Blessing Medical Centre13-14

Patient Forum - Participation Report

Profile of the Patient Forum

The patient forum is now an established group which meets quarterly.

The group consists of:

10 attendees with a core group of five members.

The group is predominantly female with an average age of 55years of age. Please refer to the table below for full profile:

Practice patient Forum profile
Age
Average 55 / Sex
Female 80% Male 20% / Ethnicity
Black Caribbean60%
White English other 20%
Other 20%
Working patterns of patients
20% full time employment
Pensionable 80%, / Levels of unemployment
NIL / Carers
10%
Care groups, e.g. Nursing Homes, Learning Disability Community, Mental Health Groups
NIL / Disability
NIL / Professions include:
Retired chief executive, retired liaison manager, army personnel,
HR manager

The practice list size was 2176 in April 2013. Searches were carried out to review and identify cohorts in the patient population.

  • Employed (32%)/unemployed (68%)
  • Registered carers (0.5%)
  • Students (22%)
  • Disabled (3%)
  • Vulnerable adults with Learning difficulties / mental health (3%)
  • Elderly (over 65s) (6%)
  • Male patients (46.3%), Female (53.7%)
  • Ethnicity – White UK (12%), Irish (7%), White other (30%), Black Caribbean/African/British (35%), Indian /Pakistan (3%), Mixed (4%)

The practice currently have no registered patients in residential/nursing

Throughoutthe year the Patient Forum together with the Practice Manager were acutely aware of the under representation of the patient population profile. The Forum has discussed various ways to improve and boost patient attendance. Listed below were the various approaches taken;

  1. Continued to contact via MJog (Text messaging), word of mouth prompted by alerts and by letter.
  1. A new clinical system was installed in March 2013 could now store email information of patients which provided a new medium to increase the number of patients who could be contacted.
  1. Telephone system had a message to inform how to access services as well as encouraging involvement with the Patient Forum.
  1. Development of a constitution which empowered the forum to review its function and purpose and elect a Chair and secretary which would take forward the group. This offered the group autonomy to pursue and develop their own concerns, issues and solutions.
  1. The group decided to develop their own newsletter which up until that point had been done by the Practice Manager. This was develop and circulated to coincide with the practice survey.
  1. Forum agreed to encourage younger members of their family and friends to join the group as well as attending the practice periodically to approach patients to discuss their concerns and hopefully encourage their involvement.
  1. The Forum decided to volunteer some advocates who would both assistance in the collection of patient feedback on the practice service survey but also highlight the work of the forum and encourage new recruits.
  1. It was agreed to look to develop a Face book page to target the younger patient population. There had been delays to its implementation as the lead member found employment.The secretary is in the process of creating the site with a view to launch by July 2014.
  1. The practice website was updated to reflect the comments from the Forum i.e. adedicated page giving information to patient about the group, inviting patients to meeting and dates of future meetings. It also updated the information to patient on common ailments and its management together with the images to better reflect the patient population.Established several champions within the patient membership who would periodically review the practice website.
  1. Posters were designed by the membership presenting a more inviting and relaxed invitation. These were regularly updated giving details of future meetings which were alternated between daytime and evening to offer patient more flexibility to attend meetings which best suited their circumstances.
  1. Reception staff continues to encourage patients to get involved signposting to posters displayed in the surgery of future meetings or to make suggestions for the attention of the patient forum to the Chair /Practice Manager.

Throughout the year we have had on average one male from either the white English/Irish and black Caribbean/African community. This still needs a lot of work.Unfortunately irrespective of the various ways of communicating with the patients the attendance remained low albeit consistent.

2014 Practice Survey

Following the 2012-13 survey in January 2013 an additional geographical number was installed (0203).Remarkably the consensus was to keep the current 0844 number as the options it offered signposting to different services and also the information given whilst waiting was agreed were useful.

Prior to the 2014 survey being carried out, the forum met to consider progress against previous priorities and to consider what priorities or issues they wish to include in the survey. The group felt there were no additional issues/questions needed this year.

The survey was carried out in February to coincide with the latest newsletter designed by the acting Secretary, alongside the locality survey which offered patients an opportunity to comment on local developments and join the Kilburn PPG as well as the practice patient forums.

