INTERVIEW
working with national bodies such as the
Primary Care Diabetes Society, looking
at strategies for researching and tackling
strokes and diabetes, Dr Hayes said: “I felt
it was time I did something on the Island”.
Hence his involvement with the Isle of
Wight’s “Stay On Track” project, which
launched in March. Set to run right
through the summer, it has involved
widespread publicity, poster campaigns
and leafleting drives, along with
consultant visits to GP practices.
One of the aims of the campaign is to
encourage anybody over 40 who has not
had a blood pressure or cholesterol check
in five years to book these quick and
simple tests with their GP surgery.
“If we are going to beat these diseases of
diabetes, stroke, and heart attack, we have
to stay ahead of them” said Dr Hayes.
“The aim of the campaign is to engage
people in doing the best they possibly
can for themselves – and that means
considering their alcohol intake, and
being aware of what their blood pressure
and cholesterol levels should be, in order
to manage them if necessary”.
The other element of the campaign is to
motivate high-risk patients – those who
have diabetes or have previously suffered
a stroke or heart attack - to improve their
health through an awareness of key diet
and lifestyle issues.
As Dr Hayes points out, the chances of
suffering a stroke can be greatly reduced
by limiting alcohol intake, managing diet
– and, in many cases, simply by taking
their prescribed medications.
“Only 25% of patients with diabetes
take their medications as prescribed, and
we need to impress on people just how
important this is”.
On a personal level, Dr Hayes was keen
to be involved in this campaign as he
heads towards retirement from the GP
practice in which he has been a key player
for over 32 years.
A Londoner by birth, he qualified
“If we are going to
beat these diseases of
diabetes, stroke, and
heart attack, we have to
stay ahead of them”
at Guy’s Hospital and worked in child
development, community medicine and
psychiatry for five years before arriving on
the Island. “I actually studied medicine in
order to travel the world” he laughs, “but I
ended up on the Isle of Wight!”
He came here with fond memories
of childhood holidays in a beach hut at
Lane End, and so was delighted to do his
elected period at St Mary’s Hospital - fully
intending to head for Africa once he’d
finished.
However, he accepted a traineeship
with Dr Standish O’Grady in Sandown
and subsequently joined the Godshill
practice in 1984, where he worked with
Drs Mike Howe and Malcolm Wurby to
get the practice on its feet. Over the years
he has become the trusted family doctor
for generations of local families.
“Even though I’d dreamed of travelling
as a doctor, once I got to the Island I think
that, in my heart, I really wanted to stay”.
And once his own family came along –
Dr Hayes is married to Rachel, a health
visitor, nurse and Commissioner for
Primary Care Services – he decided it was
the perfect safe and secure environment
to bring up children.
The Hayes have five daughters
aged from 20 to 35, and their second
daughter, Annie works as dispensary
manager at the Godshill practice, having
“I actually studied
medicine in order to
travel the world, but I
ended up on the Isle of
Wight!”
spent 10 years running luxury yachts in
the Caribbean.
The eldest, Amy, is a dental hygienist
and former nurse, while Lucy works for
the Arts Council, Emma is training to be
an actuary, and Beth, 20, is training as an
early years teacher.
The family home is in Brook – but the
Hayes love the Island so much that they
still regularly book a week away at a
holiday home here!
They bought a little end-terraced home
in Bembridge 10 years ago, and despite
only being a few miles from their home,
say it feels like a world away.
“It’s totally relaxing being there, and
always reminds me of why I fell in love
with the Isle of Wight as a child” says Dr
Hayes.
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