Minutes From Patient Participation Group On

Minutes from Patient Participation Group on Wednesday 25 th September

Present: Rachel Preston, Mark Plenderleith, Jen Rhodes, Brian Marr, Anne Marr, Josephine Banks, Anne Houlston, Kenneth Whitehead, Mavis Whitehead, Karen Armstrong, Gill Slessor, Pam Head and Jenni McCreadie

Apologies: Roz Niedt, Jean Boyd, Norma Blundred

1. Minutes from Previous Meeting/General update

Welcome to all the new members of the patient participation group, we are now restarting the monthly meetings. Introductions were made to all who were present.

Patient car park – everyone is now aware that there is now a disc zone in place to ensure that patients can access the car park when attending appointments.

Other building renovations – discussed again the lack of privacy at the front desk in Reception. Jen informed the group that the health authority who is the landlord for the health centre are aware of this and we are just awaiting a definite timescale for the work to be done.

2. Practice Update – staff and website

Jen informed everyone that we are currently interviewing for a new Business Manager for the practice. Interviews are being held on Tuesday 1st October. We are also in the process of advertising for a new GP. We have renovated The Lakes Medical Practice’s website and this will include the dates of the Patient Participation Group’s meetings and more information about the services the Practice can offer to patients. We are also asking for patient’s email addresses as a way of contacting them. For those patients who do not have computer access or are unable there are leaflets and further information available from Reception.

3. Plans and outcomes of the Patient Participation Group

The plan is for the Patient Participation Group to work in co-operation with The Lakes Practice to ensure that the services provided work well and patients have access to the surgery when they need to.

We aim to have a proactive Patient participation group to promote services, healthcare and to hold health evenings. The previous COPD and women’s health events were both very successful.

We want patients to be aware of the participation group and encourage those who show interest to attend the meetings or receive updates via email. We also want patients to be encouraged to give the surgery any feedback over the systems we have in place so that any problem areas can be highlighted.

We are aware that Court Thorn Surgery also has a participation group and we would be interested in hearing what they do with their surgery. Brian will contact Jenny Sutton the practice manager and discuss with her the possibility of a few members of their group joining us for one of our next meetings.

4. Advertising the Patient Participation Group/ Email addresses

We have approximately 20-25 email addresses on record for patients who are interested in the Patient Participation Group. We also have the scheduled meetings on the Lakes website for those who have access to it. Ideally, we would like to promote the participation group as much as possible and we will also be putting the next meeting dates in the practice newsletter that is coming out shortly. This will be available from the waiting room as usual.

5. Feedback/individual concerns

Callback System

The group discussed the thinking behind the callback system, initially people had their concerns about this but a lot of feedback we have received is that people like it. The system is always being reviewed so if anyone experiences any problems with the service, please get in contact.

Jen showed everyone a slide of the reasoning behind the callback system.

The main points are as below:

 Improved access for patients  Increased continuity of care  Better use of skills and resources within the team and extended team  Reduction in the length of time to obtain an appointment  Improved efficiency of GP workload and thus reducing GP stress  Improved information for patients on how to access appropriate services  Improves patient satisfaction for patients on the system  Improved system for reception

The practice is planning to provide patient information about the callback system and promote its benefits. The practice has had difficulty recruiting GPs, but hopes to recruit another one or two GPs to the team. Most of the team are part time and currently the practice has only one male full time GP. NB – Since the meeting, we now have two full-time male GPs working within the Practice

To ensure continuity of care for patients, the surgery will also provide more information to patients on the callback system such as  List of GP availability so patients are aware when they doctor they wish to see/speak to is in  Which GPs are working on a weekly basis  Provide a weekly rota for these also on the website

NHS Health check leaflets

There has been lots information in the media about this initiative. The free NHS health check is aimed at people aged 40 –74.

The aim of the health check is to –

 Access a persons risk of developing Diabetes, Heart Disease, Kidney Disease or having a stroke in later life  If there are warning signs found, we can take preventative action to ensure a healthier future

The health check includes-

 Fasting blood test to check cholesterol and glucose levels  Blood pressure check  Height and weight check  Questions about a patients medical family history  Lifestyle advice

Once the health check is completed, we ask that patient comes into the surgery to collect their results leaflet two weeks after the check. If there are any follow up appointments needed with the Practice Nurse to discuss the results, patients are contacted earlier.

However, it has been highlighted that the results process isn’t very clear to patients as to the action needed. Therefore, a new protocol is being developed at the surgery to explain the results process to patients and to ease any anxiety they may have over their health. We will also provide more information on these health checks in the surgery and on the website.

Blood results There have been some concerns highlighted over the system the surgery has in place for supplying blood results information to patients. The group decided to discuss the protocol that is in place at the next meeting so that everyone has a clear understanding of it.

Reception

We will be reviewing the script that the receptionists use to explain the callback system to patients so that patient have a clear understanding as to what the system entails and to make sure they are aware they can

 Ask for a specific doctor  To use initiative when a patient is at the front desk and to not ask what problem they wish to discuss with the GP if it is a personal matter

Front desk

There are peak times during the surgery opening hours when there can be a large queue forming at the front desk, usually there is one Receptionist manning the front desk but they can request extra help when needed to ensure patients are not waiting for too long.

However, the surgery has bought a new booking-in system similar to one at Birbeck so this will greatly reduce the waiting time. We are just waiting for the NHS to install the IT hardware and sort the electronics

6. Any other business/next steps

Next meeting dates

Monday 4th November at 7pm Monday 2nd December at 7pm

ACTION FOR NEXT MEETING

Please can everyone bring their ideas to the next meeting about

 Educational events  What the patient participation group would like to be involved in