Cowes Week Ltd to take over shoreside events - Isle of Wight News from OnTheWight

Cowes Week Ltd to take over shoreside events

The Isle of Wight council used to lease the area to an events company, but the organiser of the world-famous regatta will now take responsibility for shoreside activities on the Parade and Esplanade.

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Cowes Week Limited (CWL) is to take on responsibility for the Parade Village at the Lendy-sponsored regatta from August.

Previously, the Isle of Wight Council leased the area to an event management company (Taylor events) but now CWL will co-ordinate the shoreside activities on the Parade and Esplanade.

CWL will be responsible for the Parade Village, highways arrangements and the famous fireworks display, including crowd management at Princes Green.

Cllr Wayne Whittle, Cabinet member for events, said:

"This agreement allows Cowes Week Ltd to deliver the event at a very local level.

"They're in the heart of the town and have all the expertise to ensure Lendy Cowes Week continues to grow and develop as one of the best events of its kind in the world.

"While withdrawing from its role, the council has agreed that CWL will work with Cowes Business Association and Cowes Town Council to ensure the whole town continues to reap the benefits."

CWL Director: "Delighted"
Kate Johnson, commercial and marketing director for CWL, said:

"We're delighted to have taken on responsibility for the Cowes Parade Village.

"As the Isle of Wight Council withdraws from its role on the Parade, this development ensures CWL can manage one of the key shoreside venues during the regatta, continuing to deliver an experience on Cowes Parade that is popular with both competitors and spectators.

"We look forward to continuing to work with local businesses and stakeholders to achieve this."

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Article by the Isle of Wight council, in their own words.

Image: Ron Saunders47 under CC BY 2.0

Does extended hours provide access to GP appointments?

Extended hours giving most patients better access to GPs

Patients on the Isle of Wight have gone from no access to extended GP hours, to 80% being able to book an appointment at weekends or outside the normal surgery hours on weekdays.

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Patients should be finding it easier to get a doctor's appointment due the extended hours being offered by GPs working in the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group.

Latest figures from the NHS show that 80% of people registered with a GP can book an appointment on Saturday, Sunday and outside the normal surgery hours on weekdays. In March 2017 no patients has access to all these extended hours.

A further 20% of patients can get to see a doctor on one or more of these extended hours periods.

13 out of 16 offer extended hours
The data was gathered by the NHS from 96% of GP practices in England.

Of the 16 practices that provided data in the area, 13 offer appointments on all extended hours and three do so for one or more of the periods.

The Government says that everyone should have "more convenient access to GP services, including appointments at evening and weekends."

It has set a target date of 1st October for all patients to have access to extended hours.

BMA: Improve core GP services
Dr Richard Vautrey, BMA GP committee chair, said:

"While schemes like this are rolled out and are successful in providing the services they are commissioned to do, we still believe the money invested in such programmes would be better spent improving core GP services.

"We know that patients are frustrated with being unable to get timely appointments during regular working hours, owing to increased demand and unmanageable GP workloads, and therefore it is these services that should be a priority for proper funding."

The national picture
There are 7,153 GP practices in England. Currently, just over 6,000 of them offer some access to appointments on Saturdays, Sundays and during extended weekday hours.

The best record is in Herefordshire, and Rushcliffe in Nottinghamshire where all patients can make appointments in extended hours seven days a week. The poorest record is in South Sefton on Merseyside, where no patients have access to extended hours every day but 37% do receive some extended hours service.

In most instances, practices get together to form hubs or federations that provide the service, so patients may not see their usual doctor.

The most common days for extended hours to be offered on the Isle of Wight are Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. The least common days are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

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Article shared by Data Reporter, Gary Rogers, as part of the OnTheWight's collaboration with Press Association and Urbs Media

Image: christinawelsh under CC BY 2.0

Friday, 18th May, 2018 6:24pm

By Sally Perry

ShortURL: http://wig.ht/2kQ2