THE Crediton Chiddenbrook Surgery League of Friends held an informal evening at the surgery to thank the people who have helped and supported them over the years.

Friends chairman, Steve Willis explained that it was a "game themed evening" with recipes, using game such as snipe, pheasant and partridge, which were specially prepared by the Devon Chef, Tim Harris. Doctors were on hand to demonstrate some of the surgery's new equipment including an Ambulatory blood pressure machine, donated by the League of Friends, which is worn for a day and measures pressure at regular intervals.

Other equipment on display included Blood Pressure Monitors, which are loaned out to patients for home use, a baby heart monitor and ear syringe machine and a USB gadget that is kept in the fridge where medication is stored and records the fridge temperature over a period of weeks. Nurses can now calculate the amount of Warfarin a patient needs using the new, time saving, INR (International Normalised Ratio) Monitor, which gives an instant readout.

The staff have all been trained in the use of the new Defibrilator and the emergency trolley. League of Friends part-financed two new electric beds which lower for patients to get on and off, which can then be raised to the appropriate height by the doctor. Richard Ward, practice manager, said: "This evening has given people the opportunity to come to the surgery when they are feeling well and look around at the equipment they helped to buy. "It also is a chance to meet other League supporters, enjoy a drink and sample some game recipes." The surgery now has screens in both waiting rooms as well as in reception which give information including opening times, what support is offered and other information that is relevant to the surgery such as opening times. Patients are finding lots of useful information from a range of leaflets, displayed in the reception area, relating to most common illnesses such as Hay Fever and Asthma as well as information on medically related topics such as moles. As well as daytime sessions, Chiddenbrook Surgery operates a late evening session on Tuesday and Thursday for patients who are unable to attend the surgery during the day.

Nora Parminter