Southwell Patient Participation Group (SPPG)
Notes meeting Monday 24th July 2017
Present: Geoff Tinker, Carol Tinker, Bill Evans, Wendy Evans, Jane Zdanowski, Ted Waters, Pat Palmer, Pat Kelsey, Nigel Kenward, Claire Sharpe, Paul Smith, Dennis Brown, Ms Denning, Lesley Barker, Brian Dewing, Marian Kemp, Dr Bajra, Karen Edginton.
1 Welcome to all present, chair asked if any other items for the agenda but none put forward.
Geoff asked if we could reinstate standing agenda items of secretary and chair’s report however both stated happier to put items onto the agenda when they arose.
Also needed to raise the issue of election of certain officers at the next AGM in January 2018 since vacancies will occur some officers will come to end of 2 year term. Reminder to be given at October meeting.
2. Apologies: Tom Bowen, John Elkington, Gillian Ramsay, Melitta Webster.
3 Notes from last meeting agreed as correct.
4. Treasurer’s report: no transactions had taken place therefore balance remains £114.63, petty cash £6.03 total £120.66.
5. Stakeholder reference group – no information had been received as to when this will be reinstated although Geoff had been told that there would be a coffee morning arranged by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to recruit people.
Action: secretary to write to appropriate person at CCG to enquire the latest news.
Jane asked if anyone in the audience wanted to receive invitations to public events held by the CCG since these are received by her on a regular basis, there was no interest expressed.
Any invitation to presentations etc from Newark and Sherwood CCG received by the Chair or individual committee members will be circulated to the whole committee. Wherever possible at least one committee member will attend.
6. Geoff and Pat Kelsey had attended a meeting on access to GP services, for the next 5 years, organised by the CCG. It was attended by a good number and confirmed firstly that:
- GP services are the bedrock of the NHS,
- 90% of interactions are at GP level providing cradle to grave service
CCG has a plan in place for GP services and the need to invest in them. There is a need for a team within the surgeries to provide services which can free up GP time eg pharmacists and nurse practitioners.
Survey had been developed to ask patients if they are prepared to see someone other than the GP, a useful means of understanding what is being considered.
NB link given out at meeting and sent to members, Pat Kelsey also went to surgery and personally asked patients to complete questionnaires and sent them off.
Workshops were held on access to GPs, open more hours, new roles in surgeries, healthy living, mental health.
CCG advised that the views of those at the meeting would be used together with other consultations to inform the future strategy.
There was no suggestion that more funding would become available.
The surgery manager Nigel has been working with other surgeries in Newark as reported at last meeting on shared services however see report from surgery below.
The Voice is a free magazine delivered to households in the district by the district council and there were a number of health related articles, these are delivered at various times around the district.
A particular issue for every surgery will be the requirement to open longer hours 3-4 nights a week to 8pm and approximately 3 times a year on Saturdays. However, this would not mean that every individual surgery did this since they could agree to pool resources and the service provision. This might work as an out of hours service but with pre-booked appointments.
It was added that if the surgeries fail to do this then the CCG has an obligation to provide this to patients by March 2018. No plans are available at present.
7. Dr Adkin and Dr Pounder have both now left the practice and the locums working at the surgery have been satisfactory. Dr Wood starts at the beginning of August and will take patients from both Drs Adkin and Pounder. Dr Hafeez is covering Thurs: Dr Sheril covers Weds to Friday as a direct job share with Dr Richmond.
The workload is increasing with a new demand by patients living in Farnsfield to register at the surgery, this is within their rights. However the doctors are noting that some of these patients have complex needs and the time taken to visit them is having an adverse effect on the time available to undertake other duties in the surgery and for Southwell and surrounds patients.
Chair will write a letter to the CCG expressing the concerns of the PPG.
After 3 months of shared wound dressing service it has already reached capacity clinicians are struggling to deliver the service; the patients from the surgery who it was planned would be using this service have instead had to be cared for by the nursing staff. Since this impact was not expected this has caused significant stress for that team. Therefore, the surgery has had to take the decision to drop some services previously supplied by nursing team. These are the services which patients will be directed to:
- hearing tests can get at some pharmacists and opticians
- Doppler checks on blood flow need to go to hospital
- Ear suction/irrigation to some opticians, NB NIHCE advise using oil in the ears for 2 weeks before seeking assistance
- Cardio rhythm to go to hospitals
- Blood tests wait at 3-4 weeks and need to be referred to City Hospital
Nigel is aware that patients would prefer to attend Newark for blood tests but no progress on this ambition as yet.
Pressure has been put onto GPs to reduce medication costs by using cheaper products, where a change has been made letters are sent to patients.
The Gateway is closing in August which allowed direct referrals to hospitals by GPs.
The practice wanted to notethanks for patience over the recent cyber-attack and loss of IT service.
Surgery is speaking to office of Mr Jenrick Newark MP to represent the area on any government bills on health. Suggestion to invite him to a Southwell Patient Participation Group meeting in future.
Query raised from audience concerning length of time X-ray results are taking, Dr Bajra advised that the hospital faxed results quickly where action is needed but are taking 3-4 weeks otherwise.
It should be noted, especially during the holiday season when patients may be away, that both Scotland and Wales cannot access the English NHS electronic records.
Other services eg walk in centres would be able to see a patient’s full records but would need to ask permission every time they are seen.
Suggestion was made that maybe the surgery could encourage or even facilitate sharing lifts to and from hospital for blood tests, Nigel to consider this.
8 AOB CCG have a public meeting on 14th September between 4.30 and 7.30 Everyday Champions Centre, Brunel Business Park, Jessop Close, Newark, Notts, NG24 2AG.
“To register your attendance please call:01623 673139
Our ‘market place’ will be open from 4.30pm and will provide information on a range of health and social care and voluntary and community sector services across Newark & Sherwood.
The formal business of the Annual Public Meeting will take place from 5.30pm to 6.30pm, and will include apresentation of the Annual Report and Accounts, showcasing some of our achievements to date and outlineplans for the future followed by a question time panel.
As a platform to celebrate success, the “GeneralPractice Awards” & the “Excellence in Engagement Awards” ceremony will conclude the event”.
Date of next meeting Weds 11th October please note2-4 pm upstairs at the surgery.
AGM 18th January 2018 7pm at the surgery.