Minutes - Patient Reference Group Meeting

Thursday 21st January 2016at 1pm

Apologies: Jean Robinson

Attended by: Gillian Troughton, Sue Hunter, Louise Marley, Crystal Branthwaite & Kirsty Morley

Agenda items

(1)Dispensary Q&A with Crystal Branthwaite, Medicines Manager / Dispensary items discussed
  • Benefits of having a dispensary in practice
  • Dispensary opening times 9am – 6pm Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri. 9am – 1pm on Thursdays
  • Telephone ordering line open from 10am – 1pm Monday – Friday
  • Online repeat prescription ordering available via registering for patient access. This can be done by requesting a form from reception.
  • Dispensary team – Roles, experience, who does what, apprentices and the progression from apprentice to staff.
  • Crystal’s role as Medicines Manager, Medicines Optimization role.
  • 3 Drop off points for medication – Pica, Arlecdon and Low Moresby. Patients can have their medication delivered to drop off point of their choice however this must be stated when ordering.
Questions raised
  • Medication review date on prescription – what does this mean? It is the date your medication needs to be reviewed by a doctor or via dispensary.
  • The dispensary manager had recently been absent and the group asked how this had gone and if anything had arisen that Crystal felt could be positively changed for the future, such as processes etc? Crystal discussed how well the team had pulled together during this period and felt there hadn’t been anything she felt needed to be changed.
  • The group asked how many people use the online ordering system for repeat prescriptions and how many are received in this manner each week/month etc. – Kirsty to look into this.

(2)Staffing /
  • Marnie Latham – Following our previous apprentice Rachel Cunningham leaving the practice in September to begin working towards a slight change of career from business and administration in practice to nursing, new business and administration apprentice Marnie started with us in October 2015. Marnie is working with us alongside Lakes College for 12 months looking to achieve an NVQ level 2 Qualification, based between the reception and admin departments at the surgery.
  • GP Reg Dr Yasin – Yasin leaves the practice on 2nd Feb 2016 after spending the last 18 months of his training as a GP with us.
  • GP Reg Dr Walah Sabiah will spend another 6 months full time with us until Aug 2016. This leaves us with just one GP reg at the practice due to a shortage of GP reg’s in the area.
  • Sickness absence – Both the Practice Manager Kerri Hunter and Dispensary Manager Maxine Tyson have been absent due to illness since the last PPG meeting. Discussed how this had been covered in practice and how well everyone had worked together.

(3)Current matters/issues arising in practice /
  • Decorating – Over a weekend in early Janaury 2016 the surgery was re-decorated.
  • Hand rail – A hand rail is to be erected outside at the end of January for safety reasons.
  • Disabled bays – Identified that some disabled bays outside the surgery would be very useful but some difficulties when the practice had contacted the highways department in arranging this – Gillian agreed to chase up
  • Emergency lighting – Some area’s within the practice were highlighted as lacking the provision of emergency lighting and so this has been fully rectified.

(4)Quality outcomes framework (QOF) / QOF is a voluntary annual reward and incentive scheme programme for GP practices. Targets are set regarding the care of patients and points allocated with a financial equivalent. The practice then works towards achieving these targets over a 12 month period. Discussed that this is part of Kirsty role as Patient Liaison Co-ordinator to track this information alongside Practice Manager Kerri Hunter to ensure these targets are met, and filter this information to the clinicians.
(5)Minimum wage/Living wage / Discussed upcoming changes to the minimum wage and the living wage and the impact this may have on the practice.
(6)CQC update / CQC were back in the area over January 2016 however Distington is not be visited during this round of inspections, however an inspection is expected imminently.
(7)Patient Access / Practice Manager Kerri Hunter would like to discuss the patient access to records changes with the group before they happen at the end of March 2016 and so the date of the next meeting was arranged for Thursday 25th Feb 2016 at 1pm
(8)Who else would the PPG like to see at our meetings? / Following Medicines Manager Crystal Branthwaite attending todays meeting the group were asked if there was anyone else or a particular department they would like someone to attend a future meeting to give insight into how the practice operates – the group asked if possible for someone to attend from reception, a GP reg and a nurse. Kirsty to arrange accordingly.
(9)AOB / £500 donated to the practice by the Benn family. Gillian Troughton raised that this amount could be match funded in order to purchase a community defibrillator. Kirsty to speak to the partners about this.
(10)Date and time of next meeting / Thursday 25th February 1pm.