Information about new activities
Patient Champions work with patients from GP practices across the Waterside Primary Care Network. (PCN). To find out more about the range of activities provided click on 'Activities we offer' in the website header.
News Flash!
See the information about our next Patient Champion walk on Friday 17th April.
Three new activities are being planned to start in the early summer.
They are currently at the planning stage so if you are interested to learn more about them, click here to use the 'Contact Us' form to let us know of your interest, or scan the QR code on the picture below to register interest in the photography group.
Photography Group
Purpose of the Activity
The Patient Champion Photography Group aims to provide opportunities where individuals from across the Waterside can connect with others with similar interests through learning new photographic skills, and build confidence, regardless of their experience level.
How will this work?
The group will operate as a regular photography club where participants will have the opportunity to:
• Learn basic photography skills, including composition, lighting, and editing
• Share their photos and experiences
• Take part in themed photo session around the local area
The sessions will be informal and inclusive, making them suitable for both beginners and more experienced photographers. The involvement of more experienced photographers will be encouraged to act as sources of information and role models for those starting out to improve their picture taking skills.
To register your interest in the photography group use your smart phone to scan the QR code and respond to the short survey so we are able to plan the input we offer.
Photography Newsletter and details about the theme for April 2026
Newsletter: To find out more about what is happening with the photography group during this month click the image below to view the newsletter.
The theme for this month: Each month the group will explore a different photographic theme. This month the theme is about composing your picture to create an interesting image. Click on the image below to read about the theme for this month.
Photography group - upcoming Events
Our first meet-up will be on Monday 27th April (10:30 to 12:30) at Ashlett Creek, near Fawley.
This will be a 'Photo Session' so please bring your camera or smartphone with a fully charged battery and spare battery where possible.' The next meet-up will be on Monday 11th May (10:30 to 12:30) at Waterside GP Health Centre (meeting room) This will be an ‘Editing Session’. Meet in reception at the Waterside Health Centre.
Blackfield Medical Centre - Garden Project
You may be aware of the Healthy Haven Garden run by volunteers shown in the picture, at the Waterside Medical centre next to Hythe Hospital.
A similar project is being planned at the Blackfield Medical Centre. Planning is at an early stage and when more is known the information will be provided through the website and a Facebook post. Watch out for this if you are interested in volunteering to be part of this project.
Patient Champion Carers Group
This group offers the opportunity for people to join other carers for support, advice and friendly chat. Everyone is welcome. No need to book, just drop in.
The group meets on the first Monday of each month between 10.00 and 12.00 at St Andrews Church Dibden Purlieu. The first meeting is planned for Monday 1st June 2026.
If you are a Carer, or have been a carer to a family member or friend, the group provides an opportunity to connect with other carers or past carers who may be going through similar experiences.
Everyone is welcome. You may simply wish to talk things through or share experiences with a friendly, listening ear.
Caring for someone can be challenging, talking together, sharing experiences, and supporting one another can make a real difference.
Details of upcoming activities
Activities we offer
The Patient Champions are a group of volunteers, representative of each of the Doctors' Practices in the Waterside Primary Care Network. (WPCN)
Using our local knowledge and with the support of the doctors across the WPCN we have been asked to provide a range of socially based activities to help promote the health and wellbeing of patients and which reflect the interests they have that promote a health aware community.
We are interested in your ideas about the activities that you would like to see and you can tell us about your ideas by clicking on the 'Contact us' heading in the menu list in the header above.
We will also provide links to the latest NHS self-care sites that will allow patients to research how to promote their own healthy lifestyle and the actions they are able to take. Click on this link Kick Start your health to go directly to the App in the Health & wellbeing section of the site.
We will provide details of activities as they become available each month. See the next section below for a general description for each activity. You can find out up to date information about all our activities at the Drop in Coffee Morning sessions. We look forward to welcoming you to our next coffee morning.
The Drop in Coffee Mornings are held in St John's Hall Hythe. Dates for 2026 are shown below:
We meet between 11.30 & 13.30. Come when you can, leave when you must. Just turn up and enjoy the opportunity to chat and meet with people and enjoy a cup of tea or coffee.
The Book Buddies, The Patient Champion Book Club meets regularly on the second Tuesday of each month between 14.00 & 16.00 in St John's Hall, in Marchwood which is situated in the Churchyard. (Please note the venue is Marchwood not Hythe.) There are 15 places available overall, but please let us know of your intention to attend by using the contact us form you can find by clicking the link in the header of the site.
The Walking Group meets on the 1st Friday of every month. Meet in the car park at Dibden Enclosure at 12.00. You may bring your dog with you to enjoy the walk but you don't need a dog to join the group and are very welcome if you would just like to walk in the company of others.
News update on the walking programme
We have agreed to add a walk to the 3rd Friday of each month.
Our next 3rd Friday of the month walk. Details to follow
We will still continue with our Dibden Enclosure walk on the 1st Friday of each month.
The IT 4 Health Group: Please note the IT 4 Health team sessions have been combined with 'Drop in Coffee Sessions' so if you would like help with any issue regarding your IT devices when using Patient Access or the NHS App please come to one of the sessions in St Johns Hall at any of the dates shown above.
The topics we are able to support include reviewing how IT provides the basis for researching health issues and the different ways to access the NHS App and how it may be used to overcome some of the security issues associated with Patient Access.