  • The questionnaire used was the GPAQ developed at the National Primary Care Research and Development Centre. This questionnaire is recognised and previously recommended by Brent PCT as a legitimate and impartial method of survey. This was a familiar format for patients as it had been used since 2005.
  • Members of the Patient Forum attended for two weeks assisting patients in their completion but also to promote the forum and “drum up business”. This also aided the members to gain additional insight from patients on their views of the practice services.

Findings and review of survey results by the Patient Forum

The last meeting for the year held on the 13th March 2014 reviewed the survey resultsand set priorities for the coming year.

In previous years these questionnaire were carried out randomly however this year, bearing in mind the need to gain the views of a representative cross sectionof the patient profile, practice staff were tasked, using a crib sheet, to hand out the questionnaires to a representation cohort of patients detailed above.

Overall patient satisfaction had increased to 88.6% as in previous years at 79.6%. Key statistics reviewed/highlighted by the membership were the following:

  1. 96.8% were happy with the GP. All present liked all the doctors and appreciated that given the small compliment of GPs, there is little repetition when discussing medical history and therefore encouraged confidence in their care.
  1. This was reflected in the survey in the number of patients who sawthe GP of their choice –65% which had risen since last year.
  1. 60.9% found it easy to get through on the phone.
  1. 85.7% agreed the opening hours were convenient.
  1. Receptionist - 87.2% found reception helpful. This was an increase from previous year.

In reference to point 3, some steps had been taken by the practice and practice manager, acknowledged by the patient forumin regard to the additional phone line, which many of the patients were very pleased about particularly those patients who only had mobile numbers and no landline.

However there remains two separate telephone lines for patients 0844 and 0203. It has transpired that this has created a greater/longer queuing,which is reflected in the survey of a slight drop of 1.5% from the previous year. The number of complaints by patients regarding waiting times on the line will be remains consistent. The Forum together with the practice will look to disconnect the 0844 number in the New Year and assess complaints again next year.

In regards to access to seeing their preferred doctor the survey highlighted 55.9% as opposed to 57.9% in the previous year.There are now three regular doctors however only one doctor per session. This has been the case for several years now however the Forum felt that patients should be reminded that this is a one doctor practice. The limitations to appointments and seeing their preferred doctor of three that are current at the practice will always be a challenge.

The meeting also considered that patients now could be referred to the Kilburn Hub which started in September as a pilot for 6 months. Patient could now access additional appointments within the network, being seen by another GP at a nearby practice.

Below is a chart demonstrating the majority (70%) of Blessing Medical Practice surveyed respondents would attend another GP practice within the Kilburn Locality for an urgent GP appointment.

***Extract from Locality survey

Research done by the Practice which compared the numbers of Blessing Medical Centre patients who accessed A&E during the period October to March 2012-13 and the same period October to March 2013-14 found a 20% reduction in overall attendance.

This demonstrates that

The meeting was overall encouraged by the increase in younger patients who were involved in the survey and considered that their priorities for the coming year will have the younger population in mind.

Patient profile below, reflects and validates the survey as reflectingthe patient population registered at the practice:

How old are you? / Which of the following best describes you?
Answer Count Percentage / Employed (full or part time, including self employed 37 50.7%
Under 16 1 1.3% / Unemployed / looking for work 11 15.1%
16 to 44 41 53.2% / At school or in full time education 7 9.6%
45 to 64 27 35.1% / Unable to work due to long term sickness 7 9.6%
65 to 74 6 7.8% / Looking after your home/family 4 5.5%
75 and over 2 2.6% / Retired from paid work 6 8.2%
Did not answer 0 / Other 1 1.4%
Total 77 / Did not answer 4

** extract from patient survey

Ethnicity data of patient respondents:

