
All members of staff at the centre made the decision to take on the challenge, and Dr Ford with practice manger Olivia Bassett drew up a 15 month programme.
A portfolio of written evidence on 19 different criteria titles, including clinical care, availability, practice profile, equipment, health and safety, staff development and patient issues, was submitted in June. This was followed by a full day assessment by a team from the Royal College of GPs, and the award was confirmed at the end of the visit.
The award was developed when it was recognised that although there were several quality awards for general practices, they mainly considered processes and systems rather than outcomes. The QPA works by focusing on the key functions of general practice and reflects the patient perspective by asking what they would expect of a practice which has achieved such an award.
Partner Dr Mark Clayton said: "the process has helped us to understand each other's role more and work better together".
Doctor retires
The Gazette & Advertiser (April 4, 2001)
Staff at the Bideford Medial Centre in Abbotsham road bade farewell this week to a man who has served the Torridge community as a GP for 21 years.
Originally from London, Dr Stan Hill has worked as a doctor for 37 years. Before coming to Bideford he worked in hospitals, in overseas locations such as Borneo an Australia and for five years ran a single-handed practice in Wales. In the past few years he has concentrated in Bideford on rheumatology.
Colleagues bade him a happy retirement at a party and presentation at the health centre during which Dr Hill received the gift of a digital camera.
More help for medical centre
The Gazette & Advertiser (March 8th 2000)
Members of the Breathe Easy Group of Bideford and Barnstaple have added another item to their list of gifts to help with the treatment of asthma patients. They handed a peak flow meter costing nearly £400 to Dr Mike Cracknell of Bideford Medical Centre. The equipment was donated in memory of Mrs Margaret Pannell of Northam and with a contribution raised by Bradworthy Bowling Club at a charity day.
Bideford Breathe Easy Group was formed five years ago and since 1997 has extending to include Barnstaple, too. It is affiliated to the British Lung Foundation. In addition to holding regular meetings and providing support and information the group organises a variety of fund raising events.
Donations have been used to buy a range of equipment for local hospitals and health centres and more than £5000 has been raised for medical research. Its next meeting is at the Springfield Day Centre in Chanters Lane, Bideford on the evening of March 16, when a talk will be given on the condition bronchiectasis.
Our picture shows Mrs Sylvia Pannell, daughter-in-law of the late Margaret Pannell, Dr Mike Cracknell and Breathe Easy Group members Veronica Flack, with the peak flow meter, and Monica Pennington.
Mexican challenge is just what the doctor ordered!
The Gazette & Advertiser (November 3rd, 1999)
Earthquakes and floods are the prognosis for what two North Devon doctors are likely to face when they travel across Mexico by bike this month. Dr Dick Ford of the Bideford Medical Centre and Dr John Wilson of Wooda Surgery, also in Bideford, are doing the sponsored ride in aid of the Macmillan cancer fund.
"We've been cycling furiously around the hills of north Devon for months getting some practice," said Dr Ford.
Their ride right across Mexico from the Atlantic coast to the pacific coast - 420 miles - will take them two weeks.
"It is just as well north Devon is hilly", says Dr Ford. "We've got to cycle up the 10,000-ft high range of the Sierra Madre mountains".
"it will be go from 30 degrees celcius down by the sea to below freezing at night, so there's a wide range of temperatures". "That's not to mention the fact that in the last month they've had earth quakes and floods out there. Plus we heard they captured some terrorists."
Dr Ford accepted the Macmillan challenge to do the bike ride ("it's not my hobby!" he says!). Dr Wilson heard him mention it at a social gathering and offered to go along, too. The doctor duo will be cycling for up to nine hours a day, accompanied by a small support team.
New wing of medical centre contains minor surgery unit
North Devon Journal (Thursday, October 28, 1999)
Patients and staff at Bideford Medical Centre have celebrated the re-opening of the west wing after a £240,000 refurbishment. The newly built floor which now contains the fully equipped minor surgery unit was officially opened on Friday night by patient Mary Sanders. Mrs Sanders donated a large undisclosed amount of money in memory of her late husband Dick to equip the minor surgery unit.
Practice manager Olivia Bassett said:" it's like a hospital within the medical centre now. We built it in line with the design of Bideford Hospital. "when you come onto the site you can't really distinguish what is the hospital and what is the medical centre, apart from the sign," she said.
The work on the west wing started in may and took about five months to complete. As well as the minor surgery unit, the wing houses a recovery room, three treatment areas, two clinic rooms, a health education room and a midwives consulting room.
Mrs Bassett said the refurbishment
was a great improvement on the old wing which, she said, posed health and
safety risks. "During the building work everyone was working under extremely
pressurised conditions but now everyone is back in their old or new offices,"
she said. "The construction is excellent and first class."
Hospital gifts
North Devon Gazette (December 1st 1994)
A triple presentation at Bideford Medical Centre on Monday saw the hand-over of £3,000 of equipment by local supporters. Patricia Dowding of Bideford presented the centre with £1,200 worth of nebulizers for use by asthmatic patients. With her own two year-old daughter Georgia a sufferer, Mrs Dowding and nine friends took part in a sponsored abseil to raise the money.
A team of workers from the AMP factory in Bideford pedalled 420 miles from Land's End to Dover in memory of workmate Dougie Bliman, who had masterminded their previous charity efforts. They presented a £615 syringe driver to Bideford Hospital for use in administering pain killing drugs and other £550 to the Medical Centre for the purchase of a Lego playtable.
The ladies of the WRVS added another £605 worth of equipment for the Medical Centre, including instruments for examining the ear and comfortable chairs for expectant mothers attending ante-natal classes.
Changes at medical centre bring international flavour
The Gazette (February 24th 1994)
New partners and a new practice manager have brought an international look to one of north Devon's biggest medical practices.
Bideford health centre in Abbotsham road has ten doctors and some 14,000 patients on its list. It was one of the first wave of fund-holding practices in the region.
First of the new additions, Dr Ragaii Loka from Egypt, was already well known in north Devon. He trained at the centre as a GP under Dr Alan Medway and took over as a partner following Dr Medway's retirement after 30 years. Obtaining his medical degree in Cairo, Dr Loka subsequently underwent further training in the UK to gain his fellowship in surgery. He has practised in general surgery at the north Devon district hospital and the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro.
Dr Geoffrey Spencer, who became a partner at the beginning of this month, graduated at St Thomas' in London before training as a GP at the Northam Health Centre and North Devon hospital. He returned to this country after having spent a year working in New Zealand.
New practice manager Olivia Bassett is originally from Hong Kong although she has been working in Cornwall for the past ten years, first with the inland revenue and then with the Cornwall health authority. Mrs Bassett is a member of CIPFA - the chartered institute of public finance and accountancy.
(our picture shows Dr Medway with Drs Spencer and Loka and Mrs Bassett).
