FRIENDS OF THE LINK SURGERY

Dear New Friends:

Welcome to the Link Surgery. I hope that you will be very happy with us. One of the things that you may not have met before is a group like The Friends of The Link Surgery. I would like to explain briefly what we are about - and it isn't primarily about asking you for money.

In 1992, Dr Houseman encouraged a group of patients to form the Friends. We are here to form link between the patients and the professionals in the Practice. We have found that there are a number of ways that patients can help one another. We have members who provide transport for fellow patients who cannot easily get to the Surgery and we have other members who come into the Surgery and look after young children whilst their mother takes their other sick child to see the doctor or the nurse.

We also can act as an intermediarv if a patient has a problem with the Practice - although I must stress that we cannot offer a second opinion on the medical advice that is given.

From time to time we have used some of our funds to provide extra items at the Surgery which are marked with a little plaque to show this. However, I must make it clear that fund-raising for the Surgery is not our main purpose.

Perhaps even more unusually the Practice is seeking the involvement of all its patients through the Friends in making policy decisions about where the Practice is going. In a real way, we are being asked to join in taking responsibility for the way our medical Practice is operated. This is a very exciting development in medical care and both the Friends and the Professionals are still sorting out how it works in practice.

In all of this we need the support of the patients, since it is them that we represent. I do hope you will want to join us and bring your own personal talents and experience to help the Friends. Please tell the Receptionists at the Surgery and I will contact you.

And the money ·· well., we have no subscription. Everyone who is a patient is welcome to our meetings. We do from time to time have fund-raising events like car boot sales. So if you could help either by giving something for us to sell or just by coming and buying, we would be grateful

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely,

David Jeacock

Chairman

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