Stamford Lakeside Healthcare PPG holds meeting for patients and staff
Patient group meetings in Stamford have been fraught affairs in recent years.
People have been keen to speak out about long phone queues for the Lakeside practice, a lack of available appointments, and an inspection report that criticised the quality of care.
But at the latest meeting, which attracted about 100 people to Stamford Town Hall on Monday evening, more praise than disapproval was laid at Lakeside’s door.
Jessica Bawden, appointed Lakeside’s chief executive 18 months ago, has overseen the recruitment of more GPs in Stamford and has helped the practice move up from an ‘inadequate’ Care Quality Commission rating to ‘requires improvement’.
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While she acknowledged at the meeting there is more work to be done, she also revealed average call wait times have reduced an average 23 minutes in January last year (when 9,900 calls were made), to under 17 minutes in November (when 10,800 calls were made).
She also gave evidence that Lakeside Stamford provides significantly more appointments per thousand patients than the national average - 661 compared with 459 in November.
The Lakeside branding was noticeably small on the slides accompanying her presentation. The NHS logo had greater prominence, and both surgeries were name-checked in the presentation’s title - ‘Update from The Stamford Surgery Sheepmarket and St Mary’s Sites’.
Only three years ago people carried placards in the streets demanding St Mary’s Medical Centre should be saved from closure by Lakeside. Afterwards, its lease was extended for another four years.
Richard Cleaver, leader of South Kesteven District Council and member of the health committee at Lincolnshire County Council, asked what would happen when the renewed lease runs out in two years’ time.
He was told by Ms Bawden “We’re not about to get rid of a surgery” and that Lakeside was talking to Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board about what happened at the end of the lease.
But she also admitted the building was not in great condition and she was unwilling to make any promises about its use beyond 2026.
Some patients pointed out their experience of primary care in Stamford is still far from perfect.
Teresa Battey said: “When I see a doctor, they’re brilliant. But I feel like getting to see one is like climbing through barbed wire.”
She added that she had waited outside in the rain to see a doctor before Christmas because it seemed easier than phoning for an appointment.
Geoff Hastings, who used to run the Lady Anne’s Hotel in Stamford, said negative signs telling patients to ‘behave themselves or be thrown out’ at the surgeries was a sign of poor management and should be taken down.
Several people agreed, pointing out no one is at their most polite when poorly. It was accepted signs would be looked at.
At the end of the meeting, Julie Clarke, who is stepping down as chairperson of the Lakeside Stamford Patient Participation Group, appealed for more patients to join the committee to represent the views of patients.
Committee meetings will be held every other month in 2024 and will be chaired by current vice chairperson John Morphy Godber.
Anyone wishing to get in touch with the PPG can do so by emailing stamfordlakesideppg@lshg.co.uk or dropping a message marked for the PPG’s attention to St Mary’s Medical Centre in Wharf Road or Sheepmarket Surgery in Ryhall Road, Stamford.
