The wonderful old Routemaster bus owned by the Organ Donation Trust and situated outside Tower House Medical Centre on Saturday 18th September attracted many people to our Health Awareness Day. More than 160 people called in to the event run by Nailsea Family Practice’s Patient Participation Group. A variety of local information was available and there was a real buzz in the main display room. Free healthy snacks, fruit, smoothies and juice were enjoyed by all as they visited the various stands – The “Know your Pulse” and Blood Pressure checks, manned by local GPs, were particularly popular but each stand had many visitors. These included the Diabetes Support Group, The Disability Initiative, North Somerset Strollers, a local dietician, the Stroke Co-ordinator from the Primary Care Trust, Crossroads for Carers and the Care and Repair team. Nailsea Family Practice’s very own asthma nurse, Liz Davy (pictured) got people blowing into a spirometer to check their lung capacity and our Support to Stop Smoking Advisors offered the use of Co monitors to smokers who dare. Visitors were also surprised (and horrified!) how the light box showed up how hard it is to clean our hands properly! Wellspring Counselling was able to explain their range of services and Dr Paterson’s workshops on resuscitation went down very well.

Congratulations to the three winners of our free draw, with donated prizes of a fruit basket, a box of vegetables and 5 tickets into Noah’s Ark Zoo Park – all very healthy!

All in all, a most successful day for both visitors and local organisations. We plan to repeat it next year and hope it will be even bigger and better! For information on any of the groups mentioned, please contact Carole Brooke, Practice Manager on 01275 866753.