Minutes of Patient Groupmeeting

MINUTES OF PATIENT GROUPMEETING

HARROGATE ROAD SURGERY – 8 APRIL 2015

Present:Beverley Kite

Peter Kite

Jose Brooks

Dr Maricarmen Ruiz-Huertas

Pat Tansey (P.A.) - Minutes

Rosemarie Harris

Mike Connolly - Manager

David Harris

Harold Morris

John Haigh

Debbie Beirne

Jaqui Williams-Durkin

Angwen Vickers (Senior Engagement Office – care.data)

Apologies:Deborah Leach

Mavis Morris

Dawn Benson

Christine Haigh

Paul Reid

Denise Fairbairn

Nandlal Bhatia

Welcome.

Beverley welcomed everyone and thanked them for their time.

1.Introduction of the new HR Manager (Mike Connolly)

Mike Connolly introduced himself and gave a potted history of his experience. He explained that originally came as HR Manager but this appointment has now ‘morphed’ into something else. He is not technically employed by the Practice. He is in effect a consultant with a wealth of varied experience that he will put to use in develop the practice, which is now an SME (small to medium enterprise).

He was with Leeds City Council until 1995 and was instrumental in bringing the Royal Armouries and the new DSS building to Leeds. He then moved to Jersey and worked in a German private bank, where he rose to be a director. From there he moved on to a bank in Dublin. After deciding to move back to Yorkshire he managed a medical practice in Todmorden where he supervised a £13M build project. From there he again changed tack and moved to a Barristers’ Chambers in Leeds and then in Manchester. A further change into logistics for a squadron in Afghanistan, from where he was head hunted by an American company. From there he came back to Manchester to work for the Strategic Health Authority.

He enjoys a challenge (or an opportunity!). The partners want this Practice to be the best and he is here to help make that happen.

2.Patient Partner etc

We will soon be moving into our temporary accommodation next door. Unfortunately because the current building is only one storey high the planners, in their wisdom, will only allow a one storey temporary building. Unfortunately this means we will probably have less space than we have at the moment and so are trying to think of other ways of managing patient contact other than attending at the surgery.

Mike is in the process of composing a letter to send out to all households explaining the timelines involved in the new build; it will also contain a reminder to patients of all the ways they can contact the Practice, e.g. booking, cancelling and amending appointments, update contact details, access records, access results. They can also engage in email consultations.

The Practice received 5,000 calls in March, not enough of these were making use of Patient Partner. We think perhaps too few patients are aware of the fact that Patient Partner can be used 24 hours a day. This needs advertising. We need to try and encourage patients to use this facility more. It should be easier to use before reception is open and staff begin using the telephone lines. It is fine for patients to use mobile phones – technology is being used increasingly.

Beverley said she thought digital surgeries might be a good idea for the future. Mike said that he and Marcus had a passion for innovation and they felt new things should be tried even if they turn out not to work.

One or two members felt that Patient Partner might be difficult for some people, especially elderly, but others felt it was a very easy system to navigate. Patient Partner does work, though there are a few problems. Jose asked why they weren’t being solved and Beverley said the group had agreed to send another quick questionnaire to some of the patients who had used it (as a follow-on from the last one), but had not received replies as yet. Further discussion and suggestions, e.g. music instead of the engaged tone when you are holding for a receptionist.

SystmOnline is another useful facility; patients need to come to the Practice to register and obtain a password. Passwords are not given any other way but face to face.

3.New Build

Fencing due tomorrow, clearance and demolition of 353 to follow shortly.

Unfortunately planning, which has all been approved except they have only allowed a one storey temporary building, which we hope to move into mid-June followed by the demolition of 355 in early July.

Mike asked the PPG if the group would like their name attaching to the letter – they would. Mike will email a copy to them first.

A patient asked if the pharmacy being incorporated into the building was Pharmacy2U, as she had received a flyer informing her that they were in partnership with four practices, one of which was NLMP. Mike said no, and that this company were basically working a scam to get repeats.

