Dr Spitzer honoured by London Local Medical Committees
Dr Joseph (Yossi) Spitzer was honoured by the Londonwide Local Medical Committees – the professional voice of London general practice – at a recent ceremony held in Parliament.
The award recognises Yossi’s long-standing services to General Practice and acknowledges that, in the midst of today’s challenging health and social care environment, he sets an example, tackling his role with passion, pride and professionalism.
Yossi’s base is at the Cranwich Road Surgery in Hackney where a substantial proportion of his patients are strictly orthodox. He provides culturally sensitive care for them – and also for patients from other groups who require such sensitivity. The practice helps educate medical students from Barts and the London, and Yossi inculcates in these students that it requires time and effort to understand personal and cultural issues in order to provide the highest quality care.
Yossi is widely known for his books “Caring for Jewish Patients” and “A Guide to the Orthodox Jewish Way of Life for Healthcare Professionals” which aim to ensure that Jewish patients and their families encounter a user-friendly environment when they come into contact with healthcare. Conversely, he tries hard to educate the Jewish community about medical issues, in particular preventive medicine, tailoring his messages to make sure that they are accessible to all.
It is in this preventive medicine guise that Yossi has been a very prominent leader in promoting immunisation programmes. Information about these programmes often does not reach the strictly orthodox; and, even when it does, delivery of services may not be appropriate. It is a tribute to him that the recent Race and Health Observatory Report used his area in Hackney as their model for how best to communicate with the Jewish community. They noted that he has engaged with Jewish voluntary services and Jewish media publications to provide support for his endeavours; and he has encouraged trusted community members and organisations to prepare suitable communication materials which foster vaccine advocacy and outreach. This leads to co-delivery of immunisation with joint medical and community input. The vaccination centres where this programme is implemented are based in Jewish community hubs (e.g. synagogues) and are open at times that accommodate religious needs. The approach that he has promoted provides a template not only on what can be done in the Jewish community, but also on what other faith and ethnic communities could develop for themselves.
Commenting on this award, members of both the local community where he works and the wider Jewish community, said “Yossi’s patience, dedication, conscientious approach, and seemingly limitless time availability are quite remarkable”.