Health & Wellbeing

NEW VICTORIA HOSPITAL has launched its new Private GP Service to increase healthcare access for the local community

Kingston upon Thames’ New Victoria Hospital has launched its new onsite dedicated Private GP Service for both adults and children, offering patients a range of appointment options, quick referrals and fast access care.

The service allows local patients and their families to access face-to-face consultations six days a week. Virtual appointments are also an option, and patients can book the services they require, online.

The Private GP Service at New Victoria Hospital

20-minute face-to-face and virtual consultations are available at a price of £95.

Patients also have the option to book an extended 30-minute appointment, should they require more time with the GP.

The GPs at New Victoria Hospital can provide consultations to cover: • Acute and chronic conditions • Children’s Health • Postnatal Health • Fit notes and referral letters • Prescriptions • Blood Tests

Patients can meet their GP in a welcoming and safe environment, with short waiting times and quick access to specialist care.

Private GP Service benefits

The private GP Service at New Victoria Hospital provides patients with:

• Extended appointment options • Fast access to specialist care • Quick path to diagnostic services such as

Imaging and blood tests • Quick referral for Physiotherapy treatments • On-site Pharmacy for speedy collection of drugs and therapy start

New Victoria Hospital is a well-regarded medical facility in the community, recently winning the Excellent Patient Experience Award by Doctify, the healthcare patient review platform where the Hospital consistently achieves a 4.90 out of a 5-star rating.

To access the new Private GP service and book an appointment please visit New Victoria Hospital’s website: www.newvictoria.co.uk/ services/gp-services or call 020 8131 7277.

Kingston First hosts first ever

WELLBEING WEEK

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a huge impact on all of our lives. With many of us noticing a decline in our mental, physical and financial health, looking after our wellbeing has never been so important. In response, Kingston First hosted its first-ever Wellbeing Week for the local community, with an exciting programme of virtual events, workshops and offers from local businesses that everyone could enjoy.

The online events took place between March 8 and 14, ranging from yoga, Pilates and fitness classes to mental health workshops and money management advice, all designed to improve the wellbeing of people in the local community.

Several Kingston-based businesses and organisations got involved with the initiative, providing offers and hosting virtual events. Among these events was a session run by Nationwide Building Society offering top tips to improve financial wellbeing, an introduction to hand embroidery techniques by craft brand Hawthorn Handmade, and a virtual boxing session to get the endorphins pumping from Mind in Kingston & Surbiton Boxing Club.

Kingston First’s Wellbeing Week was a reminder of the importance of good mental, physical and financial wellbeing – and the role employers can play in ensuring their staff are healthy in mind and body.

However, fewer than half (44%) of UK employers have an overarching wellbeing strategy in place, according to a recent poll by professional services giant Aon, while seven out of ten had no designated budget for health and wellness.

Zoom Fatigue

Employees’ mental wellbeing has been tested in the current COVID-19 pandemic, with many suffering from feelings of isolation, low mood or fatigue. Indeed, workers have cited “Zoom fatigue” – a prolonged tiredness that arises from back-to-back video meetings – as a key reason for their poor mental health.

Experts at Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab (SVHIL) have identified several physiological causes of Zoom fatigue, including constantly seeing oneself on a computer screen, constraints on physical mobility and the cognitive load of trying to compensate for the absence of non-verbal cues.

Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of SVHIL and author of the first peer-reviewed paper on the causes of Zoom fatigue, said: “Many of these problems could be solved with trivial changes to the design of the Zoom interface. For example, the default setting should be hiding the selfwindow instead of showing it, or at least hiding it automatically after a few seconds once users know they are framed properly.

“People can also solve the problems outlined above with changes in hardware and culture. Use an external webcam and external keyboard that allows more flexibility and control over various seating arrangements. Make audio-only Zoom meetings the default, or better yet, insist on taking some calls via telephone to free your body from the frustrum.”