Services A-Z
An update from Whitewater Health
Please read below an update from the Partners at Whitewater Health
The practice continues to be experiencing challenging times with Covid numbers rising, together with a considerable number of other respiratory and flu like illnesses. We take patient safety extremely seriously and as such are moving our ‘duty’ on the day service to Hartley Wintney which is the best suited to be able to see unwell patients. We will continue to offer some routine GP and nurse appointments at Hartley Wintney but patients may be asked to travel to Hook to see health care professionals if necessary.
We are also aware of the concern of our patients regarding staff changes over recent times. The last 2 years has seen unprecedented challenges across the NHS with many staff retiring, leaving the profession or changing job roles. There is a national shortage of all clinical staff across the NHS, but in particular in General Practice, which has made recruitment more difficult. We are committed to continuing to try to provide the best possible care and we can assure you all our staff have been working tirelessly, seeing patients throughout the pandemic and through the recent surge in demand
for appointments we are experiencing.
We would also like to reassure our patients that the practice will continue to operate from both Hook and Hartley Wintney sites, although for certain appointments patients may be asked to travel to the opposite site from where they live. We are one practice and as such cannot offer all services at both sites on all occasions.
We now can offer in-house physiotherapy assessments and joint injections when suitable, Red Cross Social Prescribers to help support out patients with their social problems, a Health and Wellbeing coach to help patients make positive lifestyle changes and a Clinical Pharmacist to help with prescription queries.
We have always valued continuity of care and recognise we have not been able to deliver the personal care that we have in the past and that we recognise our patients’ value highly. We are committed to returning to this and are working hard to try to achieve this goal. However, whilst we continue to recruit more doctors and nurses, we have had to employ locum (temporary) doctors in order to offer enough appointments to meet the clinical demand. As such, you may be offered an appointment with one of them rather than perhaps the doctor of your choice, but please be reassured they offer excellent care.
The partners, with help from the PPG are arranging to meet with the representatives of the local community in the near future to discuss the concerns of our patient population and to hopefully provide some reassurances to the questions being raised.
These are extremely challenging times for the whole of General Practice and we hope for your continued patience and support as we navigate through these current difficulties.
We would like to extend our thanks to the Whitewater Health PPG with whom we have been working closely and have been extremely supportive to the practice whilst representing the interests/views of our patients.
The Partners, Whitewater Health