Community at SAMC

At SAMC our doctors, nurses and admin team are here to provide the best clinical help available, either at the surgery or by referral to clinical services elsewhere. 

But not all problems need medication or clinical intervention; some patients just need support, for example, older people, disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable people, or carers in their caring role.

Here at SAMC, as a patient you may be referred by your doctor to speak here at SAMC, with our new support coordinator, Sarah. In her role, she will be focussing on:

• Supporting carers in their caring role; enabling people to provide unpaid support to a family member or friend who could not manage without help​​
• ​Supporting older people, by bringing people together and facilitating and developing volunteering to provide practical support, information and advice, leisure, learning, health, wellbeing and social activities​
• Supporting disadvantaged, marginalised or vulnerable people to improve their health and wellbeing by unlocking their potential to contribute to society and give to others

Close to home

As part of this initiative, with the help of volunteers,we shall be setting up and running a number of community schemes. And this page here on the website will give you the detail of all you need to know to get involved.

Schemes planned or underway:

befrienders@SAMC
What is it? Could you offer support to individual patients? Tasks like talking to people about activities they have attended, offering emotional support. DRIVING to/from activities.
Where? in the SAMC practice area
How do find out more? Contact Sarah at Reception or email standrews.mc@nhs.net
Focal Point? 

booksales@SAMC
What is it? Sales of second-hand books donated by patients and friends of SAMC. Visitors pay 50p for each purchase at Reception desk. Children's books FREE
Where? SAMC Waiting room 
Focal Point? Ann Norman

parkrunners@SAMC
We are now registered as a 'parkrun practice', committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the SAMC team and patients and joining nearly 700 parkrun practices across the UK! You can WALK* at your own pace or RUN!
What is it? An activity group
Starting when? now
Where? Saturday mornings, Tonbridge park and Tunbridge Wells Dunorlan park 
Cost to take part £0
What do I need to do? Register on the Parkrun website and get your barcode and just turn up on a Saturday with that barcode.
How do find out more? Click here for more information  and also watch the video 
Focal Point? Sarah at SAMC
(n.b.*strollers@SAMC. Despite our best attemps this has not proved possible to proceed with).

gardeners@SAMC
What is it? A gardening allotment group 
Starting when? EVERY TUESDAY from 10.00-12.00
Where? On our own plot at the Ridgeway allotments just up the path from SAMC
Cost to take part £0
How do find out more? email standrews.mc@nhs.net 
Focal Point? Mary Skilling (a fellow patient and PPG member)

Possibles in the future:
exercisers@SAMC 
cookery@SAMC - when we move to the Hub
bookclub@SAMC - when we move to the Hub
ladycyclists@SAMC 

Suggest a new scheme

In due course, we aim to set up more schemes - depending on whether we get enough volunteers. Suggest a new scheme or volunteer for something, email standrews.mc@nhs.net

FAQs

Q Does the focal point of a scheme have to be a patient? 
   A No.
Q Can only patients participate at present? 
   A Yes. 
Q Can I just choose to be involved or do I need referral by SAMC?
   A No - just contact the focal point if you want to find out more or join in.
Q Does a scheme have a maximum number?
   A No, but it will depend on the scheme and where it is held.