Minutes of Kingskerswell and Ipplepen Medical Practice
Patient Participation Group
Wednesday 21st October 2015
Held at Ipplepen Health Centre
People in attendance:
Health Centre Patients
Bill BarnesTenna BarrettAnne Budd
Ian CooperLesley HockingPeter Kerr
David MillerWendy ShillabeerSeona Wilson
Health Centre Representatives
Dr Nick D’ArcyGP Partner (Kingskerswell)
Sarah HallPractice Nurse Specialist
Bob HooperGeneral Practice Manager
Sonia CartwrightManagers Assistant & IT Lead
Elaine EmburyPrescription Dispenser
Apologies
Peter Chapman, Katy Clarke, Eric Collar, Ursula Hunt, Lara Cramp-Chopin, Peter Lister, David Ritchie, Imogen Sewell, Tim Wills
1)Approval of last minutes and matters arising
The minutes from the PPG meeting held on 22nd July 2015 were accepted as a correct record.
Matters arising: The Memory Café is open 2-4pm on the 2nd Wednesday of every month.
2)Discussion on patient participation and function and how we might improve this
Brian Mackness commented on howpatient participation and involvement had moved on both nationally and locally since our group was started over 10 years ago. He felt it would be useful to reflect on how our meetings work. Patient Participation Groups were now a requirement of the GP contract and CQC inspectors always ask about patient groups. Most other PPG groups are actually run by the patients. Often they run alongside a virtual group. Emailing the group captures a much wider audience and feedback can be much quicker.
Nick D’Arcy said he is more than happy to hand over chairing the PPG meetings to a patient representative, but equally will happily continue if no one was prepared to put themselves forward.
David Miller said when he was the representative several years back this was discussed and the group agreed to carry on as it was.
Nick D’Arcy asked if the group felt they should be more challenging / probing.
Teena Barrett asked what the members wanted to do? She suggested possibly starting PPG coffee mornings or PPG involvement in helping the surgery with friends & family feedback.
Lesley Hocking commented that, in her opinion, patient views are taken into consideration with Nick D’Arcy in the chair Lesley Hocking & Peter Kerr felt Nick D’Arcy should continue as chair.
Ann Budd felt it was right to consider changing or rotatingthe chairmanship.
Members agreed that prior to the agenda being sent out an email would be sent asking patient representatives if they have any agenda items.
The practice electronic newsletters are also printed as hard copies for patients to pick up in reception. A note will be added to the newsletter advising the newsletter can be circulated to friends and families.
Nick D’Arcy suggested that the virtual PPG should be asked for their views on the articles and possible future topics.
Peter Kerr felt that the group was a good idea, it acted as an advisory group and the more views the practice got from patients must surelyhelp reassure that they have got it right. Younger patients are more likely to get involved if we are electronic.
Teena Barrett said she was happy to help out with developing the virtual group and other roles.
Nick D’Arcy said if anyone would like to discuss this in private please approach him.
3)Practice staffingupdate
GP team: The practice was currently trying to recruit a GP, but this is proving difficult. It was suggested maybe a retired GP would be interested. Unfortunately this is a national problem not just local and GP’s are leaving the profession and not enough are being trained. GP’s are moving abroad, there are no restrictions, if a GP wants to go abroad to work they cannot be stopped. Equally Nurses can do the same. There is a national crisis looming. Junior doctors are about to go strike nationally so relations between the medical profession and the NHS England were not good.
Dr John McCormick & Dr Richard Sanford will be made partners with effect from 1st November 2016.
Medical Admin team: Lyn Riley the medical secretary has handed in her resignation as she is retiring. In the dispensary at Ipplepen Mel Whitehead has resigned as she has a new position working at Totnes Hospital and Jenny Clark has resigned because she has got a job closer to her home.
4)Ipplepen Health Centre - planning application
Nick D’Arcy explained the plans to extend and upgrade Ipplepen Health Centre. The plans would be displayed in the waiting room for patients to see.
