CLEVEDON MEDICAL CENTRE
PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP
minutes of meeting 30 July 2012

Attendees:

Valerie Lush (VL) / The Green Practice
Martin Hime (MHi) - Chair / Clevedon Riverside Group
Mo Griffiths (MG) / The Green Practice
Jennie Briscoe (JB) / Clevedon Riverside Group
Matt Hoghton (MHo) / Clevedon Riverside Group
Nina Tilton (NT) / The Green Practice
Karen Hathway (KH) / The Green Practice
Karl Quick (KQ) / The Green Practice
Roy Davies (RD) / The Green Practice

Apologies: Mary Mold (Clevedon Riverside Group) and Julie Davidson (Clevedon Riverside Group)

Introductions
New members were welcomed and introductions made.MH explained that a couple of residents from learning difficulties homes have expressed an interest in joining the group. Although they have not arrived this evening we hope that they will be able to join in future meetings.
Any Other Business
None identified.

Minutes of previous meeting

Minutes of the last meeting were distributed with the agenda and approved.
Agenda

Our published agenda for the evening included survey action plans, MHi’s paper on how to take the PRG forward and developing a virtual e-mail PRG. As these items are related the debate became more general rather than structured under specific items.
Most members had been able to review MHi’s paper (which used the National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP) as a reference source) and the survey action plans which had been sent out with the agenda.
We recognised that being a small group at the moment there is a lot to tackle but we have made a good start.
MH and KH confirmed that the two practices are committed to supporting and working with one PRG for the Medical Centre.
MG reminded us that the current e-mail doesn’t work properly and it is essential that the PRG can communicate with each other. Communication will be essential but we recognised that we need to be clear about what the group aims to achieve before we can promote it to the community at large.
Members had taken a huge interest in the recent announcement that the new build of Clevedon Cottage Hospital (CCH) will not go ahead as planned. The reaction was one of dismay and concern about the implications for the community especially as local press coverage had not highlighted that potentially there will be no in-patient beds.

MH advised that GPs in both practices are dismayed at the news.
VL pointed out that the CCG newsletter suggested that the decision may be reviewed in 2015/2017 but based on past experience MHi was not optimistic.
Communication
From the discussion a number of priorities around communication emerged:

  • PRG needs to communicate with patients/advertise.
  • Be a conduit to communicate the impact of NHS decisions on the local community – e.g. CCH developments – where the PRG can be a link between commissioners and community.
  • Be a facilitator of improving communication between patients and practice clinicians and managers to improve access/service.
  • Make more use of the website to host feedback/blog sections or to encourage feedback on specific questions such as Have you a view on using e-mail to communicate with the practice?; Have you a view on the CCH announcement?; How can access via e-mail or telephone be improved?

Links with local communities
Members observed that it would be sensible to start with understanding what Groups are working in our community. The library and supermarket notice boards may be a good starting place.
RD observed his surprise that there is not an active diabetes support group in Clevedon unlike Portishead and Nailsea.
This list was identified as a starting point:

  • The Barn
  • Bereavement group
  • Lions
  • CCH League of Friends
  • Chronic disease groups
  • Breathe Easy
  • Hearing Impaired
  • Slimming Groups

This led into a suggestion that representatives from these and other groups could be invited to give a brief talk at future meetings. We can also hold themed ‘open sessions’ on subjects such as weight loss, diabetes, exercise and out of hours/MIU/NHS direct. These could be advertised locally and we could run these as a town initiative.

Actions from meeting
1) Investigate options for meeting on announcement about CCH.
MHi to invite Mary Backhouse, Designate Accountable Officer of NS Clinical Commissioning Group to a meeting. Also, to liaise with Sunnyside PRG and the hospital league of friends.

2) Investigate options for using the web-site for more patient/PRG interaction.
NT to action.
3) Invite BRISDOC to future meeting
NT to action.
4) PRG members to swap e-mail addresses

NT to pass member e-mail addresses which were collected at the meeting to MHi.
Next Meeting
Monday 29 October 2012 6-7 pm Clevedon Medical Centre Brecon Meeting Room