Croydon GP surgery builds clinical team to further support important work in increasing the emphasis on reducing the stigma around mental health issues The central Croydon based Edridge Road Community Health Centre, which includes a GP Led minor illness walk-in centre and a GP surgery, is working to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues with a number of events planned in the next six months. This is part of a wider campaign within the GP surgery to engage further with patients, the wider community, local stakeholders and other providers such as charities. The events will provide the opportunity to highlight and provide education around important health and social issues.

The GP surgery, which is open between 8am-8pm seven days a week for both registered and unregistered patients, is a member of The Practice Group and is developing the local Croydon team with a new Lead Nurse and Lead GP to support and drive forward both mental health initiatives and the proposed wider patient engagement events. The goal is to be able to offer the types of services and education events the patient community needs, to support and deliver improved health outcomes and provide best practice for patients.

Dr. Sham Sabri, the new Locality Lead GP explains: “It is important that the local community recognises that the service we provide isn’t just a walk-in centre for minor illness, but also offers important ongoing services for registered patients through our GP surgery. With a reinvigorated team at the heart of all of this, we will roll out a range of events in the coming months to focus on raising awareness of mental health and the stigma that surrounds it. Add these to our planned new patient engagement events, and you can immediately see what we are looking to do: to provide as up-to-date and relevant a service to the patient population as we can.” Dr Sabri, who has an Advanced Diploma in Mental Health as well as a special interest in the area, is also a GP trainer and hopes that hosting medical students for segments of their training will become a key part of the surgery way of working in the next year.

Ajit Kadirgamar, Clinical Director and GP Co-Founder of The Practice Group, adds: “With an expanded range of services available alongside ongoing support for the health needs of registered patients at our GP surgery, in addition to being co-located with a pharmacy and dental and sexual health clinics, Edridge Road Community Health Centre is an example of an extended hours health centre going the extra mile to offer relevant and important services to its community.”

For more information about the GP surgery at the Edridge Road Community Health Centre and the services it offers, please visit the website: http://www.thepracticeedridgeroad.nhs.uk/.

If you are already registered with the GP Surgery and have ideas on how to improve our services or would like to hear about new services we are offering then please join our Patient Participation Group, details of which can be found on our website.

Based on information supplied by Andy Parker.