The Blackthorn Buzz

Your update from Blackthorn Medical Centre – Summer 2025

Care Navigation

Your GP reception team are your Care Navigators. Recently you will notice your receptionist begin to ask for a brief outline of your problems when you ring to book an appointment.

This is because we are introducing something called ‘care navigation’, it means that we are training receptionists and clerical staff to help patients by identifying the most appropriate place for their care.

Our staff have had specialist training to enable them to direct you to the most appropriate health professional for your needs.

How does this help you?

• We will prioritise patients with the most urgent needs and ensure that they are helped first.
• Care navigators help patients access the right healthcare professional or service for their specific needs, whether that’s a GP, a nurse, a specialist, or another community service.
• By directing patients to the most appropriate care, care navigators help ensure that healthcare resources are used effectively.
• Patients are more likely to receive timely and appropriate care, which can lead to a better overall experience.
• Sometimes the care navigation may lead to a recommendation for self-care or signposting to a local pharmacy or other services.

Goodbyes...

We are sad to see Dr Samia Ahmad leave Blackthorn Medical Centre. Dr Ahmad has been with Blackthorn through her training to be a GP and worked as a Salaried GP for 2 years.

We wish Dr Ahmad well for the future.

...and Hellos

We are happy to announce that Dr Hamna Latif has joined the practice as a GP Partner.

Qualifications :BSc 2012, MBBS 2013, MRCGP 2023

“I completed my medical training at King Edward Medical University in Pakistan before relocating to the United Kingdom in 2019. I undertook my Foundation Training at Southend University Hospital over a period of two years, followed by three years of General Practice training at Medway Maritime Hospital. During this time, I gained comprehensive experience across a range of specialties, including Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics, Frailty, Sexual Health, and Psychiatry. I completed my final year as a GP registrar in General Practice and qualified as a General Practitioner in 2023. I am currently practising as a GP while pursuing a Postgraduate Certificate in the Advanced and Specialist Healthcare Programme.”

Our update from Blackthorn Trust

While Blackthorn Trust is a lovely place to visit all year round, the gardens are particularly lovely during the spring and summer months.

Blackthorn Trust’s café, charity shop and plant nursery are all open to the public 10amt o 3pm, Monday to Friday.

The team at Blackthorn is really looking forward to their summer Open Day on Saturday 21st June. From 10am to 2pm there will be lots of bedding plants for sale and workshop staff will be running activities. Blackthorn Café will be providing refreshments and the Charity Shop will be open for all the local bargain hunters!

More information about Blackthorn Trust (including their Mental Health programme, Self-pay Therapeutic Services, volunteering opportunities and other ways of supporting the charity) can be found on the website, or ask at the Trust Office when you visit.

Blackthorn Patients’ Participation Group (PPG)

Our PPG is currently recruiting new members...

This is a friendly group of Blackthorn Medical Centre patients which meets, on average every 2 months. The group works alongside the practice to help improve services and communication for all our patients, and to provide ‘the voice of the patient’ as constructive and helpful feedback to the practice manager, staff and partners.

At a time when things are changing in healthcare, and access to healthcare, we are looking for new members to bring their skills and enthusiasm into the group. You might have know-how in social media, be able to help with patient surveys, help with the website or newsletter, organise meeting

minutes or, in some cases, even make the tea! To find out more you can leave your details with the Receptionist or contact us online.

Digital Kent

Digital Kent was set up by Kent County Council in 2021 and is part of the Helping Hands scheme. All of the projects and schemes cover the Kent County Council area, with some including Medway.
 

This KCC partnership seeks to enable communities in Kent to link up with services. Across specific localities in the county it provides opportunities to get digitally connected through a range of practical schemes covering support to connect, equipment and digital skills for those in need of connectivity support.

If you are in need of digital connectivity support, or interested in getting more digitally aware, you can find out more about regular schemes and hub event updates on the website.

Published: May 20, 2025