Patient Participation Group Minutes of the Shaftesbury & Fontmell Magna

Patient Participation Group

Minutes of the Shaftesbury & Fontmell Magna Patient Participation Group (PPG) Held on Wednesday 5th February 2020 At Abbeyview Medical Centre @7.00 pm

In Attendance: Barbara Cayley (Acting Chair) and 22 members of the PPG.

From the Practice: Sara Froud, Debbie Martin and Karen Blair

Apologies: 5 apologies had been received.

1. The Chairman opened the meeting and welcomed all present, and the Minutes of the last meeting was accepted as correct.

2. PRACTICE UPDATE: Sara Froud

Sara Froud began by introducing herself and gave a brief background of her career. She will be replacing Jane Dawes on her retirement. At the moment she is working three days a week. • 5 New people have been recruited to join the Patient Services Team. • Staff have been moved around somewhat as there was a need to improve the telephone answering system. All calls are now received at Sturminster. • A great deal of work on social prescribing has been done to support clinicians. To do this Health Champions has begun with a visit from Roy Lilley who is a presenter and broadcaster. Mr. Lilley was much impressed with what is being done at the surgery and has mentioned his findings on social media and beyond. • A local Pantry is hoped to be set up. Taking food that would go to waste from supermarkets and set up a pantry where people could pay perhaps £2/3 a week and choose a box of food. • One of the trishaws has arrived and this can be used for befriending by volunteers and also to take patients to and from the surgery by volunteers. • Bag of Books is working well and children are taking these home – there is no need for them to be brought back to the surgery. Patients are donating book for the bags. • Social Prescribing: For people who may benefit from befriending etc, continues to be developed.

3. HEALTH CHAMPIONS UPDATE: Alyson Peacock

Alyson began by explaining she had thought for many years that she would like to come into the surgery and be a listener so when she received a text about being a Health Champion she immediately made contact. Now 2 mornings a week The Hub takes place where people come into the surgery for a cup of tea and a chat.

Information is given to people who need to be signposted. The garden is being sorted by Health Champions by putting in a raised flower bed. The last Mindfulness Group had ten people attend. There is a Fibromyalgia Group also. Posters are in the surgery, on social media. There has been articles in the Blackmore Vale and is on the website all advertising the Health Champions. Many good ideas for progressing the Health Champions were put forward.

4. CARERS’ CLINIC UPDATE: Debbie Martin and Barbara Cayley

Carers receive a half hour appointment with an HCA then half an hour with a Dorset Caseworker. These clinics at Abbeyview began in December 2019. Very good feedback has been received. Carers can register with the surgery and there are posters in the waiting room and the GP can refer them. If anyone would like to attend one of these clinics please ring the surgery to make an appointment.

GP Accreditation Scheme has been going for a few years. A surgery can gain award, bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Two years on we are the pilot for North Dorset.

5. PRIMARY CARE NETWORK UPDATE: Sara Froud

Primary Care Network is a group of surgeries working together. We are called The Vale which includes Abbeyview, Sturminster Newton and Gillingham, who are actively trying to meet the needs of the community and improve their health and wellbeing. • We have set up a first contact practitioner Physiotherapist. For an acute on-set a patient contacts the surgery and will be triaged through the urgent care team the GP or Advanced Practitioner can refer them to the Physiotherapist for a one off 20 minute assessment who can then signpost them on if necessary. • A Fibromyalgia Course of twice a week for eight weeks beginning at Abbeyview. If this course is proven to be effective we will aim to run it again. • A first contact Mental Health Practitioner has also just started. Again the same principle as the first contact physiotherapist and will include a 20 minute assessment with signposting available. • Population Health Management a proactive service for people living with frailty whatever their age (although tend to be older). A community team based at Shaftesbury are going out to talk to people in their own homes and develop support plans to keep them as independent as possible.

6. NEW CLINICAL PHARMACIST: KAREN BLAIR (Primary Care Network)

Karen introduced herself and has over 30 years experience which she will be using bringing all together in her Primary Network role. Day to day she looks at people that have many medicines. She also goes out to Care Homes to review prescriptions. Searches for people who are frail or have 10 or more medications and gets in touch with them. Each surgery has its own Pharmacist which can be contacted. Many questions were asked and much discussion took place.

7. AOB:

i) It was agreed that people would like defibrillator and CPR Training at Abbeyview. A list was circulated for people to indicate their interest to attend a course. The Health Champions will further this.

ii) Econsult: This is being used more and more. People are not only having appointments made for them if necessary but also being advised to self help or seek guidance elsewhere. This service is helping to reduce the number of appointments with GPs. Eventually Health Champions will be in waiting rooms with an Ipad to show patients how to use Econsult.

iii) Abbeyview is using some of the green spaces around the car park for gardening and a vegetable patch. No spaces will be taken away from the car park.

iv) Conversation followed about how to access your records on the website. Hospital records cannot be accessed. If you need to see your hospital records then you must request them via the hospital. Consultants in hospitals send a copy of their letters to the patient and surgery.

v) 111 and GP Out of Hours contract has gone to Dorset Health Care and will begin as from April 2020.

8. DATES of 2020 MEETINGS:

Wednesday March 11th Sturminster Newton & Marnhull PPG 7.30pm Wednesday May 13th Shaftesbury & Fontmell Magna PPG 7.00pm Wednesday June 24th Sturminster Newton & Marnhull PPG 7.30pm Wednesday September 23rd Shaftesbury & Fontmell Magna PPG 700pm Wednesday September 30th Sturminster Newton & Marnhull PPG 7.30pm Wednesday December 2nd Sturminster Newton & Marnhull PPG 7.30pm