Albert Road Surgery hosted a successful Health & Wellness Open Day for all members of the public on Thursday 21st January 2016.

The event was well attended, mixed with members of the general public, registered patients, PPG members, Dr Mohsin Patel and Alice Lawrence from Newham CCG, Abdul Malik from The Forum for Health & Wellbeing and a reporter from theNewham Recorder.

Jules Robertson from Maternity Mates commented “Lots of people attended and they really enjoyed it, and we have made new contacts. Thank you very much for inviting us!”, whilst Abdul Malik from The Forum for Health & Wellbeing commented “The day went very well indeed, good to see community engagement in North Woolwich.”

Attendees met the new GP Director at Albert Road and Britannia Village Surgeries, Dr Muneeb Choudhry, who presented the positive changes that have already been made to the practices as well as the future vision, and new members of the practice team such as Dr Abir Shaikh, as well as the existing practice staff. The event helped to promote the role and benefits of Albert Road and Britannia Village Surgeries, planned and ongoing improvements, as well as raising awareness about a number of local healthcare service providers accessible through the surgery for patients and residents of Newham. A number of patients also committed to resuming the Patient Participation Group at the practice, a practice/patient partnership group designed to help ensure that the practice meets the needs of all of its patients.

Local service providers included activeNewham, a provider of personalised lifestyle advice and support, who commented: “A great event to come to. We have managed 22 health checks with a wide range of ages. The team are buzzing from the work they have done and the people we have had the opportunity to engage with. We have made a difference in Newham today.”.

Other services included Maternity Mates, a commissioner from the Specialist Diabetes Youth Team, Community Health Newham Directorate, St. John’s Hospice who provided cancer and lifestyle information, and CYANA (Cancer, You Are Not Alone) raising awareness of the support available. The Community Dental Service were on hand to deliver Oral Health advice and Age UK East London were raising awareness about their streamlined approach to health and social care to support older people.

Staff at Albert Road Surgery also provided services on the day: Healthcare Assistant Louise Topp provided over 10 free mini-health checks and Receptionists Leigh Leigh Maloney and Sophie Chipperfield made many children happy with free face painting.

AT Medics were delighted to host this event, and extend special thanks to the practice team who made this all possible.