STAFF CHANGES

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Kate Bulmer as a salaried GP here at Hillview. Kate will be familiar to many patients as she completed her training with us earlier this year, working under her maiden name as Dr Tully. She has particular interests in gynaecology, family planning, ante-natal care and paediatrics.

Dr Susannah Daniel, who completed her GP training in the summer, has emigrated to the USA, where she is working in Family Practice in Portland, Oregon.

Our current GP registrars, Karim Atefi and Jeremy Goad, are well established in their training posts and will be with us until Summer 2012.

Our long serving Practice Nurse, Sue Terry, retired earlier this year. Her place has been taken by Sally Bradfield. Sally is a highly experienced practice nurse who has worked locally for many years.

We also sadly said goodbye to Jane Brock in the summer. We are very pleased that Nikki Raif has joined the nursing team in her place.

Both of our new Practice Nurses join Chris Stark, our Advanced Nurse Practitioner, and Cath Sloan, our HCA, to complete our very skilled and supportive treatment room team.

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS AT HILLVIEW

We have now completed the installation of automatic doors at the main entrance. In addition, the doors leading into the waiting area and consulting room corridor have been fitted with electronic openers, greatly enhancing disabled and buggy access. The new external fencing is in place and work will shortly commence to increase the number of parking places.

SURGERY DEVELOPMENTS UPDATE

We finally have a smart new roof with no scaffolding! The building has been fully decorated externally, and improvements to the boundary fencing, together with work to provide a modest increase in parking spaces, will start soon. A new telephone system has been installed, with double the lines previously available. Next in line will be the fitting of new automatic doors at the main entrance.

SURGERY DEVELOPMENTS 2011

Thanks to the wonderful generosity of the late Sir Alec and Eric Bedser, we will be embarking on a number of projects at Hillview this year. Firstly, once the roof repairs are completed, we intend to install automatic entrance doors to improve disabled access to the surgery. Next in line will be a sophisticated new telephone system to cope much more effectively with demand, especially at peak times. Further ahead, we will be refurbishing the waiting area and improving our educational facilities.

We have already purchased additional equipment, including a dermatoscope to aid diagnosis of skin conditions.

As always, we welcome suggestions from our patients concerning any improvements to the surgery that enhance clinical care.

CHARITY CHALLENGE

Following our Dover to Woking trek last August, we're pleased to announce that the final sum raised for the Charity was £2636, far in excess of our £1000 target. This money will be used to buy further medical equipment for the surgery. A huge 'thank you' from the partners and staff to all who contributed!

SIR ALEC BEDSER 1918 - 2010

We were all deeply saddened to hear of the death of Sir Alec Bedser on 4th April after a short illness. Sir Alec's illustrious career as one of England's finest cricketers is well known to many, but as one of Woking's most respected residents he also played a massive role in supporting local charities. A long time patient and trustee of Hillview, Sir Alec was responsible, along with his twin brother Eric, for raising very large sums of money in support of equipping our new surgery building.

We will always remember him, not just for his sporting success, but also for his unfailing generosity, courtesy and a dry sense of humour. It was a privilege to have known him. He will be greatly missed.

INFLUENZA VACCINATION

Seasonal influenza vaccine is now available for all patients over 65 years, as well as those at special risk owing to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, lowered immunity and chronic lung, kidney, liver or neurological disease. Please contact the surgery for an appointment with our nurses.

Installation of new car park barrier

The new car park barrier is now operational. The system allows free entry, but exit requires a 4-digit code to be entered in the adjacent keypad. This code is available from reception, and will change at regular intervals. We're lowering the hedge alongside the exit to improve visibility for drivers, and installing posts to prevent parking on the kerb beside the hedge so that traffic flow can be improved.