Ppg Meeting Discussions and Action Points

Hanham Health Patient Participation Group (PPG) Friday 31st January 2014 Discussion and Action points Present Jeff Green (JG) Heather Thomas (HT) Christine Cushing (CC) Dr Sue Lowrey (SL) Angie Williams (AW) Kelly Cole (KC) Kenneth Underwood (KU) Roxana Hazu (Note taker) Sarah Warren (SW) Mary Kelly (MK) Apologies David Osborn Mark Stroud Yvonne Balchin Elaine Brown Sonia Lawes Salaried Doctor 1. Welcome and Apologies 2. Record of last meeting & matters arising  All present agreed minutes of last meeting were correct  JG again asked for members to make determined effort to respond to the action points and advised that still there had been no volunteers to take on the role of Chair person. JG will continue in role until a suitable patient is identified.  Visit from another surgeries PPG Chair – JG still to indentify / MK offered to approach West Walk surgery in Yate who have a well established group.  Online Survey – Following email sent by KC to encourage increased response, we have now received 264 completed surveys. Hard copies are being produced for patients to complete in the surgery. KC will start sifting through the results. Key focus areas already identified: Communication / Appointment Access for those that work / Improve continuity  External advertising – Article to be written by JG / KC for the Hanham Abbots newsletter (include ref to PPG and survey). Contacts for other locations still to be identified. Suggestion of using local scout group to deliver copies of survey / newsletter etc to local homes.  PPG Suggestion boxes – on order  Email address – Set up. It is [email protected] If a patient uses this email address a copy goes to KC and DO. KC to advertise this email address so patients can start using.  Constitution – No feedback received on version sent in Dec 2013. HT suggested we alter point 7 to say ‘all members of the committee and executive shall retire 2 yearly’ instead of annually. All those present agreed. KC to make alteration and copy to be signed at next PPG meeting.  Skills Audit – Discussion later in meeting

3. Practice’s services  Automated Check-in screen in waiting rooms – The group discussed the contents of DO email and concern about DNA’s (Did not attend) etc. KC to investigate with IT dept if the machine can be left on overnight as not always on in time in the morning (The reception team start shift at 7.45am). KC confirmed that Emis (our clinical system) is set to code a patient as DNA if they have not checked in 60 minutes after the start time of their appointment. The practice DNA rate is not very high at present. 458 recorded on the system for Dec 2013 however not reliable data as not all the appointments identified would have been ‘real appts’. The system will still DNA a patient who a GP is calling rather than seeing for example. KC confirmed that our current software will not display a polite message to repeat DNA offenders on the check-in screen but will ask IT dept to investigate if possible.  Out of hours phone line for cancelling appointments – KC explained that the practice is already considering this to run alongside our current phone system. Patients would be able to call and make / cancel appts using automated system both when we were open and closed. It is early days in our research of this and that there is a large cost attached which would need to be decided by the partners.  Text Service – Emis can offer a text service however we have had to disable this facility at present as we cannot currently limit who receives a text (i.e. the system will send a text to patients who are receiving a call and not a face to face consultation). KC to speak to IT dept about the configuration of our appointments to see if we can get text service back up and running. MK raised issue of patients not getting through on the phone and her recent experience of using the triage system. SL acknowledged that the practice is not perfect and recognised frustration on both sides. JG discussed the improvements we have recently made including the introduction of 3 new Iphones for clinicians to use, freeing up lines and that we have recently made some changes to the Reception office at Hanham to allow for further desk space and potential increased call handlers. SW said she has heard feedback that patients are not getting 2nd and 3rd call backs on the triage system if they miss the first call. SL Explained the different types of telephone consultations we offer in the practice. Those on triage in which we will make 3 attempts to call a patient and those that are routine call backs. If a patient misses this call the GP will not always ring back as the matters are routine and not urgent. SW also raised issue of patient privacy in the waiting room when asked confidential questions by the reception team. JG confirmed we had not received any feedback on this from patients however if they were concerned the Reception Team will always offer for them to step into the coridoor behind the reception desk. KC reiterated role of the PPG. If members have concerns / complaints about their individual experiences they can do so with JG and KC outside of the meeting. The PPG is intended to be a positive group that discusses the practice issues and concerns of patients however the group needs to look at solutions and actions we can take. The practice is represented in the group by JG, KC and SL however it is not their sole responsibility to ‘make things happen’. Whilst there is room for patient feedback it should be presented in an appropriate way relevant to the agenda point we are discussing. 4. Events & offers of Practical Support  Events - Carers Week – Wk commencing 9th June. – The Practice is looking to improve its work with carers and have recently met with Mary Bennett and Helen Mathias of the Carers support centre. We will introducing carers packs, a dedicated notice board in the waiting room and Helen Mathias will be holding monthly clinics in the practice for GPs to refer patients to if they have been identified as a carer (she will talk through services and benefits available to them etc). KC will be ensuring the website and in house communication is upto date on carers services. This links in very nicely with the event that the PPG have planned to hold in June. It was decided that as there will only be 2 PPG meeting between now and June a sub-group should be set up to organise the event. Members to email KC if interested. Early suggestions include: 1. One day event with guest speakers or a week long event with various displays and groups with stands in the waiting rooms. 2. Representative from carers centre present 3. Age UK 4. CIS (MK suggestion – Unfortunately I did not record for the purpose of theses minutes what CIS stands for – apologies). 5. Avon & Somerset Bobby Van 6. St John’s Ambulance – ‘beginners guide to caring’ 7. Kingswood Community Transport 8. SG Council Rep JG explained that a member of the PPG will need to project manage and co-ordinate the event. They will need to liaise with the surgery as the event will be PPG led and not practice led.  Practical Support - Skills bank – HT presented the initial findings of the skills audit she undertook. (Copy attached). Limited responses so far however KC will circulate with the Virtual PPG to gather further information. Key areas have been identified as well as key areas of weakness in our skills / experiences as a group. Those who have not yet completed an audit and returned to Ht encouraged to do so asap.

