Retirement of GP Dr Susie Owen

Dear all,

It is time to announce my retirement from The Castle Medical Group where I have been a GP Partner for more than 20 years.

The NHS has been through seismic changes in that time but the core personal role of caring for my own patients has not changed too much.
It has been an incredible privilege to be a GP in the wonderful community of Clitheroe and surrounding villages.

I would like to thank all my lovely patients who have trusted me to share a little of their lives and please know that I have learned as much from you as you have from me.

Both my patients and my steadfast colleagues past and present, have given me inspiration and energy over the years.

The Castle Medical Group is made up of many fantastic teams, all dedicated to providing the best possible standards of care. I will miss you but also look forward to other challenges ahead.

With all best wishes

Susie Owen

Retirement of GP Dr Ian Ibbotson

Dear all,

I wanted to inform you all that I am officially retiring from being a GP Partner at The Castle Medical Group.

It’s not been any easy decision for me to make as I have been a GP partner here for over 28 years and it has been an absolute privilege to have worked with so many colleagues as well as looking after the health needs of the patients of CMG.

I would like to thank our incredible ‘Team Castle’ whose hard work together enables us to provide such a high standard of health care to our patients.

It has been an incredible journey with you all and I wanted to express my thanks to you all.

What to do next 🤔

I will be working in Cyprus as a regimental medical officer for the army for the next 12 months. The position is very different from being a GP in Clitheroe!

I would like to take this opportunity to send my thanks to all past and present colleagues and staff and the patients for making my journey incredibly awesome.

Many thanks,

Dr Ian Ibbotson

RETIREMENT OF GP DR WILL MACKEAN

Dear all, 

I wanted to let you all know that as of last week, I have now officially retired from being a GP Partner at The Castle Medical Group. 

It’s been a difficult year, having undergone a corneal transplant earlier in the year and being off with Long Covid, which has meant I’ve had to bring forward my retirement. 

I’ve been a GP partner here for over 26 years and it has been an absolute privilege to be able to provide health care to my patients throughout that time. It has been amazing working with my GP colleagues, past and present, who have been so supportive. 

Tribute too goes to the rest of our incredible ‘Team Castle’ – nursing teams, reception and admin teams, dispensary team and of course the Health Centre team – whose hard work together enables us to provide such a high standard of health care to our patients. It has been a remarkable journey with you all and I wanted to express my deep gratitude. 

I am exploring options as to what to do next, involving something medical, but I am looking forward to devoting more time to family and music!

Many thanks, 

Dr Will Mackean

14th November 2022

Digitisation of Medical Records

Lancashire and South Cumbria has been chosen by NHS England to be a national pilot for the digitisation of Medical Records.  Scanning these paper based records and making them digital will enable better utilisation of space, creating more clinical space, staff areas, multi team space and video hubs, removing the need for some practices to build extensions.  In addition it will also make your record more easily and speedily accessible to clinical staff within your practice.

Your complete GP medical record will be digital and stored in a secure cloud based clinical system (only accessible by your GP practice) with the paper based records being securely destroyed following BS EN 15713:2009 Secure destruction of confidential material.  Your GP will still be able to access your records easily within this system.  The scanning and destruction of the paper records will follow strict data protection guidelines adhered to by the NHS.  As with paper based records, digital records are stored for the durations specified in the Records Management Codes of Practice for Health and Social Care.  For GP patient records, this states that they may be destroyed 10 years after the patient’s death if they are no longer needed.

If you wish to discuss the scheme, please inform the Practice direct either by letter:  The Castle Medical Group, Clitheroe Health Centre, Railway View Road, Clitheroe, BB7 2JG or by email: castlemedicalgroup@nhs.net

Announcement – Dr Joanne Mellody is leaving the Practice

The Castle Medical Group wish to inform everyone that Dr Joanne Mellody will be leaving the Practice and the Partnership at the end of July of this year.

Joanne has been with the Practice since 2007 when she joined as a registrar, she then stayed on as a salaried GP before becoming a Partner.

Joanne will be taking up a post as a salaried GP at another practice closer to home.

It has been a difficult decision for Joanne to make, but she hopes it will give her a shorter commute and a better work/life balance.

We wish Joanne all the best in her new position and for the future.  She will be sadly missed.

Extra GP & Nurse Appointments

An innovative new scheme has been launched in East Lancashire to increase the number of GP appointments available to patients in the area.

The extended GP access scheme means that patients can make both face to face/telephone appointments with their GP practice to see a GP or Practice Nurse, from 6.30pm – 8.30pm on weekdays and 10am – 4pm on Saturday and Sunday.

The GPs will be able to access the patients full medical record and history. Appointments will be available as follows:

Burnley – St Peter’s Centre (Mon-Fri 6.30 – 8.30 and Sat-Sun 10 – 4)

Pendle – Yarnspinners Primary Health Care Centre (Mon – Fri 6.30 – 8.30 and Sat-Sun 10 – 4)

Rossendale – Haslingden Health Centre (Mon – Fri 6.30 – 8.30 and Sat-Sun 10 – 4)

Hyndburn – Accrington PALS (Mon – Fri 6.30 – 8.30 and Sat-Sun 10 – 4)

Ribble Valley – anticipated to go live by 1st November 2018

Shortage of Hepatitis A and B vaccines

There is a global shortage of Hepatitis A and B vaccines which is currently impacting severely on the UK supply.  The situation is particularly critical during August, but limitations on supply are likely to continue until early 2018.

This will mean that routine booster vaccinations will be suspended until further stocks are available.

April 2017 Newsletter

Please click here for the April 2017 newsletter for Castle Medical Group