Beverley had brought a photo of a metal information board in the form of a tree, with the leaves carrying the info. Mike thanked her for this and said it was a nice idea and he would welcome any others and said the PPG needed to be involved. We will have auto check-in screens, hopefully multilingual – Jacqui pointed out that these need to be clean as people are touching these all the time. Staff will be having uniforms, also at Milan Street, and hopefully the colour scheme of the new centre will be mirrored at Milan Street. It will be bright and airy and hopefully have the ‘feel good factor’.

There will also be some changes at Milan Street, they will need some TLC and upgrading too. There may also be some temporary relocation of staff as we will have very little space throughout the build.

We will also try and have some meetings at Milan Street.

Jacui mentioned how excellent the staff at Harrogate Road is and was concerned they might be discouraged if moved around. Mike said the request for change was being driven by the staff; we are responding. We want their working lives made easier. There have been attempts in the past to relocate the Milan Street surgery and we are still always on the lookout for a suitable site.

4.DNAs – how can the group help?

Mike pointed out how expensive DNAs are and said the Practice would be highlighting these in the future. Milan Street has more but it will be the same message at both sites.

Members of the group thought the figures needed analysing, concern was expressed that there may be reasons for not attending appointments. Mike explained that patients are given quite a few warnings before anything is done, but we really do need to act as the issue is beginning to get out of hand. Patients are given the chance before being removed of contacting the Practice to explain why they have missed so many appointments without letting us know.

5.Care.data – patient engagement. Angwen Vickers

The three CCGs are part of a pathfinder project in amongst a small national group. It’s about better sharing and joining up information, not about direct care. The information will be used to look at the whole system, e.g. finding out what and where is doing well, picking up early warning signals, helping with survival rates.

The HSCIC (Health and Social Care Information Centre) has been asked to run the project with NHS England. After the concerns about anonymity etc, they have had a rethink. The information will be extracted and then coded, matched and pseudonomised. It is acknowledged there will always be a very tiny risk.

Examples of usage – e.g. If McMillan Cancer Care wanted the information for a study say, they would need to put a proposal together. It would then go to a committee and then on to the HSCIC to check for breaches of data and anonymity. There will be a cost but this is to cover the costs of doing the work. Dame Caldicott has been involved. A cyber security system has been set up to ensure on alert and can combat that risk.

Still in infancy so not sure of how the information will be shared.

Discussion followed around who would want the information – apparently it has to be linked to an NHS project. It is possible to opt out of the process and this should not affect a patient’s direct care. The reason for engagement is to make sure patients had some understanding before the letter goes out, potentially at the end of May, beginning of June.

Examples of benefits are not available as yet – still a work in progress.

A long and animated discussion then took place around research and data etc. It is about informed choice – there is often a certain amount of scaremongering by the media. It is a changing NHS – can’t plan, can’t make new drugs etc without the information. It is the ‘joined up’ issue this will try and solve. It is a developing pilot so could change. FAQs are being developed for various groups, e.g. staff, patients and GPs. There is still concern over the extraction and use of information as was apparent from the discussion.

NHS England will be undertaking the promotional work. Angwen said she can come to the practice and run information sessions. Information is being gathered about the best way to raise awareness, e.g. where to put posters and how best to target particular groups etc. Voluntary groups are also helping with this. It is generally felt that face to face is best so practice information sessions could be a good idea.

It was also felt the third sector (not part of the NHS but provide a service e.g. AA) will want to make use of this information.

7.Newsletter

There are 29 practices and only 13 have active attending PPGs. The CCG are to fund a newsletter. Adrian was helping to get PPGs started as this is now mandatory but he has had a major heart attack.

8.Practice Invitation

It was thought a good idea for members of the group to attend Target on the 14th May to meet the whole practice and have a little more involvement, see what we do on training days etc. Anybody can attend, not just one person. The group to communicate by email and then let us know nearer the time who will be attending.