Dr D at Christmas
With a warm mug of coffee we boot the computers, starting at seven to see the commuters.
First we action the results of the day, spending time with the ones that are not Okay.
Directions are sent to the front desk, for staff to book patients at the Doctors request.
By 8:30 the phones are red hot, appointments with Liz Robson are gone in a shot.
The Waiting room fills with various ages, some watch the screen whilst others turn pages.
We’d like to thank David from our patient group, for all his hard work in displaying our scoop.
Patients come in describing their ills, hoping for reassurance or maybe some pills.
Us Doctors are given a ten minute slot, to see a patient and write up the lot.
Heart-sink creeps in when a shopping list is shown, how can we complete this you will hear us groan.
You say ‘I don’t come much, I saved it all up’, we would rather see you than clinics held up.
Clinics are run fitting some coils, excision of lesions and incising some boils.
Follow up clinics are run by the nurses, removing the sutures which sometimes prompts curses.
Nurses kept busy with loads of leg dressings, blood pressure checks and anything pressing.
Prescription requests arrive in their scores, actioned by staff before close of doors.
By lunch there are visits and maybe a meeting, to fit around the admin with no time for eating.
Letters come in from secondary care, instructing the management for follow on care.
The afternoon surgery comes around like a flash, running late most days Dr Bruce makes a dash.
Insurance reports fill our trays, some taking hours dragging on for days.
We as doctors like the clinical, but the frequency of meetings drive us cynical.
With flu season upon us appointments are few, we vaccinate the risk groups and the housebound too.
We are under pressure to stop visits to A&E, but how can we do that if you go directly.
Contact the surgery with any deep cut, foreign bodies, sprains or burns to your butt.
With Christmas looming and prescription requests booming,
Closure for two days, impacts in so many ways.
We encourage good tidings and festive cheer, but please eat sensibly with moderation of beer.
Wishing you a very merry and healthy Christmas
St.Andrew’s Medical Centre
Southborough
Drs Peter Cottrell, Liz Robson, John Riley, Debbie Mason,
Cathy Bruce & Reshma Rajagopal
surgery open Monday to Friday 08.30-18.00
We have full access and washroom facilities for less able/disabled patients; all our rooms are on the ground floor.
