Minutes of Patient Participation Group Meeting on
Wednesday 30th January at 4:30pm at Woodside Surgery, Woodside Road, Halifax, HX3 6EL
Present: / SC Sue CrossleyMF Mark Fennelly
KF Kirsty Freeman
LH Lisa Helliwell / Patient Representative
Patient Representative
Performance and Contracts Manager
Patient Services Manager
Apologies for absence: / Michele Bryden
Tara Taylor / Practice Manager
Professional Support Apprentice
01/5 / Welcomes
LH welcomed everyone to the meeting, MB gave her apologies for not being able to attend due to urgent Practice Matters
02/5 / Staffing Update
LH and KF gave the group an update on staff members at the Practice: Dr Riaz has finished her placement at Woodside as a trainee GP, Dr Ryatt is the current long-term locum since Dr Mattocks left Woodside Surgery, Dr Abhilash is due to go on maternity leave at the end of this month and the Practice is in the process of finding locum cover at Shelf for her maternity leave.
03/5 / Newsletter/Virtual Group
The group reviewed the draft newsletter before sending out to email distribution list. Content was ok’d but SC raised concern that the colours may make it difficult for some patients to read. ACTION: LH and KF to adjust colour scheme of newsletter.
It was agreed that the newsletter would be quarterly and would also be available in the waiting rooms – 1 copy blown up to A3 size so as to be visible.
SC asked if we could provide this in larger print if required. ACTION: LH and KF to add disclaimer to newsletter and large print newsletters will be made available upon request.
MF asked if when it is emailed out we could blind copy patients in so that subscription list remains anonymous. LH and KF to blind copy email addresses in when sending.
Terms of reference for the virtual group will be added as an attachment and it will be made clear that patients can “opt out” of distribution list if they want to.
04/5 / Patient Survey 2013
LH drafted questions for the next patient survey. Group agreed not to start new survey until later on in year and to start reviewing questions at July Meeting. MF expressed concern that actions still need to be taken upon receiving results of last survey. All agreed areas for development following from comments at last survey were:
Telephone Triage – still not understood by all, displays in waiting rooms and article in newsletter needed to explain how it works. LH and KF to ask Catherine Gill – Nurse Practitioner at Woodside to draft an article explaining its benefits
GPs vs Nurse Practitioners – material needs distributing on what Nurse Practitioners can do to avoid negative misconception that they can’t help patients as well as a GP can.
Telephone costs at Woodside – Practice currently in talks with phone companies wanting to tender for contracts.
It was agreed that each area of concern raised from the Winter/Spring survey 2012 would be addressed by virtual group and through newsletters and displays in waiting rooms.
5/5 /