Introduction - Purpose of the Group

Annual report to the Patient Group – March 2013.

Introduction - Purpose of the Group

Patient participation is based on the mutual interest of, and trust between primary care staff and the patients of the practice. The patient’s needs, wishes and aspirations should be at the heart of primary care services. The practice agreed to form the group as an enhanced service to help to ensure that patients were involved in the decisions about the range and quality of services provided by the practice. Patient participation is a format that encourages people to engage with the NHS at the same time as engaging in their own health care. The group can provide practical support for the practice and can contribute to the continuous improvement of services. Dr Taylor is the nominated GP who will lead the group but all other GPs and staff are invited to attend meetings so that a cross exchange of perspectives can take place.

Aims and objectives of the group

Aims

To participate in the health improvement of the local population

To encourage patients to engage in their own healthcare

Objectives

To have knowledge on issues that impact on health

Being a Signpost to other services

Sharing experience and feeding back

Identifying areas with scope for improvement

Highlighting excellence

Turning Knowledge into action

Supporting change

Brining peers together for mutual encouragement

Promoting self-management

Linking into the community

Working with practice personnel to enable this

PG and PRG what’s the difference?

The Patient Group (PG) is agroup of active patients (between 10-15 people), who will be supported by the practice to advise on service provision, design and or change. They are asked to provide their views alongside those of the wider practice population in agreeing priorities for the practice or its patients to action. They are advocates of the practice but also viewed as ‘critical friends’ and their views are considered and incorporated not just in service delivery within the practice but also out into the wider health economy.

The Patient Reference Group (PRG) is a much wider sample which largely represents the practice population and they have given their consent for us to send surveys to and provide responses. This group is expected to be at least 100 and at the time of writing, has 76 members.

Communication

Much of the correspondence with both groups will be via email and over the internet using the practice’s Website. However, to ensure inclusion, paper copies of notices, surveys and reports will be available for patients who do not have access to computers. Where possible, quarterly meetings have been arranged to facilitate the smaller group discussion as agreed by the group in its constitution at the AGM in Sept 2012

Update on the story so far

Seascale Health centre has always been keen to engage with its patients but this initiative has helped us to extend this. The WellWellWell newsletter produced by Dr Illsley each month is a popular way of communicating and the newsletter promotes Health and Wellbeing and advocates self care; it is well received by patients. The practice issues 1000s of copies in paper form each month and the publication has just celebrated its 156th issue and 13thyear anniversary. The newsletter is available for patients to share information from the Community and can also be accessed via the practice website, as well as being sent to patients via email. We currently have 290 electronic newsletter subscribers. The practice website continues to support online communication and is updated frequently. The online facilities allow you to order repeat medication (and over 800 repeat requests come in this way each month). You can update your clinical information like smoking, alcohol, height, weight etc. You can register with the practice, request a telephone consultation, update your home address, mobile tel. number etc. You can send in your travel questionnaire prior to your holiday if you need vaccinations or information. There is also information about minor illness, local carers’ information and anything ‘topical’ such as Flu clinics will be advertised here.

The group is now establishing itself as another means of more detailed engagement. During the year, the practice had a shortage of GPs and appointments and was forced at short notice to make a significant change to the appointment system. Although this had been under review and the survey results were used to support the change, mixed reviews of the change are apparent. The group were advised of the reasons for the short notice implementation and expressed concern that they were unable to support its introduction as well as they may have been if involved in more detail. This was addressed and all notes of meetings can be found on the practice website.

Attracting new members

All new patients are invited to join the group when they register and we also target specific patient groups’ i.e. young parents through our Health Visitor and Midwife along with opening up membership to advocates of certain groups i.e. carers, young people and school age children.

Opening times

Seascale Opening TimesBootle Opening Times

Times / Morning / Afternoon
Monday / 08:00 - 18:00 / Monday / 09:00 - 12:30 / closed
Tuesday / 08:00 - 18:00 / Tuesday / 09:00 - 12:30 / closed
Wednesday / 08:00 - 18:00 / Wednesday / 09:00 - 12:30 / closed
Thursday / 08:00 - 18:00 / Thursday / 09:00 - 12:30 / 16:00 - 18:00
Friday / 08:00 - 18:00 / Friday / 09:00 - 12:30 / closed
Weekend / closed / Weekend / closed / closed

Both Seascale Health Centre and Bootle will be closed for half a day each month for staff training. These dates are posted on the front door, advertised on the website and in the monthly patient newsletter ‘WellWellWell’.

Drs Rotas

Seascale and Bootle Surgery – Usual Drs Rota – from Jan 2013

(This is the standard working week outside holidays, study leave, sickness etc.)

