USEFUL CONTACT NUMBERS

Age Concern  01883 344307
Alcholics Anonmous 0345 697555
Bereavement 0208 940 4818
Bourne Society 01883 347143
Bus Passes 01883 732904
Carers Advice Line 0345 573 369
Caterham Dene Hospital 01883 837500
Chaldon Road Community Recycling Centre 01883 343 605
Childline 0800 1111
Citizens Advice Bureau 01883 344777
CRUSE Bereavement Care 020 8940 4818
Domestic Violence Refuge 0990 9954430
Domestic Violence Outreach Service 01737 771350
Drug Helpline 24hr service 01372 743434
East Surrey Hospital 01737 768511
East Surrey Police Domestic Violence Unit 01737 764969
Electricity - Seeboard 0800 783 8866
Gas 0800 783 8866
Marie Curie Hospice 01883 832600
Mental Health Rapid Response 01737 778142
National Rail Enquiries 08457 484950
NHS Direct 0845 4647
NSPCC 0808 8005000
NTL 0800 015 0037
Pregnancy - LIFE NATIONAL HOTLINE 01926 311511
Relate 020 8660 6492
RSPCA 0870 555999
Surrey Alcohol and Drug Advisory Service 01483 590150
Water - Sutton and East Surrey Water Company 01737 772000

COMMUNITY PROBLEMS?

CALL THE SAFER NEIGHBOURHOOD TEAM
EMAIL: coulsdonwest.snt@met.police.uk
TEL: 020 8721 2645

New Services at Coulsdon Nursery School

Coulsdon Nursery School, which was included in the School Inspectorate Ofsted’s honour list as one of the most outstanding schools in England, is now extending the services it offers to the community.
At Coulsdon Nursery School, a 2½-hour daily session of education continues to be free of charge. However, the school is now registered with Ofsted to provide childcare for children from 3 years to under 5 years of age. From January 2006, the school will offer the choice of a 2½-hour additional session per day, morning or afternoon. There will also be a ‘Lunch Club’ facility available, and the core time for this willbe 11.30am – 12.30pm. Provided spaces are available, children may now attend from 8.50am – 3.00pm, offering a full day that combines education, care and ‘Lunch Club.’
Both of these new services may be booked in advance and are chargeable. Please contact the school for more details.
The school’s current ‘Drop In’ play sessions for parents, carers and their babies and toddlers (from 0 – 3 years old) will change from 2 days per week to five mornings per week; Monday – Friday, 9.15am – 11.15am each day.
Coulsdon Nursery School always welcomes visits from prospective parents. Please do not hesitate to contact the school should you require any further information or advice.

Local Facilities

LOCAL HEALTH SERVICE SPECIAL
What is a polyclinic, how many are there, where are they and how are they being funded? The big questions on polyclinics answered.
What exactly is a polyclinic?
Confusingly, there is no one definition and even the idea's strongest advocates admit exact specifications vary. But essentially polyclinics are GP health centres which are substantially larger than traditional surgeries, open longer and house a range of additional services.
What are the different models of polyclinics?
Several different models are proposed. The 'merged' model, which would see a number of GP practices moved under one roof, together with diagnostic and outpatient services, has inevitably attracted most comment, with many GPs arguing the model will depersonalise patient care. The 'federated' or 'networked' model would see existing 'spoke' practices linked to a local 'hub' with specialist services.
How many are being built and where?
In London, up to 150 polyclinics are planned over the next 10 years, with the first 10 pilots due to be up and running by April 2009. The Government also plans 152 GP-led health centres - now being termed polyclinics - across the UK. Each PCT will have one, regardless of need, with deals to be signed by December 2008. PCTs are also developing their own initiatives on an individual basis. For example a pioneering polyclinic which includes complementary therapies opened in Cullompton, Devon earlier this month.
Do polyclinics exist already in England?
Right now, if it's large, shiny and open on a Saturday morning, chances are someone's calling it a polyclinic. PCTs are rushing to re-brand whatever they can with the latest buzzword. But judged according to Lord Darzi's original model there are still very few in the UK, although Hounslow and Brighton both boast possible contenders.
And overseas? What does the evidence show?
Overseas, polyclinics can be found in Eastern Europe, Cuba, Germany and the Far East, among others. But evidence on their value remains inconclusive - in fact, a major criticism of the plans overall is that they lack a reliable evidence base.
Where is the money coming from?
Nationally, the Darzi polyclinics will be funded from £120 million of the Government's £250 million access fund. In London, the plan will be PCT-led. But experts have warned that the London plans rely on 'unsafe' projections that polyclinics will save £1.5 billion over traditional general practice. Information taken from the 'GP's Website' www.pulsetoday.co.uk

