Spring 2024 Newsletter

Nightingale Hosts a Drop-in Health & Wellbeing Event

At a drop-in event held at the Nightingale, there was an opportunity to have your blood pressure taken; someone to talk to about taking more exercise; advice on how to give up smoking and – best of all – friendly faces and delicious free food.

On a wet and windy Saturday in mid-January, the Nightingale helped to take people’s minds off the miserable weather by hosting a successful Heath & Wellbeing event.

The reception area was filled with stalls offering various forms of help and advice. This was also a chance just to sit, have a cup of tea or coffee and chat to people.

Lots of people took the opportunity to get their blood pressure checked. Many grateful thanks to Lydia Batchelor who very kindly provided a selection of delicious healthy snacks. Visitors to the event enjoyed home-made vegetable kebabs, plantain pieces and boiled spinach dumplings, as well as fruit, tea and coffee – all free.

Together Better was also at the event, telling people about all the amazing (and free) activities they organise from the Nightingale surgery. Over the page you can see a photo of Tom Fearon, our local Together Better coordinator, with Elsie (left) and Pam (right) who are both enthusiastic Together Better supporters. Elsie, Tom and Pam helped drum up support for a free raffle. The prize was a home blood-pressure monitor. Meanwhile, for details of what Together Better offers in terms of activities, read on.

Adam Lee from Healthier Together Hackney was there, offering advice about weight management.

If you missed the event but would still be interested in finding out more, speak to your GP or a practice nurse about referring you. Or you can refer yourself for weight management help

There was also a stall telling people about Hackney’s Public Health Community Champions Programme. If you live or study in Hackney or the  City of London and you would like to support the health and wellbeing of your community, you can sign up and become a Community Champion. You will get support and training. Your job will be to help the team distribute trusted, accurate and important health messages across the community.

Learn more on the Volunteer Centre Hackney website

Another group represented at the event was Smokefree City & Hackney. At their stall, people could examine a rather revolting jam jar full of black, gooey tar – that is what goes into the lungs of people who smoke cigarettes. More importantly, Smokefree were offering advice and encouragement about how to kick this dangerous and expensive habit. If you want to quit smoking, Smokefree can help you. You are up to three times more likely to quit if you work with them. Visit the Smokefree City & Hackney website

Nine lucky people each received a home bloodpressure monitor after we held a raffle at the surgery’s Health & Wellbeing event in January. On the previous page, you can see Together Better Co-ordinator Tom Fearon drawing the raffle tickets, while trying hard to keep his eyes shut. (To be fair to Tom, he didn’t win anything at all.)

Personalised Care at the Nightingale

Personalised care, according to the NHS, means people have choice and control over the way their care is planned and delivered. It is based on 'what matters' to them and their individual needs.

Did you know we now have a Proactive Care Team at the Nightingale, helping to deliver personalised care? We spoke to the team to find out more and asked them some questions.

What is the Proactive Care Team?

The Proactive Care Team started work at the Nightingale Practice in April 2023. It uses an innovative approach to identify individuals aged 65 and over who have three long-term conditions and moderate frailty.
This group of people is considered at risk of escalating health needs and the service’s goal is to enable these individuals to self-manage their health conditions, age well, and prevent future health crises.

Previously known as Anticipatory Care, the service was renamed following NHS-England guidance. It works in an innovative, anticipatory way to offer early support to individuals with multiple health conditions. It aims to help avoid crises using a holistic and personalised care approach.

What are the benefits for patients?

The Proactive Care Team provides preventative healthcare for Nightingale patients. Mark Tame, the care coordinator for Hackney Downs, reaches out to patients inviting them for a ‘what matters to you’ conversation. The patient is given extended time to talk about their wellbeing and think through how lifestyle and social factors are affecting their health. Then they work with Mark on a plan to self-manage any challenges. Providing information and guidance, Mark helps patients understand their health conditions, provides links to local community services and groups related to their interests, and increases awareness of what help is available. The service also has input from doctors, a physiotherapist and an occupational therapist, who can offer brief interventions for people identified as at risk of falls and support those who need further clinical input to access it.

How does the Proactive Care Team benefit the medical professionals at the Nightingale practice?

The team’s anticipatory approach means people who may not be in regular contact with the practice, as well as those with additional social needs, are being actively engaged in holistic wellbeing conversations. This provides additional time for people with multiple conditions to talk about what is going on for them. It also means we can look at other factors that may be affecting their health e.g. supporting them to secure the benefits they are eligible for, helping them understand their rights and the support available for housing issues, and overcoming isolation and exclusion. This input helps to free up medical professionals’ time from assisting with these social needs, allowing the doctors and nurses to focus on more complex condition management. The team’s way of working also helps the practice meet DES requirements for Shared Decision Making, Personalised Care, Health Inequalities and Proactive Social Prescribing.

Is the Proactive Care Team an additional service or an alternative to the annual health check offered by the Nightingale practice?

The Proactive Care Team is an additional service to the practice’s annual health check. During their meetings, the Care Coordinator helps patients who are overdue for their annual health check to understand its importance and know how to schedule it. In addition, they explore how wider determinants of health are affecting the individual. They help patients understand the implications of not actively managing their conditions, what health and social care support is available and help them to access this.

How can I find out more?

If you or a family member meet the service criteria of having three or more long-term conditions, being moderately frail, and are over the age of 65, but have not yet been contacted by Mark, you can reach out to the team on 07721 668 461. The Proactive Care Team works alongside other wellbeing roles such as social prescribers and Health & Wellbeing coaches. This means that if they can’t help you directly, they can connect you with a service that can assist.

