21 May 2007
The Elliott Hall Medical Centre in Hatch End, Pinner, Middlesex
has been presented with a prestigious award for excellence in the
care of patients with disability.
The annual Disability Care Award is presented by the Royal
College of General Practitioners (RCGP), sponsored by Leonard
Cheshire, the charity which works to improve access to services for
people with disabilities.
The judges praised Elliott Hall Medical Centre for its work in
bringing together members of the local community in helping fellow
patients. The medical centre has a dedicated team of volunteers
through its Patient Association who have for over 13 years helped
other patients with shopping and lifts to and from the surgery,
visited housebound patients and circulated a twice yearly
newsletter to all households with self-help information and service
updates.
Through its understanding of the needs of patients suffering
from disability, the practice has ensured that all its services can
be easily and practically accessed by all patients. Automatic
doors, hearing loops, easy to read patient information leaflets and
staff training in disability issues are all in place.
Patients suffering from mild to moderate mental health problems
also benefit through care close to home with dedicated clinics
within the surgery. Primary Care Mental Health Workers at the
practice show patients how to use useful techniques and tools to
help address any difficulties they are experiencing, such as step
by step guidance in working through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy,
Self Help Manuals and offering counselling using a person-centered
approach.
The practice has received numerous awards in the past for their
patient-centered approach to care including a Gold Award from the
Princess Royal Trust for Carers in 2006.
Professor David Haslam, President of the RCGP, said: “The
Disability Care Award is not just about making sure patients can
access services through automatic doors and hearing loops, although
obviously these are very important. It is about rewarding GP
practices who have taken a really strong stance and dedicated their
time and energies to creating a focal point for the local
community; where everyone, whether or not they feel they suffer
from a disability, feels their problems can be understood and eased
where possible.”
John Knight, Head of External Policy at Leonard Cheshire, said:
“Elliott Hall Medical Centre really demonstrates good patient
centred care in their approach and also has strongly embedded
community links. Through its links with the Princess Royal
Trust for Carers there is also proactive support for carers.
There is strong evidence of disability awareness in their services
and facilities for disabled patients. They also have a very
good website.”
Dr Chris Jenner, GP Principal at Elliott Hall Medical Centre, is
justly proud of their work, which they strive to build on year
after year. Dr Jenner said “The practice team and the
Patients’ Association are very proud of the work we do together to
support patients with disability. It is particularly satisfying
that we were proposed for this award by a patient. This award
and the prize money will help us to build on these achievements. We
are always looking at ways of improving services.
“We are now planning to lobby patients with a wide range of
disabilities to see what improvements to prioritise and will use
the prize money to support these initiatives.”
Practice team and patient representatives from Elliott Hall
Medical Centre were presented with a cheque for £5,000 at the
Royal College of General Practitioners’ Spring Meeting on Friday 18
May. Photographs of the award winners are available from the
RCGP Press Office.
The adjudicators were much impressed this year with
the overall quality of applications. Whilst only one
practice can be selected as a winner, the Village Medical Centre,
Kingswood Way, Great Denham, Bedford was highly
commended. In particular, the panel praised the
comprehensive information package, the transport systems to bring
patients with their carer to the surgery and disability friendly
procedures. All these have been developed since the practice
opened only a few years ago.
Ends
Press contact: Heather Whitney, RCGP Press Office 020 7344 3137
press@rcgp.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Winner of the RCGP/Leonard Cheshire Disability Care Award
2007:
Elliott Hall Medical Centre, 165/165 Uxbridge Road,Hatch End,
Pinner, Middlesex. http://www.ehmc.co.uk/
Elliott Hall Medical Centre were presented with a cheque for
£5,000 at the RCGP Spring Meeting on Friday 18 May from
6.00pm. This year the meeting was held at the Royal
Geographical Society, Exhibition Road, London SW7.
Further information on the Disability Care Award can be viewed
on the RCGP website.
The Royal College of General Practitioners is the largest
membership organisation in the United Kingdom solely for GPs. It
aims to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general
medical practice and to act as the “voice” of GPs on issues
concerned with education; training; research; and clinical
standards. Founded in 1952, the RCGP has over 27,000 members who
are committed to improving patient care, developing their own
skills and promoting general practice as a discipline.
Promoting excellence in family medicine: http://www.rcgp.org.uk/
Leonard Cheshire (http://www.leonard-cheshire.org/)
exists to change attitudes to disability and to serve disabled
people around the world. It has been supporting disabled people for
almost 60 years and is active in 55 countries. The
charity directly supports over 21,000 disabled people in the
UK.