The Castle Mead and Stoke Golding Action Group

CASAG The Castle Mead and Stoke Golding Action Group Minutes – Tuesday 7th FEBRUARY 2017

1. Present Trevor Allcoat; Bernard Arnold; Melita Brearley; Alison Ellis; Pat Ley; Julia Patterson; June Stone; Anne Fullagar; Jennifer Michie; Brian Packer; Ray Pettitt; Jim Hope 2. Apologies –John Tansey; Judith Montgomery 3. Minutes of last meeting accepted 1. Friends & Family Test results Melita Brearley had sorted through the previous slips, with 18 extremely likely to recommend the practice and 1unlikely. There were many good comments. Requests were made to reduce the waiting time for non-urgent appointments and make more evenings available at Stoke Golding. More is being done to make the slips more visible. The practice has to provide Friends and Family results. 2. Future Health care in Hinckley A very thorough report (attached) of the meeting held on 17th January 2017 at Hinckley Golf Club entitled "Our life, our health, our care, our family and our community in Hinckley and Bosworth" had been circulated beforehand by Melita Brearley. She said that the format of presentations and table top discussions meant that there was no opportunity to question the presenters. She outlined the key points that emerged from the presentations. A scribe at each table noted the points raised in the discussions, which should be published at a later date. So far there has been no official outcome from the meeting in January. The next meeting is on Monday 27th March. 3. Suggestions boxes 1. Stoke Golding Two Friends and Family results. Both extremely likely to recommend the practice. 2. Castle Mead A patient asked if we had a machine to measure your own blood pressure, as they have at Burbage Surgery. Some concerns were expressed about this. Would it be used properly and what would be done with the results? Getting a BP check done by someone at the practice was considered more ideal. Chemists also offer a BP monitoring service. 1. AOB a) Dr Patterson thought that some colourful pictures of spring, drawn by children attending the surgery, could brighten the waiting area at Castle Mead. b) Alison Ellis said we need to promote online access for patients. c) Pharmacies can provide a service to patients by ordering their medication for them. They may order some unnecessary items. Whilst recognising the service chemists provide, if patients can keep control of their own ordering, this may reduce waste. d) Doctors are finding it busier than ever at Stoke Golding, with many urgent appointments and phone appointments overbooked. The wait for a routine appointment is 2 weeks at Stoke Golding (4 weeks at Castle Mead). Dr Patterson asked how we as patients felt about reception staff asking patients for more information about their problem.

2. Next meeting: Tuesday 4th April 2017 at Castle Mead