Bottisham Medical Practice Patients’ Group
Chair’s Report: AGM 23 April 2016
The Patients’ Group (PG) Committee has continued to meet bi-monthly since the last AGM. Currently there are 8 members representing patients from Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck, Lode, and Fulbourn – we hope to get patients from the Wilbrahams, Quy and Swaffham Prior to join. . A generally good attendance includes a doctor from the Practice, the Dispensary Manager and the Practice Manager. Meetings are now held in the practice waiting room and the dates are published in the village magazines.
Activities
Since the last AGM the Group has:
§ Continued working with Practice’s admin team to communicate with patients by updating web pages on its website, the notice board in the surgery waiting room and a message on the AMSCREEN display.
§ Continued to send monthly articles to village magazines in Bottisham, Swaffham Bulbeck, Swaffham Prior, Lode, and Fulbourn, and quarterly to Quy and the Wilbrahams, publicising the work of the PG, Practice news, health education messages and current NHS matters.
§ Assisted patients at the Practice’s autumn ‘flu clinics, enabling the nurses to work more quickly .The PG also raised funds with a Tombola stall.
§ Continued with the Health Walking Group which goes from strength to strength, led by myself, as a trained walk leader. The walks start from the Practice and they are held twice a month. We have continued being members of the Heart Beat Healthy Walks scheme in partnership with the National Trust at Anglesey Abbey and Cambs County Council. .
§ Continued to work with the Patients’ Car Service. Together with Janet Aves, the Coordinator, we are conducting surveys to gather feedback both from the drivers and the service users. It is hoped this feedback will help improve the service for those patients who have no other means of getting to the surgery.
§ Gathered information about NHS developments and contributed to various NHS consultations, e.g 111 service, older people’s services and mental health services. We have also provided feedback on local clinics for ENT, dermatology and optical services. .
§ Been active on the Cam Health Patient Forum of PPG chairs in the Cambridge group of practices.
§ Continued our membership of the National Association for Patient Participation (NAPP) whose bulletins are available on our noticeboard.
Main patient participation contributions to BMP’s work
§ Continued to attempt to widen participation in PG activities: the New Patients’ Pack now includes a Patients’ Group registration form which encourages membership of the Virtual Patients’ Group.
§ Ongoing work with Bottisham Village College: Dr Croucher has contributed to the schools PSHE programme and the Practice is using the school’s health education data to help inform its provision of care services for teenagers. There is a page on the practice’s website dedicated to teenage health.
§ Contributed to the CQC’s inspection of the Practice on 25th January.
Red Bucket Appeal:
§ Last year we purchased a 24-hour blood pressure monitor (ABPM), which is in constant use thanks to a very generous patient living in Bottisham who paid for the monitor outright. The use of the ABPM will save patients 2 journeys to Addenbrookes to have one fitted. This community based test is well used by patients to the degree that the practice now has a waiting list of patients; we are therefore focusing appeal on purchasing a second, more up to date monitor. We are currently just over the half way mark in securing enough funds to purchase a second ABPM monitor.
§ Last year we also raised enough money to buy a child’s pulse oximeter and this has also been presented to the practice. We hope to have a stall at local fetes with our tombola to continue raising funds or via the red bucket which is sited in the practice’s waiting room. All contributions are gratefully received for which we and the doctors and nurses are extremely grateful.
§ In the coming year the PG plans to work even harder to increase participation from a wider age-range of patients and local care organisations and to make the committee more representative of the Practice’s patient profile. The Patient Group enjoys a good working relationship with Practice staff who welcome patients offering their ideas and perspectives on services provided, both in primary and secondary care.
Steve Gilson
Chair: Bottisham Patients’ Group
28th April 2016