Primary Care Sheffield helps to co-ordinate the Neighbourhood Learning Network, a citywide network of all of Sheffield’s 16 neighbourhoods, enabling them to share learning and best practice and supporting them to work together. One of the neighbourhoods has introduced a new approach to supporting the people who are most at risk of being admitted to hospital to keep well and at home, this is the Virtual Ward.

This video featuring Dr Maria Read, Sheffield GP and Primary Care Sheffield director and clinical lead describes what a virtual ward is and how the approach has been implemented. Matron, Nicola Keith explains the impact the virtual ward has had on professionals and patient, George Hurt shares his experiences of the new approach to managing his care and how this has enabled him to keep well at home.

Following a selection process PCS has welcomed John Boyington CBE as our new Board Chair. John was one of two highly appointable candidates we shortlisted, and was appointed following successful interview. John formally took up the post from 1st May.

 

John replaces Dr Julie Endacott, who served as Chair for two and a half years, and made a considerable contribution to the development of PCS in this time. Julie will continue to work for PCS in a clinical leadership capacity, enabling her to balance the demands of her Practice, locality and PCS roles.

 

John brings a wealth of experience to the role having worked in the NHS and Civil Service for 42 years and holds trusteeships with both local and national charities. He originally trained as a nurse in Sheffield and has held senior posts in NHS Trusts and a PCT. He received the CBE in 2007 for leading national prisoner health care reforms and for five years was Director of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre for prisons and public health. From 2012 until his appointment with PCS, John was also a Lay Member and Vice Chair at NHS Sheffield CCG where he chaired the Primary Care Commissioning Committee.

Together with Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust we have recently added Heeley Green Surgery to our group of primary care practices.

We already provide primary care services to Darnall Primary Care Centre, Highgate Surgery, Jordanthorpe Health Centre, Clover City Practice and the Mulberry Practice.

All current staff, including the GPs and nurses, will continue to work at Heeley Green Surgery and Dr Malcolm Savage (a current partner) becomes the Lead GP for the site.

Dr Andrew Hilton, Chief Executive of Primary Care Sheffield, said: “We are proud to become a partner on Heeley Green Surgery’s General Medical Services contract. This means that we will now be working alongside Sheffield Health and Social Care Foundation Trust to run six GP surgeries in Sheffield serving 26,500 patients.

“This partnership allows for a wider group of clinicians to be engaged in patient care at Heeley Green Surgery while also allowing administrative and management functions to be shared and facilitating innovation.”

Kevan Taylor, Chief Executive of Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Heeley Green Surgery to our partnership with Primary Care Sheffield and extend a warm welcome to their staff and patients.

“Heeley Green is a training practice and we are keen to continue this function, expanding the training ethos across the wider group of GP Practices that we manage. In addition, Heeley Green currently provides significant input to several care homes and we are keen to maintain and enhance this function, as part of the wider work taking place locally to improve out of hospital care.”

Dr Malcolm Savage said: “Heeley Green Surgery is pleased to join the Clover Group of GP practices. We believe this is the best way we can continue to develop our practice and serve our patients in these challenging times.  Joining with a larger organisation will allow us to be more efficient as a result of drawing on their resources and expertise.  We additionally look forward to working with the other GP surgeries in the group.”

Primary Care Sheffield became the sole partner on Heeley Green Surgery’s General Medical Services contract on 1^st January 2017.

ENDS

8th March was International Women’s Day and this year’s campaign theme is #BeBoldForChange

‘Call on the masses or call on yourself to help forge a better working world – a more gender inclusive world.’

Dr Marion Sloan, GP Partner at Sloan Medical Centre and Peer reviewing GP for CASES, played her part with this interesting article in the Sheffield Telegraph:

Special Report: Dispelling myths to boost the wellbeing of women

#BeBoldForChange

On 15th February we shared the BBC Radio Sheffield programme which featured the Extended Access Service.  On the same day, the below video featuring one of our four satellite units, was posted on their Facebook page!