Barton Family Practice News – December 2024
Dr Okoye is retiring. I will be retiring from the practice on the 5th of April next year when I will have been a partner at the practice for 20 years. I can honestly say that it has been an honour and a privilege to have been a part of the team delivering primary care to the people of Barton and its environs. Despite the many challenges facing the NHS, it has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience, and whilst I leave with a degree of sadness, I realise that this is the right time for me to step back from the frontline of healthcare. I would like to thank all the patients who have been so kind and friendly to me over the years. It has been great getting to know you all, and I wish you all the best for the future. I would also like to thank all my colleagues, past and present, including Dr White, David Rose, Gail Pyatt, Dr Shilton, Dr Roberts, Dr Slack, Sister Bain and the nursing team, Louise Smith and all the fantastic reception and administrative staff, for making work a pleasure, and making the difficult times bearable. We have achieved so much over the years. Thank you.
I have a plea to make on behalf of the practice to all our patients. Please look after your GP surgery. Please be kind to the staff and remember that they are trying to do their best for you. GP surgeries, including Barton Family Practice, are attempting to provide a service despite inadequate funding, a massive workload, and personnel shortages. Practice staff are highly stressed and overworked. It is difficult, and sometimes almost impossible, to recruit staff to replace those that are leaving. This applies to doctors, nurses, and administrative staff. Many surgeries are close to collapse due to financial and workload pressures. Unfortunately, aggressive behaviour and unreasonable complaints and demands from a minority of patients, may well be the last straw. Reception staff often bear the brunt of this behaviour, which makes being a receptionist such a challenge. We really must look after one another to keep the practice going. It would be a tragedy if the practice were to close.
We wish you all a merry Christmas and happy New Year.