For more information, visit the Transformation Partners website

Friends and Family Give Nightingale Thumbs Up

At the Friends of the Nightingale Practice meeting on 8 February, we heard from Practice Manager Jill White that feedback from the latest ‘Friends & Family’ test has been overwhelmingly positive.

Of the 112 people who responded to the test, 83 rated the practice as ‘very good’; a further 20 people said it was ‘good’; five people were neutral and just four said they thought it was ‘very poor’.

Says Jill: “Overall, we are all very pleased with this result. Everyone, even the people who were not happy, said our staff were very friendly and that they attended to patients appropriately.

“With regards to the less positive comments, we will learn and change.

“One person was understandably cross, having had to wait for over an hour to be seen. That is a rare occurrence for us but it does happen if we have staff shortages. We will learn and make sure that Reception staff are able to give clearer messages if a particular doctor is running very late.

“Another person had made an appointment for their Mum to talk about a specific chronic condition but, when they got to see the medical professional, that individual could not deal with the problem. Again, this was unfortunate but, thankfully, it’s not something that happens often and we will learn from our mistakes.”

The Friends and Family test is organised by the Nightingale on a quarterly basis. Patients are selected at random and sent a text invitation to take part.

Nightingale Practice in Drive for New Patients

Most patients we ask tell us we are one of the best GP surgeries in Hackney. But the staff have decided that not enough people know that.

For this reason, they have designed a flyer that will be distributed to potential new patients in the area. The flyer sets out the services available at the Nightingale and offers an opportunity to sign up as a new patient.

Senior Partner Dr Sarah Williams explains:

“Since the pandemic, the Nightingale has seen a drop in patient numbers. Sadly, of course, some of our patients succumbed to Covid. But many others, having experienced the positive benefits of working from home, have decided to make a lifestyle change and leave the area.

“Like all GP practices, we are dependent on government funding, and our level of funding is linked to our patient numbers. We need to be mindful of this and make sure we recruit new patients when we have capacity.”

The Nightingale currently has about 12,000 patients on its list. At the moment, Dr Williams would like to see that number increase by about 150-200 people a quarter over the course of the next couple of years.

The Nightingale flyer will be distributed in a variety of places, including in the new-build estates and flats that have sprung up in the area. But if you want to help, by passing the word on to any friends or relatives who live locally, please do so.

Look out for the flyer on our website and/or in Reception at the Nightingale.

Reception Improvements Underway at Kenninghall Road

Last autumn, we told you the Nightingale had been given a pot of money by the Integrated Care Board (ICB) to spend on small practice improvements.

We have now spent most of that cash on new blinds in Reception. We are also still looking into replacing the plastic screens in Reception with smarter, glass ones.

As we have already explained, new regulations about cross-infection mean we can no longer supply toys and books for children in the waiting area. However, as promised, we have bought some small chairs for little ones and we are looking into getting a tiny table to match.

Dr Jo Sudell Says a Fond Goodbye to Her Patients

On 28 December, just before she left for her retirement, Dr Jo Sudell was able to say goodbye to a number of her patients at a specially-arranged coffee morning at the surgery. Very kindly, Dr Sudell had baked an almond and orange cake and some delicious brownies. The people who were there signed a book for her and some had brought cards. It was a lovely occasion for a much-loved and long-serving member of the Nightingale’s medical team.

Open for Lunch

A colourful leaflet called ‘Open for Lunch’ was distributed at the Nightingale’s recent Health & Wellbeing event. It contains a helpful list of all the Lunch Clubs in Hackney for people 55 and over.

Do you want to join a lunch club? Or perhaps you are interested in volunteering? For general information about the Hackney Lunch Clubs programme, please contact Rachel King, the Lunch Clubs Development Coordinator on 020 7923 1962 extension 8184. Or visit the website

Litter Pick Teamwork

In January, a group of volunteers helped pick up rubbish around the Nightingale surgery.

Their task was made easier thanks to Tom, our Together Better Co-ordinator, who had secured the loan of useful equipment, like long ‘litter grabs’ and bin-bag holders. We found bottles, cans, paper bags and sweet wrappers in abundance. Also, cigarette butts, socks, an old umbrella and a large shoe (just the one) hanging in the branches of a tree. Sadly, we also found a couple of syringes and a knife.

We left the knife where it was, while Tom called the police. The police thanked him for his vigilance and asked him to wrap the knife up carefully and deliver it immediately to Stoke Newington police station, which he did.

All in all, it was a useful and satisfying job to do. Working together, it only took us about an hour and we left the place a little bit better than when we found it. And we had a cup of tea and a laugh.

If you would like to take part in future litter picks, please look out for reminder messages from Tom.

Clear ups are planned for Tuesdays – about once a month. Tom will confirm. Meet at the surgery. Bags, pickers and vests will be provided but bring your own gloves if you want to wear them.

Togther Better at the Nightingale is Two Years Old This March!

We held our 2023 Christmas party in December. That’s the second festive gathering we’ve held in the back room of the surgery – how time flies!

Together Better at the Nightingale!

Did you know that Together Better provides a wide variety of free activities at or near the Nightingale surgery every week?

These activities are led by the Nightingale patients and residents. The aim is to help combat isolation and loneliness, and also help to improve people’s mental health and sense of wellbeing.

If you have never been involved with Together Better before, one of the best ways to find out more is to come along to our coffee morning. This is held every Thursday at 10am in the back room of the Nightingale surgery. You will be made very welcome! There is a free cup of coffee or tea, biscuits and fruit on offer, as well friendly faces.

Tom Fearon is our local Together Better co-ordinator. To register for Together Better or just to find out more, you can contact Tom on 07305 617 421.

Remember: it’s all completely free and you don’t have to sign up for a course or a series of classes, or anything like that. Just come along when you feel like it.

Learn more about Together Better

Published: Apr 10, 2024