DR STEPHENSON AND PARTNERS

PATIENT FORUM

MINUTES

27th August 2014

Chair – Fiona Van Enk

IN ATTENDANCE:

Patients: FV, DW, SM, PD, JP

Apologies: MW,JR

Staff:June Pace, Practice Manager,(JP)Chris Kennedy, Office Manager,Dr John Leigh

Apologies: Caroline Minns, Receptionist, Catherine Ferguson, Senior Receptionist

SPEAKER: Kevin Devine – Sunderland Carers Centre

Kevin gave a very informative talk about whatSunderland Carers Centre can offer to people who care or support another person within the homeor a neighbour or friend. The Carers Centre offers support to carers from the age of 5 upwards. They offer support within the whole family approach in a variety of ways and would encourage those people looking after family members/neighbours to get in contact with them as soon as possible, so that they can offer advice at an early stage.

Address for Sunderland Carers Centre is: Thompson Park, Thompson Road, Sunderland, SR5 1SF

Tel: 0191 5493768

Website:

Email:

We have a Carers Champion in the practice, Caroline Minns, receptionist, who can refer you to the Carers Centre. All of the practice team are aware of the referral process so please speak to either a GP, Nurse or reception team at the surgery. We can then add your name to our register and we too can offer you practical support.

SPEAKER: John Parrish – Northumbria Blood Bikes

John is a new member of the patient group and gave insight into a charity that John is part of. Northumbria Blood Bikes is an out-of-hours delivery of life-saving medical supplies service to hospitals and health centres in the North East using motorbikes as transport, which means a faster route to the centres.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a volunteer for Northumbria Blood Bikes visit the website or telephone 07523568419

During our flu clinics we will have a collection box at reception to raise some money for this very worthy cause, if you would like to make a donation.

Minutes from the Last Meeting

Taken as a true record.

Matters Arising

  • Telephone System JP and Dr Leigh apologized for the ongoing problems with the telephone system.

JP had asked that the patient group members telephone the surgery prior to coming to the meeting to give feedback on their experiences of the system. The practice had met with the suppliers of the telephone system and were told that there was infrastructure/wiring work to be undertaken to improve the patient’s accessibility to the practice. As mentioned previously this problem is city wide and also affects practices in Gateshead and South Tyneside. The patients said there was an improvement although the patients did still experience being cut off at some point around 20 minutes.

The patients asked the question of why the phone cuts off after 20 minutes and JP said she would request that this function is taken away from the system if possible and emailed IT supplier on the 28th August. IT supplier’s response was “From the meeting I have had today with telecoms, I have been advised that the KCOM issue is still in hand however is 90% complete. The telecoms team had been to site to discuss with the site the current set up and also review the current system against the live system. I have been informed by our telecoms team that the 20 minute wait / cut off time was discussed in the site meeting between telecoms and the practice, at this meeting the practice were advised the queueing time had been tweaked to approximately 34 minutes, (this is the maximum time allowed)

I have also been informed that it was agreed in this meeting that the message on the phones was to stay as the 20 minute message.

The system will not allow an indefinite call queue”

JP advised that once the practice had it confirmed that the work to the telephone system was complete the practice will run another audit and feedback the results to the telephone suppliers and patient forum.

TOPICS for Discussion

  • PPG Recruitment

A discussion was had about how best to recruit patients to the PPG. The patients suggested a message on the Jayex patient calling board and possibly on Prescriptions. JP suggested patient group members come to busy flu clinics starting middle of September to promote the group to other patients.

  • Continuity of Care – Patients on Discharge

FV brought to the table a discussion that had previously been had at the patient meeting about changing the discharge processes within certain hospital departments. She felt that her experience of discharge could have been different and would like to enable change for other patients. JP and Dr Leigh had informed the group that GPs and Practice Managers had raised this issue on various occasions over the years and will continue to do so in the forums where this can be addressed. The discharge systems have been changed by some hosptials/directorates but patients need to let the hospital or an organization like Healthwatch (the organization that spoke at our June Patient Forum) know of their poor experiences. This is the only way that patients can get changes made to other organisations. The patient voice is the most powerful one in the NHS as a consumer/customer of the services they must be heard.

DATES OF NEXT MEETINGS

29th Oct 201411.30 a.m.

17th Dec 201411.30 a.m.

PLEASE LET JP KNOW OF ANY TOPICS OF INTEREST YOU WOULD LIKE TO INVITE A SPEAKER AT ONE OF THE ABOVE MEETINGS