Minutes of the Patient Participation Group Meeting Held at Markyate Surgery on 20th January 2014 at 1.00 P.M
Present Corinne Ireland (PPG Chair), Aban Sepai (Practice Manager), Dr. Tehmton Sepai (G.P. Principal), Maggy Furneaux (Assistant Manager), Julian Taunton, Anneke Kuiper, Sheila Pilkinton, Dawn Stafford, Jan Robertson, Jennifer Lewis.
Apologies Tom Hodgson.
1) Introductions. We were pleased to welcome Jan Robertson as a new member of the PPG.
2) Minutes of Last Meeting. The minutes were agreed as a true record.
3) Matters Arising. As agreed at our last meeting Corinne had written to Mike Penning, Hilary Killen and Bert Chapman-local Councillor, regarding the concerns over the new Doctors Surgery.
Bert Chapman responded that he did have meeting with Jackie, the planning officer for the Hicks Road development where it had been agreed that she would arrange a joint meeting with all relevant bodies to discuss the surgery.
A letter had also been received from Mike Penning- MP offering his full support and help when needed.
4) Hospital Inspections. The Luton and Dunstable hospital inspections were discussed. The PPG members have attended a few inspections, Dawn can do some Wednesdays but is unable to do them all.
5) Patient Participation Survey Results 2014. The results of the recent patient survey were discussed, all PPG members were sent a copy of the Patient Survey results in advance of the meeting.
· Many patients had commented on their appointments running late. The reasons for the delays and ways of easing the problem were talked over, appointments going over their allotted time because patients often presented with more than one problem is an issue and the possibility of asking patients to book more than one appointment was suggested.
· The long waiting times to see a doctor were discussed in some detail and the surgery feels that 2 locum doctors have helped to ease this situation and there is also the possibility that the Surgery may open two more sessions during the week. It was also agreed that a long term locum would be preferable to short-term locums for continuity of care.
· Recruiting for a new nurse for the practice has been on going since June 2013 without any success.
· Patient who DNA (Do not Attend) their appointment at the Surgery were also discussed and the impact this has on the practice. Sending text message reminders is very useful but not all patients have mobile phones. Patients will receive a DNA warning letter after their first DNA, if there is no genuine valid reason, the surgery requests cancellation notice up to 24 hours so that the appointment can be allocated to another patient
· Patients had also commented that the waiting room boards and LCD screens were too busy to read and that too much information was shown too briefly.
· Reception services were discussed, the general response from the survey had been good and points that had been raised were to be discussed in a meeting at the surgery.
· The age statistics of the survey were discussed at length and the fact that there were no responses specifically concerned with children’s appointments.
· Patients wished to have bloods taken at the Surgery rather than go to the Hospital as there is a long wait at the Hospital and patients have to pay for parking there.
· Finally, the surgery may have to consider closing its Practice list to new patients until the status of the new surgery is decided.
6. New Build. A planning meeting was held on the 9th January 2014, the
shell of the new surgery is definitely being built and we have been assured that there will be no changes to the existing surgery and car park until the agreement is signed. NHS England has not yet agreed to fund the new surgery and the new landlord will no longer be the Borough Council.
It was agreed that the PPG should organise a survey to find out what patients require from the new surgery. Aban asked if we could have it done by the end of February, but this was not possible and it was decided that March would be better. The survey will be available on line on Survey Monkey and also available to be filled in at the surgery whilst patients waited for their appointments. A meeting of the PPG members has been arranged for Wednesday 26th February at the village hall to discuss which questions should be included in the survey.
Action. Jennifer Lewis to set up the on line survey once the questions have been decided.
Corinne Ireland to organise a rota for handing out the surveys in the surgery.
7) Fund raising: this item on the agenda was discussed briefly; some PPG members were not comfortable with the idea of raising funds for the surgery to help for example in purchasing medical equipment, chairs, etc. It was suggested that the Surgery should place a notice on the waiting room boards.
8.) Any Other Business.
Sue and Malcolm Davies have taken over the running of the Care Group. The care bus and driver services are not being used to capacity and the feasibility of using the mini bus to take groups of people to clinics, blood test in Luton for instance, was discussed.
The date of the next meeting of the PPG has yet to be arranged.