Community Website
There is a large pothole on green lane, about 8cm deep and 2 metres long, it’s a big one so watch out for it, especially on a bike or motorbike.
It’s been reported, but if you want to add your voice you can also report it at the link on our contact us page.
Following on from a previous post about the snow on Reeders lane, at lunchtime today most of the snow has gone but one section is still pretty much impassable by small and low cars. See the image below.
Please join us for a virtual meeting via Zoom on Monday 1st March at 7.30pm, the login details can be found below.
Meeting ID – 858 3952 9331
Password – 190934
He promised to keep us posted after the last update, so below is a copy and paste from a document sent out by Garry Whiting, Heathgate Medical Practice & Lead Manager for the Poringland Centre:
Update – Covid 19 Vaccinations Message from Heathgate Medical Practice and Old Mill and Millgates Surgery
Our vaccination programme continues and we have just completed an eight day run with the vaccinations we have been sent from NHS England. This has seen a further 4,000 patients, from the nine GP Practices we are working with, vaccinated. Most have received the Pfizer vaccination and on Saturday, we were able to provide a larger number of vaccinations across a five hour window using the Astra Zeneca (Oxford Vaccine) which does not have the licence requirement of a post vaccination 15 minute rest.
In line with Government guidance, we continue to focus on patients in Cohorts 1 to 4, which are essentially anyone over the age of 70 and those who are on the national shielding (CEV lists).
Many of you have also attended for vaccination at one of the mass sites which remains an option if you have received a national letter asking you to book. Your GP record is updated automatically if you attend a non NHS Centre.
The quantity of vaccines we receive locally in any one period is still determined by NHS England, and these are delivered with a short notice period – hence why some of you have been called just days before your appointment.
I would stress again that we are restricted to vaccinating patients within the national Cohorts and we are still spending a number of hours explaining to patients why we are unable to step outside this. This is taking a large amount of our receptionist’s time and so would politely request that if you are unsure of your eligibility, please take a look at the cohort illustration I will post below.
We have had many requests for vaccination of carers. Carers fall into Cohort 6 unless they qualify on age grounds ahead of this.
You may see national messages from NHS England and the Government later today prompting patients aged 70 or above to book their vaccination as soon as possible. This either through the national online booking service or by calling 119 if you are looking to attend a mass vaccination site such as that in Castle Quarter Shopping Centre in Norwich.
We understand the national message will also suggest patients contact their GP to flag if they would like vaccination at a local Centre such as that in Poringland. If you prefer this option, please call us in the afternoon between 2 and 5pm, where we will look to allocate a local appointment where availability allows. Our lines may be busy and so you could E Mail us instead using our Practice E Mail addresses which can be found on our websites. We can then contact you with an appointment.
This is a change of message from us locally, but a new national steer to capture the remaining patients in Cohorts 1 to 4 as local Centres do not have access to the national booking schedules for those of you opting for the mass Centre sites, and local staff have found they are wasting precious time calling patients who have already booked appointments nationally.
This remains a massive task for us all and thank you again for working with us.
Garry Whiting
Managing Partner
Heathgate Medical Practice
Lead Manager for the Poringland Centre
Please see below the official notice of part of Slade Lane being closed on the 17th Feb.
Its a bit jargon-heavy, but the gist is that it’s the other side of the junction from us, so if you’re heading towards the river then you’ll need to go a different way. See the image below. They say this part will be closed for about 24 hrs, so they are expecting it would be reopened on the 18th, possibly the 19th if things take a bit longer.
Households across Norfolk will soon be asked to take part in the nationwide survey of housing and the population. It has been carried out every decade since 1801, with the exception of 1941.
Information from the digital-first census will help decide how services are planned and funded in your local area. This could mean things like doctors’ surgeries, housing or new bus routes. Households will receive a letter with a unique access code in the post, allowing them to complete their questionnaire online.
Paper questionnaires will be available on request.
Census day is March 21.
For more information, visit census.gov.uk
Please see below the official notice of the parish councillor vacancy which was mentioned on this website in November 2020.
Below is a copy and paste from a document sent out by Garry Whiting, Heathgate Medical Practice & Lead Manager for the Poringland Centre:
Update – Covid 19 Vaccinations Message from Heathgate Medical Practice and Old Mill and Millgates Surgery
Thank you for your comments after my last message. I promised to keep you up to date and so have this update for you.
Our local vaccination programme is continuing and over 4,000 of our initial cohort of 16,000 priority patients have now passed through our vaccination centre at the Poringland Community Centre in just over 2 weeks, receiving their first dose. These patients are in the national priority listings which the Government has announced.
You will recall we have had to work in groups of GP Practices rather than vaccinate alone and the teams from the nine practices in our group, working out of Poringland, are working hard to arrange appointments, vaccinate and record vaccinations in the new national software being used.
Vaccine supply continues to be scheduled for us and we are using the Pfizer vaccine that NHS England is sending us, at times with short notice.
We are using every dose and some of you may have had last minute calls to attend when booked patients have not kept their appointments.
We have used our smaller supply of Astra Zeneca (AZ) vaccines for our Care Home residents and staff. There are fewer restrictions on moving the AZ vaccine.
As well as managing vaccination through the centre, we have visited 35 care homes to vaccinate residents and staff and are visiting vulnerable patients at home who can not get to the Centre.
You may see teams of clinicians visiting patients homes in our area today.
Booking teams from across the 9 GP Practices are continuing to call and offer patients appointments for vaccination. We are moving through those aged 70 plus now. That’s a long list! Many of you have chosen to visit the mass vaccination site in Norwich and this remains an option providing you have had a national letter inviting you to book.
Thank you to those of you who have provided such positive feedback of our efforts after visiting the Centre. I would like to extend my personal thanks for the way people have worked with us as they have attended, the staff from our Practices and the magnificent volunteers that have supported us with car park duties, observing the rest area after vaccination and providing staff with tea and coffee.
Continued thanks to the Community Centre staff, local agencies, the police and the parish council.
Again I would ask that you do not call Practices to see where you are on the list to call. Our teams are working through the lists as quickly as they can based on the vaccine supplies we are allocated for the specific cohorts of patients announced by the Government so far.
I’ll keep you posted.
Garry Whiting
Managing Partner
Heathgate Medical Practice
Lead Manager for the Poringland Centre
New business grants from £2,000 to £20,000 are available to support large, small and micro businesses from South Norfolk and Broadland District Councils through the second phase of its discretionary business grant.
The Councils welcome applications from South Norfolk and Broadland businesses of any size, whether home based or based in business premises, business rated or not rated, self-employed or employing staff. They are particularly keen to hear from businesses that have so far been unable to receive any COVID-19 financial support.
To qualify for the Additional Restrictions Grant, businesses must have experienced a loss of income (turnover) of at least 20% or £40,000 and fall into one of the following categories:
Any business that needs support is encouraged to get in touch to find out what funding they may be eligible for. Please share with your business networks and fellow business owners.
To find out more and apply for an Additional Restrictions Grant or another business grant visit the following sites:
Please find below this week’s Community Update from Assistant Chief Constable Julie Went
Alpington and Yelverton 