Below is a list of the latest news at the acorn

Patient Group members raise funds for Surgery!

Dedicated members of our PPG (patient participation group) have been hard at work selling books to patients and other users of the Oak Tree Centre. They have set up a book stall in the surgery waiting area and deliver a great service! There is a vast array of books on sale from children's story books, to adult novels and educational reference books. All books are in very good condition and some are 'as new', costing from only 50p.

The PPG ask that people sponsor their cause to raise funds in support of the purchase of special equipment for use in the surgery.

Dr Vaka rejoins the Team!

We are delighted to announce that Dr Shri Vaka will be working with us again from September for two or three days a week as a Locum GP. Dr Vaka is a valued member of the Team and is very popular with our patients. We are sure patients will be delighted, as we are, to welcome her back to the Acorn Team.

Dr Fourie joins the Acorn Partnership

The Acorn Surgery welcomed Dr Gysbert Fourie as their new GP Partner. He has joined the Team with great enthusiasm and comes with a broad range of skills that will certainly enhance the Surgery's current provision of high quality patient care. He is a very hard working and dedicated doctor who values trusting relationships with his patients and colleagues. Dr Fourie has worked with the Practice before, supporting the delivery of their No-Scalpel Vasectomy Service and it is hoped that NHS Cambridgeshire will recommission this service for patients.

Racheal McMillan moving on…

Sad news for Acorn - but glad news for Racheal. Racheal will be leaving us in the autumn as she has been appointed as Assistant Practitioner at Hinchingbrooke Hospital. She will work reduced hours at the surgery from August into the autumn whilst we reappoint to her post as Health Care Assistant. This is a very positive move for Racheal and we wish her all the very best in her future career. Racheal plans to undertake formal nurse training and we are delighted to have given her the opportunity to undertake her initial clinical training with us.

New doctors join the Team

Many of you will know Kathryn Pontin who completes her final year of GP Training at the beginning of August. We wish Kathryn well as she embarks on her career as a GP.

As a Training Practice, we continue to support GPs and doctors in training and welcome three new doctors to the team from the first week in August. Dr Atch Varatharaj and Dr Hemisha Amin join us for their final year of training and will be with us until August 2013. Dr Liz Scully is in her second year of her Foundation Training and joins us for 4 months from early August. We thank our patients for their continued support in developing the skills of these doctors as patient contact in consultation is an absolute vital part of their training as GPs. Patients can be reassured that they are fully qualified doctors who are training as qualified GPs and are closely supervised by our GP Trainers, including Dr Boyle, Dr Stanton, Dr Simpson, Dr Scrivens and Dr Khan.

Additions to the Reception Team

As we continue to grow in popularity as a Surgery of choice, we have recently appointed more Reception and Administration staff to cope with the increasing demand. Patients will see some new faces at the Reception Desk as we have three additional colleagues supplementing our hard working and dedicated team - Doris Kneller, Louise Barnett and Bonnie Hooker. All three are responding brilliantly to their intensive training in the Department.

We have recently re-established our Apprenticeship Scheme at the Practice and welcome Chloe McInroy to the team. Chloe is undergoing training as a Medical Secretary & Administrator and will supplement her learning by taking an NVQ in Business Administration at Huntingdon Regional College.

Picture: From the left Sam Corti, Chloe McInroy, Bonnie Hooker, Heidi Uzunhasanoglu, Louise Barnett, Liz Hunt.