Illsley / Jay / Carhart / Sowton / Rudman / Taylor
Mon am / Seascale / Seascale / Bootle / Seascale / Seascale
Mon pm / Seascale / Seascale / Normally training / Seascale / Seascale
Tues am / Seascale / Seascale / Bootle / Seascale
alternate wks
Tues pm / Seascale / Seascale / Seascale
Wed am / Seascale / Bootle / Seascale
Wed pm / Seascale / Seascale / Seascale
Thurs am / Seascale / Seascale
alternate wks / Seascale / Bootle
Thurs pm / Seascale / Seascale / Seascale
alternate wks
Fri am / Bootle / Seascale / Seascale
Fri pm / Seascale / Seascale

How to make appointments,

Urgent cases continue to be seen on the day.If your condition is non-urgent, you can expect to see a GP within two working days, although you may have to wait longer if you want to see a particular GP. Please note most of our GPs work part-time so there will be days when your GP of choice does not work and you may be offered another GP.If you require an appointment with a GP, you may be asked for details of the nature of the problem and the GP will ring you to see if they can help over the telephone. They will book an appointment with you at an appropriate time and they can arrange any tests first (if needed). We have appointments with specialist nurses for most chronic diseases and these are booked up to 6 weeks in advance. Pre-booking is also possible for appointments with the nurses in the treatment room for routine blood tests, dressings, travel advice and vaccinations along with health promotion screening and advice. As a minor injury centre, patients can be treated for many simple injuries but all suspected fractures will need to go to A&E as we don’t have x-ray facilities on site.

Telephone consultations, access test results etc

To speak to a doctor by telephone, e.g. to obtain test results, this can be done in two ways. Either please ring reception as normal and they will arrange a time with you for the doctor to call you back. Alternatively, you can arrange a Telephone consultation over the practice website, specifying a period when most suitable and with a clinician of your choice. We encourage patients to use this facility as it could be advantageous for patients living in isolated areas where a visit to the practice is difficult. The more consultations that are carried out over the telephone, this will alloweach doctor to increase the number of patients they deal with in each session.

Annual Update on Actions since the last report

You said / We did – Aug 2012 / Update at Feb 2013
Our car parking should be improved….. / We have investigated alternative parking for members of staff enabling us to free up parking space for our patients / We have agreed with the local church to allow staff to park during the day therefore releasing more spaces for patients
Our complaints system didn’t provide enough opportunity for people to complain confidentially... / Advised patients to ask for the practice complaints procedure or to speak with the Practice Manager, direct dial 019467 78220
Advised you to send comments via the practice website
Provided a suggestions box for you to place your comments in / Reissued complaints procedure to Reception staff. Created a new patient leaflet which is also enclosed in new patient packs when patients register
Comments regularly received now via website and responded to individually
Our new waiting room and Dispensary areas were not confidential…. / Encouraged receptionists to take calls in the back office.
Altered the telephone system to enable this.
Asked patients to move to the glass hatch to speak to the Receptionist privately.
Asked patients to close the door when speaking to the dispensary staff.
Designated seating especially for Dispensary patients / Provided headsets for Telephone users so they can now move away from the front desk.
We should provide more advice to prevent illness and obesity…. / We have a nurse trained as a Community Health Champion who is able to support with diet, exercise and a healthy living plan.
All clinic nurses provide advice and guidance for healthy life styles
Introduced a health screening service for over 75s and hard to reach patients / We now have the local gym providing Exercise on Referral system from the practice.
Latest report from Exercise on Referral for Practice patients

All known smokers have been offered Stop Smoking support either by telephone contact or in appointments in surgery
Our time keeping could be better…. / Unfortunately we have to attend to emergencies and as a minor injury centre we do have to fit in urgent cases when they arrive. It is very difficult to predict the number of visits required each day so occasionally you may have to wait. Waiting times will be reviewed to see if there are any patterns or particular times when this occurs.
Our appointment system was confusing….. / Blocked out half of the appointments for each session to allow patients to book an appointment on the day.
We have provided the option to pre-book telephone consultations online.
Encouraged patients to have telephone consultations with Dr’s. / The practice switched to Telephone Triage by GPs in Dec 2012 in attempt to reach more patients and ensure appointments were based on clinical need not just patient preference

Virtual Patient Reference Group - Distribution Details

The patient group comprises 76 membersat end of March 2013

Attendance

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Gender

Ethnicity

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Age

Usual Surgery

Appointments Survey Aug 2012- Results

Number of Responses: 102

Dear Patient,

Many thanks for agreeing to take this short survey to help our practice understand how our appointment system can be improved, if at all.

Please answer all of the questions and click Send when you are done.

Q1: How easy was it to get an appointment for the time you wanted?

Not very easy11%Fairly easy38%Very easy49%No response2%

Q2: Were you able to see the GP you wanted to see?

No16% Did not want specific GP28% Yes52% No response4%

Q3: How easy was it to get an appointment with the GP you wanted to see?

Not very easy15%Fairly easy39%Very easy36% No response10%

Q4: How important is it to you that you see a specific GP when coming to this practice?

Prefer not to say3%Not at all important18%Fairly important45% Very important30%

No response4%

Q5: How well do you know which days of the week your preferred GP is available?

Very well15%Quite well38%Not at all well22%Not very well19%

No response6%

Q6: Would you use Internet/online booking for appointments if introduced?

No37%Yes61%No response2%

Q7: If you request to contact a GP on the day and all appointments for the day are booked, would you prefer a telephone consultation or to wait for an appointment at the end of surgery?

Tel consultation with GP39%Wait at end of surgery47%No response14%

Survey Responses were provided by:

Male26%Female65%No response9%

What age are you?

Under 160%17 - 245%25 - 341% 35 - 4410%

45 - 5411%55 - 6415%65 - 7428% 75 - 8418%

Over 841%No response11%

How would you describe how often you come to the practice?

Regularly33%Occasionally49%Very Rarely10% No response8%

Thank you for your time in answering the questions on this survey. Results will be published and reviewed by the Patient Group and the Practice