Local Health

What difference would Coulsdon having a Polyclinic make to you?
Polyclinics are a modern, progressive concept in delivering healthcare that will give patients a wider range of healthcare services from one site. This will avoid the need of having to go to multiple NHS sites for minor procedures, or blood tests, for example. Individual doctors and practices will maintain their individual patient lists, so any patient wishing to see "their doctor" will still be able to do so. However, polyclinics should be ideally designed to serve an area and not designed to serve multiple areas, as access would then become an issue for people, particularly the elderly, disabled, young mothers and those who rely on public transport. Amish Patel, Valley Pharmacy

Local Health

Polyclinics - are they the new cottage hospitals?
In some respects, they certainly are not - they won't have beds, for a start! However, they should be capable of joined-up appointment making. If you need it - and wish to - you should be able to get appointments for diabetic clinic, blood test results and an eye examination all in an afternoon, all at the same place. Better than having to go to three different places (often having to pay three lots of parking fees), and take a morning and two afternoons off work. Polyclinics, as we have found, are defined differently by almost every health specialist who talks about them. I think that a polyclinic will, to a substantial extent, reflect what those who live near it want; we do need to make our preferences heard. Do we want the polyclinic to be a dispensing pharmacy? Will it perform minor operations? Dental extractions? Do we want these things? What do you want from a polyclinic? Do let your doctor and dentist know, your local pharmacist, too - and CWRA! CWRA Committee Rep, Geoff Hunt

Local Health

Mayday - Could you become a Member of the Trust?
Mayday Healthcare is the award-winning provider of hospital care to the people of Croydon and the surrounding area. Every year we support local people throughout 450,000 episodes of care including over 126,000 visits to our accident and emergency department, one of the busiest in London. The Trust manages Mayday University Hospital, Purley War Memorial Hospital, the Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Centre in Thornton Heath and an Emergency Minor Treatment Centre in New Addington. 74,000 patients come into Mayday each year for in-patient or day case treatment and over 260,000 outpatients are seen at Mayday and Purley. The Trust employs 2,400 staff and has a budget of £162m a year. In the last year Mayday has developed new services including local angioplasty (a procedure for patients with narrowed arteries that was previously only available outside the Borough), a new acute stroke unit where patients with strokes or suspected strokes can be admitted to receive specialist care and a "spa-like" midwifery-led birth unit which is proving extremely popular with local women. The Trust has a long history of meeting various quality measures including dramatically improving waiting times. Mayday has consistently met a range of targets and is on course, this year, to halve its rate of MRSA infections in the year and reduce Clostridium difficile infections to meet the target. The Trust aims to be the hospital of choice for people in the Borough by providing high quality health services tailored to their specific needs. The Trust which runs Mayday is now applying to become an NHS Foundation Trust. This means they will be managed in a new way. Rather than the Trust's Board of Directors reporting to the Department of Health through the London strategic health authority, the Trust Board will instead report to a Council of Governors. The majority of the Governors will be elected by local people and staff. There will be four public governors drawn from the South of the Borough and Coulsdon residents will be able to vote for these if they sign up with the Trust to become members. Membership is free and it is simple to register. Applications are welcome via the Trust's website (www.maydayhospital.nhs.uk) or application forms are obtainable from Christine Ford at Mayday on 020 8401 3209 or via ft@mayday.nhs.uk Becoming a member will give Coulsdon residents an opportunity to influence the direction that Mayday takes in the future and, the Trust believes, members will help them drive up the quality of the services they offer. The Trust is consulting on its application and the closing date for comments is 15 May. Applications for membership are always welcome. Denise Chaffer, Mayday Trust

DOCTORS IN COULSDON

Bramley Avenue Surgery
1b Bramley Avenue, Coulsdon, Surrey CR5 2DR
Tel: 0208 660 0193
Downlands Surgery
59 Tollers Lane , Old Coulsdon, Surrey. CR5 1BF
Tel: 01737 556880
Dr Irfan
157a Coulsdon Road, Old Coulsdon, Surrey. CR5 1EG
Tel: 01737 553660
Dr Khan
Coulsdon Medical Practice, 66 Brighton Road, Coulsdon CR5 2BB
Tel: 0208 660 2700
Old Coulsdon Medical Practice
2a Court Avenue, Old Coulsdon CR5 1HF
Tel: 01737 553393
Woodcote Group Practice
140 Chipstead Valley Road , Coulsdon. CR5 3BB
Tel: 0208 660 1305