MINUTES OF PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP MEETING HELD AT THE LEEDS ROAD SURGERY ON THURSDAY 15th SEPTEMBER 2011

Present:Mr Malcolm Wailes(Chairman)MW

Mrs Deborah Trantor (Secretary)DT

Mrs Ann Olesqui-MeadusAOM

Mr Charles WhyteCW

Mrs Jennifer Stacey (HUBY)JS Mr Andrew King (Practice Manager) AK

Apologies:Mrs Stephanie Vorce-WalkerSVW

Mrs Ann MorrisAM

1.Opening statement

Mr King welcomed all to the meeting and especially the new members to the group Mrs Jennifer Stacey who has kindly agreed to be our Huby and surrounding area representative.

2.Minutes of last meeting

Minutes of previous meeting were reviewed and accepted as a reflection of events.

3.Practice Survey

The group discussed the outcomes of the recently organised practice survey and compared the results to the national survey and also against other local practice results. The survey was completed by 241 patients and the outcomes were equally comparable across the board but various areas were identified for development and focus. These areas are:

Short term:

  1. Advising patients clearly what services we offer as the survey shows there is confusion.
  2. Better publicity of opening hours and Out of Hours Contacts
  3. Better publicising of the ability to book appointments online.
  4. Notice in newsletter to inform patients of the appropriate use Duty Doctor and Telephone Doctor Clinics

All these are to be achieved by the practice reviewing and reducing the number of notices around reception where possible and at the front door. All new patients registering are to be advised of the online service.

The publicising of opening hours on website, appointment cards, newsletters and at front doors of all surgeries to be a priority. These notices should be clearly visible and prominent but not in a manner that can overload the patient with information.

Informative articles of patient information in relation to use of Duty Doctor and Telephone clinics to reduce the current trend for misuse by a minority and thereby enabling the more urgent cases to be seen in a safe and timely manner.

Medium Term

  1. Review the procedure that we inform patients of results and compare to Moss and Partners who obtained a higher satisfaction in this area.
  2. Identify what areas can be improved upon in the contact with receptionist area. Identify whether the lower satisfaction response is due to face to face or telephone contact with the receptionist. It should be highlighted that the reception score across all local practices were equally comparable and there was very little difference. Due to the nature of their role there will always be a element of negativity. Receptionists do not make clinical decisions but manage patient requests on various matters called upon. They must seek information for clinicians, in order that decisions can be made promptly and in a clinically appropriate manner. Receptionists should be supported in there role through refresher training in customer services, telephone manner, conflict resolution and disability awareness an area that the Practice Manager will look into.
  3. A short survey of our virtual patient group will be conducted in order to ascertain the wishes of our patients in regards to extended hour services. This survey to be carried out after Xmas.
  4. Any future survey that records patients views on waiting times in the future should ensure that it does not reflect those patients who are waiting for the Duty Doctor which is a sit and wait clinic due to the complexities that can arise from urgent need.

Long Term

  1. Various issues came out of the survey in regards to the layout of reception. Many patients were concerned that they could be overheard when discussing personal information. A notice is on reception that if patients require to discuss personal issues to please inform the receptionist.
  2. Secondary to this was the fact when the characteristics of those who took part in the survey it was identified that 1 in 10 had hearing difficulties. The layout of reception is the only way that this could perhaps be improved upon which would be looked at closely should the practice undertake any refurbishment in the future. Other areas to address was the reception for counter height for patients in wheelchairs and the inability to have appropriate face to face contact with the receptionist

Summary of Patient Survey

It was noticed and discussed that overall the practice give a high standard of service and all staff should be commended upon this given the high pressures upon all staff.

Particular areas include the high score given in regards to clinical feedback from Doctors and nurses to patients and also the high percentage of patients that have identified care plans compared to other practices.

4.Huby – The inability to provide surgeries at Huby was discussed due to the limited confidentiality that was available when consulting at the hall. Mrs Stacey commented upon that the Methodist Hall may have a room that could be used if deemed suitable. AK discussed what Spofforth had managed to achieve nearly 4 years ago in raising funds from the local community and converting an area of the village hall to provide a consulting suite and assured to investigate the possibility a drop off for patient medications weekly perhaps

5.NICE Hypertension guidelines – The content of the recently updated Hypertension guidelines in regards to ambulatory Blood Pressure Machines was discussed. AK pointed out that at present no route of financing the equipment had been identified by the PCT. AK to update at next meeting and possibly discuss whether any fundraising could take place to obtain this equipment.

AOB

AK stated that he would pursue the possibility of recruiting a representative for the group from the Spofforth area as discussed with the village council on Tuesday nights meeting

Next Meeting:Thursday 1st December 2011

Andrew King

Practice Business Manager

16th September 2011