A weekly column by Dr Ken Rigg of South Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group, addressing topical

health issues.

There has never been a better time for Lincolnshire patients to have their say on local health services as we get ready to promote Patient Participation Awareness Week, starting on Monday.

The setting up of CCGs in April last year has given GPs responsibility for planning and buying a string of vital services including planned and emergency hospital care, rehabilitation, most community services and mental health and learning disability services.

As a result, patients joining their practice’s Patient Participation Group (PPG) are now able to influence secondary care as well as the way in which their own GPs worked.

PPGs have acted as the eyes and ears of their local practice since they were first established in 1972. Because they’re receiving the services we provide, patients are ideally placed to suggest improvements and tell us where we’re going wrong. PPGs also take some of the pressure off us by communicating self-care messages to fellow patients and raising awareness on lifestyle, wellbeing and treatment options.

While this support is vital to us, the PPGs have become even more important since the NHS shake-up last year as they now also influence our thinking on planning secondary care – which is still a relatively new responsibility for us.

PPGs are represented by an umbrella organisation, the National Association for Patient Participation. The association is backing a campaign by the Royal College of General Practitioners for government to increase funding of general practice from 8.4 per cent to 11 per cent of the UK NHS budget by 2017.

Patients are the smoke alarms for the frontline of the NHS.

They’re often first to spot poor care, and also have great ideas about how to make care better.

PPGs are a crucial way of harnessing the voice of the patient in primary care, and have much to contribute in driving up quality.

Talk to your practice receptionist to find out more about your PPG.

We’re still looking for entries for our Spalding In Bloom Best Front Garden competition.

It’s the second year for the contest, run by Spalding In Bloom in conjunction with the Spalding Guardian and Lincolnshire Free Press.

It is being sponsored by Birchgrove Garden Centre in Pinchbeck, which is putting up prizes of £50, £25 and £10 for the three best entrants.

The competition is easy to enter – just fill in the form in Thursday’s Spalding Guardian and send it with a picture of your front garden to the address shown.

Or email us your picture to jeremy.ransome@jpress.co.uk and include all the details asked for on the form. Entries must be in by June 23.

The rules are simple – the garden must be at the front of the house and visible from the path.

It should be possible for judges to access the garden.

All entries must be accompanied by a photograph.

Judges will be visiting all the entries between June 30 and July 13. The winners will be announced on Thursday, July 17.

The winner will receive the Spalding in Bloom Best Front Garden trophy.

Phil Scarlett, president of Spalding and District Chamber of Commerce, which is involved in Spalding in Bloom’s efforts, said: “Last year there was a very high standard from all the entrants and I’m sure 2014 will be no different.”

The winners of the 2013 competition were Judy and Terry Wing, of Park Avenue.

This year they will take part in The Frank Constable Best Front Garden Competition organised by East Midlands in Bloom and judged by the East Midlands in Bloom judges during their visit to Spalding in July.

Most interesting article under Lynne Harrison’s byline. I refer to the headline “Low turnout is blamed for the march of UKIP” in the LFP last Tuesday.

If MrNewton-Dunn considers that 90% in the East Midlands didn’t vote for UKIP, then even more didn’t vote Conservative or Lib Dem. Certainly in the case of the Lib Dems, then more than 98% of possible voters didn’t vote for his party. I would say, though, that with more than half of Europe’s MEPs voting on a centrist platform there will be very little change within the E.U. We are hearing all the platitudes from the ruling elite that “the parties must listen to the electorate “ etc. But nothing will happen for the British public until UKIP have a base in Westminster.

John Hayes is, of course, very safe in his seat and I very much doubt if he will lose it at the next General Election. Having said that, my point here is that when the local elections (South Holland) are held (at the same time as the next General Election) then the present incumbents should be looking over their shoulder. There are some new kids on the block!

Howard C Huett

Holbeach

Democracy. How easily the word trips off the tongues of our political masters. John Hayes was at it last week in his Free Press column, extolling the virtues of our great British ‘democracy’.

Surely Mr Hayes, of all people, knows that Britain is patently not a democracy, and has not been for the past four years.

Readers may recall that in 2010 the Conservatives (Mr Hayes’ party) failed to win the general election. Undeterred by the voters’ lack of enthusiasm David Cameron simply enlisted the help of the shamelessly opportunistic Lib Dems and seized power by the back door, appointing himself Prime Minister in the process.

