Teacher of Visual Arts and Film where the department have developed an exciting and unique curriculum as part of the IB Middle Years Programme, developing pupils’ practical skills and applying these to real-world situations. Visual Arts subjects are very popular at GCSE, across Film, Fine Art and Photography, and are enjoyed by students across the College. There are also a range of enrichment opportunities on offer, and a wealth of trips to support the curriculum. Visual Arts and Film are both offered as part of our IB programmes in the sixth form and are popular and highly successful. Apply by March 3, 2025
Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust (CPFT) are looking for this roles based at Histon Police Station but travelling around the area.
Community Nurse to undertake holistic assessment (including those with complex presentations and multi pathologies) making use of clinical reasoning skills. To use evidence-based practice, to ensure clinical care is effective and appropriate. To promote independence and wherever possible to avoid hospital admission and reduce inpatient length of stay to ensure those patients receive the appropriate care in the most appropriate setting. Closing date 13 March 2025
The Spire Cambridge Lea Hospital in Impington is currently recruiting for multiple roles including this.
Radiology Administrator to manage bookings as requested by Consultants or patients and notify all relevant departments. Ensuring that credit card data is captured for all patients attending the hospital. Receive and deal with all patient telephone queries. Apply by 27/03/2025
Milton Brewery has reacted angrily to South Cambs District Council (SCDC) turning down their planning application for creating more space and improved facilities at the Rose & Crown.
Pub group Individual Pubs Ltd, established to run pubs serving Milton Brewery beers, had requested Listed Building Consent to replace some outbuildings with a new single storey side and rear extension. Their plans also proposed other related external works, including an air source heat pump.
‘Unsympathetic addition’
Consultees included Histon & Impington Parish Council, who expressed their support for the work, subject to Highways Authority concerns being resolved and an acoustic fence installed to protect neighbouring properties.
But objections to the plans were raised by the SCDC Conservation Officer, who said the “position and form, and to some extent size”, of the proposed extension “fails to be sympathetic to the listed buildings”. They also commented on the proposed “boundary placement” of the building, saying it is “harmful to the character and setting of the listed building at No.4 Glebe Way” – also a Grade II listed building.
The Rose & Crown had sat empty for some considerable time under previous owners, Everards, before Milton Brewery announced plans to take over the pub in September 2024.
Talking to HI HUB last autumn, brewer Richard Naisby was mindful of the pub being a Grade II listed building when he revealed some of the challenges they faced. “Radical change is not just unlikely but forbidden”, he said.
Sharing his frustrations at refusal of the plans, he told HI HUB: “The decision is a shocker. The local plan mentions the Rose & Crown by name as something to be supported and, though a listed building, [SCDC’s] own decision refers to ‘less than substantial harm’ to the heritage asset. What they seek to ‘conserve’ is the motley collection of outbuildings which is frankly an eyesore.
“We reached out to the three local councillors to ask them to call in the decision – without effect. All of the public comments were supportive of our plans including the Campaign for Pubs and Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA). We put a lot of work into the application and the arbitrary way it has been rejected is infuriating.
“We are considering our options – including appeal to the Planning Inspectorate – but it all adds vastly to time and expense and represents a genuine risk to the future of the pub. We’ve posted the decision notice in the pub so people can judge for themselves – but it is a shoddy piece of work.”
Support and advice
Commenting on the situation, recently elected District Councillor for Histon & Impington James Rixon, shared: “All three District Councillors have endeavoured to provide supportive advice on and explanation of the planning process to the applicant Mr Naisby.
“Collectively we recognise the importance of the Rose and Crown to Histon & Impington and the challenges faced in updating it to be a thriving business and community asset.
“The feedback from officers was clear in that, whilst they suggest a new extension to the property could be supported, the submitted design was not acceptable from a heritage perspective, due to its impact and close proximity to the listed property.”
Full details of the application, reference 24/04242/LBC, can be seen on the Greater Cambridge Shared Planning website.
Firs House Surgery is a vital service, used by most people in the Village at one time or another. Alison Turnbull chats to Practice Manager, Libby Mead to find out what it takes to keep this key village utility fit and healthy.
Libby Mead has been Practice Manager at Firs House for two years, and has worked in the NHS for the last 20. Although she’s steeped in the world of healthcare, she likens her role as more like that of a headteacher in a school. She explains: “I look after the building maintenance, manage the money, make sure the processes are running smoothly and efficiently, and I oversee how things work, recruiting staff, the systems and processes”.
Of the many challenges of General Practice, lack of spare space is a big issue. Libby says: “There is never money for improvements because the NHS only pays for the treatments being offered, not the buildings. The demand is through the roof – if you pardon the pun – but we’re seriously trying our best. It’s not because we’ve not made appointments available, it’s because everyone is fully booked and there is no further space or any more practitioners available.”
Libby Mead, Practice Manager at Firs House Surgery
General Practice sees 90% of first patient contact but only gets 9% of the budget. Hospitals get the majority of funding that comes from outside investments – such as drug and procedure research and development.