Bereavement support group – KC has been approached by a patient who has recently been bereaved as he would like to set up a ‘self help group’ for himself and others like him. AW volunteered to contact patient to discuss his thoughts and initial plans.

Surveys in waiting room – at the last meting we discussed PPG members volunteering to be in the surgery waiting rooms handing out surveys. Volunteers still needed if this is what we want to do.

5. Feedback from the practice  Virtual Group – KC confirmed 29 volunteers. Further needed though so will continue to promote. They have all been advised that we will call upon them if we need to canvas the opinion of a larger group. Suggestion that the Virtual Group and the main PPG meet at some point in the future.  Marketing Update – We now have a mailing list of 406 patient email addresses / Hanham Health Facebook page has been launched and currently has 63 page likes! KC will attempt to send out at least one news item per week including links to health news, NHS choices and practice news.  RSVP Patient Transport – KC introduced a new scheme that the surgery will shortly be launching. RSVP is an organisation of volunteers who offer transport to patients who need to get to the surgery of need a prescription collected etc. They also offer befriending services for those on their own. Details will shortly be advertised to patients. 6. AOB  Secretarial Role – EB had asked for clarity on the role of the PPG Secretary. The group decided that at present it will consist of minute taking only and maybe the occasional letter if we ever need to send one. KC will continue to create agenda and EB can send minutes to be scanned by 2nd set of eyes prior to release. KC to get back to EB about this.  Flu Campaign – JG Explained that the practice is one of the highest performers in the SG area on flu vaccines administered to the over 65’s. This is something the practice is proud of and news will be shared on this is patient communications. The practice holds an annual review meeting after each years campaign and will be doing so this year on Tuesday 25th February. In these meetings we discuss what went well, what didn’t go so well and start our initial plans for the next year. SL explained that as of next year Avon Health will no longer be sending letters on behalf of the practice to those who are eligible for a vaccination so we will need to increase the publicising we do as a practice. PPG members invited to let the practice know any suggestions they have and also any offers of help. (The campaign will start in early September 2014).

We may need to review the set agenda as format is too lengthy for time that we currently allocate for these meetings. Actions Action Required Who Date Contact KC to volunteer for All PPG members Before next meeting Chair Contact West Walk surgery to MK Before next meeting see if PPG representative can visit us. Hard copies of patient survey KC Ongoing to be produced and distributed in waiting rooms Feedback to KC if interested All PPG members Ongoing in approaching patients in waiting room about survey Analyse survey results KC Ongoing received so far and feedback to group Article for Hanham Abbots KC / JG ASAP newsletter Advertise new PPG email KC ASAP address to patients Create list of other All PPG members Ongoing organisations who will allow us to advertise on their boards / electronically / in their newsletters etc Make alteration to constitution KC Before next meeting and arrange signing at next meeting Investigate various automated KC Before next meeting check-in screen questions with IT Investigate the issues with the KC Before next meeting text services with IT Contact Kelly if interested in All PPG members ASAP being member of the sub group to arrange carers event Communicate details of those KC ASAP volunteers to group so meeting can be arranged Circulate Skills audit sheet to KC Before next meeting Virtual PPG Feedback to EB on role of KC Before next meeting Secretary Feedback to KC any All PPG members Before 25th February 2014 suggestions / offers of practical help for the 2014 – 2015 flu campaign

Date of Next meeting – Friday 28th March, 2.00pm at Hanham Surgery

Kelly Cole Customer Service Manager Hanham Health