Tackling Dementia in Northumberland

All of us know a family member who suffers from this terrible disease: as I discussed with my Haltwhistle constituents, at the Haltwhistle Dementia Support group last week, I am acutely aware of its impact, the loss of dignity, and the difficulties faced by the carers.
But there is beginning to develop a number of ways in which I see a difference being made across the Tyne valley: examples are as follows.
- I have been involved with the Corbridge communities efforts to become completely dementia friendly and to provide assisted walks and activities for some time. Led by councillor Melvyn Stone I trained to become a dementia friend last year.
More details here: http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/mp-joins-assisted-walk-corbridge-7621737
- last week I was lucky enough to spend time with the Haltwhistle Dementia support group and provide answers to their questions on how we provide ongoing support, medical services, and Howe tackle respite care whilst being at the very far end of Northumberland. The integration of Northumbria NHS with North Cumbria will clearly make a massive difference so that we are no longer at the end of the line but much more at the heart of the medical provision that exists in the true north.
- and I was lucky enough to join the team from Chrysalis in Hexham who do a fantastic job fundraising and supporting the local community at the Torch Centre. I helped open their new garden and got my hands dirty picking potatoes in a good cause.
http://www.newsprints.co.uk/view/0/31620206/t401594%20chrysalis%20garden_jpg

Going forward there is no doubt that we need to learn best practice from each other, get local councils and communities on board, and engage with the local GPs and clinical commissioning groups to ensure that these services are genuinely recognised and supported. There is, as we discussed as well in Haltwhistle, a lot more to do to provide respite care.

Get your flu jab! Don't risk your life for the lack of a 3 minute appointment

Last month I went to the Haltwhistle GP Clinic and met the staff and GPs there, spending an afternoon seeing the great work they do and the pressures they are under. It was well worth the time with Dr Mark Baker and the team; they look after the 5800 patients in their practice area which is based in Haltwhistle, but also extends from Low Row in the west to Haydon Bridge, and to Slaggyford in the south. Their surgery has recently been renovated. I sat in, and watched Mark perform a couple of minor surgery appointments in the clinic; I do not believe I have a future as a GP's assistant! Whilst there I also got my flu jab; I need the jab because I had my spleen perforated in a racing fall at Stratford nearly 10 years ago - I liked the horse so much that I tried to catch it as it fell on top of me at the second last fence at Stratford races; it hurt, and my spleen was taken out by a great surgeon called Mike Stellakis, at Warwick General Hospital. As a result I am immuno compromised.

The clinic is welcoming and professional and a far cry from the old leaking building or the portakabins they endured for 5 months during the rebuild. Mark made the strong point that medical recruitment is becoming increasingly difficult, with a real difficulty in filling rural medical vacancies.
I have taken this up with the DOH, alonmg with the point that Mark made that concerning retraining; the problem is that where a GP has not worked for two or more years, they must spend six months in compulsory retraining before they are permitted to rejoin the Performers’ List, and pass an exam costing £700 before they will be considered for retraining, and funding for posts is variable. This - according to Mark - has the effect of deterring any doctor who has worked abroad from returning, and is a large obstacle for women GPs returning from maternity leave.

Overall I was deeply impressed by the professionalism, extent of services and the quality of care in this GPs practice that was clearly very motivated by the importance to their local community of a strong Primary Care Service.

One final point: it is a scandal that some people who are entitled to a free flu jab are failing to take up the jab, which could save their life. Please make sure you ask your elderly relatives or those like me who are in an at risk group to get the jab. Some people will die or get very sick this winter because of the lack of this and it is totally wrong, and totally avoidable. The jab is free and available at all GPs. Not only is this a potential tragedy, but if people get sick through failing to have the flu jab they can occupy much needed hospital beds with everything that this entails for both the hospital and the wider community.
I had my jab done in less than 3 minutes by Sarah. It does not hurt [much!] and will save your life!! Please make sure you check your parents, relatives and neighbours have done the same thing.