Beech House Surgery
Patient Participation Group
Minutes for ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Wednesday 27thSeptember 2017 at 6.30pm
Present:
Adrian Oates (Chair)
John Foster
Diane Smith
Neil McLoughlin
Grace Houldershaw
David Spencer
Mike Harrison (Secretary)
Apologies:
Rachel Turnbull
Helen Clothier
Liz Wilson
Dr Marfell
Gerry Huyts
Item / Detail / Action by1
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5
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7 / Welcome:
Notices of the Meeting with open invitations to all patients to attend or raise questions were displayed on the Waiting Room PPG notice board, the electronic notice board and the Practice website from 5 September 2017, and an agenda was posted on the PPG notice board from 16 September 2017. There were no responses and no patients attended.
Apologies(see above). Helen provided a note on topics for discussion which was copied to everyone before the meeting.
Chair’s Report for 2016-17 and proposals for year ahead
Adrian reviewed the past activities of the PPG:
- There had been six PPG meetings since the last AGM.
- Meetings followed up on issues raised by the 2016 Patients’ Survey, and, working with the Practice, lead to improvements concerning – availability of appointments, waiting times, reception/triage, communication with patients. Requests for water cooler and Wi-fi in the waiting area were found not practicable; Wi-fi depends on availability of funding.
- Advice for patients about Home Medicine Cabinets was introduced.
- The Practice followed-up on a PPG comment (from Rachel) that the Practice website was not mobile user-friendly.
- Book Sales. From proceeds of £480 (July 2016) the PPG bought five new chairs with arms particularly for use by patients with mobility problems.
- Two PPG members attended Patient Advocate Training provided by HRD clinical commissioning, leading to involvement in other areas which BH is now involved in, namely projects for Extended Access to Health Services and Safer Prescribing for Frailty.
- Patients’ Events. Various possible topics were discussed. In July 2017, over 30 patients came to a presentation on Type 2 Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes. Chrissie Holmes (Diabetes UK) and Dr Ramdeehul made presentations and answered questions. Audience participation was lively, and the event was clearly appreciated.
- No Patient Survey was held in 2016/2017. We discussed different ways of testing patient opinion without finding a workable option. There is no requirement to hold a survey every year.
- Further Patients’ Events will be held on topics of concern.
- Book Sales. The book-stall continues to be well used. The present cash balance is £420.
- We aim to change the format of PPG meetings to allow more time for member contributions and involvement.
John reported.
- Dr Keogh will retire at the end of 2017 after 27 years. Dr Curtis left in August and moved to Kenya. Recruitment is underway. There is good feedback on locums providing sessions.
- Premises: a new boiler was installed in 2017 financed by the Partners. Blinds are being replaced in consultation rooms. Waiting Room was improved by changed layout; children’s area will be changed. Car parking lines to be repainted.
- Students from King James’s School came for a visit and talk. The Surgery took part in the Diabetes UK open day, and the Type 2 prevention seminar. Facilities for visually impaired are reviewed.
- The Practice is involved in Trailblazing for Diabetes prevention. 24 hours ECG facilities introduced. Additional phlebotomy sessions to be introduced from November. Patient Frailty reviews were introduced in the summer.
- A special recognition award was received for the % increase in use of Patient On Line facilities. A new financial system was introduced, and the Dispensary telephone message system was withdrawn for safety and efficiency.
- A special recognition award was received from Leeds University Medical School form best feedback from all surgery practices. 2 students from Tokyo University were hosted for a month. F2 GPs were introduced.
- The Surgery provided additional care and support by ward rounds at 2 local care homes.
- BH is the lead Practice of 4 collaborating with £10k NHS funding to streamline Resilience Support, e.g. on hospital appointment changes. Some Practices are being forced to merge, but BH prefers to work with others in collaboration.
- Some CCG’s are merging, e.g. Harrogate and Hambleton.
- Patient Communication. A newsletter will be introduced through the PPG. The Website format was changed to a more mobile-friendly version. (Rachel’s suggestion.)New channels were introduced – Twitter and Facebook.
MH: position since last AGM.
- October 2016, Maggie Cowman retired, followed by Nina Douglas in January 2017, both after over 5 years since the PPG formally started in September 2011, Nina being Chair for 2½ years from June 2014. Geoff Freeston resigned in January 2017 for personal reasons, having been a member since November 2014 and Treasurer since January 2016. Thanks were expressed to all for their valuable contributions.
- New Members. We have welcomed, in 2016: Adrian (July), Gerry (October) and Rachel (November); in 2017: Helen and Grace (March) and David (June).
- There are now 9 Lay Members, the ladies outnumbering the men by 5 to 4. Our stated aim is always to have a working group of 7 (including 3 the Practice Members). It would be an advantage to have more younger members but the difficulties of finding time from work or home commitments are obvious. The PPG is well provided for new ideas and progress, but Membership is not closed.
Treasurer. After Geoff resigned there was no need to fill the vacancy. The only finance concerns book sale proceeds which are kept and recorded by the Practice. A secure payments box was installed after the small honesty box was stolen, (with not much in it).
Other PPG business
The following topics were open for general discussion:
(1)AGM No Patients. Discussed whether notices posted in Surgery and on Website are sufficient. 7500 patients on the BH Panel. Expensive to mail-shot all, or text to those the Surgery has links to. It is difficult to reach non - or infrequent - surgery visitors. Discuss further.
(2)NHS Consultation on restricted prescribing. The N.A.P.P. asked for PPGs to respond to the “short survey” by 13 October. The questions were far from “short” and involved making specific box-ticks on a wide range of different medications. It was impossible to organize an agreed response to anything on this basis. General feeling that it is an NHS cost-cutting exercise which will go ahead regardless of responses.
(3)Surgery PPG noticeboard.Helen has offered to maintain the Board, with monthly themes, e.g. October “Stoptober” month – alcohol issues, (and Festive period advice on Dr Marfell’s home medicine cabinet!). This will combine with John’s intention to run different themes throughout the year.
(4)Newsletter. Helen has also agreed to run a Newsletter together with John; the first edition to be after this AGM.
(5)Future Events. Success of the Diabetes evening is encouraging for more. Diane explained the scope for such on mindfulness and mental health issues, and she will form a proposal for progressing that. Past discussion has highlighted the delicacy involved in identifying those who might benefit from assistance on this and related topics.
Other possible topics open for suggestion. Adrian suggested diabetes follow-up.
(6)PPG Meetings.
- Agreed that they need to be more open for Members to raise topics and discuss, but evening meetings must have reasonable end time. David said his Bradford PPG had morning meetings at which Practice members were present. That would not be practical at BH.
- Frequency. This is the 3rd meeting in 9 months of 2017. Meetings are supposed to be x 5 p.a. plus AGM. Quarterly meetings are too far apart, especially if members not in contact between. MH suggested social meetings between would help to keep up momentum. Grace felt 6 meetings plus social gatherings would stretch the time commitment of members beyond what they signed-up to.
- To save time, the Practice Report will be sent out in draft before the Meeting with the Agenda.
- Members unable to attend can always reply to the Agenda with views and suggest other topics.
(8)PPG Social gathering fixed for Thursday 19 September, 7 pm at The Mitre, Knaresborough.
Date of Next Meeting:
Wednesday 29 November 2017, 6.30 pm.
Meeting closed at 8.10 pm.
MH. 12 October2017.
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