The Friends were formed about 15 years ago and our main aims are to help:
- Those patients who, having a hospital appointment, do not qualify for hospital transport and do not have their own car
- ‘Less mobile’ who need help to get to and from the surgery
- Collecting and/or delivering prescriptions
- We also provide some equipment for the surgery which is not provided by the NHS or Regional Health Authority.
Each year we lose some of our helpers through various reasons – moving from the district, giving up driving, etc. – and it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract new members. Obviously, the more members we have on our list the fewer times anyone will be contacted. All requests for assistance only comes via the surgery to ensure that these are genuine. Petrol and parking costs can be claimed from the treasurer on an agreed scale.
Are you able to help the friends to help the patients?
The Friends is a relatively informal organisation, designed to do what friends are supposed to do, following the old adage about “a friend in need….”. Our aim is to support the Burwash Surgery in any way we can, for the good of all those on their books, and we hope each in our own small way to repay what we regard as the superb service we receive from the Surgery.
Over the fifteen or more years the Friends has been established, we have found that the help we can give falls mainly into the following categories:
- Driving – both to and from the Surgery itself, and also to hospitals, etc.
- Funding – for equipment not provided by the NHS or Regional Health Authority, but which is beneficial to patients, either generally or with specific conditions.
If you would like to add your name to the list of Friends, or have ideas about how you yourself can help, please talk to one of the Surgery staff, or contact Ms Susan Mumford whose details are below.
Click here to download a Friends of Burwash Surgery Drivers Scheme Form
