News from the Patient Participation Group - December 2025

In this last newsletter of 2025, we hope you enjoy reading Dr Stephen Miller’s fascinating and entertaining reflections on his three decades at Paxton Green.

But we begin with other news.

Aeira Marsh, the Practice’s IT Operations Manager says: “We were pleased how many patients came to receive one on one support to resolve their NHS App queries.

The nature of what the patients needed help with varied. One patient didn’t have a current passport or driving licence and yet they were still able to register fully with the NHS App with assistance at the event. This patient said they had previously spent hours trying to get the NHS App to work and were grateful to walk away with what they wanted.

Most patients we helped were interested in being able to request their own repeat medication on the App, meaning that they can do so without needing to come to the Practice first in future."

If you missed the event, and have queries visit NHS App help and support - If you can’t find your answer there, ask a receptionist for further advice

Women’s Health – Contraception and Sexual Health

The third of the four free events covering different aspects of women’s health takes place on Tuesday, December 9th, 12.30 to 3.30pm at Godwin Hall, Chatsworth Baptist Church, Chatsworth Way, SE27 9HN.  All events include a presentation by a specialist/consultant, health checks and signposting to support.

Further information on the Community Health Education Sessions

Lynn Maclean

Some of you may remember that Assistant Practitioner, Lynn, was one of five finalists in the National Nursing Awards for 2023.

Now earlier this year she was one of only fifteen worldwide to be awarded a scholarship from an American company in connection with her work and interest in dementia.

The scholarship was for five days at a Cultural Centre in Indiana from where she was assigned to a resident in a dementia care home whom she visited for one hour each day.  Lynn is part of a worldwide group which is focused on changing dementia care and also looks at training for carers and family members.

She valued the experience to learn about dementia care in the US which she describes as very much “person-centred.”  Congratulations, Lynn – you should be proud of your achievements.

My Journey through Change

Dr Stephen Miller

"As I settle into retirement after more than 30 years at Paxton Green, I find myself reflecting on the remarkable journey and the changes I have witnessed within the practice.  But I want to begin by offering a heartfelt Thank You to all the patients who took the time to send cards, presents and warm wishes for my retirement. Reading the thoughtful messages in the book at reception was genuinely moving, and I am deeply grateful for such kindness.

At my retirement luncheon, I spoke about the many transformations I had seen since joining the practice in 1995. The most striking of these is undoubtedly the impact of technology on the daily working of the practice.

In those early days, appointments were recorded by hand in a single large ledger at the front desk, with most appointments being booked face-to face by the receptionists and very few by phone. GP appointments lasted 7.5 minutes, and a busy day meant seeing over 50 patients, not counting home visits. Clinics would often over-run by up to an hour, so the morning could easily blend into the afternoon! 

The “on-call” rota for doctors was different too. It would run from 5:30 pm until 9 am the following day. Night doctors frequently found themselves out on several visits before appearing at surgery the next morning to begin it all over again! The arrival of SELDOC was a real game-changer, finally allowing us to hand over those exhausting night visits!

Back then, there were no computerised notes: each consultation required reception staff to retrieve paper records from massive filing cabinets and place them in trays in the consulting rooms. Shortly after I joined, we introduced the Front Desk appointments system, a significant leap for both staff and patients and the first of many IT systems I would help implement. Fast-forward to today and not only can patients book by phone, but they can also make appointments and start consultations with a doctor online. 

Looking back, clinical notes were just a few hastily jotted words on cards kept in ‘Lloyd George’ envelopes — often barely legible! Now, the records from all 19,000 Lloyd George envelopes have been scanned into digital records and the practice has finally said goodbye to those cumbersome filing cabinets. 

Referrals in 1995 involved dictating onto tapes, which were passed to the secretary to be typed, checked by the doctor, and eventually posted out—that could take up to two weeks. These days, with the Electronic Referral Service (which I was involved in nationally for 12 years), referrals can be initiated and appointments booked before the patient even leaves the room.
Results and hospital letters would arrive in the post and end up in doctors’ baskets. We’d read them at lunch time or take them home, annotating any that needed action. Now, results arrive electronically, are processed online, and actions are sent to patients by text or email.

Medicines management has also evolved: prescriptions used to be handwritten or printed and signed by doctors. Now, there is an entire Medicines Management team — including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians — who process and coordinate medication requests and arrange follow-up for chronic conditions. Prescriptions can be ordered online by patients, signed off electronically, and sent directly to the pharmacy, with SMS updates and future plans shared seamlessly.

When I consider how far technology has brought us since 1995 — I am both proud and amazed! But it is clear there is much more still to come. As we stand on the threshold of the Artificial Intelligence era, I look forward with great interest to watching how the practice continues to adapt and innovate.

So, to all the patients of Paxton Green, I wish you every success, happiness and, most importantly, good health.”

Published: Dec 3, 2025