Rowlands Gill Medical Centre – Patient Participation Group

Minutes (meeting15)held on Tuesday 29th August2017 at 6.00pm

Present at meeting: Dr Dawson, Angela Laws, Emma Laws, Tom Bryden, Joan Campbell, Simon Musgrove, Kay Parker.

Apologies received from:Tarryn Lake, Pat Davis, Colin Davis, Tracy Dixon, Dr Hellen

  1. Minutes of last meeting 27th June 2017 reviewed(agreed)
  1. International Travel and Transmissible Infection Risk. The practice have not displayed a list of vaccine available as there is currently a national shortage of Hep A and Hep B and this information has been displayed to keep patients informed, the practice will continue to provide updated information through the website and display patient information through the waiting room.
  2. Patients who are on repeat medications are advised when they are down to one weeks medication to request their prescription to allow for the 48 hour processing to be completed, this information has been added to the website and updated in the practice newsletter.
  3. Samantha Hawkins, Mental Health Liaison Worker, Gateshead Health Schools Programme provided web links that we have added to the practice website as well as the Practice Newsletter and Patient Information Leaflet folder

No agenda items were received prior to the meeting

  1. Update

Practice staffing

  • The practice recently informed patients that Dr Brodie would be leaving us on the 25th August 2017 moving to a training practice to pursue a role in training first medical students.
  • Dr Caley will not be returning to Rowlands Gill Medical Centrefollowing the end of her planned maternity leave on 15th September 2017 and future planswill be to continue in a GP role.
  • The practice have in place two long term locums who have provided maternity leave cover and they are with us through to March 2018.
  • The practice newsletters continue to be circulated through the village with seasonal topics, this month will include this year’s flu vaccination day which is planned for Friday 22nd September. Please let Angela know if there is anything you wish to add to the newsletters. Request from the group to add the practice logo to the newsletter and for these to be printed on yellow paper for easy reading. Both requests have been actioned.

National GP Survey Results

  • Copies of the weighted results were reviewed and compared to the previous survey results.The group raised concerns over the wording of questions and how statistics were formulated.
  • In September aPractice survey will be undertaken through the flu vaccination invitation letters to all at risk patient groups;the group discussed and agreed the questions to be included in the survey, the practice will continue to receive completed surveys from patients up to 31st October and the results will be uploaded to the practice website and included in the practice newsletter.
  • The practice continues to monitor and record appointment daily and advance availability, the group have suggested recording the time the last available appointment was booked, this request has been implemented.
  • Promoting online access, how do we raise awareness? We currently promote this through the practice newsletter, website, surgery notice boards and speaking to patients. In an effort to engage patients further the reception team were asked to get competitive and create a poster that they felt would raise awarenessand patient attention. The group reviewed the posters created and selected the one that they felt would get their own attention. The chosen poster is now on display.
  • The group discussed secure system data sharing.
  • Dr Dawson raised patient access, the practice has in place the hearing loop at the main reception and we have a staff member who holds the British Grade 1 qualification in sign language, we wanted the groupsopinions and input on both brail transcribing and audio-recording, they could confirm that there are two forms of Braille, contracted Braille (Grade 2) which is used as standard and uncontracted Braille (Grade 1) which is a simpler form, the practice will check with the CCG if they have anywhere that is contracted for transcribing if we have a request for this. Mr Bryden explained that he has used audio-recording and this has many formats and a wide range of devices, the patient and the practice would need to have compatible equipment for this to work.
  1. Any other business
  • The practice had received a comment from the recent Friends and Family Test Cards regarding the raised seating in the main reception. The comment asked if patients who did not require these seats could be asked to vacate them by the staff for less able bodied patients. We felt this would not be appropriate as we do not always know patients mobility difficulties. We think a more appropriate way to raise awareness of the seating would be to display a notice next to the seating and asked the group for ideas of appropriate wording or pictures. The group felt the most appropriate signage would be
  • The group advised that patient transport service changes are coming in October.

Next meeting date: Tuesday 31st October 2017 at 6.00pm

In attendance will be Annie Osborne, Primary Care Dementia Support, we have invited Annie to provide the group with information on her role and how this works in the community.