Many folk will have been in receipt of or will be getting one of our summer mail shots. These prove an effective way to update our records in certain key areas, along with screening for certain diseases including Depression. Rightly we are being challenged to consider this condition in some of our patients with chronic disease. The exercise has been useful to date and we will be following up on any positive findings. If you are in receipt of one of our letters please complete and return it to the surgery as soon as possible.
  This week we had notification that our first Flu Vaccine supplies will be arriving on the 17^th October 2006. This is a full month later than previous years and reflects delays in manufacture. Please keep an eye out for our advertisements as to when we will be holding Flu Vaccination clinics. All those who are 65 or over on 31^st March 2007 are eligible, as are patients with certain chronic diseases and certain low immunity states. If in doubt please contact the surgery.
  We are rapidly approaching the time of the year when children return to school, swapping holiday stories and exchanging the latest infections picked up on vacation. There is now good evidence (available on request) that many of these including conjunctivitis, middle ear infections, throat infections and chest infections ( in the absence of other chronic disease) are primarily viral and will clear on their own with simple supportive measures including the careful use of Paracetamol. If the bug is bacterial the same advice seems to apply. Clearly we are always available to see or talk to unwell patients but with an isolated infective condition in an otherwise healthy patient, waiting 2-3 days with simple supportive measures may will be effective in resolving the condition. Avoiding the use of antibiotics in general has to be a good thing, with less drug resistance or allergies developing.
  Life in a small GP practice is always challenging as we have fewer resources to deal with the unexpected that life throws our way whilst maintaining a standard of service. We therefore try and plan our availability to match demand, so that medical staff are available when needed but have time to do the important management tasks that keep the practice running smoothly. Being overwhelmed by patients causes long delays,  limits time that can be given to particular problems and generally impairs our ability to process all those telephone calls to make, scripts to sign, referrals to complete and home visits to make. Trying to plan when patient numbers in the Open surgeries can vary from 6 to 22 in the same week becomes near impossible.
  Many GP practices have scrapped Open surgeries for this very reason, claiming that it builds in inefficiency. In an Open surgery waiting times by definition can be long, with a one hour wait not unusual. As well as spreading infectious disease, long waits are monitored as a quality indicator with the Open surgeries distorting waiting times in the practice. Clearly replacing the Open surgeries with booked appointments would resolve many of these issues and would make the practice run more efficiently. Withdrawing Open surgeries would be a big step and we would rather continue with the current system. Using the Open surgeries to access a particular GP exacerbates the problem and we would ask that patients think whether they need to see their usual GP, book appointments, consider a non doctor appointment or request a telephone call where suitable.  In return Sedbergh Medical Practice will work hard to make sure appointments are available, but reserves the right to replace the Open surgeries if they adversely effect the overall quality of service provided       Dr Lumb

  Despite a doubtful start to the day, the annual Killington BBQ & Duck Race was held at the Parish Hall in good weather, but once again there was little water in the Beck outside for the Duck Race - well we can't have everything!  However, the Duck Race was given a little assistance by some judicious damning of the beck and a tanker load of water borrowed from the Lune and returned via Hallbeck!  This year's event was held in the afternoon to accommodate the growing number of young children in the village and was well supported by villagers, relations and guests, despite an unfortunate clash with a local Christening and some of the farming community being otherwise occupied until later in the afternoon mowing and baling a second cut.  The proceeds from the Duck Race, together with a grant from our Neighbourhood Forum, have helped to fund the newly laid tarmac on the car-park and surrounds of the Hall.  With this and the beck-side patio and garden built two year's ago, we now have an excellent Village facility at the Hall and look forward to it being put to good use.
  This year, we made full use of the outside areas with the BBQ and usual games of Quoits, Pitchpenny and Horseshoes, etc. The competitions this year were for the the best decorated hat or cap and for an arrangement of grasses in a 1lb jam jar, -for which there were some excellent entries.  In addition, a Tombola provided extra interest and helped to swell the funds.  As usual, Richard and Carol Kirkby did a sterling job slaving over a hot barbeque, and salads and puddings were provided by the ladies and wives of the Committee.  Mrs Betty Higson kindly provided use of a paddock for extra car-parking.
  The Duck Race was again popular with virtually all 500 ducks sold, although one little boy was most disappointed that they were not "Real Ducks"!  Viewed from the bridge, the spectators saw a dramatic start as the damned up water was released and Killington's minor "tsunami" took the ducks downstream.  The race to the finish was viewed from the new patio and provided excitement in the middle of the afternoon as the spectators cheered on the ducks wending their way through the rocks and hazards of the beck.  The eventual winners were,
1^st. Prize £50 No. 48 Mason Kelsall
2^nd. Prize £30 No. 427 Val. Leighton
3^rd. Prize £15 No. 121 Sue Postlethwaite
4^th. Prize £5 No. 322 Annette Capstick
  Gillian Rowlinson kindly volunteered to judge the competitions.  The standard of entries was very high and all entrants received a bar of chocolate for their efforts, but the winners were judged to be,
Decorated cap or hat
1^st. Joanne Hirst
2^nd. Abbie Allan
3^rd. Sophie Waller
Jar of Grasses
1^st. Joanne Hirst
2^nd. Sophie Waller
  The highlight of the events, as usual, was the Knock-out competition for the Quoits Cup - fortunately returned from last year's winner from the Phillipines!  Once again, it was won by a first time "quoiter" - 9-year-old Andrew Hargreaves.  Photo below Making full use of his advantage from the Junior mark, he had a convincing win over John Capstick in a close fought Final.  He promised to return and defend his trophy next year!