Bob had written to neighbours and met with several of them before the plans were submitted to the council for planning approval. Modifications had been made to the plans take on board most of the neighbour’s concerns. .
NHS England was currently insisting the work be completed by the end of March 2016 but this would be impossible and so the practice would be asking for an extension. NHSE had been slow in giving final approval for the scheme.
The plan is to keep Ipplepen open throughout the build but whilst internal reorganisation is taking place things will be difficult. The practice will contact the Village Hall to see if they can spare some parking during the work in progress. The Parish Council was very supportive of the investment in an enlarged and improved Health Centre and their feedback was most useful.
5)CVS meeting of volunteer groups at Kingskerswell
Teignbridge CVS had held a meeting at Kingskerswell designed to draw all community support groups together, much like the village hub had done at Ipplepen. In Kingskerswell there are several support groups and lots of aging community halls but they are not joined up and do not work together.
Brian Mackness had attended the meeting and was approached and asked what happens upstairs at Kingskerswell Health Centre.
The parish council have agreed to do a leaflet drop listing all the halls in the area. Bob recalled being involved years ago with the Village Plan committee and they had tried in vain to get a more joined up approach.
Brian had learned there was good news if you are a gardener as you are bound to live longer!
David Miller said several years ago he felt that Kingskerswell village was quite well organised.
Nick D’Arcy said that when the South Devon Highway was completed this may help the community and open up new opportunities.
6)Newton Abbot Locality PPG/Teignbridge
Teena Barrett goes to other PPGs as part of her Heathwatch remit. She felt three of the Newton Abbot practices were doing well with their patient groups. Devon Square is still trying to set one up. There is a group that is being facilitated by Jo Curtis at the CCG which has representatives from all the local practice PPGs. The group is looking for 3 PPGrepresentatives from each practice to attend the meetings which are held at The Avenue Church. Kingskerswell and Ipplepen has no regular PPG representatives to attend.
7)Possible PPG Open Day?
Sonia had suggested possibly the PPG could host an open day to encourage new members and explain to patients more about the PPG. Teena volunteered to look into this with Sonia. Albany Patient Participation group regularly help in the waiting room with the new surgery self-testing pod and encouraging the completion of Friends and Family survey etc.
8)Patient e-newsletter
The practice sent out e-newsletters to all patients with an email address, the reaction had been good and the initiative had received a lot of positive feedback. The e-newsletter is hoped to go out at least 3 monthly. A hard copy will be printed and copies left in reception for patients to pick up.
9)Seasonal Flu update
Sonia reported that the practice had so far given 2093 adult flu vaccines, but there were 1425 still eligible. 15 children flu vaccines have been given, but several clinics have been booked for the coming weeks and there are 561 children in the eligible group. Since April the practice has given 71 pneumococcal vaccinations and there are 528 patients still eligible. The pneumococcal is now a once in a life time vaccine.
In Torquay practicesworking together had a children flu vaccine event at the Living Coast centre where they vaccinated approximately 200 in one day.
10) Strategic challenges facing the GP practices workload
The population is aging and their health needs are increasing; all GP practices are struggling to cope with demand, telephone calls are taking much longer as there are not enough appointment capacity. All practices locally are reporting the same problems. Practices across the country are starting to look at merging together in order to try and find ways to cope with demand and NHS bureaucracy. The NHS Chief Executive and others have talked about the need for future primary care to be delivered “at scale”and be available from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week. GP practices are still facing major planned cuts to their core budgets and there was a workforce crisis, these pressures were bound to impact on services.
11)Any other business
a)NHS 111 is currently run by SWAST (South West Ambulance NHS Trust), who have started discussions about pulling out of their contract.
b)Living Well Project – Carly Wyman works for Age UK and is currently looking for patients that may benefit from her help
12) Next PPG meeting
The next PPG meeting will be on Wednesday 24th February 2016 at Kingskerswell Health Centre starting at 18:00hrs