The honourable thing to do would then have been to call for another election, with the Tories and Lib Dems campaigning together on a coalition ticket. Alas, that would have been too much like real democracy.

As a result we have now had four years of a government which not one single person in the country voted for. John Hayes might call this democracy but I don’t.

Until such time as Britain becomes a democracy once more politicians such as Mr Hayes should do us all a favour and refrain from insulting our intelligence with spurious use of the D-word.

Nick Basford

Donington

Children should be exposed to music at an early age, believes musical director of Spalding Children’s Choir Charlotte Carr.

She says: “If they enjoy it and have an ability to continue with it they have been given that chance. I’d like Spalding to have more opportunities for all sorts of music. I feel that strongly.”

Charlotte believes there is not enough emphasis on the performing arts and music, and says: “I would say all aspects of music help in all areas of learning and socialising. For example, the choir is helping them make new friends and learn to work together as well as developing their own talents and ways of thinking about what people want to hear and how they sound together.”

She is quick to add though that her five-year-old daughter receives “very good music tuition” on the piano at St Bartholomew’s Primary School in West Pinchbeck. Her 16-month-old sister is getting started and likes to sing.

Your headline Low turnout is ‘blamed’ for the march of UKIP (LFP 27/5/14) is a view, apparently, endorsed by Lib-Dem Euro loser Bill Newton-Dunn and local MP, John Hayes.

Allow me to comment that their views are the least insightful I’ve read after the election disasters suffered by the Con-Lib-Lab troika. Perhaps I should explain...low turnout was because so many of us are so angry with the political class, ironically, it is also encouraged those who did vote, to vote UKIP.

The established political classes should have known this upset was coming. It seemed to me (and everyone else) that they were unable to understand the degree to which they were losing touch with the electorate by failing to recognise deep concerns about EU membership and mass immigration.

Instead they mostly thought that their best strategy was to stigmatise these concerns as racist and/or xenophobic and deploy scare stories about mass-unemployment. An object lesson, I’m sure, of election failure, that will intrigue future historians.

In my view, the reforms we need will be a challenge to the EU model of market economics. The current system, inside or outside of the Euro currency, cannot function without excessive debt; is marked by low wages, improper zero-hours and taxpayer funded part-time employment, low productivity and low levels of investment.

The EU should be made to work for all of us by promoting full employment, fair working conditions/wages and strong trade union collective bargaining.

We do not need or want the current ‘flexible’ EU labour market model that is exploitation manifest by the rich at the expense of the rest of us.

If Tory David Cameron (pro EU) wins the next election outright then he’ll set about promoting an IN vote at the 2017 referendum as promised.

He must know that to keep on saying he can control our borders in a European union of free movement of capital and labour is non-sense.

Instead he should concentrate on delivering the right EU reforms that are more to do with employment fairness and respect for all working peoples.

David Turp

via email

I felt very sorry recently for the residents of Cowbit and Weston Hills, when I read in this paper how they’ve been badly let down by certain district councillors.

I’m referring of course to the vote for the location of a travellers site.

It’s quite possible there might have been technical reasons why these district councillors couldn’t have voted, but the whole sordid affair, in my opinion, has been brought about by an arrogant government decision to force local councils to give community space to people who don’t often show they want to be part of a community.

Of course the political classes don’t have to put up with problems which might be caused by these decisions, they live in a different world, but ordinary folk like those of Cowbit and Weston Hills do.

It’s even worse when the servants of those same political parties, local councillors, also pay lip service to local residents .

However I can assure you, the party of which I’m a member is on your side, and we are doing our best to see that you the residents of these villages will have alternative representation to vote for in the forthcoming national and local elections.

Peter Bird

Chairman

UKIP South Holland & The Deeping Branch

Community leaders are urging residents of Sutton Bridge to report fly-tippers as an increasing amount of rubbish is dumped around the village.

Parish council chairman John Grimwood said allotments are among spots being targeted and the village is being turned into “a bit of a dump”.

He caught someone dumping rubbish at Speechley’s allotments, but that person picked up the rubbish and took it away when challenged.

Coun Grimwood is asking residents to note down car numbers and report incidents.

Police community support officers patrolling in Sutton Bridge will be able to use a new £400 bike to get around the parish.

The bike will be paid for by district councillors Michael Booth and Chris Brewis from their district council ward budgets and will be kept at the police office at The Curlew Centre.

