RUSHBOTTOM LANE SURGERY

Drs KHAN, GUPTA, ZIN, GALE, ROSE, CHANA, TURNER, LONG

Drs BAKER, SWAMY, SIDDIQUI & MASUD

PATIENT REFERENCE GROUP MEETING

Notes of Meeting

Held on 19th January 2017

Present: Dr Long , Dr Masood, Julia Lovett, Cheryl Kirby (chair) June Sales, Peter Nicholls, Howard Norton, Jill Reeves, John Hall, John Brennan, John Peck (part), Marie Howard (minute taker)

Apologies: Joan Hayward-Surry, Dianne Blowes, Dorothy King, Roy Sainsbury, Amanda Sales, Jenny Rice, Debbie Dennis

Subject / Action by
1 / Welcome, introductions and apologies.
CK informed the group that she had received notification from Bernard Page and Beverley Egan that they had left the group with immediate effect.
There was a discussion that there were members who never attend the meetings. It was agreed that JL would review list to identify if a member was no longer a patient of the group and that CK would contact the other non attenders once again to see if they still want to be an active part of the group.
It was also discussed that we need a wider representation of ages in the group and that we could use PRG members to recruit. / JL/CK
2 / Minutes of the last meeting were accepted.
Howard Norton raised as a point of order why members were referred to as AMG rather than named in the minutes. It was explained that this anonymity enabled members to raise Surgery issues arising from personal experiences. It also made it easier to write the minutes from the tape recording. After discussion it was decided to continue to draft minutes with AMG then members can then request the Chair to insert their initials if desired.
3 / Matters arising from last meeting:
Text reminders are not sent out when appointments are booked online. JL explained that the booking is done through SystemOne and there is no facility for text reminders. CK to raise at CRG meeting to see if the CCG can give any leverage to a system change.
CK and member JH have been accepted to on Castle Point & Rochford Clinical Reference Group which meets bi-monthly.
The possibility of installing fans in the downstairs waiting room was still pending. / CK
JL
4 / Flu vaccinations
Performance records on target with similar volumes delivered by pharmacies as in the previous year.
Children had a separate vaccination clinic with a better uptake than previous year. The clinic was a bit busy because of form filling but the Surgery will learn from this for this year.
There had been minimal queues at the adult flu vaccination clinics but the number of cars was too high for the car park and parking in the lane had prevented an ambulance from attending a patient at the clinic. It was suggested that parking on flu clinic days could be marshalled, possibly by PRG members and that St Georges could be approached to allow parking in their car park on those days. / JL
5 / Queuing time to book appointment by phone
A patient had complained to the PRG that it can take up to an hour to get through to book an appointment by phone and requested that the booking system be reviewed.
JL explained that there are 7 staff members answering the phones it's just volume of patients phoning at the same time to get an appointment on the day. Dr Bakers practice open the lines again at 1pm for afternoon appointments. There is also the alternative to book appointments online as on the day appointments are released at 8:00 to book both by telephone and online. Dr L said they continually reviewing good practice and look at alternatives to help the situation.
As the surgery cannot do anything more to reduce the queuing time this item was closed.
There are 2 new evening. Surgeries opened Audley Mills and Hawkesbury Road Canvey open 7-9pm until the end of March
The fact that patients are not going to queue on the telephone to cancel appointments is being looked at with possibly having a dedicated mobile number which could be used just for cancelling appointments.
AMG raised the issue of patients arriving before 8am when there is early surgery and going to reception to jump the queue of patients queuing for an appointment. Dr L assured this is not a regular occurrence and they would not be seen before 8am
6 / Alternative appointments to seeing a GP
Dr M opened discussion on provision of appointments with health care professionals other than GPs. There are practice nurses health care assistant and we are going to have a pharmacist on site in the future.
The problem is how to inform patients so they can book the most appropriate appointment for their condition. Patients are reluctant to discuss any health issues with a receptionist and this needs to change. It was suggested that a mail shot could go out to all patients but it was decided that this would be too expensive. Other suggestions were:- to put a message on the phone line and website, notices in the surgery including a simple flow chart, local press, Benfleet bulletin and a poster. It was decided that it was not appropriate to put notification in the press but the idea of a poster and perhaps a volunteer talking to patients when they visit the surgery could be taken forward.
It was also pointed out that the number of posters on the surgery notice boards made it difficult to identify new information and that this key information on alternative appointments needed to be more obvious. JL agreed to look at this / JL
6 / Feedback from CP&R CRG and CP&R Primary Care Co-Commissioning Group
CK had attended CP&R CRG meeting in January as a patient representative of Rushbottom Lane Surgery. She also attended CP&R Primary Care Co-Commissioning Group January meeting which is a monthly meeting which is open to the public to attend.
The following was noted from CP&R CRG:-
·  a presentation from CAVS (Castlepoint Association of Voluntary Services) on their “Ways to Wellness” scheme (see attachment). The scheme has the ultimate aim of enhancing patients well being and to reduce the need for patients to be referred to hospital services therefore CK asked that the service should be promoted within the Surgery clinical staff. JL agreed to contact CAVS to initially come in for a meeting to see how they could get their scheme working for our patients.
CK suggested that perhaps CAVS could have a monthly meeting at the surgery because the patient would already feel comfortable in this environment? Dr L thought it was a good idea but the surgery is not designed for a such a meeting and suggested the library or St Georges.
·  A presentation had been given on the Macmillan Information & Support Centre based at Southend Hospital. This service supported both patients and carers providing help and information on how cancer impacted on their lives. Dr L praised the service.
·  CCG are running a campaign to ask patients help reduce costs to NHS by making small changes for example buying cheap medicines like paracetamol rather than request on prescription. / JL
7 / Review/update PRG constitution.
Dr Masud to be added to the constitution for Dr Bakers practice. / CK
8 / Discuss the work of the PRG
It was recognised that the PRG should try to recruit younger patients into the group to give a broader patient representation.
It was discussed as to whether the PRG should have a presence on Facebook or Twitter to appeal to younger patients but this was rejected as not appropriate or practical.
As there are many changes occurring in the local health economy CK questioned whether the PRG should meeting bi-monthly rather than quarterly. JL agreed to discuss with the GPs.
Postscript – the outcome of the discussion was that the GPs and JL could only attend quarterly meetings but the Surgery would allow PRG to meet in the upstairs waiting room if we required interim meetings.
There was insufficient time to fully discuss this agenda item and it will be carried forward to the next meeting. / JL
7 / Future Agenda Items.
·  How do we know as a Group we are doing an outstanding job?
·  How do we know we reflect the views of the practice patients generally?
·  How do we help best outcomes for practice patients?
·  What do we do to influence the local proposed hub and the other initiatives?
·  Using a PRG member to talk to patients when they visit the surgery regarding the availability of healthcare professionals other than GPs. / CK
8 / Next meeting.
Date was not fixed at the PRG meeting due to decision needed on item 8.
Postscript we will continue to meet with Surgery representatives quarterly, alternating Tuesdays and Thursdays the next meeting will be Tuesday 4th April which should avoid clashed with school holidays. Minute taker Roy Sainsbury.

Abbreviations:

AMG: A member of the Patient Reference Group

PRG: Patients Reference Group

CP&R: Castlepoint and Rochford

CRG: Clinical Reference Group

CAVS: Castlepoint Association of Voluntary Services