51st COALFIELD FORUM MONDAY 19th JANUARY 2015 HERRINGTON MEDICAL CENTRE
PRESENT:
Karen Copeland (chair), Brian Nelson (Houghton Medical Centre).
Malcolm Eves (secretary), Kathleen Turnbull, Geoff Armstrong (Westbourne Medical Centre).
Norma Bright, Lorraine Corkain..Practice Manager (Herrington Medical Centre).
Dorothy Elliott (Vice-chair), Mike Brewster (Grangewood Medical Centre).
Dr. Jackie Gillespie (SCCG).
Steven Thompson (Healthwatch).
APOLOGIES:
Aileen Sullivan, Mary Buston, Rachel Page, Harry Brown, Gladys McKillup, Margaret and Brian Doyle, Julie Whitehouse, Colin Calder.
MINUTES OF LAST MEETING/MATTERS ARISING:
Minutes were accepted as a true record.
HEALTHWATCH:
Steven Thompson had been the organisation’s manager for only four months. It was set up by government to act as a voice for Sunderland patients as groups rather than to deal with individual cases. It seeks the public’s views on health and social care and the umbrella organisation is Pioneer and Care Partnership (PCP). It has task and finish groups and one short-term project has looked at people with learning disabilities to ensure proper care whatever the environment. Also it is working with a mental health charity to manage changes and seek improvement of care for the mentally ill. Currently there are five staff.
Healthwatch has legal powers to seek a response from an institution within 20 days. Recently it has sought an improvement in how those with hearing difficulties are dealt with in hospital out-patient clinics. Another area of intervention concerns in-patients who are unable to feed themselves.
Patients and carers can raise an issue with Healthwatch via a questionnaire (examples provided) or letter. Dorothy asked how patients knew about the addressing of issues. Steven said information was provided via the website, newsletters, leaflets in hospitals, libraries and GP surgeries and by visiting community events.
Dorothy asked if hospitals were responding to concerns raised by Healthwatch. Steven said that his staff were invited to inspections, flashmob visits (like ‘enter and view’) and there were discussions with key staff. He felt the responses from hospitals were positive. There is an annual report on the work of Healthwatch which includes successes and failures.
Steven hoped to engage more with young people and he noted that £500 was available to improve links to target groups. In response to Kathleen’s query Steven said that public meetings would start soon. Steven was thanked for his input after which he left the meeting.
Karen wondered how many responses were being received from the public and she expressed concern that some key people involved had withdrawn. It was noted that Healthwatch had undergone a major upheaval in the early stages and there had been changes of key staff. Members were unsure if the Sunderland contract came up for renewal at the end of March (Social Services commissions the service).
Dorothy thought we should keep a close eye on the efficacy of Healthwatch in Sunderland. Dr Gillespie was willing to pass on our concerns about the effectiveness of Healthwatch to Gill Wake, area coordinator for the People Board. This had the agreement of all members.
Karen felt that in the past the commissioning review was very thorough. The meeting agreed to revisit the situation in April. Malcolm was asked to seek the annual report from Healthwatch and to ask Julie Whitehouse if other area groups had raised similar issues.
CCG UPDATES;
URGENT CARE CENTRES. Jackie reported that, although the contract of the Urgent Care Centres did not specify appointments, they were running walk-in and appointments. Members reported patients walking in only to be told to walk out into the car park to phone 111 for an appointment! Members expressed dismay at the confusion surrounding access. Karen reported a most unpleasant personal experience of the system.
Apparently receptionists are not employed by Northern Doctors and this was seen by members as a further failing of the service. Lack of triage was seen as a major issue. Jackie said CCG was aware of these issues and they were dealing with them. She would provide us with details of progress made.
PATIENT INVOLVEMENT. There had been limited public involvement at Local Engagement Boards and these were being reviewed. Members wondered how well they were publicised. Jackie would seek information about ‘My NHS’ as members reported zero responses to requests for involvement.
Finally Jackie reported that CCG had spent a lot of time on integrated teams and the issues around increasing pressure on the ambulance service and A and E.
Jackie was thanked for her input.
AOB:
Dorothy noted that at our last meeting the issue of criteria for patient transport had been discussed. Her practice had sought information for discussion. She noted that there was a major increase in workload for staff. Both patients and receptionists felt the questions asked could be embarrassing and intrusive. Also it took time away from other patients entering the surgery.
Dorothy wondered if the appeals system was independent and what the success percentage was for appeals. It was noted that no escort or carer could be included in the ambulance.
Members felt that these issues should be taken back to NEAS. Further, Karen wondered how the criteria were determined. Also why could the application form not be retained for a later journey rather than the whole procedure being repeated?
Lorraine observed her knowledge of how the system was working at Herringon MC. She said the whole process was very frustrating to implement and there had been some abuse to staff. She reported a 35% drop in ambulance use.
Practices could withdraw from the enhanced service and SCCG would have to pick up the problem. NEAS had applied the system on practices without consultation.
The meeting agreed to monitor the system at each Forum with a review after six months.
Dorothy and Mike related information about a Developing Patient Leaders training course which was two sets of three days. Apparently the aim was to get patients to communicate with others via networking. Members were unimpressed!
NEXT MEETING:
Monday 2nd March 6pm at Herrington Medical Centre.
Please note these minutes remain confidential until agreed as a true record at the next Forum.