Parish councillors in Sutton Bridge are welcoming a pilot project that will see Long Sutton’s firefighters taking patients to hospital in “fire ambulances”.

Long Sutton Fire Station is one of three bases due to have a fire ambulance from July to attend calls that can be reached within eight minutes.

Sutton Bridge in Bloom will get a £500 grant from the parish council so it can continue brightening up the village.

Coun Michael Booth said: “We have got to encourage these people – they are doing a fantastic job.”

The Bloom team recently completed a community garden at The Curlew Centre, in Bridge Road.

Spalding horticultural firm Butters Group has tied up an exciting new partnership with a producer from Holland to create products for sale worldwide.

Butters has signed a joint venture agreement with Dutch bulb producer Kebol BV to combine the production, innovation, distribution and expertise of the the two firms.

The partnership will help to expand Kebol BV’s growing operation in Brazil, as well as to seek opportunities to produce new and better quality bulbs for the UK market.

Butters Group managing director Andy Coaten said: “This joint venture is the latest exciting development for the group and it means that we can offer our clients exclusive products and great quality at very competitive prices.

“It also allows us to secure a supply chain that our customers can rely on and to explore some really exciting opportunities for product development across the globe.”

Butters is the UK’s leading distributor of horticultural products with sales of more than £50 million and well-known clients, including Marks and Spencer, Sainsburys, Tesco and Waitrose.

The group includes Butters Flowers Ltd which produces about 70,000 flower boxes a week for events like Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day.

A jobless 18-year-old got drunk using pocket money from his dad and ended up under arrest for his disorderly behaviour.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, said Anthony Wright received a police caution for being drunk and disorderly on April 19 – six days before his arrest at Spalding nightclub Loaded.

Mr Todd told magistrates at Boston that police were called to the nightclub at 12.50am on April 25 when Mr Wright was outside “plainly having an argument with the doorstaff”.

He continued: “He was also clearly drunk and he swore at the police officers and eventually they had to arrest him.

“He was quite aggressive and had to be taken to the ground by the officers.”

Wright, of Brownlow Crescent, Pinchbeck, told magistrates he had no income but had “an appointment to be on benefits”.

Asked how he got the money for drink, he replied “from my dad” and said he received “£5 or maybe £10 a week”.

Wright was fined £35 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.

He pleaded guilty to being drunk and disorderly in a public place.

A 31-year-old man has been charged with a number of burglaries in Spalding, including one at a fashion shop.

James Steven Evans of Wisbech was kept in custody after appearing before Lincoln magistrates on Friday charged with burglaries at Chiltern Drive on May 13, Holland Road on May 5 and Robert Goddard fashion shop in Vine Street on May 13.

Evans, who was also charged with three burglaries in Christchurch Close, Stamford, has been committed to Lincoln Crown Court for sentencing.

A Special Constable suffered a leg injury after being hurt in a scuffle during an arrest in the Spalding area.

Police are giving few details at the moment about the incident which left the victim with a cut leg.

Spalding community policing inspector Jim Tyner said: “This is a live inquiry and I have visited the Special Constable involved who is recovering at home.

“This is National Volunteers Week and here is a reminder of the hard work and dedication of our volunteer Special Constables.”

Moulton Chapel Primary School pupils raised £77 to help rescued greyhounds at Kama’s Cave Sanctuary in Holbeach Drove.

Three dogs from the sanctuary were special guests and they felt right at home as the youngsters sold paw-print biscuits and sported paw-prints on their faces.

The school already sponsors one of the rescued animals, Rodney, and hope to see him when they visit the sanctuary.

Headteacher Lisa Meacher said the event was organised by the school council. SG230514-208TW

A group of women are giving it some fizz in Ayscoughfee Gardens at Spalding’s first boot camp on Wednesday evenings.

You’ll see them burst into action doing things such as flipping tyres and jumping through agility ladders as a way of getting fit quick.

“We do lots of different exercises, explosive exercises,” explains Zoe Myall, who has introduced boot camp to Spalding and Gosberton (Tuesday) – as well as a stretch and relax class in Surfleet (also on Tuesday) – under the name Give it Some Fizz.

She says: “We do cardio training, resistance training, exercises with kettle bells and agility ladders as well as using free weights.

