Community turn out to help with Furnace surgery clean-up

on Wednesday August 21 Dr Coull and lead nurse Ellie Earnshaw were delighted to see the helpers turn out to help with a clean-up, although everyone was pleasantly surprised to find the ’Angel’ Vickie, on hearing about the surgery reopening, had volunteered her services and had worked hard over a weekend to leave the surgery looking spotless and amazing.

Instead the volunteers helped put together the furniture for the surgery, including reception/waiting area, psychotherapy room and children’s area.

Dr Coull told the Advertiser: "We were astonished at the turnout when the Patient Participation Group asked for volunteers to help get the Furnace clinic set up.  Ellie and I had expected to be putting together Ikea furniture for the waiting area, staff lounge, and consulting rooms until midnight, but with the help of all the patients who gave up a Wednesday morning it was all done by lunchtime.

"What a great example of patients and their health team working together. We had an off-duty ambulance person making coffees and the practice manager provided biscuits and doughnuts (don’t tell the practice nurse!). We even took in a honeymooning couple and their baby when their camper van broke down in the hurricane and they took shelter in the practice car park. Really a day to remember." 

And Mark Boston, Interim Chairperson of the Inveraray/Furnace Patient Participation Group said: "Once again life and a relaxed atmosphere returned to the neglected surgery building and laughter could be heard as the various groups undertook the assembly tasks they had been allocated.

"We now look forward to the reopening of the surgery in a few weeks time, when it will again become a valued asset to the local community."

Dr Coull added: "We’re very excited about reopening Furnace surgery to see patients. We’ll be ready to start seeing patients in Furnace in the next couple of weeks. The only issue that that could hold us up would be the IT, as we have no control over that aspect of the service, but we are planning to test using our remote access laptop via a 4G wifi router as a temporary measure while we wait for the HSCP to upgrade the Furnace computer software.  

"It’s great to have the extra space in a purpose built building. It’s a more private location with ample car parking, which will suit some some patients more than Inveraray. It will mean it will be easier for patients in Furnace who can’t get to our clinic in Inveraray because we will be able to run ad-hoc clinics for them in Furnace depending on demand.  

"In addition, having access to the extra clinical space is an important first step in getting HSCP multi-disciplinary clinics (such as first contact physiotherapy) to run in Furnace and Inveraray.

"So this is something that benefits not just the patients in Furnace, but all of our patients across the whole practice area.

"The two main areas we will now be concentrating on are upgrading the NHS IT in the practices now that they are an independent GP surgery again.  This will allow us to see more patients in the same amount of time; and integrating the HSCP Practice Pharmacist and First Contact Physiotherapist into the Furnace and Inveraray Medical Practice.

"In the new General Medical Services contract of 2018 it was agreed that "HSCPs and NHS Boards will place additional primary care staff in GP practices and the community. The multi-disciplinary teams include pharmacists, first contact physiotherapists, mental health nurses, and link workers.  

"We’re working with the HSCP to ensure the patients of Furnace and Inveraray are able to easily access these services.  The re-opening of Furnace provides us with the space to house additional clinics in the community and is an important first step in this process."