DR S J WITTS MBBS, MRCGP, DTM+H, Dip Occ Med
DR S J WITTS MBBS, MRCGP, DTM+H, Dip Occ Med
SHEERNESS HEALTH CENTRE
250-262 HIGH STREET
SHEERNESS KENT ME12 1UP
TELEPHONE: 01795 585255 FAX: 01795 585842
EMAIL:
MINUTES OF PATIENT PARTICIPATION GROUP MEETING
Wednesday 23rd January, 2013
IN ATTENDANCEfrom the Practice: / Patient Participation Group:
Dr S Witts / PF SB DB
Lesley Cockell (Practice Manager) / ES AM MB
Dawn Birtchnall (Receptionist) / BR JS SR
CH KS
GB SY
Welcome / LCwelcomed new patients to the group and asked the existing members if they had received the Minutes from the previous meeting. Some patients had not and LC said we would try again and hopefully everyone would receive them from this meeting.
Minutes last Meeting reviewed / The Minutes from the Meeting of 31st October were reviewed. LC informed the group that we were using NHS Choices website to publish our minutes, practice newsletters, etc.
We were also leaving printed copies at Reception in the wall pockets next to the desk for patients to help themselves to.
Some group members still had issues regarding the difficulty of getting though to the Practice on the telephone and they asked if we could have a message for call waiting put onto the phone. LC explained that we had tried this the previous week (from 11th January)and it had been absolute chaos.
Some members thought two receptionists would enable the telephone to be answered more effectively.
Some group members said they had noticed we were training some of our receptionists and that they thought there had been an improvement in Reception.
SW said we would look again at Reception to see if there was anything further we could do.
The role of the Swale Clinical Commissioning Group / LC explained there was going to be changes within the NHS beginning in April. SW explained how the services currently being purchased for patients by Eastern & Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust will pass to local commissioning groups from April 1st 2013. Our commissioning group will be Swale CCG and will include the Island, Iwade, Kemsley, Sittingbourne and Tenyham (21 practices in all).
MB voiced concern about services being removed from the local area and patients could be worse off. SW agreed this could be the case, but no one was really sure what was going to happen.
LC said that having a patient participation group was important for ordinary patients to have a say and so concerns could be passed on. She also confirmed that there was patient representation in the CCG.
PPG Constitution / LC spoke about setting out the aims of the groups and outlined a Constitution for our PCG and asked members for their support. The Constitution is attached.
Use of Practice Newsletter / Use of the Practice newsletter was discussed. MB asked how the newsletter was to be distributed and felt there should have been more detail in the newsletter regarding the Practice Survey. LC said that this was the sort of criticism that was needed from the PPG members to improve communication between the Practice and patients. LC confirmed that the newsletter was e-mailed to group members (if they had an email address) published on NHS Choices website and also available to pick up from wall pockets in Reception.
Next Survey / Group members were invited to let the Practice know what questions they would like to be included in the next patient survey. DB suggested we have a question regarding patients not attending for their appointments. It was also suggested it be put up to show how many DNA’s there had been. SW thought this was a good idea so the number of appointments missed will now be displayed every week on the Electronic Board in Reception.
AOB / LC brought up email regarding appointments being changed. She said that appointments were only changed if absolutely necessary and that patients would not be transferred from one doctor’s surgery to another without informing the patient, however patients wishing to see a specific doctor must make that clear at the time of booking and not just assume they will be booked to see a particular doctor.
LC also brought up prescription requests and collections by the pharmacy. LC explained that we are only able to issue a prescription 7-10 days before it is due. This is a patient safety issue to prevent patients from not taking their medication properly. Of course if a patient has a reason for ordering early then if they put that on the request then we would issue the medication. LC said that sometimes there was a problem with the pharmacies under dispensing and patients not realising they were owed a months tablets from the pharmacy. LC also explained that the collection and/or delivery of medication is a service provided by the pharmacy and not the surgery (although we do our best to put the prescriptions into the chemists bags). However if a patient has informed the chemist they have a prescription to collect then the pharmacy will ask for it if it is not in their bag. LC explained on a typical day there are more than 100 prescriptions to be sorted and put away so sometimes pharmacy bags were missed.
KS asked if the practice was using electronic prescription transfer but SW said not yet.
DB mentioned wastage regarding a wrong item she had issued and couldn’t take back to the pharmacy.
Next Meeting / LC and SW thanked every one for coming. LC informed everyone the date of the next group meeting would be 15th May 2013 at 2pm as the Practice were having a new computer system installed at the end of April.