The Primary Care Network, which includes Firs House, also includes Waterbeach, Willingham and Cottenham. Working together, there are services in the community for people who can’t get into the surgery, and for people transferring out of hospital. Libby says: “They are always stretched, but they are a great team including the District Nurses who visit the housebound, and the Community Matron who visit people who are more temporarily incapacitated”.
Same-day referrals
Villagers will be pleased to hear that Libby is currently working on achieving same-day referrals. She explains: “We can be inundated with referrals to hospitals and with the results and reports that are returned. It was taking a few weeks for these to be processed, but now referrals to hospitals are being processed the same day”.
Sadly it’s not always the case for reports and results coming back from the hospitals as there is no automatic link in the systems. Libby continues: “Communication tends to be limited to referrals via computer systems and the systems don’t quite talk to each other, meaning that reports and documents coming from hospitals have to be manually linked to a patients records.
“Often, patients using My Chart on the NHS app have all the details, but the GP Practices don’t have access. So, if you’re consulting your doctor, it’s a good idea to have My Chart on your phone so you can share it during you appointment. Sometimes it can take 4–5 weeks for reports such as ultrasounds to be sent through to the doctors and we are hindered rather than helped by technology sometimes”.
General Practice and the Trust explained
Libby explains the difference between General Practice (GP) and an NHS Trust. “Each GP has a geographical area which overlaps, to give some patient choice. At Firs House Surgery there are five medical partners who own the building and make decisions about the services offered. Trusts are larger organisations that are centred around the hospitals. The Department of Health NHS England, runs the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and it decides what services are to be made available to GP Practices to offer, for a set price”.
She continues: “These are ‘Local Enhanced Services’ and are associated with Primary Care. For example, the ICB will have data showing what the main issues are, for example, if there are high numbers of people with particular conditions that could be treated well by GP practices. One such condition is diabetes – there are eight parts to holistic wellbeing for people with diabetes, and it’s important the whole person is treated rather than focusing on just their insulin levels”.
The GP practice also offers vaccinations – not only for seasonal flu and childhood disease vaccinations but also those for people travelling overseas. “Currently the take up of vaccinations is very high”, explains Libby “as the nurse practitioners are really good at following up on individuals to make sure everyone knows about the vaccine programme”.
Keeping pace with change
Over her two years at Firs, Libby has seen some significant changes, not least bringing back the telephone booking system with the call-back system for people phoning from 8am for a same-day appointment. Libby explains: “The average wait is 3 minutes 13 seconds for the phone to be answered at these very busy times”.
Firs House website homepage
She shares that it is now recognised that the online-only appointment system was a mistake and excluded many people. The online appointment system is still available for non-urgent and routine appointments – it may take a few days, but 96% are dealt with on the same day and an appointment is arranged within a maximum of eight weeks, making it a good option for booking screening appointments.
Don’t be a DNA
Figures for January show a continued improvement in people turning up for their appointments. In that month there were 73 no-shows which, Libby says, is, “still too many, but so much better than the previous year”. Text message reminders have contributed to this improvement. She continues: “It’s one of the benefits of technology, we’ve set it up in the background of the appointment system, so it happens automatically”.
However, “It is difficult to keep up with demand”, she continues “as there are only 4-5 people working on reception, and there are 24 hours of phone-calls being dealt with every day. And that’s without the paperwork arising from each appointment and queries from doctors.
“Sometimes people come in and are surprised because the waiting room isn’t full – they think we’re not working very hard! But we don’t want people in the waiting room. All appointments available each day will be booked up and if everyone arrives on time, and the doctors can keep to time, then there should be minimal people waiting. The doctors surgery may seem quiet, because everyone is in consultation rooms with patients but, as these are private, the building doesn’t give any indication of the level of activity going on.”
So how best to get that all-important appointment? Libby has this advice: “If you need a routine appointment you can help the system by using the online booking service. If you need to see a doctor quickly, phone us from 8am and use the call-back service. Just remember to keep your phone with you and make sure your volume is turned up!”
Police have been made aware of windows being broken at two nearby homes in Histon this week. The residents of both properties in St Audrey’s Close say they have reported the incidents to officers.
The first resident said she noticed the window of her spare bedroom was broken on Friday of last week (21 February). She was not concerned initially but further suspicious activity on Tuesday (25 February) prompted her to contact police and raise awareness of the issue on social media.
The crime reference number is 35/1404/25. Contributors commenting on her post suggested the window may have been hit with a catapult, although this has not been confirmed.
Second report
Meanwhile, the other resident of St Audrey’s Close said she was in her living room when her window was hit on Tuesday afternoon (25 February) at around 4.30pm. An investigation for criminal damage has now been launched. The crime reference number is CC-25022025-0356.
A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Police said: “Officers attended and found a broken window at the address. A crime has been raised for criminal damage and an investigation is ongoing.”
