Bottisham Medical Practice Patients’ Group

Chair’s Report: AGM 24 April 2014

The Patients’ Group (PG) Committee has continued to meet bi-monthly since the last AGM. Currently there are 13 members representing patients from Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck, Lode, and Fulbourn. A generally good attendance includes a doctor from the Practice and the Practice Manager: since September 2013 Dr Higham and Sam Clark. Meetings are held at the Downing Court Community Room in Swaffham Bulbeck and we are grateful to Carole Stevens and Sanctuary Housing for the free use of its facilities there.

Activities

Since the last AGM the Group has:

  • Worked with Practice’s admin team to update web pages on its web site and the notice board in the surgery waiting room. Awareness of the Group increased to 80% of the patients who took part in the annual GPAQ survey.
  • Continued to send monthly articles to village magazines in Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Lode, andFulbourn, and quarterly to Quyand the Wilbrahams,publicising the work of the PG, Practice news and current NHS matters. Work is needed to promote the Group in Quy.
  • Promoted the PG at village fêtes and assisted patients at the autumn ‘flu clinics.
  • Continued with the Health Walking Groupwhich goes from strength to strength led by Steve Gilson, meeting twice a month. It is now part of the Heart Beat Healthy Walks scheme in partnership with the National Trust at Anglesey Abbey and Cambs County Council.
  • Organised a Heart Start first aid session run by the British Heart Foundation at the surgery on 8 February. 22 patients attended and there was a waiting list, so it will be offered again this year.
  • Worked with the volunteer drivers’ service to bring it under the PG’s umbrella to ensure its continued effective management.
  • Gathered information about NHS developments and contributed to various NHS consultations, e.g. on the Older People’s Service and NHS111.
  • Have been active on the Cam Health Patient Forum of PPG chairs, contributing guidelines for Setting up a Support Group to the Cam Health web site.
  • Continued our membership of the National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP) and attended their regional conference.

Main patient participation contributions to Bottisham Medical Practice’s work

  • Identified additional questions for the GPAQ annual survey of patient satisfaction to discover common topics which patients would like the Group to address. Agreed an action plan for improvements to patients’ services.
  • Assisted with the completion of the annual Patient Participation Report to enable the Practice to claim additional funding.
  • Attempted to widen participation in PG activities from all local villages and a wider age group by recruiting more people to the Committee and establishing contact with local care homes, the locality centre, schools and Red2Green, but with limited response. The New Patients’ Pack now includes a Patients’ Group registration form which encourages membership of the Virtual Patients’ Group.

In the coming year the PG plans to work even harder to increase participation from a wider age-range of patients and local care organisations, and to make the committee more representative of the Practice’s patient profile. We have arranged to work with students at Bottisham Village College to explore teenagers’ health needs and to set up a teenage page on the website. The Group enjoys a good working relationship with Practice staff and welcomes ideas for offering patients’ perspectives on the services provided, both in primary and secondary care.

Sylvia Thomson

Chair: Bottisham Patients’ Group