hree surgeries in the Wealden constituency have been nomiated for a heroes award by MP Nusrat Ghani. The surgeries in Crowborough, Uckfield and Hailsham have received the Wealden Hero Award in recognition of the exceptional efforts of staff and volunteers during the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.
Saxonbury House in Crowborough has been administering Covid vaccines since mid-January, delivering the lifesaving jab to patients from Crowborough and also surgeries in Forest Row, Wadhurst, Groombridge, Hartfield, Mayfield and Rotherfield.
The medical team is led by Senior Partner Dr Susie Padgham and supported by a team of volunteers across all these practices. Together they ensured that 44,000 vaccines have been delivered through the surgery to date. Saxonbury House is now part of the National Booking system, vaccinating patients from across the South East.
Meads Medical Centre, along with other surgeries within the Greater Wealden Primary Care Network, have been administering the vaccines since mid-December, vaccinating patients from surgeries in Uckfield, Buxted, Herstmonceux, Heathfield and the Mid Downs Medical Practice. Under the organisation of Practice Manager Charlotte Luck, Meads Medical volunteers, medical staff and GP partners Dr Emma Walbrook, Dr Kevin Ellis, and Dr Andrew Duckworth have helped deliver almost 57,000 vaccines through the Greater Wealden Primary Care Network.
Hailsham Medical Group, a GP surgery with sites in Vicarage Lane and Vicarage Field, was one of three sites administering the vaccine in Hailsham. They have given out almost 8,000 AstraZeneca injections outside the staff’s normal working hours, ensuring that urgent and essential routine medical services could continue.
Hailsham Medical Group also became a fully-fledged training practice during the pandemic with Dr Chan passing her ‘PGCert’ teaching qualification with merit. The practice can now train fully qualified doctors in the field of General Practice.
Nusrat Ghani said: “Our GP practices had to adapt rapidly to the constantly changing situation at the start of the pandemic and I am incredibly grateful to the team of clinicians and volunteers at Saxonbury House, Meads Medical Centre and Hailsham Medical Group for their tireless dedication and selfless efforts to deliver this life-saving jab to Wealden residents.
"I have previously paid tributes to the teams in Uckfield, Hailsham and Crowborough during Prime Minister’s Questions in Parliament and these awards follow so much positive feedback and nominations from a significant number of grateful patients from across Wealden who wrote to me about their experience receiving the jab locally.
"I hope that receiving the award has been a wonderful morale booster for the practices after a very difficult year and a reflection on how valued and appreciated they are in our communities.”
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