Category: News
The leader of Devon’s health and social care system has said she is deeply honoured to receive the Freedom of the City of London as part of commemorations marking the centenary of votes for women.
Dame Suzi Leather DBE, who grew up in Devon, has spent her life improving public services and was one of 106 women granted the honour yesterday (7 March 2019) as part of City of London Corporation’s commemoration of the Representation of the People Act 1918. The act gave some women and all men over the age of 21 the right to vote.
Since June 2018, Dame Suzi has been independent Chair of Devon’s Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP), which brings together the county’s hospital trusts, mental health providers, local authorities and NHS clinical commissioners to enhance NHS and care services.
Delighted and deeply honoured
Dame Suzi said: “I am delighted and deeply honoured to be invited to accept the Freedom of the City of London.”
Last year, the City Corporation agreed to mark 100 years of female suffrage with the award of the Freedom by inviting members of the Court of Common Council and colleagues in their City of London Wards to nominate candidates.
Dame Suzi has lived in Devon since she was a child and attended the University of Exeter. She is currently a Deputy Lieutenant of Devon and is President of the Devonshire Association.
An outstanding ambassador for Devon
Dr Paul Johnson, chair elect of NHS Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which will begin operation on 1 April 2019, said: “Suzi is an outstanding ambassador for Devon and has a distinguished record of public service. We are proud that she is leading the important work of the STP and offer our warmest congratulations on receiving this significant honour from the City of London Corporation.”
Devon’s health and care leaders are jointly delivering the Devon STP’s ambitious plans to put health and social care services in a stronger position in which to support the needs of local people.
Dame Suzi has previously held a number of high-profile national leadership positions in regulation, health and the charitable sector, including chairing the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority and Charity Commission.
Locally she has chaired Plymouth’s Fairness Commission, the Exeter and District Community NHS Trust and Health Forum, a partnership body to promote public health, and was the first chair of St Sidwell’s Healthy Living Centre, which was the first combined healthy living and UK online centre.
The Court of Common Council, the City of London Corporation’s top decision-making body, yesterday set the final seal of approval upon the Freedoms, paving the way for ceremonies to take place at Guildhall, London, in coming months.
The NHS Long Term Plan compares regions across the country and demonstrates how successfully new technology has been introduced by GP practices.
The national document, published in early January, also shows that Devon is ranked second highest in the country for introducing new methods for GP appointments. These alternatives include the opportunities for telephone and video or online appointments.
Many GP practices across Devon, Plymouth and Torbay are now offering their patients the choice of quick telephone or online consultations, saving time waiting and travelling.
Alternative methods of consulting with a GP other than traditional face to face ones, make up more than 18 per cent of the total number of GP appointments that have taken place across Devon.
The data shows that the biggest single alternative to face-to-face consultations are telephone appointments. Patients across Devon will already be used to being offered appointments by telephone by many practices in the county.
The next most popular option for people in Devon to access help and advice from a GP is through ever increasing online services.
The online consultation service, eConsult, was introduced in Devon GP practices last year and growth in the use of the technology has been more than 500% in just nine months.
More than 600,000 patients in Devon are now able to benefit from 24-hour online access to their GP practice.
The new service is on many of Devon practices’ websites, aiming to help people get the right treatment they need at a time that is convenient to them.
Dr John McCormick, GP and chief clinical information officer for Devon’s CCGs, said: “Devon is leading the way in embracing new technology in healthcare.
“For many patients, the traditional face-to-face appointments with a GP are vital and the most effective way to get advice and treatment. But for many patients in Devon, we know that accessing services through telephone or online options are much more convenient.
“It’s great to see such a variety of consultation types are available to Devon patients to better meet the needs of our varied population.”
More than 50 per cent of Devon GP practices now offer online consultations and new practices are signing up to introduce this tool very month.
In December alone, more than 2,200 online consultations took place across the county. These would otherwise have been face-to-face consultations, so GPs’ time was freed up to see more patients with more urgent needs.
As GP practices consider the options and tools they want to introduce in the future, they are working with patient groups and local populations to rightly determine what best fits for their practice and their patients.
The NHS Long Term Plan, published nationally in January 2019, sets out a national goal for every patient in England to be able to choose telephone or online consultations in the next five years.
The seasonally adjusted flu vaccination campaign has been running since October, with thousands of people across Devon having the jab.
For healthy people flu is often worse than a cold – but for some, the effects are even more extreme.
Older people, very young people, pregnant women and those with underlying disease, particularly chronic respiratory or cardiac disease, or those who are immunosuppressed, are at particular risk of severe illness if they catch flu.
Dr Rob Dyer, lead medical director for Devon Sustainability Transformation Partnership, said: “It’s really important that people are vaccinated. They really shouldn’t put off getting it.
“Those in the at-risk groups qualify for a free vaccine, because they are at much greater risk of becoming seriously unwell if they catch flu. In some cases this can lead to them being very ill indeed.
“So for those who qualify, please remember that it’s free because you need it. You can have the jab at your GP practice or local pharmacy.”
Across Devon, the take-up of flu for people in some at-risk groups has risen since last winter, but the figures are still below the national targets.
The latest number of over-65s having the jab locally is nearly 70 percent, but the national target is 75 percent. For pregnant women in Devon the take-up figure is nearly 48 percent, while the target is 55 percent.
People who have the vaccination not only protect themselves, they can also help to stop the virus spreading.
Dr Dyer added: “For those people who have flu-like symptoms, there’s usually no need to see a doctor.
“For adults who are normally healthy, flu is unpleasant and inconvenient, but they will usually begin to feel better in a week. They should just rest, drink plenty of fluids and take appropriate pain relief such as paracetamol.”
