Trust continues to thrive – but keep the libraries open

April 1 has come and gone and now Oxleas has approximately 3,500 members of staff – around 700 new colleagues from Greenwich Community Health Services (GCHS) joined the trust on that date.

I recently visited the GCHS Kidbrooke Clinic to write a story linked to the fact that our website video library is being updated, my colleagues in the Communications team have been ensuring that all our online films are as fresh as possible.

I couldn’t help but be impressed by the professionalism, enthusiasm and dedication of all the GCHS staff we encountered and the respect they enjoyed from grateful patients.

A good example was Eileen, a recovering alcoholic from Plumstead. She said she was visiting the clinic because of bad pain in her feet when she walks. She said candidly: “Over the years I have let myself go a little and things like my feet and teeth have suffered. The staff here are so supportive.” Eileen was being treated by podiatrist, Anita Murray and student podiatrist Simone Paul.

In another part of the clinic, situated next to Kidbrooke railway station, in the heart of what is left of the Ferrier Estate (it is being redeveloped) Hervé’s Mbaya, a young 12-year-old boy from Charlton, was being treated by dentist Visakha Fernando and nurse Carolyn Skinner.

Their colleague, dental nurse, Katie Day explained: “The dentist is applying fissure sealants to Hervé’s permanent molar teeth to help prevent decay.” She said that sealants are a safe and painless way of protecting children’s teeth from decay. The sealant is a protective plastic coating which is applied to the biting services of the back teeth. The sealant forms a hard shield that keeps food and bacteria from getting into the tiny grooves in the teeth and causing decay.

A veritable United Nations of talent works at the clinic. Russian patient Maria Bogolubova benefited from this when she was able to converse with Ukrainian dental nurse, Alexsandra Volvyne, about her treatment.

Another part of the diverse healthcare on offer at Kidbrooke is the baby clinic. Here Health Visitor Philomena Mulcahy was looking after mum Nicola Belcher and seven week old infant Charlie. Mother and baby attended the clinic for a routine check up – to make sure Charlie was feeding properly and gaining weight.

And nursery nurse, Angela King, weighed tiny Layla Morley who at three weeks and one day recorded a healthy 10 pounds five ounces or 4.68 kilogrammes in new money. Mum Michelle Berry said: “The staff here are always good fun, helpful and enthusiastic.”

Last year Bexley Community Health Services became part of Oxleas and with the arrival of neighbouring Greenwich CHC the trust is growing fast.

There is a good deal of concern about the future of the NHS generally at the moment – those of us employed by Oxleas are perhaps fortunate to be working for a trust that continues to grow apace and champions good quality, free care, for the community it serves. Now all we have to do to remained a civilised society is stop the libraries from closing and ensure there is somewhere to go when we are caught short!