NHS Cambridgeshire has set up two meetings for Priors Field patients to talk about the future of GP and primary care services in Sutton and surrounding villages.

The first meeting, on Tuesday 27 June, will take place online from 5:30 to 7:00PM. Join at https://bit.ly/43KAWBD or use the QR code in the poster above.

The second meeting, on Wednesday 28 June, will take place in person at the Royal British Legion from 10:30AM to 12:30PM.

More information about the meetings is online at https://www.cpics.org.uk/sutton which is where further updates will continue to be posted by NHS Cambridgeshire.

(Warning: this article relates to a recent fatal road collision which some readers may find upsetting.)

An update on last month’s fatality at Witcham Toll and resulting road safety considerations

On Saturday 20 May, a motor vehicle travelling westbound on the A142 at Witcham Toll approaching the garage collided with a motorbike leaving the petrol station. The motorcyclist sadly succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by Helemed.

On Thursday 1 June, county council and police officers carried out a site visit of the collision location. Following the site visit, possible solutions were discussed. These included moving the speed limit east to provide a buffer supported by enhanced signage and markings. Once police investigations are complete and the solutions have been fully considered, recommendations will be made and shared.

An individual was arrested soon after the collision and charged with various offences. It is not possible to provide a timescale for the outcome of any criminal process.

Collision investigation

Fatal collisions are investigated by the Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit and the Forensic Collision Unit, who carry out detailed investigations into the circumstances of a fatal crash. The resulting report is submitted to the Coroner as evidence for the inquest, or made available for prosecution purposes in the event of criminal charges being brought.

The Police Traffic Management Officer provides details of fatal collisions to the County Council as soon as possible after the collision has occurred. This is summarised by the Research Group within the council’s Strategy and Partnerships Directorate.

Following receipt of the initial notification, the County Road Safety Engineering Team carry out an investigation to establish whether there are any highway issues that may have contributed to the fatal collision. Where immediate interventions are identified as being required, these will be delivered as soon as possible and do not need to await the conclusion of the full investigation. This process is summarised below.

• A site visit is carried out for all fatal incidents unless deemed unnecessary by the reviewing officer, such as a confirmed medical episode or a confirmed suicide. If this is the case, the reason will be recorded on the register used to record all road traffic collisions resulting in fatal injury.
• The relevant maintenance engineer for the area is involved in the CCC fatal collision review process. Relevant maintenance records are reviewed as part of the process.
• A police representative will be invited to the site meeting and will attend where they are able to make a contribution to the investigation process.
• Further information is sought where required from the investigating officer at the Police Serious Collision Investigation Unit. Any information from this source must be treated as confidential and care taken about any details passed on.
• A record of any findings from the site visit and recommendations for remedial actions are recorded as an outcome from the process.
• Proposed measures would usually be put forward to Cambridgeshire County Council’s Road Safety Manager for approval to progress and deliver where appropriate.

This process can take some time, which can be frustrating for those who understandably want to see swift action to improve road safety following a collision such as this. However, given the sensitivities it is important to avoid speculative commentary regarding the cause of any collision ahead of the outcome of the investigation.

Cllr Mark Inskip and I are grateful to those who have taken the time and trouble to contact us with comments and suggestions following the fatality. We will continue to liaise with the County Council over the road safety considerations here once investigations have concluded and more information is available.

The County Council’s summer HAF programme, funded by the Department for Education, is now open for bookings!

Children in receipt of income-related free school meals can book a holiday scheme place for 64 hours (subject to availability). Each scheme offers enriching experiences, a meal and snacks. 

The HAF Team can arrange transport for families unable to access the programme otherwise. Ukrainian and other refugee families are also eligible for places as well as families ‘just about managing’ financially.

Watch the video here to see what’s involved. And look out for the HAF Programme on Facebook and Twitter too.