Brechin Health Centre Patient Participation Group (PPG)
Summary of Meeting held on Tuesday 25th October 2016, from 6.45-8.15pm in Brechin Health Centre.
Present:
- Grahame Lockhart, Patient Representative
- Pamela Thomson, Patient Representative
- Rhona Guild, Primary Care Manager
- Dr Andrew Thomson, GP
- Leslie Morrison, Patient Representative
- Norman McKenzie, Patient Representative
Apologies:
- Donna Whitton (Minute Secretary), PPG
- Kerry Dalgetty, Patient Representative
- Karen Anderson, Patient Representative
- Mavis Leask, Patient Representative
Summary of Discussions:
- Welcome and apologies
All were welcomed and apologies noted. Joy Mowatt and Taletta Jamieson have stepped down from the PPG due to personal commitments. Thanks to both on behalf of the group for their support over the last year.
- Note of Last Meet
Approved.
- Matters Arising
Grahame Lockhart has circulated feedback from ‘Have Your Say’ meeting. Discussion followed about the meeting on 19th October 2016 with representatives from Angus Health & Social Care Partnership, PPG members from both Brechin and Edzell and members from the Brechin Healthcare Group to discuss Brechin Healthcare issues. There was mixed views from those present regarding the helpfulness of the meeting, with Grahame expressing strong views about the value of the meeting and the failure to achieve agreed objectives of the meeting. Grahame raised similar concerns re the accuracy of the wording included in the Issue 6 Community Update which he felt did not accurately reflect discussions.
Feedback provided by Kerry about meeting with Brechin High School (attached). Rhona to contact Kerry for an update (RG). The group would be keen to have a youth member sitting on the PPG; Rhona to discuss with Kerry (RG).
‘Know who to turn to’ leaflets were circulated and group updated that they were handed out at Flu Clinic last Saturday, with a further supply available for this Saturday. Feedback on content welcomed.
- Practice Update
A new practice manager has been appointed and is due to start 16th December 2016. The group discussed the roles and responsibilities within the post.
The role of the Advanced Nurse Practitioners were discussed at length. Janice Monro returns to her substantive role in the out of ours service on 7th November 20016. Elaine Clark and Nigel Clubb are both appointed as Advanced Nurse Practitioners within the practice with a third appointment being finalised. The group were advised that all new staff had a period of induction to prepare them for their new posts with further training where required to meet the nationally developed competencies for Advanced Nurse Practitioners. All agreed that we needed to increase communications to ensure the public understood the roles and training of these nurses, who all have extensive training and experience. Dr Thomson provided some insight into how the professionals within the practice communicated and shared information both within the daily huddle and the weekly multi-disciplinary team meeting to support good patient care.
The staffing roster is planned up to the end of the year and the roster for January to March is being worked on currently. While still largely reliant on locum doctors regular locums are being booked where possible to support some continuity of care. Dr Thomson highlighted that failure to attend for appointments was at times creeping up, even in cases where people were appointed on the same day as calling the practice.
The group asked about the potential impact of adverse weather on locum cover, and while adverse weather causes a problem for all staff groups, most locums are coming from within Angus/Dundee with those from further afield having local accommodation arranged where required.
It was suggested that the next Community Update included pictures and role descriptions of key staff involved in delivery of service in the practice. (RG)
The first flu clinic was run on Saturday with >400 patients attending. Feedback was positive re process this year. The group were reassured that those who could not attend the clinics would be picked up opportunistically or through appointments in practice.
A Surgerypod has been ordered and should be installed before Christmas which will free up nurse time and also provide patients with more freedom re when they attend to check measures such as blood pressure.
The group asked that guidance be issued re access to MIIU after one representative reported a patient having been sent away and asked to call the MIIU. (RG)
A new listening service is being planned for the practice, which will support the new health & wellbeing nurse role recently introduced. The listening service is currently in place in approx. 60 practices nationally delivered by the chaplaincy service. The service is intended to provide support to those who are experiencing difficulties but do not require the support of psychology services. This ma include those with relationship issues, bereavement, loss of employment etc etc. Grahame highlighted the need for caution re marketing of service focussing on listening service rather than chaplaincy service.
The group discussed the importance of communications in the current period of change, much of which the group recognised was positive.
Discussion followed about the future vision for the practice. Dr Thomson shared some thoughts with the group, and the group were keen that practice based staff were involved in the future planning of services with everyone agreeing that developing a stable workforce was a core element.
- AOCB
Group requested earlier distribution of minutes
Agreed that Rhona would contact all previous PPG attendees for whom we have contact details to seek feedback on:
- If they still wish to participate in the PG membership.
- If they do not wish to participate in PPG can they share why not?
- What they expect the PPG to achieve?
- Future Meetings
Tuesday 29th November, 18.45 – 20.15 in Brechin Health Centre.
1