Stamford Surgery PPG meeting will look at role of Lakeside Healthcare

People will be told of the relationship between Stamford Surgery and Lakeside at a public meeting tomorrow.

The Stamford Patient Participation Group AGM takes place at Stamford Arts Centre in St Mary’s Street from 6pm tomorrow (Tuesday, January 21).

Patients of Stamford Surgery - formerly known as Lakeside Stamford - are welcome to attend.

During the meeting there will be a review of primary healthcare in Stamford last year, given by chairman of the patient group John Morphy Godber.

Priorities for 2025 will be outlined, and Stamford Surgery and Lakeside will report on priorities, issues and progress.

Questions sent to the surgery for discussion include one asking about the nature of the contractual relationship between Stamford Surgery and Lakeside. Lakeside is based in Corby and has several GP practices in the area, including the Hereward Practice in Bourne and Oundle Medical Practice.

A patient has asked: “What is decided and managed locally, and in which areas does Stamford rely on Lakeside decision-making? Who makes the decisions both locally and at Lakeside?”

A discussion on the availability of appointments and the surgery’s capacity to meet patients’ demands is on the agenda, as are questions about the phone service.

These include how the phone service is being monitored, what the practice is doing to improve it, and what can be learned from other Lakeside practices, such as Bourne and Yaxley, where 53% and 79% of patients find it easy to get in contact with their surgery by phone.

Surgeries in Empingham and Wansford, which are not part of the Lakeside group, are also raised as examples of having a good phone service.

A question about demand for appointments versus the surgery’s capacity is also being raised, and how the patient group might be able to help improve matters.

There will be 15 minutes then set aside for further questions from the audience, and a presentation by Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board, which funds NHS primary care services locally. This is due to address Stamford’s rising population through housebuilding.

The meeting will close by 8pm.

People do not need to register to attend, and can show up on the evening.

The Stamford Surgery was said to ‘require improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission in its latest inspection report, issued in April last year.

The practice was last rated ‘good’ by the CQC in 2019.