The Whitehorse Practice
Meeting Minutes
2014-2015
Present:
MBE – Practice Manager
Dr SK – Practice Doctor
RC – Practice Nurse
CP – Senior Receptionist
JW– Administrative Receptionist – minute taker
PPG Group: Eight members make up our PPG group all attend.
Apologies: none
The manager welcomed members of the PPG and introduced herself and members of the practice and PPG team.
The purpose of the meeting was explained and MBE assured the PPG that any feedback and/or suggestions made will be taken on board.
MBE – First on the agenda is our Practice Survey, the outcome was very positive. According to the survey the majority of patients felt that the service received at the practice was excellent. Our GP’s and Nurses were praised for the way they listened to patients.
The new ECG service that was set up on the request of the PPG is now up and running and feedback from patients and clinicians was that it was convenient and well run.
PPG Lead – Yes we are pleased with the service and a few patients have commented on how quick and efficient the service is. It saves patients from having to wait at the hospital to be seen. I believe it also saves the Practice a referral to secondary care.
MBE - Electronic Prescribing
Does everyone understand how this work?
Patient1 – I believe you explained at the last meeting that practices were being set up with electronic prescribing, could you please explain once again how this works.
MBE – patients could sign up with a Pharmacy of their choice to have their prescriptions electronically delivered directly to the pharmacy. Alternatively patients can nominate a pharmacy of choice at the practice. The practice will then make an adjustment on the clinical system for the patients prescriptions to go directly to the pharmacy of their choice.
Patient1 – What if you don’t want it to go the pharmacy? What if you want to continue to pick it up at the practice.
MBE: There isn’t a problem, even if you opted in and then changed your mind, reverting back to picking up prescriptions at the practice is easily done.
Patient2: What happens when there is a power cut? You know this area is prone to power cuts, what happens to our prescriptions.
MBE: It will be stored on the pharmacies system as pending and will be issued once their system is up and running. On the other hand you could make your way to the practice where a handwritten script could be provided if the medication is urgent, the practice will then ring the pharmacy to cancel the pending script.
MBE - Telephones
Following on from our meetings in 2013-2014 our telephones continue to be a problem.After much discussion BT has agreed to send in an engineer to assess our telephone system sometime next week, I will keep the PPG informed of any progress made within the next month.
CP – A&E attendances and Admissions
The practice continues to have a high number of patients attending A&E during core hours. Clinicians opportunistically advise patients of the use of A&E. There are leaflet and posters available in both patient waiting areas. The practice is aware of the number of non-English speaking patients who are used to having specialist hospital treatment in their own countries. We are trying our best to get A&E leaflets interpreted and available for non-English speaking patients. The practice has prepared our own A&E leaflet and would appreciate the help of the PPG in getting this out to patients at the practice.
SK – I would like to inform you of changes to the way the practice carry out its Diabetic checks. As of next week all diabetic patients coming in for their checks will be seen by CB first who will carry out a foot assessment and blood tests. Patients will see ZB or me with their results the following week.
CB – Yes I will be carrying out foot assessment, including pedal pulses and the usual fasting blood tests.
Thank you for taking the time to attend this meeting. If you are happy to be contacted for the next meeting a letter will go out to members of the PPG detailing our action plan together with the date of the next meeting.
All attending patients: agree
Meeting Ended at 14:00pm