Meeting of the Patient Participation Group Agenda Thursday 8 March 2018 at 10 00am

Pre-meeting with PPG members only at 9 30

10 00 joined by North House Practice Manager Denise Simpson

Welcome by Chairman Peter Irving

  1. Attendees: Peter Irving (Chairman) Jean Cowing, Janet Charlton, Margaret Donald, Ann Hewins, John Proud, Liz Straughan. Lynn Blair
  2. Introductions none were considered necessary as everyone was aware
  3. Apologies for absence: Margaret Buddin, Brewis Henderson, Ken Laverick, Sandra and David Brumwell, Maureen Petty
  4. Minutes of the meeting held on 18 January 2018 were agreed as a true copy apart from the fact that John Proud was shown as being present when he was not. The minutes will be revised to reflect this change.
  5. Matters Arising not covered on the Agenda
  6. Feedback from Brewis Henderson from a meeting held on 22 February, in Sedgefield. The meeting was attended by Surgery representatives from Durham Dales, Sedgefield and Easington.
  7. Action sheet: Holding an evening PPG once a year amend to being once a year in the constitution at the AGM.

Nurse appointments: There have been some issues relating to the appointments. There have been appointments for cervical smears with a health care assistant (HCA) which the HCA is not trained to do. There is a list of what can be undertaken by different nursing staff and the appointments booked appropriately.

Doctor appointments: these have been removed from on line appointments, the surgery has not received adverse feedback however there have been complaints.

The notice on the intranet site the PPG felt were dictatorial and unhelpful. Denise confirmed that she will take this back to the staff.

Public awareness notices for example prostate cancer PSA test. A discussion took place as to false readings etc.

White Board is still being actioned, chairs have been altered

Complaints: none that can be brought to the attention of the PPG; clinical complaints do not come to the PPG.

Dr Hardman had requested more posters re minor ailments and Denise produced these. They will be displayed in the surgeries. It should be emphasised that there are certain medications such as calpol for children, if registered with a GP, which is available free at a pharmacist without having to go through the GP.

Thanks to Ann who produced the newsletter which has been circulated. It was requested that this be displayed on the website and copies printed for the surgery.

Home visits: the question was raised as to feedback that a home visit be refused. Denise said that home visits go through a triage system and that this is the process. Feedback was that a home visit was requested and refused. Eventually the patient came to the surgery and was vomiting in the surgery. Denise talked through the rationale as when an individual requested an appointment and there was none available. Normally a patient who cannot gain an appointment goes onto a triage list for the GP to ring them later and to have a discussion as to whether a home visit is necessary.

Jeremy Hunt raised the issue of Drs being penalised for referrals to hospitals. Denise this has been ongoing for a long time, years and said that North House Surgery is a high referral surgery. Cancer figures are kept out of the numbers.

Hip referrals are now on a list of accountability as to when referrals take place. Certain referrals go through a triage referral process. A discussion took place as to mental health referrals. Still have Counselling services available at the Surgery.

Notice has been served on the Contract for physiotherapy services contract. This will be dealt with on a hub basis they will move into a tender process. Whoever wins the contract will align the services. Everything is very much up in the air until the contract is awarded. The PPG have trust and confidence in the North House Surgery Practice that they will remonstrate on behalf of the patients to have the service continue as it now is: The PPG totally supports this.

Mobile MRI scan at Bishop Auckland Football Club: Denise was not aware of this however this may be a mobile unit a lot of people have choice as to where they attend.

Men’s Health checks. There are none undertaken as a matter of course.

Over 80 year olds: there is no requirement to see a patient once a month.

Men’s Health: there is no process

There is a process for NHS Health Check within a certain age group, specific health conditions are excluded. These are undertaken automatically.On the NHS website over 40 and under 74 and be invited once every 5 years, if you have not been invited should contact GP.

  1. Feedback from the Surgery:

Denise provided feedback. Care navigation where the reception staff triage now, input the data onto a computer, log in advise what been told and recording what is done, also put on the system that a patient has declined care navigation. Recorded and monitored by CCG. This is something North House Surgery do to triage. This is a whole DDES wide process. There has been feedback from a North Ormsby surgery that this works well. The PPG have concerns as to how this will impact on patient care.

MJOG messenger service in operation so will be texts from this service and allow a patient to cancel. The spelling must be the exact wording, and follow what is in the text. This will be monitored to see if they affect the DNAs.

Smoking cessation sessions have been sent to individuals to book into the surgery for a smoking cessation session.

Also, a text asking patients if they smoke yes or no.

This facility does a lot more.

The phone number sent by the surgery does not have a number the no number is used for confidentiality purposes.

There are new flu vaccinations coming out in September and we will promote this.

  1. Planning for the Open Day: how treatments can be accessed and with whom. HCA, ANP:photographs etc.: who does what:

Primary Care Navigation to be rolled out in May. Ask Brewis to invite someone from CCG to come to the Open Day.

Recording of new telephone numbers so that text can be sent: Slips of paper for individuals to complete with their new mobile telephone numbers.

DNAs something to be done to promote the numbers

Promote the services of Wellbeing for Life and invite them to come along on the day.

Bowel Cancer awareness promotion of the facility- information sheets

Aortic aneurism screening promotion/ awareness-information sheets

Pharmacies Invited at different slots. Peter to have letters for personal invites with time slots.

A general survey with a broad overview to the surgery on to complete. survey on the services at North House Surgery, please call in and collect a form to complete.

  1. Planning for the AGM This will be 3 30 until 4 00. Notices on the day. Documentation
  2. Round the table feedback- there was insufficient for the round the table feedback. Ann said that there had been positive feedback on Crook Past and Present.
  3. Date and time of the next meetingDates for the next meetings, 3 May at 9 30 am, 12 June (open day + AGM) 12 July at 9 30 (feedback from open day)
  4. Date and time of the Open Day Tuesday 12 June from 8 00am throughout the day
  5. Date and time of the AGM Tuesday 12 June 2018 3 30 pm