Putting patients’ needs in practice

THE needs of patients must come first was the loud and clear message from Blakelaw and Kenton councillors to the Health service’s Newcastle Clinical Commissioning Group who were considering closing the GP practice on Ponteland Road.

At a meeting held earlier this month the CCG voted four to three to find new doctors from April 2018 for the Ponteland Road Health Centre in the north west of the city.

Six councillors, backed by Chi Onwurah MP, voiced their concerns to the CCG about the proposals and the opposition from local residents and community groups. The I FALL asleep and find I’m on an endless road, It’s lined with thriving crocuses despite the snow, I sing that song (my longing close to overload) “Far have I come and far have I also to go”. The sky is streaked with red, the sea’s an envious green, The lonely moon soars to her bluish-purple place, The soul, the heart and love are colours never seen, The object of my craving as yet has no face. I follow in the footprints of some fallow deer, The one advantage of a life of little peace Is that death (which fills all life with tremendous fear) Becomes for you a happy moment of release. My lonesomeness augments by a cascading weir And someone somewhere just behind says with a yawn, “When someone’s ready their final guide will appear, Yet to the utmost closed-off sceptic ever born.” I turn around and see that there is no one by “If you love someone set them free”, to quote a phrase, A robin settles on my specs, drinks from my eye, Then perches on my index finger, which I raise. ANDREW TAIT Jesmond