Island Life Magazine Ltd December/January 2018 | Page 35

Interview
around the surgery.
“We can respond and make changes
quite quickly, whereas the wheels of
change in hospitals tend to turn much
more slowly” said Dr Legg.
She is also acutely aware – not least
because of her own personal experience
– that dementia affects families and
carers just as much as the person who
had the condition.
“We have this big move towards people
being cared for in their own home, which
is great in itself – but it does have a big
impact on the carers, and we’re very
conscious that a lot of husbands and
wives really struggle with the burden of
caring for their partner”.
The approach at Tower House is to
sensitively work with carers to give them
the support they need; an approach
that was congratulated at the practice’s
last inspection by the Care Quality
Commission.
The surgery is also more generally ‘Age
Friendly’, having worked together with
Age UK and its own Patient Participation
Group to come up with a range of
measures that make the building easier to
navigate for older patients.
On a wider level, Dr Legg has also been
involved with groups running community
and social events such as Alzheimer’s
Cafes and healing arts, that help to
prevent social isolation.
As she points out, with 28% of the
Island’s population now aged 65 or over,
the need for age-friendly services has never
been more acute, and can only increase.
Another disease that’s commonly
associated with ageing is the bone-
degenerating condition of osteoporosis,
in which Dr Legg also has a deep
interest. In fact she’s currently President
of the Island’s Osteoporosis Society, a
role that was held for many years by the
late Gioiaa Minghella - “a very big pair of
shoes to fill” she says.
Brotherly support
Working three days a week in general
practice at Tower House and another two
days in her role as Chair of the Island’s
CCG (which is effectively responsible for
‘buying in’ healthcare of the whole Isle
of Wight) means that the pace of life can
certainly get hectic.
But Dr Legg has a particularly close ally
and keen supporter in the workplace –
because her brother Patrick is Manager of
the 13,000-patient Tower House practice,
the third largest on the Island.
What started as a temporary measure
three years ago has turned permanent
because Patrick, a trained accountant and
well-known Island businessman, fitted
into the role so well.
“I must admit it felt odd in the beginning
to be working with my brother and I know
some people had their doubts about it at
first, but it’s been an ideal solution.
“I know he’s my brother so I’d be
expected to say this, but he’s absolutely
amazing and the staff love him” says Dr
Legg. “He has our backs, he looks after
the GPs and he’s keenly business-minded,
which is crucial when we have so much
pressure on our health services”.
Away from the hectic pace of the
practice and her CCG schedules, Dr Legg
winds down by walking the family’s
Sproodle dog Archie on the beach near
their Shanklin home, or reading her
favourite type of escapist fiction - crime
novels.
“Having two teenage boys at home is
very grounding too!” she laughs. “As soon
as you get home they’re talking about
other things, like football and rugby,
which bring you right back down to earth”.
Neither of the boys has yet shown any
sign of wanting to follow their parents
into medicine: Dylan is a passionate
surfer who’s considering studying
oceanography at university, whilst Conor
is still doing his GCSEs at Ryde.
Dr Legg is happy to let them find their
own path, just as her parents allowed her
to find hers.
Meanwhile, she reckons the Island “has a
big job ahead” when it comes to providing
services for the elderly in general and
dementia sufferers in particular.
“People will need lots of support, and we
also need to think more about the carers”
she says.
“With the CCG having to make £13
million of savings this year, we need
to engage much more on self-care,
prevention and community initiatives,
such as the inter-generational work,
involving schoolchildren with their elderly
neighbours, that’s being done with Big
Lottery funding”.
“The community is already doing great
things like the Alzheimer’s cafes, and
other GP practices have now become
dementia-friendly - but I still think we
have a big job ahead of us”.
“I must admit it felt odd in
the beginning to be working
with my brother and I know
some people had their doubts
about it at first, but it’s been
an ideal solution.”
At home with Andreas ,Conor and Dylan
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