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Patients lobby GPs over pool’s future
DOCTORS are being urged to agree funding for the day-to-day running of a hydrotherapy pool that is used by dozens of people across the city.
The pool in St George’s Centre, in Dogsthorpe, has been open for about a year but has relied on donations to keep it afloat during that time.
It provides vital facilities for people with illnesses or disabilities to receive physiotherapy work that they would not otherwise receive.
Ahead of the Government’s forthcoming changes to health care where primary care trusts will be disbanded and replaced with groups led by GPs – patient group Peterborough Local Involvement Network (LINk) is writing to every city GP to encourage them to set aside part of their physiotherapy budget to fund the pool in the future.
The letters were sent out to GPs today, explaining the benefits of the service and providing case studies from those who regularly use it.
Angela Burrows, a spokeswoman for LINk, said: “There used to be a pool at Peterborough District Hospital but it was not commissioned again when the move to Peterborough City Hospital took place.
“The new pool was opened by the council to see how many people would use it. It has been run using donations, but now we need to look at securing its future.
“If the GP cluster commissioned the pool, it would not need a new budget. It could use money from the physiotherapy pot.
“It would also mean doctors would be able to refer patients to the facility, which they are not able to do at the moment. At the moment GPs can only advise people to use it and if they go it is on a private basis.
“There are a number of people who use the pool who are not able to have weight-bearing physiotherapy on land, so this facility is vital. If GPs back this proposal it would secure the day-to-day future of the pool.”
Werrington North Ward councillor John Fox has backed the campaign to help safeguard its future.
He is one of a number of councillors who have given money allocated to their ward to fund the pool during the centre’s first year in operation.
He said: “The best way to find out how important the pool is is to talk to its users. It is a medical solution to problems which people have.
“We have used part of the Werrington North Community Leadership Fund (CLF) to fund the facility so far. People from all over the city use it and if one person from my ward benefits from it then in my mind it is money well spent, even if it is not in the ward. All the evidence suggests that people are benefiting from it and I would like GPs to be able to refer patients to it.”
Dr Mike Caskey, chairman of the GP Sub-Committee, said: “GPs have given a positive response to information provided in support of the hydrotherapy pool in the past and have asked for a detailed business case to be submitted for their consideration.”
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
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