Have your say on healthcare services
ARE you a patient at Downend Health Group? Do you want to help shape the future of our healthcare services? Then why not join our Patient Participation Group?
We’re a group of patients who meet every six weeks to collaborate with the practice, sharing feedback and ideas to enhance the services provided to our community.
The healthcare landscape has changed dramatically over recent years, with new technology and services transforming the way we receive care.
Our PPG aims to improve communication between the Practice and its patients, helping to make these changes smoother and more accessible for everyone.
We welcome patients of all ages and backgrounds, though we especially encourage younger people to join us. Your perspective is crucial to ensuring that Downend Health Group’s services meet the needs of every age group in our community.
Our meetings are friendly, relaxed, and about 90 minutes long, alternating between mornings, afternoons, and evenings to accommodate different schedules. If you’re interested in becoming part of this vital group, simply contact the Practice Reception to learn more or to attend our next meeting.
Let’s work together to ensure the Downend Health Group meets the needs of all patients, today and in the future!
Gaynor Woolley
Chair
Downend Health Group PPG
Chancellor must rethink Budget
WHILST there was good news in the Autumn Budget for investment in social housing, the NHS, and other public services, Brunelcare estimate that the change in National Insurance will add almost £1 million to our staffing costs, creating significant financial pressures at a time when the charity and other social care providers are already under intense strain.
In addition, Brunelcare’s wage bill will increase by a further £900,000 from April 2025, as a result of the 5% Real Living Wage rise.
We are a Bristol-based charity caring for older people in their own homes, care homes, and extra care housing sites.
We employ 1,100 dedicated colleagues to provide care, housing, and support to 2,000 adults across the South West region each week.
The lack of funding to support wage increases, in addition to the new financial pressures announced in the Budget, make it increasingly difficult for providers like us to continue our commitment to paying colleagues the Real Living Wage.
We are urging the Chancellor to review the Budget’s impact on the social care system, especially for charity providers.
Either local governments must be given sufficient resources to increase fee levels in social care contracts, to cover the additional costs created by the Budget’s ‘tough choices,’ or charitable social care and supported housing providers such as Brunelcare should be exempt from the employer National Insurance increase and new thresholds.
Oona Goldsworthy,
Chief Executive, Brunelcare
Christmas boxes on their way
I THOUGHT readers might like to see this picture of shoeboxes on their way from Downend to countries like Uganda and Romania.
They are being sent with love to try and bring a little light and joy this Christmas.
A special thanks to Helen Shellard, Janet Lloyd and Beryl Avent, who gave so generously and knitted so beautifully for the boxes.
Praying for peace and love to all this Christmas.
Angela Avent
Downend
Want an allotment?
WE hear a lot about how difficult it is to get an allotment these days. Well, here is your big chance! Staple Hill and Downend Allotments have a small number of vacant plots on their site at Chestnut Road in Downend, adjacent to the Co-op car park.
These will be let on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to receiving a signed acceptance form and the annual fee.
Owning an allotment is not for everyone.
When you first get a plot, it is likely to require quite a lot of time and effort, but it can also give a lot of pleasure, and the chance to meet new friends.
The produce has a different taste to the normal supermarket vegetable, and you can decide what and how you grow your own produce.
All enquiries should be addressed in the first instance to ssallotmentsecretaries@gmail.com.
You will then be invited to visit the site to be shown one of the vacant plots; the first applicants will have the first choice of a number of different-sized plots.
John Lockwood
Staple Hill and Downend Allotments
Be an adviser
IF you’d like to make a difference in your community, now is the time to join Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.
We are helping record numbers of people with cost-of-living-related problems, and looking to take on ten volunteer generalist advisers.
Generalist advisers are essential to what the charity does. Whether meeting clients face-to-face at drop-ins or taking calls via the local Adviceline, generalist advisers help over a huge range of themes.
It’s a fantastic opportunity to not only use your existing skills to help people in the local community but also develop new ones such as communication skills, research abilities and record-keeping.
It also involves in-depth training around a range of areas – issues that most people will come across at some point in their lives.
You will be part of a really friendly and supportive team with a very worthwhile charity.
The new cohort will start training in January and will soon after be helping those who come to the charity for advice.
The charity is particularly keen to encourage applications from people with a diverse range of backgrounds.
To apply, please email Amanda Wood at bureau@sgloscab.cabnet.org.uk.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/3jbujhmk.
Emmanuelle Claverie
Lead Supervisor and Training Officer
Citizens Advice South Gloucestershire.
Hospital fundraising
THE League of Friends of Cossham Hospital will be holding our Christmas sale from November 25 until December 20 in the hospital café, daily from 10am to 2.30pm.
The stall will include all sorts of gifts, suitable for adults and children.
There will also be knitwear.
Margaret Nolder
Chairperson
Cossham Hospital League of Friends