In response to your feedback Ivy Medical Group are holding an evening meeting to tell you where we are now and to hear your views. Please come and join us so we can work together to make our local health services the best they can be!

Thursday 15 September 2022, 6.30pm – 7.30 pm at St Helen’s Church, Burton Joyce

Please find below a letter explaining the background.

If you can’t join us we have a questionnaire you can complete. Copies are available at our surgery receptions and on our website.

We are holding these meetings so we can look at our future strategy, working with you, your family and carers. These meetings cannot address any personal issues you have, these must be directed to the practice.

I am sure some of you are aware that the practice has faced many challenges over the last few years. These include the pandemic and prior to that the merger of Lambley Lane and Apple Tree, including staff changes and shortages. Our dedicated, staff work tirelessly within the NHS to provide the best patient services we can, despite the many challenges we face. Nationally there is a workforce shortage, and we are doing our best to secure staff as well as striving to improve access to all our services. I have heard from staff and patients about the challenges, and I want to make sure we take positive steps forward to address these, in order to continue providing the highest quality of care for patients.

I have been able to secure the voluntary support and experience of Tracy Madge, a recently retired, qualified senior nurse and Project Manager to support our development and to help prepare a forward plan. Tracy is registered with our practice and has signed a confidentiality agreement to undertake this work. Tracy will be working with Melanie Maddock, my Practice Manager over the next 12 months with the aim of producing a five-year strategy by January 2023.

Tracy is undertaking a confidential listening exercise with current staff, some former staff, patients and key other colleagues. This will capture, for example, what works well now and what you think should happen in the future. She is currently holding one to one interviews with some staff and starts the patient/public focus groups this week. This will enable us to gain as much insight as possible into our collective views. The outcome will be a report that will be shared widely. This will give us a clear way forward as to what actions we should take.

The dates of the first meetings are:

Wednesday 24 August 2022, 12.30 – 13.30 pm at St Helen’s Church, Burton Joyce

Thursday 1 Sept. 2022, 1.30 – 2.30 pm, at Lowdham Practice

Thursday 8 Sept. 2022, 1.30 – 2.30 pm, at Lowdham Practice

Please note we will be seeking out the views of specific groups such as older people, learning disability and young people. We will also be arranging an evening meeting shortly and we will inform you via our notice boards, website and Facebook page. Letters and questionnaires will be offered to our patients visiting the practice or can be collected for those patients who cannot access the internet. Texts will be issued as appropriate and when our technical issues are resolved.

A copy of the questionnaire is in the downloads for those unable to attend a meeting. These will also be available at the practice’s receptions.

These meetings are being held in a spirit of mutual respect and we would ask that attendees come with constructive feedback about the future of the service so we can have a plan built with your input.

For your information I have attached Tracy’s biography.

We are very much looking forward to working with the local population to make sure we have a future service that is sustainable and high quality.

Yours sincerely

Dr Paramjit Singh Panesar

GP Principal

 The Ivy Medical Group, Nottingham

Tracy Madge, MSc, RGN, RMN

I initially retired from the NHS in June 2018 after 37 years working in the NHS and social care sector, mainly in Nottinghamshire. 

I returned in March 2020 and worked as the Associate Chief Nurse for Nottinghamshire. My main role was as the Programme Director for the Covid Vaccination Programme. I retired again in March 2021.

Over my career I have always put the needs of the patient first and foremost with the aim of ensuring the highest quality care is delivered. I have held a range of provider and commissioning, clinical and managerial roles working at to Director level. As Director of Primary Care for the former Gedling Primary Care Trust I managed the GP contract and provider services for the locality. This experience proved invaluable in my leadership as Assistant Director of Clinical Strategy with NHS England. I secured £5.2 million funding for General Practice development across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire and was the lead for the two county Primary Care Strategy.

I have delivered on small and large system changes including implementing the primary care contracts, the GP out of hours service, reconfiguring the Accident and Emergency Department at Newark Hospital and closing two Walk in Centres to recommission improved quality services. I have previously managed all adult community services across Nottinghamshire including the community hospitals as a General Manager and Clinical Director.

I was the clinical project lead for opening the new Emergency Floor at Leicester Royal Infirmary in 2018. I have up to date validation with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as a Registered General Nurse and Registered Mental Health Nurse. 

I have worked at national level to support the development of the NHS Commissioning Board organisational structure, working closely with the national Medical Director’s team. As Associate Director for Public Health for Nottinghamshire I led the transfer of the function from the NHS to the Local Authority including developing new quality processes.

I retired as a Trustee for Nottinghamshire Hospice in 2021 having been the chair of the Quality and Safety Committee. This important role was focussed on maintaining the quality of care for patients at the end of their life and it was a privilege to work for such an inspirational charity.

I have lived in Nottinghamshire all my life and in Burton Joyce for 15 years. I enjoy an active retirement including travelling extensively with my husband. We have four children and two grandchildren whom we enjoy spending time with.

I still feel I have more to give so have offered my time voluntarily to my local GP to support the development of forward plan. It is a part time offer and will definitely not affect my travel plans!