Patient Access has added an additional level of security suggesting that users download an Authenticator App. This has proved difficult for some patients and the IT for Health Team is able to suggest alternatives to two factor authentication to help maintain the security of Patient Access and the NHS App including the use of biometric access to your account.
Thursday 29th January
Thursday 26th February
Thursday 26th of March
Thursday 30th April
Thursday 28th May
Thursday 25th June
Thursday 30th July
Thursday 27th August
Thursday 24th September
Thursday 29th October
Thursday 26th November
Thursday 10th December - A special Christmas event
Or email donna.best6@nhs.net for more information
The Patient Champion guide on making an on-line booking appointment with your doctor
The three Doctors' Practices in the Waterside Primary Care Network (WPCN) are implementing a new way for patients to book an appointment with their doctor using an on-line strategy called Accurx; a system that lets you create an appointment request which is then reviewed and prioritised for urgency by the Practice.
Click on the relevant link below for online access to your Practice website:
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Red and Green Practice – Request an appointment
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The Waterfront and Solent Practice – Accurx patient request
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Forestside Medical Practice – The link to use Accurx will go live as:
Accurx patient request on 3rd February 2026. Continue to use the NHS App for non-urgent requests or phone for urgent concerns.
Patients should be aware that appointments can be used up, as there are only a finite number of doctors to provide support for on-line requests and for face to face appointments. Patients will be allocated a GP appointment based on the urgency of their medical condition or they may be referred to the Urgent Care facility at Hythe Hospital.
If a patient does not have access to a device to use, to request an appointment, they may either phone the Practice to request an appointment or visit the surgery and speak with the receptionist to request help.
For out-of-hours support, contact NHS 111 for advice and guidance.
You can also reach out to the Waterside Health and Wellbeing Team for personalised support:
🌟 Conclusion
Your health is in your hands — one step at a time. Whether you’re trying a new app,
adjusting your routine, or booking a GP appointment, every action you take is a positive
move toward better wellbeing.
The Patient Champion IT 4 Health team are available to support patients in using the NHS App. You may feel that because you are already using 'Patient Access' you don't need to consider downloading the NHS App. However the intention is to improve the App and make it easier to use for a wide range of health care needs.
Would you like to know more about the NHS App as it develops as part of the single patient record to be used by all health care providers? Read about this in the Easy Read Guide outlining changes to the NHS.
An evening afloat
We had hoped it would be a sunny evening cruise up through Southampton docks and up the Itchen River to the bridge. The sun never appeared but we stayed ahead of the rain and enjoyed the evening out on the Alison MacGregor
Click on the name to find out more about this charity.
Some were offered the opportunity to pilot the boat, under the watchful eye of the expert!
Here are pictures of the walk at Bucklers Hard in November.
You are invited to join any of the walks for exercise, company and walking your dog, if you have one. Details of the walks may be found under the heading on the menu bar activities we offer elsewhere on the website.
We can keep you in touch with information about activities as they are planned. To allow us to contact you, please provide the contact details shown in the flier on the left by using the 'Contact us' form at the top of the page and indicating the activities you would find interesting.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Details of current activities
If you are interested in any of the activities shown below please use the 'contact us' form to ask for details
Next Event
For dates of future coffee mornings scroll up the page to see a full list of dates through to December 2026.
We meet between 11.30 & 13.30 in
St John's Hall Hythe
The group meets on the 1st Friday of each month in the car park of Dibden Enclosure at 12.00. The walks are planned to allow access for a range of mobility issues.
A different book is chosen for each meeting. If you are interested in finding out about the current book being read, contact the group by using the Contact Us Form on the website.
The Waterside Book Club meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month, in the church hall of St John's Church in Marchwood.
The Patient Champions IT Team provides support for patients wishing to find out more about how they can make effective use of the information on the internet to maintain their health and wellbeing.
We do this either individually or in group sessions to promote the use of the NHS and Patient Access Apps.
Patient Access and the NHS App allow you to order repeat prescriptions, and review your health record and for some practices book a GP session. See the column on the right to read about the benefits about the NHS App.
You can find the NHS App in the Apple App store or GooglePlay
Let us know about the help you would like by using the ‘contact us’ form on the website at:
www.wpcnpatientchampions.co.uk/contact
The Benefits of Using the NHS App
The NHS App is a simple, secure way to access a wide range of NHS services – all from your smartphone or tablet. Whether you’re managing a long-term condition, requesting repeat prescriptions or just looking for faster, easier access to your health information, the NHS App puts you in control of your healthcare.
Key Benefits for Patients:
Order repeat prescriptions Save time by requesting repeat prescriptions securely and checking when they’re ready to collect.
View your medical records Instantly access parts of your health record, including test results, vaccinations, allergies, and medicines.
Check symptoms and get NHS-verified advice Use the NHS 111 online service through the app to get trusted medical advice, fast.
Stay informed about your health Receive reminders for screenings, vaccinations, and health checks.
Safe, secure, and confidential Your personal health information is protected using the highest NHS security standards.
Why It Matters:
The NHS App supports you to take an active role in your health and care. Whether you're managing your wellbeing day-to-day, preparing for a doctor’s visit, or needing urgent advice, the app is designed to make your healthcare experience more convenient and efficient.