FOREST ROAD PATIENT GROUP

Notes from Meeting Held 21 February 2017

Patient Representatives:Practice Representatives:

Joan OsborneJanice Downing

Rasheed KhanJo Packwood

Dino Fernandez

Joan Ellis

Doris Subic

Linda Thomas

David Thomas

Marion Baker

Dolores Avey

Joan Stephenson

Linda Dadd

Jim Swaby

Apologies - Val Mitchison

Welcome - JD welcomed everyone

Minutes of Previous Meeting - Agreed

Matters Arising

  • Telephone calls to Enfield Council - JD reported that Kate Osamor had made representation, on our behalf, to Enfield Council, about the telephone system. The response she had received was circulated. In summary, a new telephone system is planned for this year and they will offer vulnerable customers communication channels via the telephone rather than on the internet
  • Invitation to MP and local Councillor – ongoing
  • Do A & E visits come out of GP budget? - No
  • Who pays for 999 calls? - can’t get an answer
  • Charge to patients who DNA - JD to discuss with VM

Carers Event

  • Date 6 March - JD presented the posters, fliers and said that we will be offering health checks for carers, by appointment, on the day of the event. A representative from Enfield Carers will be in attendance and one of our Carers Champions
  • The Carers Champions have now had their training and have visited the Enfield Carers Centre
  • JD has been unsuccessful trying to contact the Carers Champion at Keats House via email. Linda and Jo offered to help with this

Draft Annual Report

JD circulated copies and organised small groups to discuss it and to come up with ideas for:

  1. A priority subject for the coming year
  2. A topic for a survey
  3. An event in the waiting room

The Patient Group is very dissatisfied with access. They have difficulty getting through on the telephone to be told there are no appointments. They then have to queue early in the morning outside and make a dash to Reception when the door opens to hopefully get an appointment. This means the fit and able get there first. We agreed this is totally unacceptable in 2017, it is like going back 50 years when there were no appointment systems and patients were seen in the order they arrived. This is causing a lot of distress to patients.

One group suggested that the same percentage of online appointments should be available to equal the percentage of users.

The Group is angry about DNA’s and feel strongly that there should be a consequence to people who offend.

The Group is concerned about the cost of interpreters to the practice and would like this to be discussed and some changes made.

JD will discuss these points with Val Mitchison and report back at the next meeting.

It was agreed to do a general survey to include access, telephones, DNA, online access and use of interpreters. JD to agree with VM.

For the coming year the Patient Group agreed to promote Exercise and work towards a presentation in the waiting room later in the year.

Any Other Business

There was no other business.

Date of Next Meeting - 21 March 2017 at 1 pm. There will be a speaker from Age UK and JD will invite members of Boundary House Surgery Patient Group to attend too.

JD/22/02/17