“It’s a fun atmosphere, so although I call it boot camp, and I’ll push people to go harder, it’s not like at Army camp where you have someone shouting at you constantly.

“It’s done in a fun and energetic way and even if you have never done exercise before it is a great way to start.”

Zoe is in her mid-30s, but looks closer to 20 thanks to getting into exercise as a teenager as a way of shedding some extra pounds.

In fact, Zoe worked for these newspapers briefly in the late 1990s, before going on to work in London for Take a Break and Bella magazine.

However, her interest in fitness continued and Zoe decided to qualify as a fitness instructor, personal trainer and sports therapist – she is also a hockey coach.

Once fully trained she decided to leave journalism and focus on fitness, working freelance in lots of different places.

She then returned to the Deepings, where she grew up and went to school, and is now establishing her client base in this area.

Many of the people going to boot camp have told Zoe that the fresh air helps their workout, spurring them to push harder.

However, Zoe thinks the quick-fire nature of the exercises also has a lot to do with the boot camp’s success.

Zoe says: “A lot of people go to the gym and spend an hour on a bike or a treadmill but it’s not giving as much benefit as doing lots of difference exercises, and challenging your body in so many different ways. This is an all-over body workout and by doing short bursts of exercise, say 30 or 45 seconds before going on to the next one, you keep it active and it’s not boring.”

Zoe is on holiday during the week of June 9-13, so there are no classes at Spalding, Gosberton or Surfleet.

Contact her to find out about the three classes on 07921 553849 or email giveitsomefizz@yahoo.com

Visit the website giveitsomefizz.com

Fitness instructor Zoe Myall says many of her clients don’t want to go to a conventional gym.

Instead, Zoe holds outdoor boot camps in Ayscoughfee Gardens, Spalding, on Wednesday (6.30-7.30pm) and at Gosberton park on Tuesday (6-7pm).

Stretch and relax is held in Surfleet Village Hall on Tuesday (7.30-8.30pm). Stretch and relax incorporates techniques from Tai Chi, yoga and pilates ending with a 15-minute meditation.

Zoe says: “It’s something completely different and it is great for improving your flexibility. I have had clients with health problems and they have found that it is really helping.”

There are no classes next week (June 10 and 11).

Classes are £4 each.

Zoe, who also works as a personal trainer, is organising a health and fitness exhibition at South Holland Centre in Spalding early next spring, and it will be free to the public to enter.

If anyone is interested in displaying their health and fitness services or products at the exhibition, contact Zoe on 07921 553849 or email giveitsomefizz@yahoo.com

Police are appealing for witnesses after a railway bridge in Spalding was the target of “mindless vandalism”.

A reader contacted the Free Press with pictures of graffiti stretching the full length of the footbridge across the railway track near Park Road.

She said: “It happened between Friday evening and Saturday morning. It’s mindless and no-one has made any attempt to clean it up.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “Unfortunately we get a lot of graffiti and we deal with it depending on how offensive it is.”

Anyone with any information should call police on 101 or Network Rail’s 24-hour helpline on 08457 114141.

A driver wrecked his front ‘boy racer spoiler’ when he hit a badger and replaced the part by stealing from a driving instructor’s car.

Jack Bavin (20) gave police an easy trail to follow because he left blood on the bumper of the car owned by Mark Allen, magistrates heard.

Bavin, formerly of Spalding and now living at Counter Drain, Tongue End, pleaded guilty to theft and was ordered by the court in Boston on Wednesday to pay £450 compensation to Mr Allen.

He was also conditionally discharged for 18 months and must pay £85 costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

Nick Todd, prosecuting, said the driving instructor had a Vauxhall Corsa and Bavin had an identical car, fitted with what he would refer to as ‘a boy racer spoiler’.

He said Bavin damaged his spoiler when he hit some wildlife and, because he had no money to buy one, removed the spoiler from Mr Allen’s car.

Mr Todd said: “He was caught because when he took the spoiler off the Allen car he left some of his blood on the remaining part of the bumper.”

Solicitor Daven Naghen, mitigating, said Bavin’s splitter came off when he hit a badger.

He was driving a limited edition Vauxhall Corsa and saw Mr Allen’s car had an identical splitter and thought “that will go on my car”.

Mr Naghen said: “It didn’t take a great deal of work for the police to find him.”

He said Bavin was a young man who had never before appeared in court.

“He loses his good character by his appearance today,” said Mr Naghen.