Ethnic Group / No of Patients / % of patients
Asian Other - Sri Lankan / 1 / 1%
Asian/Bangladeshi / 2 / 2%
Asian/Indian / 4 / 3%
Asian/Other / 4 / 3%
Asian/Pakistani / 1 / 1%
Black/Black African / 21 / 18%
Black/Black Caribbean / 14 / 12%
Black/Other Black / 1 / 1%
Chinese / 1 / 1%
Mixed White/Asian / 1 / 1%
Mixed White/Black African / 2 / 2%
Mixed White/Black Caribbean / 5 / 4%
Other Mixed / 4 / 3%
White British / 24 / 20%
White Irish / 4 / 3%
White/Other White / 7 / 6%
Other Ethnic Group / 2 / 2%
I do not wish to answer / 4 / 3%
No Response / 17 / 14%
Total / 119 / 100%

***Extract from Locality survey

Blessing Medical Centre has a diverse patient population who responded to the survey. 29% of patients classified themselves as White British, White Irish and White/Other White respectively. 30% of patients classified themselves as Black/Black African, Black/Black Caribbean and Black/Other Black. 10% of patient respondents classified themselves as Asian. A further 10% of patients’ classified themselves as having mixed ethnicity

Action plan setting priorities and implementation

The meeting reflected on the previous years priorities and agreed the following for the coming year:

  1. Communication:
  • Quarterly newsletters giving information on;
  • Local/community issues and changes
  • NHS changes
  • Surgery information i.e. change of staff, clinics
  • Tips on health
  • Childrens section
  • Promoting annual campaigns
  1. Reception TV – the TV located in reception should be used to promote health and possibly showing light entertainment.PM to clarify from the CCG the ownership of the equipment by July 14.
  1. Review of policies and procedures of the practice to ensure information is clear to patients i.e. the appointment system to be reduced, online access. These will be reviewed quarterly.
  1. Face book page – to develop the site to attract the younger population, however this will be linked into the existing practice website. Implementation by August 14.

Survey report

Practice Opening Hours

The Practice Core opening hours

Monday8.30 – 6pm

Tuesday 8.30 - 6pm

Wednesday8.30 -8pm

Thursday 8.30 – 1pm

Friday8.30 – 6pm

The Practice core extended hours:

Wednesday 6 – 8pm

GP Surgery sessions changes since April

Changes from previous year …..***

Monday 9-12pm 3.30-6pm***

Tuesday 10 – 12pm, 2 – 4.30pm, 5 – 6pm

Wednesday 10 – 1pm, 4.30 – 7.30pm

Thursday 9 – 12pm

Friday 8.40 – 11.40am, 3.30 – 6pm***

Accessing Services

Patients can access services either by walking in, via the telephone or via website and email. If a patients calls when closed they will be transferred to London Central West (LCW) previously known as KCW Coop, our out of hours service.

The telephone is connected to LCW if the patient calls when the practice is closed i.e. 08.00 – 08.30am and 6 – 6.30pm, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Thursday calls are directed to LCW from 1pm.

Summary – Practice Managers’ Comments

The patients of Blessing Medical Centre have been consistently supportive and complimentary of the services provided. As a Practice Manager I have benefitted from meeting and hearing the “flip side” from a “user’s”, patientsperspective.Only in this way could we, as service providershope to address their concerns and work towards finding solutions to benefit the patients.

It has also been educational for the patient representatives to appreciate the stresses and strains of everyday provision and the numerous roles and duties that are often unknown/hiddento patients which are carried out by the various staff members behind the scenes.They in turn have been enthusiastic to understand the logistical obstacles to some of the discussions they have made over the past years and how careful planning and cooperation both by patients and staff are essential to implement and improveservices.

Through COMMUNICATION, as the key priority for next year,we continue the theme and goals set from the previous year both the Forum and the practice hope to ensure this group develops and improves both in numbers attending but also contributing to improving its services to the wider patient population.

We now have an elected Chair and Secretary. I know they will push forward their priorities for the patients and the practice as a whole and have already played a significant role in supporting the membership.

As ever we will continue to encourage more patients to attend these meetings and will feedback what is happening in the wider community which may impact on them, as patients and the practice as a service provider.

On a personal note, I was deeply touched and wish to thank them all for their support of me through a very painful bereavement.

Their dedication to this practice and its patients, I am confident, will move forward next year with the priorities set by them to benefit all. Peace.

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