Welton & District Patients’ & Doctors’ Association (PDA)
The Health Centre is very fortunate to have a patient liaison group (the PDA) who provide a communication link between the Practice and its patients. All registered patients are members. The Executive Committee meets regularly (see information below) and an AGM is held annually in October. All meetings are held at the Welton Health Centre and members can attend as observers. Interest in becoming a new committee member is always welcome. The following comprises the threefold focus of the PDA’s activities:
Provision of a Patient Transport Scheme
This invaluable scheme provides transport for those patients who would otherwise be unable to attend the surgery or healthcare appointments, for which a small charge to cover service costs is made. The transport scheme relies entirely on volunteer drivers who give their time freely (and are reimbursed for fuel and other vehicle running costs). New drivers are always welcome, even if you can only spare one day per month – please ask Health Centre staff, Committee members or drivers for more details.
Fund Raising Activities
The PDA does a sterling job raising funds via various annual events e.g. Spring plant sale, very popular Spring & Christmas lunches & an Autumn Fayre. The money raised contributes to funding the Transport Scheme and purchasing equipment for the Health Centre for the benefit of patients’ care and comfort. Over the years well over £30k has been raised or donated and the Health Centre, on behalf of the patients, is grateful for this assistance. Volunteers and new ideas are always welcome – please speak to Health Centre staff or Committee members if you are interested.
Patient Participation
The PDA and the Virtual Patient Group act as the voice of patients providing valuable feedback to the practice and its staff. The PDA is a member of the National Association for Patient Participation & in this advocacy remit provides a critical friend to the GPs and clinical staff. New members to this aspect of the PDA are always welcome.
Further details regarding the PDA & its current activities can be found on the PDA noticeboard in the waiting room.
Current PDA Executive Committee Members
Chairperson: Ian Elliot
Minute Secretary (temporary): Isabelle Brooke
Vice Chairperson: Isabelle Brooke
Treasurer: Jan Sims
Transport Coordinator: Janet Goddard
Events Coordinator: Chris Jackson
Health Centre Representative: Nadina Prestedge (Practice Manager)
Other committee members: Betty Blower; Irene McCully; Jane Padgett; Eunice Wright; Terry Wright; Pete Forman; Brendan Tonks; Margaret Doe; & Jayne Daniel.
Members and office holders are elected and appointed annually at the AGM, or co-opted to fulfil any vacancies that may arise.
Meeting Dates
Committee Meetings are held bi-monthly beginning January, on the first Thursday of the month at 7.30 pm. The AGM is held during the October meeting. The venue for all meetings is the surgery waiting room.
Minutes of Previous meetings
Links below:
2023 Minutes
2022 Minutes
AGM Minutes
7th November 2019 (AGM)
Upcoming Events
2023 EVENTS
Autumn Fayre 2023
The Autumn Fayre is on the 28th October 2pm – 4.30pm.
Christmas Lunch 2023
The Christmas Lunch is on the 8th December.
Members of the PDA Committee are supporting the Health Centre in their quest to get more patients signed up for the text messaging service. We are on a mission to get the number of people not attending booked appointments, significantly reduced. A text message would not only remind you of the appointment but would ensure that are aware to cancel the appointment if not needed so allowing someone else to take it. The numbers signed up have increased but we still need more of you on board so please speak to the receptionist on your way out if you haven’t already done so.
Interested in being a volunteer driver?
We particularly would like volunteer drivers who could commit to a regular day a month for Health Centre transport. If you believe this is something you may be interested in and would like more information please contact Janet Goddard on 01673 862570.
EBay The PDA now have an E bay account so are accepting goods suitable for selling on E bay. If you would like to donate items to help raise funds please contact Janet Goddard on 01673 862570.
TRANSPORT PRICING
This is a brief note of explanation behind our reason for changing the pricing system for transport to Welton Health Centre.
Each month a volunteer driver commits to a specific day to transport patients to appointments at the Health Centre. These drivers could be from any village covered by the Health Centre and may therefore have to travel several miles to reach the patient. The total charge to the patient has, in the past, been from the driver’s door and back to the driver’s door regardless of where that driver lives.
Under the new system a fixed price will be charged to the patient for the village in which they live regardless of where the driver lives. The payment to the driver, to cover petrol and wear and tear to the vehicle, will be 45p per total mile travelled. The balance owed to the driver will be paid from PDA funds.
We hope that you appreciate why this decision has been taken and that it makes the scheme fair to all patients.
Janet Goddard
Transport Coordinator, Welton PDA voluntary Transport Scheme.
2023 Charges
