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Witney, Carterton and Chipping Norton GROUP Thursday, November 9 - Wednesday, November 15, 2017
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Campaigners’ prescription is for better communication By George Welch THE health provider responsible for the future of GP services in West Oxfordshire needs to improve its communication if it wants to rebuild trust. Dozens of people packed the Masonic Hall in Witney last week to discuss how to reduce the strain on general practice and primary care in the area. Ideas raised with the Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group included working with councils more to share funds from Section 106 money given by developers, a greater focus on preventative care and Witney’s community hospital becoming a ‘hub’ of essential services. Health campaigners and councillors lambasted the OCCG for previous failings in its interaction over March’s closure of Deer Park Medical Centre. District councillor Jane Doughty said the OCCG needs to rebuild trust following the closure of the Edington Square practice. She said: “We’re not just being negative and difficult, because we want to work with these people but they need to listen but unfortunately there’s no communication – it’s like the door is locked.” West Oxfordshire District Council’s cabinet member for health, Jeanette
Baker, said: “I’m very keen on the big ‘C’ – communication – and I would like to see more joined up thinking with everything that’s going on at the moment.” Dr Kiren Collison, who will take up her role as OCCG clinical chair next month, said communication is something the health body would work on. She added: “The meeting raised a lot of ideas. It’s good to know that a lot of what people were saying is a lot of what local GPs have been saying, so we’re on the same wavelength.” But some remain sceptical. County councillor Liam Walker said he feared concerns would ‘fall on deaf ears’ and questioned whether the meeting was a box ticking exercise. In July, an independent panel of experts ordered the OCCG to carry out a ‘comprehensive’ health plan for West Oxfordshire within six months after failing to ‘effectively engage’ with patients at Deer Park. Other ideas raised at the meeting comprised improving receptionist training, working with the voluntary sector and using social media to engage with younger people. The town’s deputy mayor, Brenda Churchill, said the Deer Park Campaign Group, which she chairs, will hold a public meeting without the OCCG and is exploring the option of forming a community surgery. The OCCG is expected to publish its plan in January.
Unique tribute to servicemen
EYNSHAM fire station paid tribute to servicemen and women in an original and touching way. A video featuring members of the fire station making a huge
poppy out of water hose pipes has now had more than 450,000 views since it was posted earlier this week. Filmed overhead, the crew lay
down the water hose step by step before saluting to the camera. The crew filmed the video as their mark of honour ahead of Remembrance Day.
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